Sarah's Pastries & Candies Inc.
70 E. Oak Street
Chicago
(312) 664-6223
www.sarahscandies.com
(also available at Macy's on State)
To purchase a copy of the book:
Sweetness: Delicious Baked Treats for Every Occasion
Holiday Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean
3 sticks plus 5 Tbs unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 large egg yolks, warmed to room temperature (save the whites for Royal Icing)
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Extract the vanilla bean seeds from each bean pod: Using a paring knife, split the bean in half, and use the blunt side of the knife to scrape out the seeds. Set the seeds aside and discard the pod, or stick them in a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer), cream together the butter, salt, and vanilla bean seeds. As the mixer continues to run, add in the confectioners' sugar, mixing thoroughly. Then, slowly add in the egg yolks, 1 at a time. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, and turn the mixer back on. Then, slowly add in the sifted flour, a cup at a time, until just combined (and you can't see any traces of the flour). Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the dough from the bowl. Lightly flour your work surface, and using a French pin, roll the dough into a disk about 1/2-inch thick. With your cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Continue until you have used all the dough. If the dough becomes too soft, you may need to refrigerate it again for a bit. You want the cookies to be quite firm when they go into the oven. Bake at 350oF for 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes (if you are in a rush, you can pop them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes). Decorate the cookies with Royal Icing.
Active Time 15 minutes
Yield 3 cups
Prep
Take your eggs out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you make the icing. If you've made the icing for the vanilla bean sugar cookies, use the two leftover egg whites! Sift the confectioners' sugar. Juice the lemon. Assemble the piping bag, coupler, and tip.
You can find food coloring at the supermarket or at fine food stores.
Tools:
Sifter
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer
Offset spatula
Paring knife
6-quart mixing bowl
Food coloring, if desired
Piping bag fitted with #3 round tip
Wire rack
Shelf Life and Storage Instructions
5 days refrigerated in a sealed airtight container.
The consistency of the Royal Icing on these delicious cookies can be easily altered by adding sifted confectioners' sugar, to make it thicker, or room-temperature water, to make it thinner. If you plan to dip your cookies, the icing should be slightly thinner, and if you are decorating the cookies with a piping bag, it is better to make the mixture thicker. Also, be sure you strain the lemon juice before adding it to the mixture, so none of the seeds gets into the icing.
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
4 large egg whites, warmed to room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tsp lemon juice
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer), combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed until glossy, about 5 minutes.
You're done!
To add color to the icing:
Separate the icing into two batches - one bowl to use as the dipping icing, another bowl to use as the piped icing. If you want the cookies to be dipped in different colors of icing, separate your dipping icing again into enough bowls that you have one for each color you desire. Squirt 1 to 2 drops of food coloring into each bowl as desired. Use a spatula to thoroughly blend each drop of color into the frosting before adding more. Add the color to your personal preference, and remember, it's always a good idea to have white food coloring on hand in case you add too much of one of the colors. If you don't have white food coloring, you could also reserve some pure white icing before you begin adding colors so you can add it if needed.
Add the water to the dipping mixture until it reaches the desired thickness. You can test the consistency by dipping a cookie in it and placing it on a baking sheet. The icing should be thin enough to ensure that you can see a trace of icing on the cookie, but not so thin that it runs off the sides of the cookie. If you have added too much water, you can thicken it with more sifted powered sugar.
Mix food coloring, 1 drop at a time, into the reserved . mixture of the icing until the desired color is reached. After testing to make sure it is of the desired consistency, transfer this icing for writing on or decorating your cookies into the piping bag.
To decorate cookies:
Pick up a cookie and dust off any crumbs, so they won't "dirty" the icing.
Holding the cookie in one hand by all 5 fingertips, dip 1 side of the face-down cookie into the icing. Spin the cookie around on the tips of your fingers to ensure that the frosting covers the entire surface area. Pull the cookie up and out of the icing, and jiggle your wrist to shake off excess icing. Wipe off any excess icing against the side of the bowl. Using an offset spatula or small paring knife, pop any air bubbles that remain and eliminate any imperfections.
Place the dipped cookies on a wire rack. Let the icing dry. Fit a disposable piping bag with a coupler and a #3 round tip, and fill it halfway with the icing. If you are right-handed, place the bag with the icing in your right hand and use your left index finger to guide your right hand as you draw. Practice on a piece of parchment paper to make sure that the icing is stiff enough to keep the lines intact. Holding the bag at a 90-degree angle, apply gentle pressure to the piping bag with your right hand, allowing the icing to fall out of the bag and onto the cookies. Try writing names or placing polka dots or flowers on the cookies.
You've made the cookies-now, make 'em beautiful!
70 E. Oak Street
Chicago
(312) 664-6223
www.sarahscandies.com
(also available at Macy's on State)
To purchase a copy of the book:
Sweetness: Delicious Baked Treats for Every Occasion
Holiday Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 vanilla bean
3 sticks plus 5 Tbs unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 large egg yolks, warmed to room temperature (save the whites for Royal Icing)
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Extract the vanilla bean seeds from each bean pod: Using a paring knife, split the bean in half, and use the blunt side of the knife to scrape out the seeds. Set the seeds aside and discard the pod, or stick them in a jar of sugar to make vanilla sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer), cream together the butter, salt, and vanilla bean seeds. As the mixer continues to run, add in the confectioners' sugar, mixing thoroughly. Then, slowly add in the egg yolks, 1 at a time. Stop the mixer, scrape the bowl, and turn the mixer back on. Then, slowly add in the sifted flour, a cup at a time, until just combined (and you can't see any traces of the flour). Cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Remove the dough from the bowl. Lightly flour your work surface, and using a French pin, roll the dough into a disk about 1/2-inch thick. With your cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and place them 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Continue until you have used all the dough. If the dough becomes too soft, you may need to refrigerate it again for a bit. You want the cookies to be quite firm when they go into the oven. Bake at 350oF for 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes (if you are in a rush, you can pop them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes). Decorate the cookies with Royal Icing.
Active Time 15 minutes
Yield 3 cups
Prep
Take your eggs out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before you make the icing. If you've made the icing for the vanilla bean sugar cookies, use the two leftover egg whites! Sift the confectioners' sugar. Juice the lemon. Assemble the piping bag, coupler, and tip.
You can find food coloring at the supermarket or at fine food stores.
Tools:
Sifter
Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer
Offset spatula
Paring knife
6-quart mixing bowl
Food coloring, if desired
Piping bag fitted with #3 round tip
Wire rack
Shelf Life and Storage Instructions
5 days refrigerated in a sealed airtight container.
The consistency of the Royal Icing on these delicious cookies can be easily altered by adding sifted confectioners' sugar, to make it thicker, or room-temperature water, to make it thinner. If you plan to dip your cookies, the icing should be slightly thinner, and if you are decorating the cookies with a piping bag, it is better to make the mixture thicker. Also, be sure you strain the lemon juice before adding it to the mixture, so none of the seeds gets into the icing.
Royal Icing
Ingredients:
4 large egg whites, warmed to room temperature
4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tsp lemon juice
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a mixing bowl (if using a hand mixer), combine all ingredients and mix on medium speed until glossy, about 5 minutes.
You're done!
To add color to the icing:
Separate the icing into two batches - one bowl to use as the dipping icing, another bowl to use as the piped icing. If you want the cookies to be dipped in different colors of icing, separate your dipping icing again into enough bowls that you have one for each color you desire. Squirt 1 to 2 drops of food coloring into each bowl as desired. Use a spatula to thoroughly blend each drop of color into the frosting before adding more. Add the color to your personal preference, and remember, it's always a good idea to have white food coloring on hand in case you add too much of one of the colors. If you don't have white food coloring, you could also reserve some pure white icing before you begin adding colors so you can add it if needed.
Add the water to the dipping mixture until it reaches the desired thickness. You can test the consistency by dipping a cookie in it and placing it on a baking sheet. The icing should be thin enough to ensure that you can see a trace of icing on the cookie, but not so thin that it runs off the sides of the cookie. If you have added too much water, you can thicken it with more sifted powered sugar.
Mix food coloring, 1 drop at a time, into the reserved . mixture of the icing until the desired color is reached. After testing to make sure it is of the desired consistency, transfer this icing for writing on or decorating your cookies into the piping bag.
To decorate cookies:
Pick up a cookie and dust off any crumbs, so they won't "dirty" the icing.
Holding the cookie in one hand by all 5 fingertips, dip 1 side of the face-down cookie into the icing. Spin the cookie around on the tips of your fingers to ensure that the frosting covers the entire surface area. Pull the cookie up and out of the icing, and jiggle your wrist to shake off excess icing. Wipe off any excess icing against the side of the bowl. Using an offset spatula or small paring knife, pop any air bubbles that remain and eliminate any imperfections.
Place the dipped cookies on a wire rack. Let the icing dry. Fit a disposable piping bag with a coupler and a #3 round tip, and fill it halfway with the icing. If you are right-handed, place the bag with the icing in your right hand and use your left index finger to guide your right hand as you draw. Practice on a piece of parchment paper to make sure that the icing is stiff enough to keep the lines intact. Holding the bag at a 90-degree angle, apply gentle pressure to the piping bag with your right hand, allowing the icing to fall out of the bag and onto the cookies. Try writing names or placing polka dots or flowers on the cookies.
You've made the cookies-now, make 'em beautiful!
