Holiday Cookie Exchange
3 in 1 Embossed Cookie Recipe
This recipe makes 3 dozen-ish different flavor and style Sugar Cookies. It is perfected for stamping and embossing your dough for designs that won’t spread during baking. You will begin with a base dough and flavor it as you work. I have listed ingredients in order of their use for a simple follow along tutorial.
It is assumed…I Know, that is dangerous to sometimes do, you have made cookies before and understand the basics of baking. If you are a new baker and have trouble following along, please email your questions to chrissy@normalizeeminence.com Or ask at Normalize Eminence on Facebook!
Ingredients For Dough
7 cups All Purpose Flour
1.5 cups White Cane Sugar
2 cups Unsalted Butter (I lb.)
2 Large Eggs
.5 tsp. Salt
Cream together your softened butter and sugar first. Then add the eggs and salt. Slowly begin to add the flour in small amounts until dough is all mixed smooth and firm.
Set dough on a solid surface lined with a parchment paper sheet and roll the dough into a large log. Divide the dough into 3rds and set 1/3rd to the side.
Using only the first 2/3rds of divided dough, place it back into your clean mixer bowl and add 4 tsp. Vanilla. Mix the flavoring in and once again roll the dough on parchment paper into a log about 2.5 inches in diameter. Wrap entire log in parchment (no exposed dough) and chill in the refrigerator at least one hour. Preferably overnight.
For the remaining 1/3rd of divided dough add 2 tsp. of Almond extract. Mix in well then roll into a log on parchment paper, wrap and chill as the other. You will have two separate flavors of base dough to create the cookies below.
Pre-Heat Oven to 320 Degrees
You will do all your baking for this dough at this temperature.
To Create Linzer Style Cookie (First style of 3)
Once dough has chilled, remove parchment and from end to end cut dough into ¼ inch slices. Only cut them as you go to keep the dough cool while you work the cut piece. Using a non-embossed polling pin gently roll the cut dough piece to remove cracks. (I prefer a French pin style) Using a dough stamp or embossed rolling pin roll or press the pattern into the pre rolled piece. To cut your cookie shape use cutter of your choice. To make the top cookie with a cut out, use a smaller cutter to create the “Linzer” effect. (Pictures provided for reference.) To make the bottom cookie, skip the embossing step and just cut the solid cookie shape. Place both the bottom cookie dough and top cookie dough on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Repeat this step for 12 complete Linzer cookies (24 total cut outs). Place all “scrap” dough remaining from the cut outs into a bowl. They will be used to make the 3rd style of cookies later.
Bake cookies for 15 minutes at 320 degrees. Remove from oven and place 1 tsp. jam filling of your choice onto the solid bottom cookie. (I have provided the recipe for one of my holiday favorites below!) Then gently place the top cookie with the cut out on top of the jam being careful to not crack the cookies. Bake again for 10 minutes at 320 degrees. Remove from oven and cool. Set aside for decoration later. If you would like to make sandwich cremes with the gingerbread recipe below, be sure to keep a few of the tops and bottoms without jam filling to cool after the first 15 minute bake.
PRO TIP!
Use painter’s tape to tape rulers on either side of your parchment paper width so when you are rolling out your dough you get consistent thickness for every cookie! The painter’s tape will not damage your workspace when removed.
Linzer Cranberry Orange Jam Filling
1 bag Ocean Spray Dried Cranberries
1 – 12oz. Jar Orange Marmalade
Juice of two Clementine’s
¼ tsp Cloves
¼ tsp Cinnamon (Ceylon)
Mix all ingredients together and let rest in refrigerator overnight. Stir well before filling cookies.
Gingerbread Cream Filling
3 tbs. Molasses
1 stick Unsalted Butter
¼ 7oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups Confectioners’ Sugar
1 tsp. EACH
Cinnamon
Ginger
Cloves
Nutmeg
Allspice
Black Pepper
.5 tsp. Salt
Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Pipe between COMPLETELY COOLED cookie layers making sandwich style cookies. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve for best mouth feel while eating.
To Create Italian Anisette Cookies (Second style of 3)
Taking the cut-away scraps from the Linzer cookies and mix them with the second 3rd of prepared base dough and 1 tsp. Anise extract. Using a portioner or a spoon scoop out 2 inch balls and round them out smooth. Place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 320 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to cool. Set aside for decorating later. This should yield about 24 cookie balls.
To Create Amaretto Sugar Cookies (Third style of 3)
Unwrap chilled dough from parchment paper and divide log into quarters. Let sit for about 5 minutes before rolling out. As for any cut out cookie, be sure to roll out evenly and not too thin. Roll over the dough a second tie with embossed pin to raise a pattern. Use cutter of your choice to make festive holiday shapes then place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 320 degrees for 15-20 minutes depending the cookie thickness. Let cool completely before icing.
Stamped Cookies – Make 1 tbs. sized balls with the dough and press the pattern into each ball. Bake as above.
Royal Icing Recipe (Non-Flavored)
2 Large Egg Whites
2 tbs. Heavy Cream.
2.5 cups Confectioner’s Sugar
Mix all ingredients above. Split the batch into two. One batch 2/3 cups. The second 1/3 cup.
Traditional Sugar Cookie Amaretto Flavored Royal Icing- Add to batch one, 1.5 tsp. Almond Extract plus 2 tbs. confectioner’s sugar. Split this batch as needed to add gel food coloring for decorating. Keep in airtight container until use. See video for royal icing decorating tips!
Italian Anisette Flavored Royal Icing- Add to batch two, .5 tsp. Anise Extract plus 2 tbs. confectioner’s sugar. I prefer to leave this icing batch white, as non-apparels are sprinkled on these cookies after icing. Dip the cookies in the icing and turn right side up to ice them. Give the icing a little time to stop gravity coating the cookie, then sprinkle on in your desired amount for decoration.
Happy Holidays!
Kiss Kiss,
Chrissy
