Forgiveness is important, especially in baking. I love this cookie dough because it lets me get away with a LOT: flavouring, tearing, re-rolling, flour substitutions, over baking. I’ve never made a bad batch and that’s why I’ll keep using this recipe until there are Food Replicators in every kitchen (then I’ll program it in).
The most recent variation was for a Kids Cooking Class featuring Festive Treats, so I amped up the cheer with Epicure Gingerbread Spices. You can keep it plain vanilla (as long as you use the good stuff) or add your favourite spice blend.
Gingerbread Brown Sugar Thins
Ingredients
2 1/4 Cups (270g) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 Cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (213 g) packed dark brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 TBS Epicure Gingerbread Spices
Method
Preheat oven to 300F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment or reusable non-stick baking mats.
Mix flour, salt and spices together
Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla until light in colour and texture (about 3 minutes in a stand mixer with paddle attachment on medium speed). Then add flour mixture gradually to make a smooth dough. Press dough into a smooth flat disc.
Break the dough into 4 roughly equal pieces and roll each one out on a lightly floured surface until 1/8 inch thick.
Dip cookie cutters into flour and cut out shapes. Arrange cookies at least 1 inch apart on the sheets. Scraps can be gathered, rested for 5 minutes and re-rolled.
Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes (lift one up and check that it’s firm). Cool on sheets for 3 minutes then move to cooling racks until room temperature.
Baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days unrefrigerated.
The dough can also be kept in the fridge, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 5 days. Let it warm up before rolling out.
Decorate if you desire or keep them plain! Do you have a favourite cookie cutter shape? I love heart-shaped cookies any time of year.
A few minutes in a hot dry pan can waken up ground spices and dried herbs to give any dish a more robust flavour. Be careful to stir the spices, so they don’t burn, and give them 2 or 3 minutes in the pan. When the fragrance has intensified to a pleasant level, add the rest of the ingredients. In this case, can of organic diced tomatoes with no salt added to make spaghetti and meatballs.
@kitchenettefind Kitchenette Finds 