Christmas Cookies Redux

[SylviaLovegren]

Sylvia, make some gingerbreads the lazy way, first the dough one day, then roll it out the next and then " artisan" cookies with a pizza slicer, DONE:

 

I have never in my life been able to roll out cookie dough.  It always sticks to the rolling pin, sticks to the board, sticks to my fingers, ends up in unattractive misshapen globs on the cookie sheets while I'm red faced and cranky.  If I use enough flour to keep this from happening, my shapely cookies taste like cardboard.  It's a curse. 

[andiesenji]

I have never in my life been able to roll out cookie dough.  It always sticks to the rolling pin, sticks to the board, sticks to my fingers, ends up in unattractive misshapen globs on the cookie sheets while I'm red faced and cranky.  If I use enough flour to keep this from happening, my shapely cookies taste like cardboard.  It's a curse. 

I roll cookie dough between two sheets of parchment - remove the top sheet, cut the cookies, remove the "trimmings" and slide the parchment onto the baking sheet.  I do several sheets at once, stack them, even chill if the kitchen is warm.

After cooking I just slide the parchment onto the cooling rack and slide another full unbaked batch onto the sheet pan and right back into the oven.

 

This saves considerable time - no need to transfer the indifidual cookies before or after baking. 

[CatPoet]

Sylvia,  I will give you my grandmothers gingerbreads,  Stockholms pepparkakor,  you only roll balls, bake  and it taste like Christmas.

[Darienne]

Cat Poet, I would like the recipe also.  Rolling balls is just about my speed of cookie making.

[emmalish]

I roll cookie dough between two sheets of parchment - remove the top sheet, cut the cookies, remove the "trimmings" and slide the parchment onto the baking sheet.  I do several sheets at once, stack them, even chill if the kitchen is warm.

After cooking I just slide the parchment onto the cooling rack and slide another full unbaked batch onto the sheet pan and right back into the oven.

 

This saves considerable time - no need to transfer the indifidual cookies before or after baking. 

 

Another vote for using parchment paper! Except that I use plastic wrap on top instead of parchment, as it's more flexible and I find the dough tends to curl a bit as I roll it out. With this method, I almost never need to use additional flour unless the dough is exceptionally sticky.

 

I also use wooden craft sticks as guides for my rolling pin so I get a consistent thickness.

[CatPoet]

Stockholms pepparkakor

 

250 gram brown sugar

200 gram caster sugar

50 gram butter

300 ml  golden syrup , cane juice, sugar cane syrup or light treacle  ( if you luck out, Swedish ljus sirap)

300 ml whipping cream ( try to get additive free)

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

A few drops of oil of lemon  ( old recipe says 1/4 teaspoon but for some oils that is too much)

2 tablespoon of bicarbonate soda

1 - 1½ litre of flour.

 

Whip the cream  fluffy, add  sugars, syrup and soften butter,  Whip some more until combine, add oil and ginger.  Mix  the bicarb with 500 ml of the flour and  in. Now with your hands add in as much flour you need until you have a soft   dough that holds it shape and isnt sticky. Leave  over night.   Next  day roll small  balls ( hazelnut size) or slightly larger balls and place on a baking sheet  ( should be covered with paper).  Bake  at 175 C  until done, dont burn them dear, about 5- 12 minutes  depending on size will do. Leave to cool on rack, yes they crack but that is perfect.  Dunk into coffee or milk, or you dentures have had it and it be an very expensive Christmas.  

Love. NN

 

That is how it is written on how to make them  and  it is a over 70 year old recipe, it is most likely older  because this is written pre  WWII in my  grandmothers  old cookbook and it is written with a typewriter  with a flaw, so I know who gave this recipe to my gran.  I  , my self have few letters with the same flaw.

Edited December 17, 2014 by CatPoet (log)

[CatPoet]

I hope you try it.  I cant use oil of lemon so I tried this year with almond oil.

[Darienne]

I'll have to buy the whipping cream...no problem...but exactly how does one measure a litre of flour?  Would it be 4 cups? 

 

I doubt I can get oil of lemon where we are, but I could add lemon zest.

[Kerry Beal]

I'll have to buy the whipping cream...no problem...but exactly how does one measure a litre of flour?  Would it be 4 cups? 

 

I doubt I can get oil of lemon where we are, but I could add lemon zest.

Try a health food store - or older pharmacy.

[CatPoet]

Lemon extract will work just fine and also yes about 4 cups of flour.

[Anna N]

I'll have to buy the whipping cream...no problem...but exactly how does one measure a litre of flour? Would it be 4 cups?

I doubt I can get oil of lemon where we are, but I could add lemon zest.

Try the Bulk Barn on Landsdowne West.

Edited for spelling of street name

Edited December 17, 2014 by Anna N (log)

[Darienne]

Thank you CatPoet. 

And Kerry and Anna I'm in the middle of not much in Utah.  I even bring my own mint when we come here.  Lots of red rocks and blue skies but not a lot of anything else.

Edited December 17, 2014 by Darienne (log)

[emmalish]

I'll have to buy the whipping cream...no problem...but exactly how does one measure a litre of flour?  Would it be 4 cups? 

 

I doubt I can get oil of lemon where we are, but I could add lemon zest.

 

If you don't mind waiting for delivery, you could order it from Golda's Kitchen. – oh whoops, I didn't see that you were in Utah right now! Disregard...

Edited December 17, 2014 by emmalish (log)

[Kerry Beal]

Ah yes - forgot you were south - should be even easier to find.  Look for the little Lorann bottles.  Cheap as chips.  Check Michael's Arts and Crafts.

[Darienne]

No, no Kerry.  Not in Moab.  There's a Kroger's here but it lacks candy making stuff...which I bring from home.  And a lot of other things too.  Buff tourists do not back.

 

No Lorann here.  And certainly no Michael's.  There's an Alco...and it's closing.  That's it.  Moab is two hours from anywhere.  Two hours north and east is Grand Junction...you could get it there.  Two hours south and east is Cortez.  Both are in CO.  I have no idea what you can get in Cortez.  Not much I think. 

 

Now if you wanted cliff climbing equipment or bicycle tires or jeeping stuff...you could get it here.  ATVs, river rafts, hiking boots.  Yes.  Motorcycles even.  But not foodstuffs.  Remember the young man who had to cut his arm off with a penknife to survive?  That was just outside of Moab. 

[ChocoMom]

Oh, YAY!   I just found my Grandma' Springerle rolling pins!!!   I think I know what's next on the to-do list!  I have the blocks somewhere too, but I don't know where. The pins will have to do the job.

 

When I was really young, I remember watching Grandma make a little hole at the top of the cookie's border. She explained that the imprint/picture on the cookie could be painted, and then a ribbon tied through that little hole, and then it was hung on the tree as an ornament. I remember seeing her finished (painted) cookie with the imprint of the cardinal sitting on a tree branch. 

Anyone else ever paint the cookies?  Gram enjoyed all the kind of stuff. Just a fun thought....

[Tri2Cook]

I'd just use some fresh lemon zest to replace the oil. If you don't want the actual lemon zest in the cookies, just mash some around with the sugar for a bit then strain it out. The oils transfer to the sugar quite easily.

[CatPoet]

Oh I forgot,  you can also roll  STockholmspepparkakor and cut them out if you want to.  If the dough crumbles, add bit of butter.

[MelissaH]

Can you order from Amazon.com? (And I'll ask my parents about GJ, which is a couple of hours north of where they live.)

[CatPoet]

Fixed recipe, it been a time since I made these and I made them today and then it didnt work as it should. So I called   a relative and  she told me the recipe is wrong, wrong type of  treacle and too much flour and too short cooking time.  So I  fixed that for you all.

 

Stockholms pepparkakor

 

250 gram brown sugar

200 gram caster sugar

50 gram butter

250 ml  golden syrup , cane juice, sugar cane syrup or light treacle  ( if you luck out, Swedish ljus sirap)

50 ml  of dark molasses

300 ml whipping cream ( try to get additive free)

1 tablespoon of ground ginger

A few drops of oil of lemon, or lemon extract or the peel of ½ lemon  ( old recipe says 1/4 teaspoon but for some oils that is too much)

2 tablespoon of bicarbonate soda

1 - 1½ litre of flour. ( dont use it all)

 

Whip the cream  fluffy, add  sugars, syrup and soften butter,  Whip some more until combine, add oil and ginger.  Mix  the bicarb with 500 ml of the flour and  in. Now with your hands add in as much flour you need until you have a soft   dough that holds it shape and isnt sticky. Remember this need to be a fatty dough, Leave  over night.   Next  day roll small  balls ( hazelnut size) or slightly larger balls and place on a baking sheet  ( should be covered with paper).  Bake  at 175 C  until done, dont burn them dear, about 12 - 15 minutes  depending on size will do, they should crack,  Dunk into coffee or milk, or you dentures have had it and it be an very expensive Christmas.  

Love. NN

Edited December 18, 2014 by CatPoet (log)

[SylviaLovegren]

I roll cookie dough between two sheets of parchment - remove the top sheet, cut the cookies, remove the "trimmings" and slide the parchment onto the baking sheet.  I do several sheets at once, stack them, even chill if the kitchen is warm.

After cooking I just slide the parchment onto the cooling rack and slide another full unbaked batch onto the sheet pan and right back into the oven.

 

This saves considerable time - no need to transfer the indifidual cookies before or after baking. 

 

That's what I do with pie dough, which I am not capable of rolling out without sticky disaster.  The dough usually sticks to the paper in spots, but I'm able to scrunch enough off and reshape in the pie plate so it's not terrible.  Not pretty but at least looks like food instead of.... Well, I won't go on. 

[emmalish]

That's what I do with pie dough, which I am not capable of rolling out without sticky disaster.  The dough usually sticks to the paper in spots, but I'm able to scrunch enough off and reshape in the pie plate so it's not terrible.  Not pretty but at least looks like food instead of.... Well, I won't go on. 

 

If the dough is reeeeeally sticky, I'll sprinkle a bit of flour in addition to using parchment paper. And if it still sticks, I'll use a lightly floured offset spatula to slide under the dough to help release it.

[cakewalk]

I agree with above suggestions, but also try putting the dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. If dough is very sticky, it's often because the butter is too warm/soft. When I roll cookies, I use wax paper but also I roll a small amount and leave the rest in the fridge, which I roll only when the first piece of dough is already rolled out and cut.

[CatPoet]

When it comes to the roll out gingerbread recipe I have posted http://forums.egullet.org/topic/149950-swedish-gingerbread/ ,a light dusting  of flour and a lighter hand on the  rolling pin is all that is needed and it works like a charm.   I use this dough just because I know  it won't be to hard to roll  or stick like crazy.

[SylviaLovegren]

I agree with above suggestions, but also try putting the dough in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. If dough is very sticky, it's often because the butter is too warm/soft. When I roll cookies, I use wax paper but also I roll a small amount and leave the rest in the fridge, which I roll only when the first piece of dough is already rolled out and cut.

Very true.  Part of the problem is that my hands are always hot, real radiators.  My mom was an ace pastry maker and she had cool fingers -- we'd work alongside each other and she could never understand why my pastry was always a sticky mess while hers looked like it was done by a food stylist.  Ah well, miss her for many reasons, including that incredible flaky tender pastry she could make.