Slice of Life: Chanukah cookie recipes

By Eileen Goltz

Issue of Dec. 19, 2008 / 22 Kislev 5769

It’s Chanukah cookie time. All you balabustas know what I mean. That time of year when only the best, tastiest and most beautiful cookies you can make are served to everyone who comes to share the lighting of your menorah and to play dreidel. They are the gift you give to friends and family with love, the tray you slide to the front of the dessert table and the ones you hide in the back of the freezer so that your family won’t eat them before the company comes.

These recipes (gems every one of them) come from my very own deep dark extra secret vault of my most favorite recipes. Some have been given to me, others are modified from classic recipes “borrowed” from the likes of Julia Child and still others have been created by friends or readers or family. I share them because I know how hard it is find the one recipe that you can call your own, a signature recipe if you will, to serve to the starving rampaging hoard that is your family and guests.

To get the best results on your baking, you should always use the best chocolate, unsalted butter and whipping cream you can find. Most of these recipes require the dough to be refrigerated for at least an hour before you can roll them out so gage your time (both prep and cooking time) appropriately.

You can tell everyone that you got the recipes from the paper (credit me if you like) or you can create your own story about how your great great aunt Goldie smuggled the recipe out of the old country in her corset and it has been passed down from generation to generation of cookies lovers in your family. Whatever you decide, whoever is the recipient of these cookies are gonna love them, I promise.

RASPBERRY SANDWICH COOKIES (dairy or pareve)

Cookie dough flavored with lemon peel sandwiched with raspberry preserves topped with a lemon icing (my Mom’s recipe)

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• zest of 1 lemon
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup raspberry preserves (I prefer seedless)

Frosting:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water

In a bowl combine butter or margarine and sugar and beat until light. Add egg yolks, vanilla and grated lemon rind. Fold in flour and salt. Form mixture into a ball; place in a plastic bag and chill one hour. Preheat oven to 325. Grease 2 cookie sheets. Cut ball into 4 sections. Roll out one section at a time on lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Use a small round cookie cutter to make rounds. Place the cookies on the greased cookie sheet and bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown. Let the cookies cool, I repeat, let the cookies cool to room temp. Spread preserves on half the cookies and top with the other half. In a bowl combine the 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and water. Drizzle the frosting over the cookies. Let cool before serving. Makes about 2 dozen.

PEPPERMINT CREAM CHEESE COOKIES (dairy)

Be sure to chill the dough well before rolling out.

• 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter
• 4 oz cream cheese
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon peppermint extract (or to taste)
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (optional)

In a bowl combine the butter, cream cheese and sugar. Blend until smooth. Add the egg and extract. Blend until mixture is light and fluffy, almost like a spreadable frosting consistency. Slowly add flour, about 1 cup at a time. The cookie dough will be sticky. Separate dough into flat rounds; wrap between plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or in freezer for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough flat to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with your favorite cookies cutter. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the cookies are slightly golden. Makes about 2 dozen cookies depending on the size. I like to frost these melted semi sweet chocolate chips.

HAZELNUT TRUFFLE COOKIES (dairy)

Hazelnut cookies filled with a chocolate truffle filling and drizzled with a chocolate glaze (modified from Gourmet Magazine)

• 1 1/4 cup shelled hazelnuts
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 whole egg plus 1 yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for work surface
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Truffle filling:

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 9 oz milk chocolate, chopped
• 5 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 8 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roast hazelnuts on baking sheet 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown. Rub briskly while still warm in towel to remove skins. Place cooled nuts in food processor; process until finely ground and set aside. In bowl of electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla; add nuts and mix until blended. Combine flour and baking powder; add to nut mixture, beating on low speed until just mixed. Divide dough in half, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Using 1/2 of a disc of dough, lightly flour work surface and roll dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut dough into shapes using small cookie cutters. Place 1/2 inch apart on parchment lined or ungreased baking sheet. Bake until edges are golden, and cookies are set, about 7-8 minutes. Cool on sheet for 1 minute, and then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.

To make filling, heat cream in small heavy sauce pan over medium heat to just boiling. Pour over chocolate in mixing bowl, (not plastic). Stir vigorously until chocolate is melted and smooth. Chill uncovered in refrigerator for 40 minutes, beating occasionally until ganache thickens and is spreadable. Spread filling 1/8 inch thick on flat side of cookie and place another cookie on top, sandwich style. If ganache thickens too much before you finish, just set bowl in a larger bowl of hot water and stir. Decorate cookies by melting semisweet chocolate and piping it back and forth across tops of cookies. Place sheets of cookies in freezer for 10 minutes until chocolate is set. Makes 3 to 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Note: These cookies will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, 5-7 days in fridge, or 3 months in freezer.

CHOCOLATE CUT OUT COOKIES (dairy or pareve)

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/4 cups white sugar
• 1 egg

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter or margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients to form a soft dough. Divide dough into 2 pieces, flatten and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Dough is sticky so be sure to add more flour to the rolling surface as needed. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting. Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies depending on the size.