Spiced cutout cookies

I have to be in the mood to make and decorate cutout cookies and when I am, I often turn to this recipe, which has a hint of a grownup flavor. Like all rolled cookies, these are sugary but the addition of a small amount of spice — the sort I associate with autumn — elevates them.

It’s an easy dough to roll and cut, although it’s quite soft at first and needs a good chilling. I roll them thick and they bake up to a chewy cookie. Between the spice and the foliage all around me, it’s no wonder that when the mood struck, I dug out my leaf cutters and pastry brushes.

Spiced Cutout Cookies

12 oz. all-purpose flour (approx. 3 cups)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. allspice*
1/8 tsp. salt
4 oz. / 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. sugar (1 cup + 2 TB)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature

*you can substitute, in order of preference, mace, nutmeg or cinnamon

Stir together the flour, baking powder, allspice and salt and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and blend. Add eggs and beat well. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat only until well combined.

Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 -2 hours or overnight, up to one day.

Spray or line with parchment or silicone one or two baking or cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 350 F / 180 C / Gas 4.

Using half the dough at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut as desired and transfer to baking or cookie sheet(s). Gather scraps and continue cutting. Can be re-rolled once.

Bake for 13-17 minutes, until golden and browning at the edges. Let stand on sheet(s) for 2 minutes then carefully transfer to racks to cool. Decorate as desired.

Makes approximately 18 large cookies or 6 – 8 oversized.

Tagged as: Christmas