Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [366]
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside as well.
Beat the sugar and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in the egg and egg white, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat in the vanilla until smooth.
Turn off the beaters, add half the prepared flour mixture, and beat at low speed just until combined. Beat in the milk until smooth, scrape down the bowl again, and beat in the remaining flour mixture at low speed just until a dough forms.
Give the dough a few turns with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no dry pockets of flour, then scoop up ¼-cup measurements of dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 4 inches apart. Gently press the mounds into 3-inch circles.
Bake until set but not too brown, just beige, and still somewhat soft to the touch, about 18 minutes. Another couple of minutes will yield much crunchier cookies.
To cool: Leave the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a metal spatula to transfer them to a wire rack to continue cooling.
To store: When fully cooled, the cookies can be kept in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 1 day; freezing dramatically alters their texture and is not recommended.
Variations: Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, or ¼ teaspoon ground mace with the salt.
Add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest with the egg white.
Reduce the vanilla to 1 teaspoon and add 1 teaspoon maple or rum extract with the remaining vanilla.
Dust the cookies with granulated sugar (about ½ teaspoon per cookie) or with colored sugar before baking.
Press a blanched almond or a walnut half into the top of each cookie before baking.
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Packing the Brown Sugar
Because brown sugar crystals are fairly large, having been coated with molasses, they can have more “air space” between them when poured or stored. They need to be packed into measuring spoons and cups to get an accurate measure.
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Black and Whites
These New York icons are large, cakey cookies with the tops iced in halves: one side chocolate and the other vanilla. Makes about 16 cookies
2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for your fingers
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup sugar
½ cup solid vegetable shortening, plus additional for greasing the baking sheet
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
33/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside as well.
Beat the sugar and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then beat in the eggs one at a time until smooth.
Turn off the beaters, add half the prepared flour mixture, and beat at low speed until the flour has been incorporated but some graininess remains in the batter. Beat in the milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla until smooth, then beat in the remaining flour mixture at low speed just until incorporated, just until no rifts of white flour are visible.
Scoop up ¼ cup of the batter and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Dip your palm in a little flour, then gently press the dough into a 3-inch circle. Continue making more of these dough circles, spacing them about 3 inches apart on the sheet.
Bake until lightly browned at the edges, set on top, but springy in the middle, about 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.