Home-Made Gift #3 - Cookies in a Box

Last year I got this awesome Martha Stewart cookie package kit on sale at Michaels.  There are 8 cookie boxes included.   This Christmas I did not have as much time for holiday baking and home-made gifts as I would have liked, I am in Hawaii right now until the 24th.  So I spent a Saturday baking away and putting together a few of these cookie boxes with a little gingerbread man tree ornament that I also made.

Double Ginger Crackles - From Fine Cooking Cookies Magazine

• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 ¾ tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar, plus another 1/3 cup for later
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 tbs finely chopped crystallized ginger (I have some nice ginger from Epicure that was delicious)

1. Position your oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F.  Line 2 larger baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl whisk together the flour, ground ginger, baking soda and salt.  In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter with 1 cup of sugar on medium-high speed until well blended.  Add the egg, molasses and crystallized ginger; beat well.
3. Add the dry ingredients on low in 3 batches until well blended.
4. In a shallow bowl pour in the 1/3 cup sugar.  Now roll the dough into balls and then roll them into the sugar so they are coated.  You want to be consistent with your sizes so use an ice cream scoop about 1 tablespoon in size to portion your dough balls.  Set dough balls 1.5 – 2 inches apart on your cookie sheets
5. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.  Let cookies cool completely on cooling rack.  Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.  I like to throw in a piece of bread to keep them semi soft!

Stained Glass Trees - From Martha Stewarts Cookies Cook Book

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface later
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• About 30 assorted colours of Jolly Rancher candies (Bulk Barn!) finely chopped
• Christmas Tree Cookie Cutter

1. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.
2. With an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend together the sugar and butter on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Add the egg, mix until smooth.  Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture.  Mix until well combined.  Stir in the vanilla.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.
3.  Roll out dough onto floured work surface a little more than 1/8″ thick.  Use tree cookie cutter to cut out shapes and transfer cut outs to parchment lined cookie sheets, 1.5 inches apart.
4. Using the tip of a paring knife, cut out triangles in the center of cookies for jolly rancher filling.  Fill with a single layer of jolly rancher candies.  Refrigerate again, about 15 minutes.  In the meantime preheat oven to 325°F and have racks in upper and lower thirds.
5. Bake cookies 10 – 12 minutes.  Do not let the cookies brown too much!  Let the cookies cool completely.

These were both delicious recipes and fit well in my cookie boxes.  Perfect for holiday baking.

 

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