Halfway Cookies Food

BAKE AND SLICE THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• Add the butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and flatten into a disk. Divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a cylinder about 10 inches long and 1-inch wide. Transfer the cylinders to the prepared baking sheets. Lightly press the tops of the cylinders with your fingers to flatten.
• Press the handle of wooden spoon with a 1/2-inch thick handle into the center of each cylinder to create a long trough about 1/2-inch deep, leaving a small border all around. (The cylinders will spread to about 1 1/2 inches wide.) (See Cook's Note.)
• Put the raspberry jam in a small piping bag and pipe it into the indentations of 2 of the cylinders. Repeat with the apricot jam and the remaining 2 cylinders.
• Bake until the edges of the cylinders are golden, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom halfway through. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Carefully transfer each cylinder to a cutting board and cut them on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Transfer the cookies to the wire rack and cool completely.

CLASSIC SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-12-1/2-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment, then butter the paper.
• Whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough is just combined; do not overwork.
• Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, spreading it out as evenly as possible with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, then use your hands to press and flatten the dough into a smooth even layer. Remove the plastic and cut the dough with a sharp knife into approximately 1-by-3-inch bars. Use a fork to prick a decorative pattern into the tops.
• Bake, rotating the pan from front to back halfway through, until golden, 60 to 70 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes in the pan, then re-cut the bars along the previous cuts. Carefully lift the bars off the parchment with a small spatula and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

SMASHED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs, then continue to mix until incorporated (it's ok if the mixture looks slightly curdled). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Reduce the mixer to medium low, then slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Divide the dough into 18 portions (about 2 1/2 tablespoons each), then roll between the palms of your hands into uniform balls; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour the sprinkles into a shallow bowl or baking dish. Roll the dough balls in the sprinkles until completely coated, then return to the baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm and chilled through, about 1 hour.
• Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line one additional baking sheet with parchment.
• Place 9 chilled dough balls on each prepared baking sheet. Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, smash the dough balls down until the edges are starting to crack and they are 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide (leave about 1/2 inch of space between each smashed cookie). If the dough starts to stick to the bottom of the measuring cup, dust with a little flour and continue smashing.
• Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies puff slightly, the centers are still soft and the bottoms are just golden brown, 14 to 17 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Once the cookies have cooled, whisk together the confectioners' sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth and combined (it should be thick but pourable). Transfer to a small piping bag or resealable bag, snip the tip and drizzle over the cookies. Alternatively, use a spoon to drizzle over the cookies. Return to the wire rack to set completely, about 30 minutes. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

HALFWAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Whisk egg yolks and water together in a small bowl.
• Combine egg yolk mixture, flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter, white sugar, vanilla extract, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer on low speed until dough comes together.
• Press dough evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Scatter chocolate chips over dough.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl, using clean beaters, until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1 cup brown sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Spread beaten egg whites over chocolate chips.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is lightly golden and edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares, about 30 minutes.

HALFWAY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. Cut two pieces of aluminum foil and fold them to match the width of the pan. Press one piece into the pan lengthwise and the other into the pan crosswise with the ends hanging over the sides of the pan. Spray the foil with nonstick coating.
• Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.
• Using a standing mixer, a hand mixer, or by hand, cream together the butter, the granulated sugar and just 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until this looks like smooth frosting.
• Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. Mix the yolks into the butter-sugar mixture one at a time until they are completely absorbed, then mix in the water and vanilla.
• With the mixer at a low speed, add the flour mixture and beat gently until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough looks crumbly.
• Press the cookie dough gently into the pan with your hands, making sure the surface is even.
• Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough and use your palms to press them slightly into the dough.
• Using a stand or hand mixer with a clean bowl and a clean whisk attachment, start whisking the egg whites. Gradually increase your speed to medium-high. When the egg whites are very frothy and look like loose foam, start adding the remaining cup of brown sugar a little at a time. Continue increasing your speed to the highest setting. When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue until it holds a soft peak. It should look like glossy, soft-serve ice cream.
• Scoop the meringue down the middle of the pan. It will be very sticky! Use a spatula to gently spread the meringue from the middle to the edges. We found it helpful to skim meringue from the top and gradually push it outward.
• Lightly press a piece of parchment or wax paper on the top of the meringue (this makes an even layer and protects the meringue from scorching). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment. Continue baking for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the edges look toasted and are pulling away from the sides of the pan.
• Wait until the pan is completely cook before lifting out the bars and cutting them into pieces.