Just Baking

I’d actually call these more of a butter cookie, than a sugar cookie. Of course, that’s probably because I didn’t roll them in sugar, as the recipe states. Despite the fact that I cheated and made my own change to the topping, the cookies are fantastic! I’m already a sucker for anything with citrus in it, but the five-spice was amazing! Excellent combination with only the best … real butter. 

Orange Five-Spice Sugar Cookies

from The Great Big Butter Cookbook: Because Everything’s Better with Butter, by Diana von Glahn

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granualted sugar [7 oz]
• 2 large egg yolks*
• 2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest**
• 1/4 teaspoon salt [1/2 teaspoon]
• 4 cups all-purpose flour [18 oz]
• Decorative Sugar, for dusting [or use glaze recipe, below]

Using an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks, one at a time, then stir in the five-spice powder, orange zest, and salt. Then stir [sift] in the flour. Continue to blend until the dough comes together and is evenly mixed.

Divide the dough into three flattened discs, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least three hours [1/2 hour] or overnight. [If you chill longer than 30 minutes, you’ll want to rest at room temperature before rolling out the dough, otherwise it will too stiff].

Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter [line with parchment paper] two baking sheets.

Work with one disc at a time; roll out to 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of lightly-floured wax or parchment paper [I found no need for the flour]. Using a knife or cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes and place on the baking sheet [lined with parchment paper]. Work in batches, keeping the remaining dough chilled until you are ready to use it. For the best defined-shapes, chill the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before baking [uh, I skipped this step, too].

Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with decorative sugar and bake for about 8 minutes, just until the bottoms are brown [I did five minutes, rotated the baking sheets, and baked another five minutes]. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool [this is why parchment is so handy…you can just slide the entire sheet of parchment, cookies still on, to the wire rack to cool].

*Freeze the egg whites so you can bake the Mile-High Lemon-Buttermilk Cake with Lemon Filling another time (p. 398)

**Zest and freeze more orange zest to make the Bittersweet Chocolate Orange Butter (p. 456)

Easy All-Purpose Cookie Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners/powdered/icing sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons milk
• a few drops of flavoring [I used orange oil, to match the cookie flavor]

Blend well with fork, spread evenly on cookies, allow to harden.