'Tis the Season

Local Chefs dish on holiday cookies

For most, an endearing memory of the holidays is spending time with family and friends—and what better way to do that than with the smell of freshly baked cookies wafting through the home? Whether you’re pairing them with a glass of milk for Santa Claus or serving the treat with holiday cheer, take these helpful hints from local bakeries Debbie Does Dessert, Sweet Things and Eat My Kookies to create the perfect batch in your own home.

Debbie Does Dessert
Debbie Gonnet
Every year I adorn my Christmas tree with iced gingerbread angels. By the time Christmas comes, many are missing and half eaten. It’s become a yummy tradition that my children look forward to. In making a good gingerbread, I like to add Chinese five spice in addition to ginger and cinnamon. It gives an extra warm and toasty kick. Make the dough the night before and refrigerate. Give a slight knead and roll out the cold dough. This keeps the shape and makes the task a lot easier. Investing in silicone cookie tray liners is well worth the expense—they keep cookies from sticking and insulate poor cookie trays to control even baking. Got milk?

Sweet Things
Sharon Leach and Marsha Lasky
Sugar cookies are wonderful when they are crisp and thin. The ingredient that makes them so crisp is powdered sugar. The dough should not be overmixed but blended just until the flour disappears. Include a hint of lemon in the dough for a twist and roll them really, really thin. Cut them into seasonal shapes and sprinkle coarse colored sugar on top.

Eat My Kookies
Paul Patrikus
It’s all about the shortbread cutouts with cream cheese frosting and great memories—Gene Autry records playing in the background, dad putting up the tree and my mother presenting a tray of cookies to decorate. The ingredients for a perfect holiday cookie.

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