Chang holds a plate of sugar cookies.
It’s a busy time for Flour Bakery & Cafe owner Joanne Chang.
Chang’s first cookbook, “Flour” (Chronicle Books, $35), has just been published. Her third Flour bakery recently opened in Central Square, Cambridge, joining siblings in Fort Point Channel and the South End. Several nights a week, she’s behind the stove at Myers & Chang, her pan-Asian restaurant at the corner of Washington and Berkeley streets.
And now it’s the holiday season -which means cookies to bake.
“I’ve been making holiday cookies since I was 12 years old,” Chang said, while working at the South End Flour. “I loved giving them to teachers and friends. And then I just kept going. In college, it was one of those projects I’d do before Christmas break.
“It’s all about creating something yourself, with the thought of the people you’re making it for,” she continued. “Every time I make cookies I think about which cookies will go to which person. I think, ‘This person likes these kinds of decorations’ or ‘This person likes this kind of cookie.’ That’s part of the fun of doing holiday cookies. It’s all about making something from the heart for friends, for family. Sharing joy, sharing things that you have created with others in mind.”
HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 3 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 t. baking powder
- 1/2 t. kosher salt
FROSTING
- 3 1/4 c. (1 lb. box) confectioners’ sugar
- 5 to 6 T. milk
- Food coloring, as desired
Using a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer or a wooden spoon), cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until mixture is light and fluffy. (This step will take about 10 minutes if using a hand-held mixer or a spoon.) Stop mixer a few times and use a rubber spatula to scrape sides and bottom of bowl and paddle to release any clinging butter or sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Scrape bowl and paddle again to make sure eggs are thoroughly incorporated.
In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt until well mixed. On low speed (or with the wooden spoon), slowly blend the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture and mix just until flour mixture is totally incorporated and the dough is evenly mixed.
Scrape the dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap, and wrap the dough in the plastic wrap, pressing down to form a disk about 8 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour, or until it firms up enough to roll out. (At this point, the dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If the dough is frozen, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before using, then proceed as directed.)
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly flour a work surface, place dough disk on surface, and lightly flour the dough. Roll out about -inch thick. Keep both work surface and dough floured to prevent sticking. If the dough begins to stick, sprinkle on a little more flour and keep rolling. Using a cookie cutter about 2 inches in diameter, cut out as many cookies as possible. Place them on a baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Gather up the scraps, reroll and cut out more cookies. If the dough is soft and warm and difficult to roll, wrap the scraps in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll.
Bake cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, or until golden brown on the edges and pale to light brown in the centers. Let the cookies cool on baking sheet on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, or until they are cool enough to remove with a spatula. Then transfer to the wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting: While the cookies are cooling, place the confectioners’ sugar in a medium-sized bowl and whisk in enough milk to make a stiff, thick icing. (If it is too thin, it will run off of the cookies, so err on the stiffer side. You can always add more milk.) Divide frosting among as many small bowls as necessary to use food coloring to tint each batch as you like. (The plain frosting can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day. Use a spoon to loosen it if it stiffens at the bottom of the container, then color as desired.)
Spoon each colored frosting into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-to-1/8-inch round tip, or place the frostings in zippered plastic bags and snip off a tiny corner from each bag. Decorate cookies as desired. Let frosting dry completely, about 8 hours, before stacking the cookies for storage.
The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.
Makes about 24 2-inch cookies.
MERINGUE CLOUDS
- 8 egg whites
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 c. confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 t. kosher salt
- 1 c. sliced almonds, toasted
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat oven to 175 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or a hand-held mixer), beat egg whites on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft peaks form. (This step will take 6 to 8 minutes if using a hand-held mixer.) The whites will start to froth and turn into bubbles, and eventually the yellowy, viscous part will disappear. Keep whipping until you can see the tines of the whip leaving a slight trail in the whites. To test for the soft-peak stage, stop the mixer and lift the whip out of the whites; the whites should peak and then droop.
On medium speed, add granulated sugar in three equal additions, mixing for 1 minute after each addition. When all of the granulated sugar has been incorporated into the egg whites, increase speed to medium-high and beat for more 30 seconds.
In a small bowl, sift together confectioners’ sugar and salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold the confectioners’ sugar mixture into the beaten egg whites. Then, fold in the almonds, reserving 2 tablespoons for garnish.
Use a large spoon to make baseball-size, billowing mounds of meringue on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them 2 to 3 inches apart. You should have 8 mounds. Sprinkle the reserved almonds evenly on top of the meringues.
Bake for about 3 hours, or until the meringues are firm to the touch and you can remove them easily from the baking sheet without them falling apart. For meringues with a soft, chewy center, remove them from the oven at this point and let them cool. For fully crisped meringues, turn off the oven and leave the meringues in for at least 6 hours, or up to 12 hours.
The meringues can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Makes 8 large cookies.
CHOCOLATE MERINGUE CLOUDS
- (Same recipe, different flavor)
Replace the almonds with 3 ounces of bittersweet chocolate (62 to 70 percent cacao), finely chopped (about cup). Reserve about 3 tablespoons for garnish and fold the rest into the batter as directed.
HOMEMADE OREOS
- 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 3/4 c. granulated sugar
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 egg
- 1 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 3/4 c. Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 t. kosher salt
- 1/2 t. baking soda
VANILLA CREAM FILLING
- 1/2 c. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 2/3 c. confectioners’ sugar
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 1 T. milk
- Pinch of kosher salt
In a medium bowl, whisk together butter and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in vanilla and chocolate. Add egg and whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
In another medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda until well mixed. Using a wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into the chocolate mixture. The dough will start to seem too floury, and you will find it easiest to switch to mixing it with your hands until it comes together. It will have the consistency of Play-Doh. Let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour to firm up.
Transfer the dough to a 15-inch square sheet of parchment or waxed paper. Using your hands, shape the dough into a rough log about 10 inches long and 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Place log at the edge of the parchment paper and roll the parchment around the log. With the log fully encased in parchment, roll it into a smoother log, keeping it at 2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until firm. The log may settle and sink a bit in the fridge, so reroll it every 15 minutes or so to maintain a nice round log, if you like. If not, your cookies will be more oblong than round, which is not a bad thing taste-wise, though they won’t look like the famous packaged cookie. (At this point, the dough log can be well-wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month. If the dough is frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.)
Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or butter it.
Cut the dough log into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cookies are firm to the touch. Check them frequently after 16 or 17 minutes, poking them in the middle. As soon as they feel firm to the touch, remove them from the oven. You can’t judge by color because they start out black. Let cool on baking sheet on a wire rack to warm or room temperature. They don’t have to cool completely before you fill them, but you can’t fill them while they are hot.
While cookies are cooling, make the frosting. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer), beat the butter on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until completely smooth and soft. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and beat until mixture is perfectly smooth. Add milk and salt and again beat until smooth. It will look like white spackle and feel about the same – like putty. You can also mix this frosting by hand. Make sure the butter is very soft, and use your hands to mix and knead the confectioners’ sugar into the butter. You should have about 1 cup. (The filling can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Scoop about 1 rounded tablespoon of filling onto the bottom of 1 cookie. Top with a second cookie, bottom side down, then press the cookies together to spread the filling toward the edges. Repeat until all of the cookies are filled.
Makes 16 to 18 sandwich cookies.
Joanne Chang’s Five Hints for Successful Holiday Baking:
- 1. Be sure to read the recipe all the way through in advance.
- 2. Take the time to measure everything out beforehand.
- 3. Make sure to measure your flour correctly – it’s the easiest ingredient to mis-measure.
- 4. Check your oven temperature so it’s calibrated correctly.
- 5. Relax and have fun.
(Recipes from “Flour” by Joanne Chang, Chronicle Books, 2010.)
