Polish Cinnamon Cookies Food

CINNAMON COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat the butter, muscovado sugar, caster sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon together with an electric whisk for 2-3 mins until well-combined. Add the egg, flour, baking powder and raisins, if using, and continue to beat until the mixture becomes a uniform dough. Roll tablespoons of the dough into balls between the palms your hands (you should have 12-15). Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hrs until firm, or overnight. The unbaked dough balls will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months (see tip, below).
• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment. Place the dough balls 3-4cm apart on the prepared baking trays to allow the mixture to spread without touching. Bake for 10-12 mins until lightly golden at the edges but still soft and gooey in the centre. Leave to cool completely on the baking trays.
• Mix the icing sugar with the remaining cinnamon, then dust over the cookies. Will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.

ZIMTSTERNE (CINNAMON STAR COOKIES)

Steps:

• In a bowl mix dry ingredients for dough.
• Add egg whites and knead until a still sticky dough is formed.
• Wrap into cling film and put into the fridge for at least one hour. I always leave it in the fridge for 2 - 4 hours.
• Near the end of cooling time preaheat oven (170 C) and make meringue glaze.
• For meringue glaze beat egg white with salt until stiff. While still beating add caster sugar by and by to make meringue.
• The meringue should have a consistency that you can spread it with a brush onto the dough later. It should have a more creamy consistency, so that it will stick on the dough and not running down.
• Add just a little milk to get the right consistency. Depending on the egg white you may need about 1 to 3 tablespoons.
• Line out baking trays with parchment paper.
• Get the dough out of the fridge and roll it out between two layers of parchment papers or cling film. The dough sould be a bout 1 cm thick.
• Method ONE for making cinnamon stars (easy way): Using a star cutter cut out the stars and place them on the baking tray. With a brush spread meringue glaze on the cookies.
• Method TWO for making cinnamon stars (tricky way): After you have rolled out the dough spread a thin layer of the meringue glaze on the dough. Now you need a star cutter which can be opened. These are available in Germany. When you can open the cookie cutter you avoid touching the glaze, because the dough has the tendency to stick to the cutter. Put the stars on the tray. Knead the rest of the dough again and add some grounded almonds, so that the dough is not too sticky. Repeat the steps of making the stars.
• Bake the cookies for about 10 - 12 minutes. Watch them carefully, because the meringue should not be browned.
• Take them out and let cool completely. Store them in airtight container. The cookies get better and better, because the flavours blended over time, but I you have to find a good hidout.
• NOTE on egg size: egg size is important here, because it determines the stickyness. My recipe is based on an egg size of 54 - 63 g per egg.
• Custom yield is a guess.
• Time to make does NOT include cooling time.

POLISH BUTTER COOKIES (CIASTECZKA)

Steps:

• Sift together flour and salt.
• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Beat in yolks and vanilla until combined well. Mix in flour mixture at low speed just until blended. Form dough into a disk and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Keeping remaining dough chilled, roll out one fourth of dough slightly less than 1/4 inch thick on floured pastry cloth with sleeve-covered rolling pin (dough is soft). Cut out desired shapes with a 21/2- to 3-inch floured cookie cutter. Chill scraps. Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet.
• Glaze and decorate cookies:
• Stir together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Lightly beat together egg and milk in another bowl. Lightly brush tops of cookies with egg mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
• Bake cookies in middle of oven until pale golden, about 12 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool. Make more cookies in same manner, rerolling scraps no more than twice.

CINNAMON COOKIES

Steps:

• In a mixer bowl, cream together sugar and butter; beat in egg and vanilla.
• Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.
• Add to butter mixture.
• Blend well.
• Cover and refrigerate 2 hours or till firm enough to roll into balls.
• Shape dough into small balls about 3/4-inch in diameter.
• Roll in cinnamon sugar to coat.
• Set cookies 1-inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or till the edges are lightly browned.
• Cool slightly on pans, then remove to racks to cool completely.

POLISH CINNAMON COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Mix flour, cinnamon and baking soda together in a glass bowl.
• 2. In a seperate bowl cream butter and sugar together. Now add the lemon zest and the eggs.
• 3. Now add the flour mix to the butter mixture. Mix to form a nice stiff dough.
• 4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• 5. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and cut into desired shapes. Place about an inch apart on cooking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• 6. Brush tops of cookies with egg yolk mix and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mix.
• 7. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven until cookies are a nice golden color. (about 15 to 17 minutes) Remove from oven and cool.