Just wanted to share one of everybody’s favorite cookie recipes from Fried Chicken & Champagne. For some of you that purchased a book prior to December 1st, you may have heard we had a little Oops! The Pastry flour should read “2 ¼” cups instead of “1 1/4 “ cups.
Ginger Molasses Sandwich Cookies (aka Crack Cookies)
Our fans at Pomegranate affectionately call these Crack Cookies. They are terribly addictive—in a good way!
Cookies:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
2-1/4 cups pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Filling:
1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
To make the cookies: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter, brown sugar, and sugar at medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the egg and whip at medium speed until smooth. Add the molasses, and continue to mix until smooth. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to bowl along with the freshly grated ginger root. Scrape down the bowl and whip for 1 minute at medium speed. In a separate bowl, sift together the pastry flour, cinnamon, powdered ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-molasses mixture and mix well, scraping down the bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Scoop the cookies into 1-inch balls with a small ice cream scoop, and chill until ready to bake. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, cinnamon and sugar until well mixed. Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and roll the balls in cinnamon sugar, place onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake until just barely done, about 7 to 8 minutes. They will be slightly cracked on top.
To make the filling: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the whip attachment, whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
When the cookies are cool, turn half of the cookies upside down. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling, in a large dot, at the center of each cookie. Place the other half of the cookies on top, creating little sandwiches.
Makes 25 to 30 small sandwich cookies
Pom Cinnamon Rolls
Our fans at Pomegranate affectionately call these Crack Cookies. They are terribly addictive—in a good way!
Cookies:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger root
2-1/4 cups pastry flour
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Filling:
1 cup cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
To make the cookies: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the paddle attachment, whip the butter, brown sugar, and sugar at medium speed until creamy and smooth. Add the egg and whip at medium speed until smooth. Add the molasses, and continue to mix until smooth. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water and add to bowl along with the freshly grated ginger root. Scrape down the bowl and whip for 1 minute at medium speed. In a separate bowl, sift together the pastry flour, cinnamon, powdered ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-molasses mixture and mix well, scraping down the bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Scoop the cookies into 1-inch balls with a small ice cream scoop, and chill until ready to bake. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, cinnamon and sugar until well mixed. Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and roll the balls in cinnamon sugar, place onto parchment-lined sheet pans. Bake until just barely done, about 7 to 8 minutes. They will be slightly cracked on top.
To make the filling: In the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer with the whip attachment, whip cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
When the cookies are cool, turn half of the cookies upside down. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling, in a large dot, at the center of each cookie. Place the other half of the cookies on top, creating little sandwiches.
Makes 25 to 30 small sandwich cookies
Pom Cinnamon Rolls
My husband, Jonathan, is an amazing baker and pastry chef. One of the coolest memories I have is of him getting up extra early on Christmas morning to bake these cinnamon rolls for the family. You can start them the night before and form the rolls, then let them rise the morning you plan to serve them .
Yield: 20 small rolls or 9 giant rolls
Dough:
10 ounces warm milk (about 105°F)
2 teaspoons yeast
6 tablespoons sugar
5-1/2 cups bread flour
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 eggs
Honey butter:
1 cup honey
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
Cinnamon sugar:
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Icing:
5 ounces cream cheese, softened
4-1/2 tablespoons (2-1/4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
10 ounces powdered sugar
2 ounces cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Prepare a sheet pan or baking dish by lining with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick cooking spray.
To make the dough: In the bowl of a standing mixer, stir together the warm milk, yeast, and sugar by hand. Let stand still for 5 minutes. Add the flour, salt, butter, and eggs. Using the dough hook, mix to completely develop the dough, about 8 to 10 minutes (the dough should “clean” the side of the bowl, with no extra flour at the bottom; you might need to add more flour). The finished dough will be tacky but not sticky. Remove the dough hook and cover the bowl with plastic. Place the bowl in a warm area and allow the dough to double in size.
To make the honey butter: In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the honey and the butter until completely mixed.
To make the cinnamon sugar: In a small mixing bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon until completely mixed.
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle that is roughly 18 inches by 24 inches and about 1/2 inch thick. Liberally brush the dough with half of the room-temperature honey butter. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Beginning with the 24-inch side of the dough, start rolling from the bottom up to the top of the rectangle. Gently pull the dough to make an even, semi-tight spiral. Divide the “log” by cutting it in half, and then in half again, with a serrated knife. Divide each quarter into 5 pieces. Lay each piece on its side. Take the “tail” of the first piece and gently pull and wrap it around, tucking it under the roll. Press down slightly on the roll and place it on the sheet pan. Continue with the rest of the rolls. Start the day before and that will make it easy Christmas morning to bake warm cinnamon rolls. I have inserted the method below for finishing the baking the next day.
“Press down slightly on the roll and place it on the sheet pan. Continue with the rest of the rolls.”….. Wrap the pan in plastic and refrigerate overnight. First thing in the morning, pull the cinnamon rolls out and let them sit covered with a cloth on top of your stove or another WARM place to rise for 2 hours. It is important that they are warm or they won’t “proof” (rise) properly.
“Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove from oven and lightly brush with reserved honey butter.”
Cover and place the rolls in a warm area and let them rise again.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are a deep golden brown, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove from oven and lightly brush with reserved honey butter.
To make the icing: Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a standing kitchen mixer, and mix until smooth at low speed. Add the powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla, and whip until smooth.
When the rolls are completely cool, ice them. Serve them cool or warmed in the oven at 325°F for 2 to 3 minutes.
