Belgian White Beer Cookies With Orange Icing Food

GINGERBREAD COOKIES WITH ORANGE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Mix in molasses and egg until combined.
• Mix together buttermilk and 2 teaspoons baking soda in a small bowl. Mix vinegar with remaining 1 teaspoon baking soda in another small bowl. Add the buttermilk mixture to the molasses-egg mixture. Then add vinegar mixture, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; mix until well combined.
• Gradually stir in 4 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring until the dough comes together and forms a ball. Shape dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Place chilled dough on a floured surface and roll to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with desired cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden, about 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool, 8 to 10 minutes more.
• While cookies are cooling, place 3 cups powdered sugar, softened butter, orange zest, and 1/3 cup orange juice in a bowl. Discard remaining orange juice, or save for another use. Beat frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until consistency is similar to fondant or modeling dough, adding more powdered sugar, if necessary. Frost cookies.

WHITE BEER COOKIES

Steps:

• Put the beer and honey to a medium saucepan and reduce over medium heat until you have about 1/3 cup of liquid. You will occasionally have to skim the foam off the top of the beer. You will know you have hit 1/3 of a cup of liquid as the liquid will suddenly begin to aggressively foam due to the high concentration of sugar (This looks different from foaming due to carbon dioxide, the bubbles are much larger with the sugar foaming). Let this reduction cool to room temperature.
• Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg and blend thoroughly. Then add the vanilla, orange zest, coriander, and beer reduction and blend again. Mix the flour and baking soda together then slowly add to the batter.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Using a uniform scoop (I use a 1-ounce disher) scoop mounds of cookies onto an aluminum cookie sheet lined with parchment. Make sure you do not overcrowd the cookies; you should be able to fit about 12 cookies on a half sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes (depending on your oven it may take more or less time, for some ovens it could take 15 minutes for others it could take 25; 20 minutes is an average time).
• Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet until they are cool enough (about 10 minutes) to transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Optional Icing: Using the icing ingredients whisk the vanilla into the sugar. Mix the orange juice and milk together. Add milk and orange juice mixture until you reach the consistency of a thick paste; you should only need to add 1 tablespoon of the mixture (half of what you made). Using a butter knife put a dollop of icing on each cool cookie and spread it over the top. Put a small piece of orange zest from the bar grater as garnish, if desired. Let the icing harden to desired hardness and consume or store.

FROSTED BELGIAN WHITE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed just until stiff peaks form. In 2-quart saucepan, stir sugar and water until well mixed. Cover and heat to rolling boil over medium heat. Uncover and boil 4 to 8 minutes, without stirring, to 242°F-248°F on candy thermometer. Pour hot syrup very slowly in thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on low speed. Add vanilla, orange peel and orange juice. Beat on high speed 7 to10 minutes or until stiff peaks form and side of bowl is cool to the touch. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with orange peel. Store in refrigerator.

ORANGE COOKIES WITH ORANGE ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar.
• Add eggs,and mix in well.
• Add orange juice/peel.
• Combine dry ingredients and gradually add to the creamed mixture.
• Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
• Remove to wire racks to cool.
• Mix frosting ingredients until smooth and drizzle over cooled cookies.

BELGIAN WHITE CUPCAKES WITH ORANGE FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups.
• In large bowl, beat all cupcake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffins cups.
• Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove cupcakes from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat egg whites, salt and cream of tartar with electric mixer on high speed just until stiff peaks form.
• In 2-quart saucepan, stir sugar and water until well mixed. Cover and heat to rolling boil over medium heat. Uncover and boil 4 to 8 minutes, without stirring, to 242°F-248°F on candy thermometer. Pour hot syrup very slowly in thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on low speed. Add vanilla, orange peel and orange juice. Beat on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until stiff peaks form and side of bowl is cool to the touch.
• Frost cupcakes. Garnish with orange slices. Store in refrigerator.

BELGIAN WHITE BEER COOKIES WITH ORANGE ICING

Steps:

• Put the beer and honey to a medium saucepan and reduce over medium heat until you have about 1/3 cup of liquid. You will occasionally have to skim the foam off the top of the beer. You will know you have hit 1/3 of a cup of liquid as the liquid will suddenly begin to aggressively foam due to the high concentration of sugar (This looks different from foaming due to carbon dioxide, the bubbles are much larger with the sugar foaming).
• Let this reduction cool to room temperature.
• Cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add the egg and blend thoroughly. Then add the vanilla, orange zest, coriander, and beer reduction and blend again.
• Mix the flour and baking soda together then slowly add to the batter.
• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Scoop mounds of cookies onto an aluminum cookie sheet lined with parchment. Make sure you do not overcrowd the cookies; you should be able to fit about 12 cookies on a half sheet pan.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet until they are cool enough (about 10 minutes) to transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Icing:
• Using the icing ingredients whisk the vanilla into the sugar.
• Mix the orange juice and milk together.
• Add milk and orange juice mixture to sugar until you reach the consistency of a thick paste. Add orange zest if desired.
• Using a butter knife put a dollop of icing on each cool cookie and spread it over the top.
• Cook's notes: This recipe has no salt in it. Because of the beer, adding salt can make the cookies too salty.
• The cookies should be a little crispy on the outside, and cake like on the inside.