Have-it-all Cookies

[Random fact: there are streets in Eugene named Haviture Way and Tradition Alley.]

So, holiday cookies. Seems like they are either really good to eat OR really pretty to look at, but never both. I’ve come up with a trick that will let you have it your way – choose your cookie dough for flavor but make some traditional, festive shaped cookies.

I like Cook’s Illustrated classic “Chewy Sugar Cookies” from Nov/Dec 2010. The recipe instructs you to carefully roll the soft dough into balls, dust with sugar, and bake.

So here’s the trick:

• Mix your favorite soft cookie dough (sugar cookies, gingerbread, etc)
• Line baking sheets with parchment paper
• Roll dough into ping-pong-sized balls (a portion scoop makes this very quick)
• Place dough balls, widely spaced, on your parchment-lined baking sheets. Lay another sheet of parchment over them, and flatten, one at a time, using a smooth-bottom dish or bowl. They should be about 1/4 inch thick.
• Chill dough on baking sheets for several hours or overnight.
• Remove top layer of parchment and use cookie cutters (simple shapes are best here) to cut a shape out of each circle of dough. Carefully remove excess dough from around shapes and set aside.
• Bake cookies, one pan at a time, according to your recipe.
• With the scraps, make the expected cookies- roll balls of dough in sugar, flatten slightly, and bake. For Christmas I like to use red and green sugar, dipping different sides in the colors.

These shaped cookies will spread more than the conventional kind – embrace their rustic, puffy nature. Once they have icing and sprinkles on them, they will look great. Gather your elementary schoolers and get decorating!

I like to keep it simple and make icing with 2 Tbsp of cream cheese, 2 Tbsp of milk, and as much powdered sugar, stirred in gradually, as needed to get the consistency you want. Add a drop of food coloring if desired.