Simply Sensational Cookies

354 Pages·2012·117.312 MB·English

by  Nancy Baggett

SIMPLY SENSATIONAL COOKIES
Bright Fresh Flavors, Natural Colors & Easy,
Streamlined Techniques
Nancy Baggett
Photography by Diane Cu and Todd Porter
JOHN WILEY & SONS, INC.
Introduction 1
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Photography copyright 2013 by Diane Cu and Todd Porter
Cover Image: Diane Cu and Todd Porter
Cover Design: Suzanne Sunwoo
Interior Design: idesign, inc.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Baggett, Nancy
Simply sensational cookies : bright fresh flavors, natural colors & easy, streamlined techniques / Nancy Baggett ;
photography by Diane Cu and Todd Porter.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-470-27868-0 (cloth); 978-1-118-11056-0 (ebk); 978-1-118-11057-7-(ebk); 978-1-118-11058-4 (ebk)
1. Cookies. I. Title.
TX772.B29 2013
641.86’54--dc23
2011042968
Printed in China
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
CONTENTS
4 194
Acknowledgments Biscotti
6 216
Introduction Semisweet Crisps, Savory
Cocktail Cookies & Crackers
13
234
Cookie-Baking Basics
Cookies-in-Jars Mixes &
24
Bars-in-Jars Mixes
Handy Cookie-Baking
248
Questions & Answers
No-Bake Cookies
28
264
Extra-Easy Cookies
Semi-Homemade Cookies
48
278
Drop Cookies
Master Dough, Fancy Cookies
74
& Decorating Projects
Hand-Shaped Cookies
298
110
Frostings, Fillings & Finishing
Rolled Cookies Touches
144 340
Brownies & Bars Index
172
Slice & Bake Cookies
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
4 Simply Sensational Cookies
Many people played a part in creating this book. I’m make the recipes better and more user-friendly. In
proud of it and am very grateful to all those who helped alphabetical order they are: Steven Blaski, Jilda Bolton,
make it happen. Dixie Broyles, Sallie Buttler, Judy Carter, Susan Colletti,
First, a huge thank you to Justin Schwartz, my editor, Pam Cote, Kit Ellis, Vicki Gensini, Monica Greaney, Rose
and the whole Wiley team, for being committed to Gulledge, Janet Holliday, Kate Marvel, Deb Melnyk, Cindy
quality and for making Simply Sensational Cookies Nelson, Cindy Pauldine, Deborah Ross, Margo Sety, and
the best it could possibly be. A book of this size and Elaine Wallace.
with full color and photography throughout is a huge Thank you to the friends and colleagues in my writers’
undertaking for a publisher, and I am thrilled with the group, who have been sampling and rating my recipes
results. Jackie Beach, senior production editor, Joline and critiquing my prose over literally decades. Their
Rivera, the book’s interior designer, and Suzanne steadfast support and expertise has definitely made
Sunwoo, the cover designer, all need to take a bow. me a better writer, and perhaps a better baker and
Thanks, too, to the publicity staff, especially Claire cook. I have also learned a lot from the various food
Holzman, and to editorial assistant Eden Bunchuck for editors and publishers I’ve written for over the years and
helping with many details. appreciate their confidence in me and their enthusiasm
I’m grateful to the enormously talented Diane Cu and for my work. Additionally, many fine cookbook authors
Todd Porter, whose spectacular photographs for the and bakers (some I know well and others I’ve never
book still take my breath away. Not only did they deliver met) have inspired me and shown the way towards
far more than I hoped for, but they were a great pleasure excellence. More recently, numerous culinary bloggers
to work with. Thanks, as well, to Nancy Buchanan, who and Twitter and Facebook foodie friends have shared
so ably and cheerfully assisted us during the photo knowledge and enthusiastically lent their support.
shoot. Finally, thanks to my wonderful family. They are
Thanks to Judith Riven, my literary agent, for her my biggest advocates and enrich my professional
enthusiasm, very professional representation, and and personal life in countless ways. They have been
steadying presence over a project that spanned more springboards for ideas, guinea pigs for recipes in
than five years. progress, and honest (but never harsh) critics of my
Many thanks to my recipe testers: My kitchen work. My husband, Charlie, who has been cheering me
assistants Linda Kirschner and Judy Silver Weisberg on and providing wise counsel since the very beginning,
helped test many of the recipes, and Erica Horting also sometimes tactfully says, “It’s good enough for me
tested a number of them. Connie Hay, Sally Churgai, and to eat, but not good enough to put in a cookbook!”
Stephanie Lowell provided help as well. (Obviously, he understands the taster’s role very well.)
Another big thank you goes to an enthusiastic The youngest fans in the family, my grandchildren
group of volunteer testers who made recipes in their Charlie and Lizzie, are my most loyal baking companions,
own kitchens, then carefully rated them for ease of as well as a constant reminder that cookies are not
preparation, taste, texture, and appearance. Their only about creating great sweet treats to eat but about
feedback was thoughtful and constructive and helped bonding and sharing good times.
Acknowledgments 5
INTRODUCTION
Times change. People change. Cookies do, too.
6 Simply Sensational Cookies
The cookie repertoire I remember from childhood was birthday parties!
pretty different from today’s. Everybody and his brother Today we’re moving forward again—into what could
(or more likely his mother or grandmother) served up be described as the era of “high-impact cookies.” Our
molasses-spice, gingerbread, and raisin cookies. People palates are more sophisticated than ever; they’ve come
made lots of oatmeal cookies, sugar cookies, and date to expect lots of “wow” power. Cookies can’t just sit
bars, as well. But except for brownies and chocolate chip there on the plate or in the mouth: They have to taste
cookies, the chocolate offerings were slim. And cookies and smell fabulous, look fabulous, feel fabulous on
tended to be quite small. our tongue, and, yes, sound fabulous as they’re being
Chocolate chip cookies were very popular but came munched. Even the simplest, most traditional kinds, like
in only two basic styles—those with a bare minimum shortbreads, butter wafers, and such, need to stand out,
of chocolate morsels and those with fewer! Cooks make a statement, and wrestle all our senses to
were frugal then and routinely skimped on add-ins, the ground.
whether nuts, fruit, or chocolate bits. My grandmother, The kicker: Although everybody’s taste buds are
a good baker, would have considered my One-Bowl Big looking for cookies that deliver more, most home bakers
Chocolate–Chocolate Chip Cookies (page 50), which call are looking for recipes that require less from them.
for a pound of chocolate morsels for about 30 cookies, Everybody’s super busy. Plus, many ardent cookie makers
scandalous! aren’t experienced at baking. To complicate the matter
I don’t recollect anybody ever serving chocolate– even further, lots of us have now become interested in
chocolate chippers or mocha chocolate chip cookies, eating more less-processed, from-scratch foods and in
or any of today’s interesting variations on the original limiting dyes and similar chemicals in our diets.
Toll House theme. Nobody tossed chocolate chips This is why, though I’ve authored two previous well-
into peanut butter or oatmeal cookies or brownies, received cookie books, I’m compelled to tackle my
either, probably because people just weren’t into favorite subject again. While my previous works mostly
experimenting much. Besides that, the Nestlé morsels paid homage to popular recipes from the past, this
weren’t introduced until 1939, and it took a while for book celebrates what’s current and up and coming in
folks to realize their full potential. (Butterscotch, peanut cookies. There are so many new, easy, all-natural ways
butter, and white chocolate morsels weren’t even a of heightening flavor, aroma, and texture in both classic
gleam in the Nestlé product developers’ eyes.) and modern cookies, as well as methods of streamlining
Fast-forward to the 1980s and ‘90s, and the cookie and simplifying preparations, that I just have to share
scene was dramatically changed. Cookies were often them with you.
large (even monsters!), and much more sumptuous than Simply Sensational Cookies is new and different in a
before. They were beginning to feature more complex number of ways. First, at the top left next to each recipe
flavor combinations and assorted morsels. Sometimes title you’ll find a very handy doability rating from extra
they contained several different kinds of chips, nuts, and easy to fairly difficult, plus a few abbreviated descriptors
fruits all at once. These extravagances were dubbed highlighting the recipe’s key attributes. These include
“Kitchen Sink” cookies; my latest version is on page 53. remarks such as “very versatile,” “elegance with ease,”
Big, plump white chocolate–macadamia cookies (and “make-ahead convenience,” or “au naturel,” to help you
other white chocolate cookies, too) were the rage— quickly assess recipes without having to read through
my son requested them instead of a cake for his them. Here are some other important new features.
Introduction 7
EASY ONE-BOWL (OR ONE-SAUCEPAN) to work! (Don’t worry; most items are readily available
MIXING and, when necessary, I suggest local or Internet sources.)
Many of the recipes skip the traditional beating, or Interestingly, people usually can’t put their finger on
“creaming,” of butter and sugar. Instead, the butter is what’s unique about the various herb- and chile-
quickly softened or fully melted in a microwave-safe enhanced cookies—they just find the faintly exotic,
bowl or saucepan, then the other ingredients go in. unfamiliar flavors surprising and highly addictive.
After a stirring or mixing, and, perhaps, a brief chilling, This is certainly true of the Lavender-Lemon Garden
the dough gets shaped and baked. Party Meltaways (page 92). Please banish any
This streamlined approach often yields much better skepticism—lavender has an elusive, irresistible spicy-
results than creaming, because more compact dough floral character that many folks discover they really love.
produces cookies with more concentrated flavor and a Likewise, in the Cranberry, Orange, and Sage Cookies
chewy, rather than cakey, texture. It also eliminates the (page 106) the sage adds a special, unexpected flavor
task of figuring out when butter is the right consistency dimension that most folks aren’t able to identify but
for creaming, which is sometimes a tricky matter for greatly enjoy.
newbie bakers. The old-fashioned method is probably a Thanks to freeze-dried raspberries and strawberries
holdover from the days before baking soda and baking and berry powders now on the market, it’s possible
powder came along (in the 1700 and 1800s). Often, to pack far more pure, intense berry taste into cookies
these leavening ingredients lighten cookies to the point than ever before: My revamped chocolate-raspberry
that creaming is unnecessary. brownies are not only the fudgiest, but the fruitiest and
Another streamlined approach you’ll find here involves most aromatic I’ve ever created. And the naturally pale
grinding certain cookie ingredients, like nuts, herbs, pink Very Strawberry (or Very Raspberry) Sugar Dusties
citrus zest, or chocolate, together with the sugar in shortbreads (page 45), which not only contain but also
a food processor, then incorporating the butter and are rolled in berry powder and confectioners’ sugar,
flour as well. This eliminates tedious chopping by hand, burst with fruit flavor.
quickly cuts the butter into the dry ingredients, and A few recipes even benefit from naturally cooling
boosts appeal by thoroughly infusing the sugar and mint leaves or hot, puckery elements in the sensory
butter with the flavors of the nuts, herbs, and so forth. mix: The Spiced Mexican Chocolate Cookies (page
In some recipes, such as my super-easy, five-ingredient 86), for example, include a little smoked paprika and
Iced Little Lemon Drops (page 47), the sugar-butter- cayenne, which, trust me, add wonderful warmth to the
lemon mixture actually does double-duty and serves as chocolate-spice taste and wow all but very timid eaters.
the base for both the dough and frosting.
AU NATUREL DECORATING TECHNIQUES
FRESH, INTENSE, NATURAL FLAVORS AND RECIPES
Simply Sensational recipes crank up flavor by taking Decorating with bright but bland commercial sprinkles
advantage of both old and new ingredients in expected and colored sugars is traditional, but it misses a huge
and novel ways—everything from fresh and dried opportunity to build in more aroma and taste with
herbs, sea salts, and freeze-dried berries and berry well-flavored toppings. And it means introducing food
powders to citrus zests, green tea, and occasionally dyes, some of which are allergens or irritants for certain
even ground chiles, pepper, and edible flowers get put people.
8 Simply Sensational Cookies