BAIRD’S BAKING MAGIC
Beloved food icon shares her fave holiday cookie recipes
Award-winning cookbook author and Order of Canada recipient Elizabeth Baird is a beloved Canadian icon who has inspired generations of home cooks. Here, she offers Postmedia readers an early Christmas gift with some of her favourite holiday cookies.
This is the season for cookies. Easy to make, great as gifts, your ticket to the office cookie exchange and a fine part of holiday entertaining. And all you need are three recipes. Shortbread with variations, gingerbread, and a gluten-free cookie everyone at the party can enjoy. Let’s start with the shortbread, the melt-in-your-mouth kind of cookie.
SIMPLY THE BEST SHORTBREAD
Best, yes, for all your holiday cutters — stars, trees, bells, wreaths, scallop-edged rounds.
1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened but still slightly firm to the touch
2/3 cup (150 mL) icing sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
Pinch salt
¼ cup (60 mL) cornstarch
1¾ cup (425 mL) all-purpose flour
Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or leave ungreased; set aside.
Twenty minutes before baking shortbread cut-outs, place the oven rack at the centre of the oven; heat oven to 300F (150C).
In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar until light coloured. Stir in vanilla, salt and cornstarch. Add flour, half at a time; stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.
Divide in half; shape into discs. Wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour. Let soften slightly. On floured counter, roll out each half of dough to generous ¼-inch thickness.
Cut into shapes. Arrange about 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets; chill until firm, about 45 minutes.
Bake until light golden on bottom, and firm to touch, about 35-40 minutes.
Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to racks to cool.
(Make-ahead: Layer with waxed paper in airtight containers and store at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.)
Variations:
Ginger Shortbread:
Mix 1 tsp. (5 mL) ground ginger and
1/3 cup (75 mL) finely diced preserved ginger (available in bulk stores and supermarkets) into the dough.
Lemon Poppy Seed Shortbread:
Mix 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) finely shredded lemon zest and 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) poppy seeds into the dough.
Chocolate Orange Shortbread:
Stir 1 Tbsp. (15 mL) finely grated orange zest and ½ cup (125 mL) mini chocolate chips into dough.
Dark Chocolate Shortbread: Melt 2 oz. (50 g) chopped bittersweet chocolate. Let cool and blend into butter-sugar mixture. For double chocolate, stir ½ cup (125 mL) mini chocolate chips into the dough. For Mocha Shortbread, dissolve 1 tsp (5 mL) instant espresso powder in the vanilla.
Freeze for up to 1 month.) Makes about 36 cookies.
GINGERBREAD COOKIES, AKA HARD GINGERBREAD
This absolutely delicious gingerbread recipe comes from Fort York National Historic Site and is the recipe the Fort’s cooks roll and cut into the shape of soldiers. Packages of these spicy cookies are best sellers in the Fort’s gift shop, the Canteen. You can cut out into any holiday shape, decorate with Royal Icing, see below for the recipe.
1 cup (250 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1 cup (250 mL) fancy molasses
4 cups (1 L) all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) ground ginger
1 tsp. (5 mL) each baking soda, ground allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg
½ tsp. (2 mL) each ground cloves and salt
Royal Icing (recipe to follow)
Assorted glittery sugar and/ or candy decorations
Line 2 rimless baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
Twenty minutes before baking gingerbread cut-outs, place oven rack at centre of oven; heat oven to 350F (180C).
In large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in molasses.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
In two additions, stir flour mixture into molasses mixture.
Remove from bowl and knead lightly on floured counter to make dough smooth.
Press into 4 discs; wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
On floured work surface, roll dough, 1 disc at a time, to scant ¼-inch (5-mm) thickness.
Cut out shapes, re-rolling dough.
Arrange about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake until firm to touch and slightly darkened on the underside, about 10-12 minutes. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes; transfer to racks to cool. (Make ahead: Layer with waxed paper in airtight containers.
Store at cool room temperature for up to 1 week; freeze for up to 1 month.) To decorate, pipe or spread Royal Icing in decorative patterns on the cookies. Press glittery coloured sugar or sparkly candies into the icing.
Let dry before layering with waxed paper in airtight containers. Makes about 50 cookies in such shapes as gingerbread folk, mittens, stars, trees and angels.
ROYAL ICING
¼ cup (60 mL) pasteurized egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
3 cups (750 mL) icing sugar (approximate)
In a bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. Add icing sugar, 1 cup (250 mL) at a time, beating for about 5 minutes or until the icing is glossy, white and firm. (Make ahead: Cover surface directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)
Makes about 2 cups (500 mL).