Moravian Spice Crisps Food

MORAVIAN MOLASSES COOKIES

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and molasses. Heat until brown sugar is dissolved.
• Dissolve the baking soda in the boiling water and stir into the molasses mixture. The mixture will bubble up. Remove from heat.
• Sift the flour and spices together and gradually add to the saucepan, stirring with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Form the dough into a rectangle, wrap and let set overnight in refrigerator.
• The next day, remove from fridge and allow to soften, until easy to roll, about 15 minutes.
• Pre-heat oven to 275 degrees F. and line baking sheets with parchment or silpat baking sheets.
• On a floured board, roll small pieces of dough as thin as possible. (dough should be thin enough to see one's hand through it.) Cut with cookie cutter and set 1" apart on baking sheets.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to finish cooling.

MORAVIAN SPICE COOKIE WAFERS (UNITED STATES)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper and mustard together in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until just combined and lightly fluffy. Beat in the molasses and egg yolk. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix together on low speed until dough is just combined and still crumbly, about 3 minutes. Give dough a few turns with a spatula to bring together.
• Lay out wax paper on a clean work surface and put about 1/3 of the batter on top. Lightly press down and top with another sheet of wax paper. Using your hands or a rolling pin, gently pat into a rectangle. Roll out with a rolling pin until dough is as thin as possible without breaking, no thicker than 1/16 inch thick. This is the key to these cookies: they really can't be too thin. Gently peel back the layer of waxed paper and then replace it loosely.
• Transfer rolled batter to a flat baking sheet and freeze until firm and can easily be peeled away from the waxed paper, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Cut dough using a small (2- to 3-inch) fluted round cookie cutter and return to the freezer for 15 minutes to set. Transfer frozen cookies to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake until crisp and lightly, evenly colored (but not brown), about 10 minutes.

MORAVIAN SPICE CRISPS

Steps:

• Melt shortening in small saucepan over low heat.
• Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar, molasses and corn syrup.
• Set aside; cool.
• Place 1 1/2 cups flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves in large bowl; stir to combine.
• Beat in shortening mixture.
• Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup flour to form stiff dough.
• Knead dough on lightly floured surface, adding more flour if too sticky.
• Form dough into 2 discs; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease cookie sheets; set aside.
• Working with 1 disc at a time, roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/16-inch thickness.
• Cut dough with floured 2 3/8-inch cookie cutter.
• (If dough becomes too soft, refrigerate several minutes before continuing.) Gently press dough trimmings together; reroll and cut out more cookies.
• Place cutouts 1/2-inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.
• Remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely.
• Place small strips of cardboard or parchment paper over cookies; dust with sifted powdered sugar.
• Carefully remove cardboard.

MORAVIAN CRISPS WITH ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Pulse shortening, brown sugar, and molasses in a food processor until smooth. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add to processor and blend just until combined.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly, allowing dough to absorb a little more flour if sticky. Divide dough in half and form each half into a 3-inch square. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on a floured pastry cloth using floured sleeve-covered rolling pin until very thin (less than 1/16 inch thick), about a 15-inch square. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and, using offset spatula to transfer, arrange about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, 10 minutes. Let stand 1 minute on sheet, then loosen with spatula and transfer on parchment to a rack to crisp, about 10 minutes. If first batch isn't crisp, bake 1 minute more (on baking sheet), then bake remaining batches 10 to 11 minutes. Cool cookies completely on rack.
• Repeat with remaining dough (cool baking sheets and line with fresh parchment). Reroll scraps once for extra cookies if desired.
• Make icing:
• Beat together icing ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and beat until icing holds soft peaks, about 3 minutes more. If desired, divide icing and add food coloring.
• Fill pastry bags with icing and pipe decoratively on cookies, then let set, about 1 hour.