In my quarantine kitchen, nothing seems to bring more cheer than a big batch of homemade cookies. It helps alleviate the blues. First, in preparing them, the process fills the house with luscious scents accompanied with the bang-clang noise of productivity. And second, the anticipation of sharing them with family and friends brings a feeling of accomplishment, something that brings joy in tough times.
Fortunately, I’ve accumulated a regiment of airtight glass jars in a variety of sizes and styles over my many years of cookie baking. I fill the jars to the brim with cookies as gifts, intending for the recipients to keep the jars, too. But those containers seem to find their way back to me with notes asking for more cookies.
Of course, those cookie treasures can be sealed up in plastic bags for use at home or given as gifts. I like to keep one or two bags in the freezer for emergency cookie raids.
Cookies come in all shapes, sizes and flavors. I’ve chosen two very different recipe offerings to share here: one is crisp and spicy, the other chewy and filled with dried fruits, nuts, oats and coconut.
Martha’s Big Kitchen-Sink Cookies
These great big Kitchen-Sink Cookies are from Martha Stewart’s new cookie cookbook, “Cookie Perfection” (Clarkson Potter, $26). They contain lots of goodies, but Martha writes that the home baker should feel free to customize the add-ins. Try dried cranberries instead of cherries, for example. Don’t like pecans? Use walnuts. She cautions home bakers to make sure you leave enough space between the cookies when baking because they spread out.
Makes 8 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup large unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup halved pecans, toasted
Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter and both sugars until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer on low, beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in vanilla.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. With mixer on low, gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well combined.
Add oats, coconut, apricots, chocolate, cherries and pecans, and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Scoop dough into 8 balls (¾ cup each). Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart. Use the palm of your hand to flatten into 4-inch rounds. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, about 16 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.
— “Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection” from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, $26)
Molasses-Ginger Crisps
These spicy cookies are a Martha Stewart favorite. They include a trio of gingers — fresh, ground and crystalized. While baking, they fill the kitchen with welcome fragrance. The easiest way to peel fresh ginger is to use the bowl of a spoon, but I admit that I usually don’t peel it unless there is a knob with thickened skin.
Makes 8 dozen
Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 cup coarse sanding sugar
Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, baking soda and salt.
Using an electric mixer on medium-high, beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in egg and egg yolk, crystallized ginger and grated ginger. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with molasses; mix on low until combined. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon or cookie scoop, scoop dough and roll into balls, then coat with sanding sugar (children like to help with this). Transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2 inches apart.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are flat and edges are dark golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or frozen up to one month.)
— “Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection” from the Kitchens of Martha Stewart (Clarkson Potter, $26)
The Link LonkSeptember 22, 2020 at 08:59PM
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Recipes: When the pandemic gets you down, bake cookies - Santa Cruz Sentinel
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Cookies
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