Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Brown Sugar and Spice Stars

Brown Sugar and Spice Stars

It's time for relaxing after a busy holiday season. That means time again for afternoon tea and cookies. This cookie is one of my all-time favorites and it's perfect for dipping in tea. It's a crunchy cookie with lots of cinnamon and a bit of cloves. They last for weeks in an airtight container and get better with age. I don't know why, but I always make these in a star shape. I brush them with a little egg white and sprinkle turbinado sugar on them before baking. This step adds a little more crunch and dresses them up, eliminating the need to add an icing or decoration.

Put these on your Christmas cookie tray, but save a few for those recovery days after the holidays!

Cookie Tray

Are you a dunker?? If so, here are more great cookies for dunking:

Melomakarona (walnut stuffed honey soaked cookies)
Homemade Oreos (best dipped in milk!)

Brown Sugar and Spice Cookies

1 cup firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (or nutmeg if you prefer)
1/4 teaspoon salt


Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment.

Beat brown sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until creamy. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to sugar mixture. Beat until combined.

On well-floured surface, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters. Bake on prepared cookie sheets 12-15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

5 comments:

  1. Crisp, adorable cookies flavored with warm spices. You can't get better than that for the holidays. And you can't eat just one. ;)

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  2. These sound delightful! You write they get better with age - not sure how I would hide them so I could age them in this house :)

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  3. I'm with you, so relieved the holidays are wrapping up. (Still New Year's to go.) This looks like a perfect tea cookie and I love how the photo gives them a warm glow.

    Great cookie tray! Did you make all those?

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  4. Irina - Yes, I made all of them and then some! I think I counted 19 kinds of cookies and bars, not counting the ones I made twice, plus some desserts. My friends and neighbors have found out that I bake and are willing to help offset the costs, so I had a very busy month of December! The bonus is that I took the leftovers and made one heck of a cookie tray just for us!

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  5. definitely going to try these. they scream christmas to me!

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