Scandinavian Snowflake Cookies Food

SCANDINAVIAN SNOWFLAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• Line baking sheets with waxed paper or parchment paper, and sprinkle with flour.
• Heat the milk just to the boiling point in a saucepan. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and sugar in a bowl until well combined, then mix in the butter and gradually pour in the hot milk, mixing between each addition, until the mixture forms a stiff dough.
• Turn the dough out onto an oiled work surface, and knead until the dough is cool and smooth, about 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 4 equal-sized pieces, then cut those pieces into 4 pieces, making 16 pieces. Divide each of the 16 pieces in half to make 32 equal-sized pieces of dough. Cover the pieces with a cloth, and let the dough rest for about 20 minutes.
• Working on a floured surface, roll each piece of dough out into a thin circle about 8 inches in diameter. Place the circles onto the prepared baking sheets, cover with a cloth, and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
• Fold each circle in half, then in half again. With a sharp knife or small cookie cutters, snip and cut shapes out of the folded dough the way you make a paper snowflake. Carefully open the circle back up, revealing the pattern. Stack the cut snowflakes between sheets of waxed paper on a flat surface.
• Heat oil in a deep skillet to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The oil should be about 2 inches deep.
• Carefully lay a snowflake into the hot oil, keeping it flat. Allow it to fry until golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute per side. Gently flip the snowflakes over with a tongs to prevent breakage. Drain the fried snowflakes on paper towels, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

SNOWMAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour into a medium bowl. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla extract and almond extract, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Decrease the speed to low, add the flour and mix to incorporate. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and increase the speed to medium for 30 seconds. Chill the dough for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Lightly dust a clean surface with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough with a snowman cookie cutter and place on the prepared sheet pan (about 24 cookies). Refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely, then serve the cookies as-is, or frost the cookies and then serve.

MRS. RUBENSTEIN'S SNOWFLAKE COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl with a fork stir together the confectioners' sugar and the cinnamon until the mixture is combined well. In a bowl with a fork blend the flour, the eggs, the granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured surface knead the dough until it is soft and elastic, roll it out slightly less than 1/4 inch thick, and cut into 2-inch squares. Make a 1-inch slit through the center of each square and pull one corner of the square through the slit.
• In a heavy kettle heat 3 inches of the oil until it registers 375°F. on a deep-fat thermometer and in it fry the cookies in batches for 1 minute on each side, or until they are pale golden. Transfer the cookies as they are fried with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and, while they are still warm, sprinkle them with the cinnamon sugar.

SCANDINAVIAN DROPS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Roll into 1-in. balls. Beat egg whites until foamy. , Dip each ball halfway into egg whites, then into walnuts. Place nut side up 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each. , Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks. Fill with jam; cool.

MAGICAL SPARKLING SNOWFLAKES: CHRISTMAS BUTTER BISCUITS-COOKIES

Steps:

• Place flour and the icing sugar in a food processor. Process for 30 seconds. Add butter. Process until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add egg and vanilla. Process until dough comes together. If it is too dry, add some milk.
• Transfer to a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth. Press or roll into a 9"/20cm circle. Wrap in greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 180C/360F, and line 2 flat baking/cookie trays with baking paper. Roll out dough between 2 sheets of baking paper until about 1/4"/5mm thick.
• Using snowflake biscuit/cookie cutters, cut shapes out of dough. Place on them gently on to the trays. Press leftover dough together and repeat cutting out shapes. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm.
• Bake the cookies/biscuits for 10 minutes, swapping trays after 5 minutes, or until light golden in colour. Allow to cool on trays completely.
• Pipe trellis-work patterns following the snowflake shapes, or drizzle glace icing over the top; then dust them with edible glitter/edible silver dusting powder whilst the icing is still wet.
• Dust with remaining sugar or edible glitter/silver dust just before serving.
• Note for making holes for hanging on the Christmas Tree: Just before baking, take a plastic drinking straw and press into the top of the snowflake shapes - to make a small hole - then gently wiggle the straw around a bit to widen the hole, and bake as before. On taking them out of the oven, if the holes have closed up a bit, gently wiggle around again with a plastic drinking straw, to make the holes bigger! Excuse the language, I don't know how else to put it! LOL!