Subj : Cookies was: Mandoline To : Ruth Haffly From : Dave Drum Date : Sun Jul 07 2024 07:54:23 -=> Ruth Haffly wrote to Dave Drum <=- RH> One time for a family reunion one of my sisters in law made chocolate RH> chip cookies, using a scoop to form them. She worked in food services RH> so knew how to get them precise. She also had a commercial plastic RH> disposable cookie box that she put them in. At the gathering, a brother RH> in law initially didn't take any as he thought they were store bought. RH> We convinced him that they weren't, as I was able to tell him that I RH> saw her making them. DD> Store bought is not necessarily bad. The B-I-L's assumption is both an DD> insult and a compliment depending on which way it's taken. Bv)= RH> I'm not sure how he meant it but he eventually tried one and realised RH> it was home made but store bought precision looking. One of the RH> standing displays in the front of our Wegman's store is a variety of RH> decorated sugar cookies. I know they're baked and decorated in the RH> store, not sure where they're mixed and shaped, but everything is so RH> precise! I've watched some of the decorators in action; I was never RH> that good. Practice makes perfect. They do that for a living. We, OTOH .... I mske these cookies around holiday time - using Santy Pants and Xmas tree cookie cutters. They are a hit where ever offered. MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06 Title: Iced Sugar Cookies Categories: Cookies, Snacks, Chilies Yield: 24 Cookies 2 3/4 c A-P flour; extra for rolling 1 ts Baking powder 1 ts Fine salt 1 c Unsalted butter; room temp 1 1/4 c Granulated sugar 1 lg Egg 3 tb Half & Half 1 ts Vanilla extract 1 ts Almond extract MMMMM---------------------------ICING-------------------------------- 2 c Confectioners' sugar 4 ts Milk or Half & Half 4 ts Karo light corn syrup 1/2 ts Almond extract Assorted food coloring Ground chile; optional Nonpareils and dragees; to - decorate All ingredients @ room temperature. In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside until ready to use. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a hand-held mixer. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed once again until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix briefly once again. Add the egg and mix on medium speed until well-incorporated. Add the half and half, along with both the vanilla and almond extract and mix once more. Add the flour in 3 separate additions, mixing on low after each addition. Do not over-mix. Divide the dough into two rounds and lay each atop a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk shape, wrap and refrigerate until chilled, no less than 1 hour. The dough can be made a day in advance. Set the oven @ 350°F/175°C and have ready cookie sheets lined with either parchment paper or a Silpat. One at a time, lay the disks atop a large floured work surface. Lightly flour each side of the dough round. Begin rolling, from the middle outward in each direction, shifting the dough slightly after each roll to avoid sticking. Do this until the dough is 1/4" in thickness. Cut out dough into desired shapes. Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 1" apart. Bake until the outer edges are just tinged with golden-brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing. MAKE THE FROSTING: In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Add the ground chile at this time. Cayenne for red, jalapeno/NuMex for green. Paint or pipe icing on to cookies, or paint them with a brush. Add appropriate coloured sprinkles and a few silver and/or gold dragees Should make 24 cookies Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchen MMMMM .... Borg Burgers: We do it our way; your way is irrelevant. --- MultiMail/Win v0.52 * Origin: Outpost BBS * Johnson City, TN (1:18/200) .