MEGAN LEARNS TO COOK: HOLIDAY COOKIES
In the spirit of the holidays, I decided to take a stab at tasty treats for this month’s Megan Learns to Cook post. Sweets always give me that cozy holiday vibe, and I was really excited to try some new to me recipes this year. I started off with some gingerbread cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction then a family friend’s recipe that I grew up with, so I already knew those would be tasty. Plus, these seemed easy enough for the very amateur baker that I am. If you’re going to be around friends or family this week, try these out with a group! Baking with the people I love never fails to make me smile.
Gingerbread Cookies
These classic gingerbread cookies were delicious and I found that it was pretty straightforward! Here are some things I learned in the process though…
Definitely err on the side of leaving the dough in the fridge for a bit longer. I left it overnight and that worked out nicely compared to the the first time when I took it out right at the 3 hour mark. This time is was easier to work with it.
The dough is pretty sticky, so don’t be afraid to really flour the rolling pin and the surface you’re working with. It will get easier to manipulate as you go.
I got my cookie cutters from target for like a dollar! I picked a gingerbread person and tree, but you definitely don’t have to go with holiday-themed cutters. Whatever you have on hand will create super cute cookies!
Tea Cakes
For my second baked good, I opted for tea cakes! A soft tasty treat I had growing up, that I only now learned have a deep history. There are many different versions, but this one is more cookie like. This is a recipe from a family friend that I have many memories decorating these cookies with!
You’ll need:
5 cups of flour
2 cups of sugar
1 cup of unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 cup of sour cream (half cream/half buttermilk)
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of salt
In a bowl, sift your flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Then, with a mixer, blend butter with your sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy (about five minutes). A paddle attachment can help with this part since the dough gets pretty sticky. After the mixture is nice and fluffy, scrape down the sides with a spatula and bring the mixer to low. You can slowly pour in your flour and your sour cream (alternate between the two)until everything is blended together nicely.
*Very important: I had my very own movie-like sequence where the flour went EVERYWHERE when I started to fold it in to the mixture. My advice? Start mixing everything on medium and then switch to low for the flour.*
Once your dough has formed, refrigerate it overnight. If you’re pressed for time, a few hours will do. Once you’re ready to cut out your cookies, roll out the dough on a floured surface to about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thickness. You’re ready to use your cookie cutters once that’s done!
Bake at 350 degrees until they’re *just* done. We don’t want them to be brown, so this should be around 8 to 9 minutes. Bring to a rack to cool.
I hope you enjoy these recipes and your sweet treats! Feel free to halve them if you don’t need as many cookies! And if you want to take it a step further, try decorating with some icing and piping bags! Put some gumdrops on your little gingerbread people; just have fun! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays y’all!