Recipe Talk

December 2

The Spiciest Gingerbread Cookies Ever

Don't underestimate these playful, grinning treats. Thanks to lots of ginger, allspice, black pepper and more, they pack an addicting punch. We even snuck some cayenne inside — pow!

The Spiciest Gingerbread Cookies Ever


Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

gingerbread cookie is super-spicy from the very first bite.
Molasses makes it chewy and white sugar rounds out the spices.
Cayenne ...


December 2 2016

Food Network Family
HGTV Holiday House 2016
'Tis the season to celebrate! Spark some holiday cheer with tips from HGTV.

Ginger Desserts from Our Stars

Ina's Ultimate Ginger Cookies Ina's Ultimate Ginger Cookies Rachael's Gingerbread Waffles Rachael's Gingerbread Waffles

Bobby's Gingerbread-Blackberry Trifle Bobby's Gingerbread-Blackberry Trifle Sunny's Ginger-Molasses Cookies Sunny's Ginger-Molasses Cookies

1 video | Spiciest Gingerbread Cookies (01:11)

Total Time:5 hr 20 minPrep:1 hr 10 minInactive:3 hr 40 minCook:30 min

Yield:Eighteen 4-inch gingerbread peopleLevel:Intermediate

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White Chocolate Confetti Christmas Cookies

Total Time:2 hr 30 minPrep:40 minInactive:1 hrCook:50 min

Yield:5 dozenLevel:Easy

White Chocolate Confetti Christmas Cookies
(01:11)
Jeff Mauro makes his cookies festive with tons of sprinkles and a white
chocolate drizzle.

Ingredients

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon half-and-half

1/2 cup red and green sprinkles

1 2/3 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe.📹

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat
to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and baking powder in a
medium bowl. In a stand mixer or large bowl using a hand mixer, cream
the butter for 1 minute. Add the sugar and cream for an additional 3
minutes. Beat in the vanilla and egg. Gradually beat in the dry
ingredients until uniform, then add enough of the half-and-half (about 2
tablespoons) to moisten the dough and make it soft (but not wet). Fold
in the sprinkles and 2/3 cup of the white chocolate chips.

Roll rounded teaspoons of dough into 24 balls and put on the prepared
baking sheets. Chill the remaining dough in the refrigerator. Dip your
fingertips into the remaining half-and-half and use them to slightly
flatten the top of each cookie.

Bake until the cookies are set on top and light golden brown around the
edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool
completely. Allow the baking sheets to cool, then line them with new
parchment and repeat the forming and baking process with the remaining
dough.

Once the cookies are all baked and cooled, put the remaining 1 cup white
chocolate chips in a small heatsafe bowl and microwave on high, stirring
halfway through, until just melted, about 1 minute. Use a spoon to
drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Allow the chocolate to set
before serving, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room
temperature for up to 1 week.

Recipe courtesy of Jeff Mauro

Holiday Monster Cookies
(01:28)
These giant, saucer-sized cookies are packed with festive candies, peppermint chunks, salty ... More

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

2 cups mixed red and green candy-coated chocolates, such as M and M's

2 cups rolled oats

2 cups roughly chopped pretzel rods

1 1/3 cups chopped peppermint puffs

1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips

Directions

Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl until evenly combined. Combine the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs and yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough just comes together. Add the chocolate candies, oats, pretzels, peppermint puffs and white chocolate chips and stir with a large spoon until evenly mixed.

Scoop eight 1/3-cup portions of dough, roll into balls and divide between 2 baking sheets, spacing the cookies evenly apart. Press the dough balls into thick disks with the palm of your hand. Bake, rotating the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the cookies are golden brown at the edges and barely brown in the very middle, 18 to 20 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Copyright 2016 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

Cook's Note: When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.)

All-Star Holiday Cookie Recipes

Yield:2 dozen cookiesLevel:Easy

December 5 2016

12 days of Cookies

Geoffrey Zakarian's Red Velvet Crinkle Cookie Sandwiches

Geoffrey's frosting-stuffed holiday cookie is doubly dressed for the occasion: It boasts the cheeriest red hue, and confectioners' sugar mimics a pretty dusting of snow. "This red velvet crinkle cookie sandwich is a crowd-pleaser for the holidays," he says. "It satisfies the chocolate lover and someone looking for more than your average cookie."

Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies

Total Time:2 hr 35 minPrep:35 minInactive:1 hrCook:1 hr

Yield:20 cookie sandwichesLevel:Easy

Ingredients
Cookies:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, scooped and leveled

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, scooped and leveled

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 teaspoon red food coloring

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Confectioners' sugar, for coating

Filling:

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped

Directions

For the cookies: Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl, then set aside. Whisk together the granulated sugar, butter, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla and eggs in another bowl. Fold the flour mixture into the sugar mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes (it will still be soft).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F; line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Put some confectioners' sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop the chilled dough with a tablespoon and drop into the confectioners' sugar to completely coat. Transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets and position the dough balls about 3 inches apart; they will spread to about 3 inches in diameter once done. Bake until the cookies are slightly firm to the touch with no dark spots and dry on top, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet about 10 minutes; the bottoms should just barely lift off the baking sheet and the cookies will still be slightly soft.

While the first batch of cookies are baking, scoop and coat another batch of dough and transfer to the second baking sheet. Bake the second batch while the first batch is cooling. Repeat with the remaining dough.

For the filling: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla until no lumps remain and the filling is smooth.

When the cookies are cool, spread 1 tablespoon of cream cheese filling on the bottom (flat sides) of half of the cookies. Top each with one of the remaining cookies, bottom (flat side) facing in.

Recipe courtesy of Geoffrey Zakarian

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© 2016 Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.

12/13/2016

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Total Time:1 hr 50 minPrep:30 minInactive:1 hrCook:20 min

Yield:30 cookiesLevel:Easy

Ingredients

Cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note)

1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

6 tablespoons almond paste

1/2 cup sugar

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons kirsch, optional

30 well-drained good-quality cherries in syrup (about one 14-ounce jar), such as Luxardo, cherry syrup reserved for the glaze

Glaze:

1/2 cup sugar

4 ounces dark chocolate chips

Directions

For the cookies: Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a bowl until evenly combined; set aside. Break the almond paste into small pieces in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the sugar and beat on low speed until the paste forms small crumbles in the sugar, about 2 minutes. Add half the butter and continue beating until the mixture starts forming large clumps and wiping the sides of the bowl. Add the remaining butter, increase the speed to medium high and beat until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla, egg and kirsch if using and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and beat on low until the dough just comes together.

Scoop 30 tablespoon-size portions of dough, roll into balls and divide between the prepared baking sheets, spacing them evenly apart. Press a cherry in the center of each dough ball, then refrigerate the cookies on the baking sheets for 30 minutes.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the cookies are puffed and set at the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the glaze: Combine the sugar, 2 tablespoons of the reserved cherry syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat, add the chocolate chips and stir slowly until smooth.

Using a teaspoon, spoon the chocolate glaze over the cherry of each cookie, letting it drip down the sides. Allow the glaze to set before serving, about 10 minutes. Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight containers for up to 5 days.

12/11/2016

Minty Christmas Tree Cutout Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Food Network Kitchen

Total Time:7 hrPrep:1 hr 10 minInactive:5 hr 10 minCook:40 min

Yield:4 dozen cookiesLevel:Intermediate

Ingredients
Cookies:

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting (see
Cook's Note)

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon pure mint or peppermint extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Green Royal Icing:

8 ounces (about 1 2/3 cups) confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup meringue powder

2 tablespoons green food coloring

20 drops red food coloring

Decorating:

48 mini nonpareil-covered chocolate candies

White nonpareils, for sprinkling

Directions

For the cookies: Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a
medium bowl. Mix the mint and vanilla extracts with the egg in a small
bowl with a fork.

Beat together the butter, granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar in
the bowl of a stand mixer on low speed until the butter has picked up
the sugars, about 30 seconds. (If using an electric hand mixer, beat
about 2 minutes.) Increase the speed to medium and beat, stopping
halfway to scrape the bowl, until slightly creamy, about 1 minute (about
3 minutes with a hand mixer).

Reduce the speed to low, slowly add the egg mixture and beat until
combined. Add the flour mixture a heaping cup at a time in 2 additions,
stopping a few times to scrape the bowl and beaters. (If using a hand
mixer, increase the speed as the dough gets thicker to keep the beaters
spinning.) Once all the flour is just incorporated, increase the speed
to medium (higher with a hand mixer) and beat until the dough is very
smooth, about 2 minutes (about 5 minutes with a hand mixer).

Turn the dough out of the bowl and bring it together. Divide the dough
into 2 even pieces, each about 11 ounces. Shape each piece into a 6-inch
square and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 3
hours and up to overnight.

Remove one of the dough squares from the refrigerator and let soften
until just pliable but still cool and firm, about 15 minutes. Position
oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350
degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Dust a piece of parchment with flour. Dust the dough square with flour
and roll it out on the parchment to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Lift
the dough occasionally by sliding a metal spatula or bench scraper
underneath to make sure it isn't sticking to the parchment. Cut out
Christmas trees with a 2-inch cutter as close together as possible and
transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 inch between the
trees. Gather together the scraps and roll and cut more cookies. Chill
the cookies on the baking sheets in the freezer for 10 minutes before
baking.

Bake, rotating the baking sheets from front to back and top to bottom
halfway through, until the cookies are light golden brown, 18 to 20
minutes. Cool the cookies about 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then
transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove the second dough square from the refrigerator to
soften until just pliable but still cool and firm, about 15 minutes.
Repeat the rolling, cutting, chilling and baking procedures with the
second dough square.

For the green royal icing: Combine the confectioners' sugar and meringue
powder in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons water and beat with an
electric mixer on low speed until the frosting thickens. The icing
should be pure white and thick but not fluffy and bubbly. (If the
frosting is overbeaten, it will get aerated, which makes it harder to
work with. If this happens, let the frosting sit for a bit to settle,
then use a rubber spatula to vigorously beat and smooth out the icing.)
Add the green and red food coloring and beat until evenly distributed
and the color is a deep hunter green. Put the icing in a resealable
plastic bag and snip the corner to make a tiny opening (or put the icing
in a piping bag with a 1/16-inch tip).

To decorate: Pipe a dot of icing onto the top point of each tree. Stick
a chocolate nonpareil candy on each dot. Pipe the icing onto the cookies
in zigzags to make a tree design. Sprinkle white nonpareils around the
icing as snow. Let the icing set at room temperature, at least 1 hour.

Special equipment: a 2-inch Christmas tree cookie cutter and a piping
bag with a 1/16-inch tip, optional

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12/12/2016

No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

Recipe courtesy of Katie Lee

No-Bake Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

Total Time:1 hr 30 minPrep:25 minInactive:1 hrCook:5 min

Yield:30 sandwich cookiesLevel:Easy

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter

60 buttery crackers, such as Ritz (2 sleeves)

2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Red or green sprinkles, for decorating

Directions

Line a baking sheet with parchment. Spread a generous 1 teaspoon peanut
butter onto half of the crackers and then top with the remaining
crackers. Place on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate until the
peanut butter is firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

Put the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on medium
in 15-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted, 1
minute 15 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds. Use 2 forks to dip each
sandwich into the melted chocolate until completely coated. If the
chocolate starts to stiffen, return it to the microwave. After dipping
in chocolate, decorate with red or green sprinkles.

Put the sandwich cookies back on the baking sheet. Refrigerate until
firm, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room
temperature for up to 1 week.

Recipe courtesy of Katie Lee