Cookbook review by Tracey Zabar
These festive holiday cookies will make your house smell heavenly. When I made these in the shape of gingerbread people, I had everyone bite the legs off first, so the cookies didn’t run away. Next on my list: a lovely ricotta and black cherry tart with chocolate; strawberry mousse on a pistachio sponge; and a date and apple cake. Oh, and a coconut cake with a layer of mousse. Happy baking!
Recipe excerpted with permission from The Italian Bakery: Step-by-Step Recipes with the Silver Spoon (Phaidon)
Click on the book cover to buy:
FROSTED SPICED COOKIES
Biscotti speziati glassati
Difficulty: EASY
TO SERVE 8 (MAKES 40–50 COOKIES)
FOR THE COOKIES
1 pound/3⅔ cups/450 g type “00” flour or all-purpose (plain) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
4 ounces/½ cup plus 1 tablespoon/130 g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of salt
7 ounces/1 cup/200 g dark brown sugar
3 ounces/¼ cup/80 g acacia honey
1 egg
FOR THE FROSTING (ICING)
1 quantity (7 ounces/200 g) of glacé icing prepared
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Fine-mesh strainer (sieve)
Bowls
Hand whisk
Plastic wrap (cling film)
Baking sheet
Parchment paper
Rolling pin
Pastry cutters in various shapes
Cooling rack
Pastry (piping) bag fitted with a small plain piping
tip (nozzle)
Sift the flour with the baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) directly into a bowl, add the cold butter cut into small cubes, the spices, and a pinch of salt. Working quickly to ensure the ingredients do not become too warm, rub the ingredients together using your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, honey, and egg, then add to the flour mixture.
Mix until you obtain a soft and smooth dough, then wrap in plastic wrap (cling film) and leave to rest in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 325°F/160°C/140°C Fan/Gas 3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to ⅛ inch/3 mm thick. Cut out cookies using pastry cutters in different shapes.
Baking the cookies in batches. Place them on the lined baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch/1 cm between each cookie to allow for them to spread. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until slightly darker around the edges and dry on top. Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
Prepare the glacé icing following the instructions. For an easy way to decorate the cookies, simply drizzle or splatter the frosting over using a teaspoon. Alternatively, fill a pastry (piping) bag fitted with a small plain piping tip (nozzle) with the frosting and decorate the biscuits in whatever pattern you prefer. Leave the frosting to dry for 3–4 hours before serving.
These cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
TIPS AND TRICKS
When cutting out the cookies, dip the pastry cutter in flour every time so that it doesn’t stick to the dough (pastry).
If piping the decoration onto the cookies, then use less water when mixing the glacé icing for a piping consistency. Alternatively, use royal icing for more definition
Glacé icing
Glassa a freddo di acqua e zucchero
Difficulty: EASY
MAKES 1 QUANTITY
(7 OUNCES/200 G FROSTING)
FOR THE FROSTING
7 ounces/1⅔ cup/200 g confectioners’ (icing) sugar
2 fl oz/4 tablespoons/60 ml water
Flavors to taste (2 tablespoons liqueur, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon grated zest of 1 unwaxed orange or lemon)
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
Bowl
Hand whisk
Place the confectioners’ (icing) sugar in a bowl and combine with the water (1).
Beat with a hand whisk until you obtain a smooth and dense mix (2–3).
HOW TO USE
Glacé icing can be used to cover cakes or biscuits or, by reducing the quantity of liquid added, for piping decorative designs or writing. It dries more slowly than royal icing and is also runnier, so is unsuitable for piping intricate decorations.
To cover a cake with glacé icing, place the cake on a cooling rack and spread the frosting over the cake with a metal spatula or palette knife. To make the frosting shine, place the cake in a preheated oven at 350°F/180°C/160°C Fan/Gas 4 for just a few seconds.
TIPS AND TRICKS
The required consistency of the frosting (icing) will depend on how it is to be used and can be adjusted by adding more or less water. It can also be colored using food colorings of any shade, to suit the cake and the occasion. Any coloring used must be water soluble and should be added once the sugar and water have been whisked together. Add any food coloring to the icing just one drop at a time until you reach the desired strength of color.
VARIATIONS
Glacé icing can be flavored with many different flavorings. Instead of mixing the icing with water, use 2 tablespoons of fruit juice or liqueur plus 2 tablespoons of water. If preferred, flavor the icing to taste with 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of grated zest of an unwaxed orange or lemon. If using vanilla extract, the icing will not be bright white as the vanilla will give it a slight tint.
Tracey Zabar's Chocolate Chip Sweets: Celebrated Chefs Share Favorite Recipes is available here.
A delectable collection of innovative chocolate chip recipes by world-renowned chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers
Tracey Zabar's One Sweet Cookie Cookbook is available here.
A delicious collection of cookie recipes from extraordinary chefs, pastry chefs, and bakers. A great gift sure to delight anyone who loves to bake.
