Cookie Wreaths Food

EMBELLISHED WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Sugar Cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, orange zest, and brandy until well combined. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 45 minutes and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a scant 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a 3 1/2-inch fluted round. Use a 1-inch round cutter to cut out centers of cookies. Reroll scraps once (you should have about 16 cookies). Transfer both wreaths and cookie centers to prepared sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. Bake until set and golden around edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cool completely.
• Glaze: Whisk together confectioners' sugar, egg white, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. If necessary, add remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice to reach desired consistency. Glaze should be opaque but not too thick as to run down the edges of the cookie once dipped. If not using immediately, glaze can be stored at room temperature, with plastic wrap pressed directly on surface, up to 2 days, or in refrigerator up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Working with one cookie at a time, dip cookie top-side down in glaze to coat surface, allowing excess glaze to drip back into bowl. If glaze runs down sides of cookie and is too transparent, add more confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. If glaze is too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Transfer glazed cookies to a wire rack or baking sheet. Working quickly before glaze sets, decorate cookies with toppings, if desired. Let stand at room temperature until completely dry, at least 2 hours. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature overnight.

WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. gradually mix in the flour. Cover dough and chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Roll dough into balls a little smaller than walnuts. Dip the balls in egg white, then roll them in the chopped walnuts. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Press thumb into middle of each ball to create a divot.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and repress divots, fill the divots with 1/2 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Remove cookies to cool on wire racks.

COOKIE WREATHS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg and flour until soft dough forms. Shape dough into 24 (1 1/2-inch) balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool 3 minutes; use 1-inch round cookie cutter to cut out center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• In medium microwavable bowl, microwave white vanilla baking chips uncovered on High about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chips can be stirred smooth. Divide among small bowls, and stir in food color(s) as desired. Dip top of each cookie wreath and cookie center into melted chips. Decorate with candy sprinkles as desired. Place on cooling rack until set, about 20 minutes. Store tightly covered.

LINZER DOILY WREATHS

Steps:

• Whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar and orange zest together in on medium-high speed in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low until just combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until fully combined. Divide the dough in half and wrap each piece in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to a day ahead.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out one half of the dough until it is roughly 1/4-inch thick. Place a clean woven cloth doily over top of the dough (or multiple doilies, if they are smaller) and gently press down with the rolling pin to adhere the doily to the dough. Roll out the dough with the doily until it is closer to 1/8-inch thick. Carefully peel off the doily, leaving behind an impression. If the dough sticks to the counter, use a bench scraper or large offset spatula to gently release it, keeping the impression of the doily intact.
• Cut out circles from the dough with a 2 1/2-inch fluted round cutter. Cut out the center of the circles with a 1-inch fluted round cutter to create wreath shapes. Use an offset spatula to transfer the wreaths to the prepared sheet pans, spacing them 2 inches apart. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Bake until golden brown around the very edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Gather the scraps and roll them out again and repeat imprinting the dough with the doily, refrigerating the dough if it gets too soft.
• Roll out the second half of the dough but do not imprint with the doily (this will be the bottom half of the cookie); punch out wreaths with the fluted cutters and continue to freeze and bake, rolling out the scraps again.
• Cool the cookies on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
• Transfer the raspberry jam to a small piping bag and snip off the end. Pipe a ring of jam around each of the flat cookies, and then sandwich them with the textured cookies on top. Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, 3 tablespoons of water and 1 drop green gel food coloring. Adjust the color as desired. Use a pastry brush to spread the glaze over the tops of the cookies, then immediately place a red candy bow on each cookie. Let dry, about 30 minutes.

CHRISTMAS CORNFLAKE WREATH COOKIES

Steps:

• Microwave marshmallows and butter on High for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave on High for 2 minutes more. Stir. (This can be done in a double boiler if one doesn't have a microwave.)
• Add and mix quickly the coloring, extracts, then cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls in clumps on greased wax paper and decorate with 3 red hots each.
• Once cool, transfer to lightly greased serving/storage tray with lightly greased fingers.

COOKIE SWAP WREATH

Steps:

• For the spiced sugar cookie: Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Paddle the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until soft and the consistency of mayonnaise, about 3 minutes. Use a kitchen torch to gently warm the bowl if necessary.
• Add the granulated sugar and salt and continue to paddle at medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and paddle at medium speed until well incorporated, about 3 minutes (see Cook's Note).
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest setting, add the flour, baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and mix until well combined.
• Scoop the cookie dough into a rough ball on a piece of parchment paper. Place another piece of parchment paper on top and roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick. Keep the dough between the 2 sheets of parchment, place on a baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes in the freezer.
• Peel off the top piece of parchment and then place it back on top. Flip the dough over and peel the bottom parchment off. Cut the dough to the desired shape: For this wreath, cut an 8-inch circle and then a 5-inch circle in the interior to make a ring. Reserve, re-roll and bake off scraps for another use.
• Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the cookie ring until set, 7 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
• For the langues de chats: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Paddle the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until soft and the consistency of mayonnaise, about 3 minutes. Use a kitchen torch to gently warm the bowl if necessary.
• Add the granulated sugar and salt and continue to paddle at medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add the egg whites and vanilla bean paste and paddle at medium speed until incorporated completely.
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest setting, add the cake flour and orange zest and mix until well combined. Your batter should resemble a thick cake batter.
• Fill a piping bag fitted with a number 3 or 4 tip (large round) with the cookie batter. Pipe cookies onto 3 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. The cookies should be 1 inch long and spaced about 1 inch apart; you should be able to fit 3 rows of 9 to 10 cookies on each baking sheet (see Cook's Note).
• Bake 2 baking sheets at a time, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the cookies have just started to brown on the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cool. Cookies will crisp as they cool. Repeat with the remaining baking sheet of cookies. (Makes 60 to 70 cookies)
• For the coconut lime Russian tea cakes: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Paddle the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until soft and the consistency of mayonnaise, about 3 minutes. Use a kitchen torch to gently warm the bowl if necessary.
• Add the granulated sugar and salt and continue to paddle at medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and lime juice and paddle at medium speed until well incorporated.
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest setting and add the lime zest, flour and coconut and mix until well combined, scraping as often as necessary
• Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop, scoop the dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake until set, about 15 minutes. You should be able to pick up a cookie off the baking sheet. The cookies will be very lightly browned on the edges, and should feel soft, yet solid. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet, and then dredge the warm cookies one by one in confectioners' sugar, ensuring complete coverage. Place back on the baking sheet to cool. (Makes 24 to 30 cookies)
• For the hippen tuile: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Paddle the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and paddle at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl often. Slowly add the egg whites and continue to paddle at medium speed until completely combined.
• Reduce the speed of the mixer to the lowest setting, add the flour and lemon zest and mix until combined. Your batter should resemble cake batter.
• Scoop the tuile batter into a pastry bag fitted with number 0 tip. Chill the batter until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Pipe the chilled batter into desired shapes (holly leaves for the wreath) on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or silicone baking mat. The batter will be stiff; loosen it slightly by kneading the pasty bag with your hands. Chill the piped tuile cookies until the batter is firm, about 10 minutes. This is a very important step so that the cookies maintain their shapes.
• Bake the tuiles until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely before taking the cookies off the baking sheet. The tuiles will crisp as they cool.
• For the royal icing: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, slowly add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and beat on low speed until the frosting is glossy and smooth.
• Fill a pastry bag with about 1/2 cup of the royal icing and cut off the tip to pipe fine lines. Reserve the remaining royal icing in the bowl.
• To assemble: Lay the spiced sugar cookie wreath on a flat surface. Dip one end of a langues des chats in the royal icing and lay it lengthwise on the wreath; repeat twice more so there are 3 across. Continue attaching the cookies, overlapping the ends to shingle all the way around the wreath; the royal icing should only touch the part of the cookies attached to the wreath base and should not be visible.
• Pipe along the edges and down the center of the hippen tuile holly leaves to accent them. Allow to dry.
• Attach the leaves and the Russian tea cookies to the wreath with the royal icing to make decorative holly and berry arrangements. Once complete, dust all over with confectioners' sugar to look like snow.

CHRISTMAS WREATHS

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows, and cook until melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in the food coloring, vanilla, and cornflakes.
• Quickly drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto waxed paper, and form into a wreath shape with lightly greased fingers. Immediately decorate with red hot candies. Allow to cool to room temperature before removing from waxed paper, and storing in an airtight container.