'Tis The Cookie Season
Round choco-nut cookies are nestled in a gift box. (Susan Russo for NPR)
Spending countless hours trapped in a cold, dimly lit basement is one of my best Christmas memories.
I don't remember gifts I gave or received (except for the year I got my awesome pink Huffy bike). I do, however, remember making Christmas cookies every December with my mom, a ritual that ended in the basement.
Christmas cookie baking was a massive project. Each year, it began by buying obscene amounts of flour, sugar, butter and eggs, which would be transformed into holiday family favorites such as biscotti, pizzelles and macaroons. The cookies would be assembled onto trays, tied with shiny ribbons and given as presents to everyone we knew, including the dry-cleaning guy.
(Susan Russo for NPR)
Mom and I would spend days rolling and dipping and sprinkling. We did this until our backs ached and our feet swelled, then we did it some more, fueled by eating the occasional defective chocolate crinkle or Hello Dolly cookie that didn't make the cut.
Then we'd head to the basement, where more than 2,000 cookies in metal tins were stacked on our old air hockey table waiting to be assembled. (I told you, everyone got a cookie tray).
Culinary historians claim that the earliest cookies as we know them developed from cake baking. In the 7th century, Persians made small sweet cakes, which became the prototype for modern-day cookies. It is believed that at some point, small amounts of cake batter were baked to test an oven's temperature, and eventually these small cakes became treats themselves.
(Susan Russo for NPR)
During medieval times, cookie recipes and baking techniques spread from the Middle East to Europe. With the Muslim invasion of Spain and the development of the spice trade, cookies laced with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and anise began to appear. By the Renaissance, cookbooks included many recipes for sweet cookies made from eggs, sugar and flour. Indeed, the word "cookie" comes from the Dutch word koeptje or koekje, which means small cake.
Cookies underwent major changes in the 18th and 19th centuries as the price of sugar and flour dropped and chemical leavening agents such as baking soda became widely available. The inventions of the modern refrigerator and oven with thermostat also helped propel the popularity of home-baked cookies.
Though cookies have been associated with feasts and special occasions for centuries, they may be most identifiable with Christmas, dating back to medieval Europe. The first genuine Christmas cookie was likely lebkuchen, a German gingerbread cookie, which was followed by other European cookies including buttery Swedish spritz and speculaas koekjes (Dutch spice cookies).
(Susan Russo for NPR)
When European immigrants came to America, they brought along their cookie recipes as well as cookie cutters and decorative molds. Soon, American home bakers excitedly began making Christmas cookies in the shapes of St. Nicholas, Christmas bells and stars.
Cookies also are the confection most closely associated with Santa Claus. The tradition of leaving cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve began in the 1930s during the Great Depression. Some say it was an inexpensive yet sweet way for nice children to thank Santa, while others claim it was a way for naughty children to bribe him. Either way, cookies remain a beloved Christmas treat for Santa and are an ideal Christmas gift during tough economic times.
Because cookies come in all shapes, sizes and textures, you can find something to please everyone on your gift list. Drop cookies, which are among the easiest to make, are so named because the dough is dropped by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Drop cookies such as chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin do not have to be perfectly shaped. However, to ensure even baking, use a small cookie scoop or measuring spoon coated with cooking spray to drop roughly equal amounts of dough.
Bar cookies are a hectic holiday baker's best friends. All of the ingredients get mixed together, poured into a single pan like a cake, then baked. Brownies, likely the most treasured of bar cookies, are ideal for large gatherings and require minimum effort.
Rolled and cut-out cookies are made from stiff dough that is rolled out then cut into shapes such as hearts. Sugar cookies, pinwheel cookies and shortbread are among the most popular.
Refrigerator cookies are so named because the dough is formed into a cylinder and chilled in the refrigerator before baking. These are great plan-ahead cookies because the dough freezes well.
Molded, shaped or pressed cookies are made from dough that is typically chilled then rolled into logs or balls before being shaped. Some are hand-shaped like crescents, while others, such as madeleines, are made in molded cookie pans.
As the name implies, sandwich cookies are made from two cookies held together by a filling, like an Oreo. Filled cookies such as fig bars are made from dough that is baked with a filling inside.
Finally, there are specialty cookies, such as cloud-like meringues and elegant curved tuiles (French lace cookies).
If you want to make Christmas memorable for your kids this year, skip the mall and spend a day or two baking Christmas cookies with them instead. It may be the only gift they remember 20 years from now.
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Have you gotten a really good — or really bad — edible gift? Do you have special recipes and food traditions for Hanukkah, Christmas and other holiday celebrations? Share your best holiday food stories with Kitchen Window and the NPR Community here.
Before you begin baking, make sure you have all requisite ingredients as well as baking utensils, pans and parchment paper. Baking requires precision, so unless you're an old pro, it's best to use the exact ingredients specified in a recipe rather than make substitutions that can adversely affect both texture and flavor.
• In general, cookie dough should be mixed by hand or with an electric hand mixer. Avoid overmixing the dough, which can lead to tough cookies. Stir in ingredients such as chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruits by hand.
• Use sturdy, aluminum baking sheets with or without a rim. Rather than greasing sheets, line them with parchment paper. This helps the cookies bake more evenly, makes it easier to slide them onto a cooling rack and allows for quick cleanup.
• Always preheat the oven and space cookies at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake one sheet of cookies at a time, which allows the oven's heat to circulate evenly and prevents cookies from becoming too browned on the bottom. If you must bake more than one sheet at a time, then place sheets in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and rotate midway through. Never place cookies on a hot baking sheet, as they will spread; either let the sheet cool or run it under cold water before re-using it.
• If cookies spread too much, chill the remaining cookie dough in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
• Unless otherwise noted, transfer cookies immediately to a cooling rack. Just slide the parchment paper with the cookies on it directly onto the rack. Cookies will firm up a bit as they cool. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
When it comes to storing and freezing cookies, keep these tips in mind:
• Make sure cookies are cooled completely before storing. Metal tins keep cookies crisper and firmer than plastic containers.
• Store soft cookies like macaroons in a separate container from hard cookies like biscotti. Otherwise, you'll end up with all soft cookies.
• Layer cookies between sheets of waxed or parchment paper to maintain freshness and to prevent them from sticking together. Sturdy cookies such as biscotti can be stored without the paper.
• Use the same storing principles when giving gifts of cookies. Festive decorative tins are both attractive and practical.
• Most types of cookie dough can be frozen raw then baked later, though drier cookie dough, such as shortbread, freezes better. Place formed cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 1 hour. Place cookies in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. There is no need to thaw them; just add a few minutes to the baking time.
• To freeze baked cookies, place them in single layers separated by sheets of waxed or parchment paper and store in a freezer-proof, air-tight container. Baked cookies can be frozen for up to 6 months and should be defrosted on the countertop before serving.
Get recipes for Lemon Egg Biscuits, Choco-Nut Cookies, Classic Italian Almond Biscotti and Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons.
