Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [368]
2¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup solid vegetable shortening, plus additional for greasing the baking sheet
13/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet and set it aside. Whisk the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside as well.
Beat the shortening and 1½ cups sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until most of the sugar has dissolved, until you feel only a slight graininess between your fingers, about 4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then beat in the milk and vanilla until smooth.
Turn off the beaters, add the prepared flour mixture, and beat at low speed just until a dough comes together in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes to relax the glutens but dissolve the flour.
Meanwhile, whisk the remaining ¼ cup sugar, the cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl.
Roll generous tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls between your palms, then roll them in the sugar mixture, pressing gently to get the sugar to adhere. Space them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
Bake until flattened, crispy, and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
To cool: Let the cookies stand on the baking sheet for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool the baking sheet for at least 5 more minutes before greasing it again and adding more.
To store: Once fully cooled, the cookies can be kept in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Variations: Omit the cinnamon and nutmeg from the sugar mixture in which you roll the balls; instead, use 1½ teaspoons ground ginger and ¼ teaspoon grated mace or 1½ teaspoons pure chili powder and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.
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Solid Vegetable Shortening
Shortening is used when we want a neutral taste without the slightly sour edge of butter. It wasn’t always so—many old recipes call for lard, a definite and somewhat unsavory taste. Shortening came into widespread use during World War II, thanks to dairy rationing. Search out trans-fat-free solid vegetable shortenings, now readily available. Or look for nonhydrogenated vegetable shortenings, available in sticks like butter in the dairy case of many gourmet markets.
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Molasses Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies
For chewier cookies, cut down on the baking time by a minute or two. For crisper cookies, rap the baking sheet against the oven rack halfway through baking. Makes about 48 cookies
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus additional for greasing the baking sheet
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
1½ cups sugar
6 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups rolled oats (do not use quick-cooking)
2 cups dried cranberries
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a large baking sheet; set it aside. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside too.
Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar and beat until light, creamy, and pale yellow, about 3 more minutes.
Add the molasses and beat until well combined, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Finally, beat in the vanilla until smooth.
Turn off the beaters, add the prepared flour mixture, and beat at low speed just until a soft dough starts to form. There will be some dry patches of flour left.
Scrape down the beaters, remove them, and stir in the oats and dried cranberries with a