Bruna Kakor (Brown Cookies)

Okay, I know these cookies are never going to win the "best looking" award, but there's no question they would definitely win the delicious-crispy-chewy-caramelized-yumminess category.  The recipe is adapted from one sent by a good friend - her local spice vendor serves them every year at their annual Christmas party.  I'm not surprised, they rock!

Ingredients:  Lyle's Golden Syrup, flour, baking soda, vanilla sugar (or granulated sugar), and butter.   A note on the golden syrup - it's rich, caramelized flavor is simply amazing.  It's available in bottles, jars, and cans.  The bottles are easiest to dispense, but it really doesn't matter which one you find - just buy it!  You'll thank me later.

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I like to make my own vanilla sugar. After I use a vanilla bean, I rinse it and let it dry, then I tuck it inside a jar with granulated sugar.  I keep adding used vanilla bean pods and more sugar so I always have a good supply on hand.  

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Have you had the pleasure of discovering Lyle's golden syrup yet?  It's the magic ingredient in this recipe.

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Time to make the cookies - cream the butter, sugar, and golden syrup together.

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Whisk together the dry ingredients and add them to the butter/sugar mixture.

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Mix again, until the golden syrup and flour mixture are evenly combined with the butter and sugar. A BeaterBlade attachment eliminates the fussy need to stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl.   

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Divide the cookie dough into 4 equal portions.  You can eye-ball it, but I like to use a digital scale to ensure all my portions are exactly the same size.  

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Roll each portion on cookie dough into a 12-inch long log and place two on a silpat lined half sheet pan. 

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Bake the logs in a preheated 350F oven for 12-15 minutes until the logs flatten and spread like this.  Cool on sheet pan before cutting with a serrated knife.

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Aaahhhh... I wish you could taste one of these cookies right now!!!!! 

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Make them, make them, make them!!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• lyle’s golden syrup https://amzn.to/3G55PEh

• vanilla sugar https://amzn.to/3KLwLfU

• my favorite digital scale https://amzn.to/3s1jJ5y

• beaterblade attachment https://amzn.to/3HggAoL

• professional half sheet pan/rack/silpat set https://amzn.to/2Ts5kfd

• serrated knife https://amzn.to/3KWimhg

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Bruna Kakor (Brown Cookies)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons Lyle's Golden Syrup

• 2 cups all purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 2 teaspoons vanilla sugar (or granulated sugar), *plus more if desired

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare 2 half sheet pans with parchment or silpat liners.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a BeaterBlade attachment, cream the butter, sugar, and golden syrup together.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, vanilla sugar, and salt; add to the stand mixer with the creamed butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine.

4. Divide dough into 4 equal portions; roll each portion into a 12-inch log.

5. Place two logs on each half sheet pan and flatten slightly.

6. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the logs spread and turn golden brown. *If desired, sprinkle each log with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla sugar halfway through baking.

7. Remove from oven and allow the cookie logs cool before transferring to a cutting board.

8. Using a serrated knife, cut each log in half once lengthwise, then width-wise every 1/2-inch or so.

Christmas Cookie Cutouts (No Futzing with Frosting)

Aren't these cookies adorable?  And they are so easy to make, you won't believe it.  And you can make all different kinds.  (Thanks to Terri for coming up with the catchy tagline!)

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Here's a set of 4 small snowflake cutters, and the large snowflake cutter. 

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Here's a set that includes the snowman, gingerbread man, ornament, and Christmas tree.

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To make the cookies, roll the cookie dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  No extra flour is needed and you can reroll the scraps multiple times without it affecting the quality of the cookies.  To ensure all my cookies are the same thickness, I use rolling guides.

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Now it's time to cut the cookies with the plunger cutters, but there's no need to push the plunger thingy down at this point.  Pop the cut dough in the fridge to chill so the dough hardens before transferring the cutouts to a sheet pan - this will keep the cutouts from distorting. 

I forgot to get a photo of the cookies going into the oven, but you know the drill.  I bake my cookies on a silpat lined half sheet pan. 

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While the cookies are baking, knead the fondant to make it pliable and roll it to 1/16-inch thickness, again I'm using my rolling guides.  Use any fondant that you like.  I sometimes buy colored fondant, but most of the time I buy white fondant and color it using gel colors.  

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When I cut the cookie dough, I didn't push the plunger down, but I will now.  

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Then I away the scraps and save them in an airtight container to be used another time.  I let the fondant sit at room temp to firm up before placing them onto the baked cookies - if the room is warm, I pop them in the fridge for a couple minutes.  

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Place the fondant cutouts onto the cookies while they're still warm from the oven.  This will allow the fondant to melt ever so slightly so it adheres to the cookie.  That's it folks.  Super easy.

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And super cute!

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I love them all, but the pink snowflakes are my favorite.  

Okay, go get some plunger cutters and make yourself some cookies!  

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• pure vanilla extract https://amzn.to/3HanYSv

• Dutch processed cocoa powder https://amzn.to/2SBYQL2

• Christmas cutter set https://amzn.to/2Rlr3Zt

• snowflake cutter set https://amzn.to/2ArHKbR

• rolling guides https://amzn.to/2Vn82F6

• silpat liner https://amzn.to/2CJPLKR

• commercial half sheet pan https://amzn.to/3HdgONw

• gel food colors https://amzn.to/33UOD7J

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Christmas Cutout Cookies

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

To make the cookie dough:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the BeaterBlade attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium high speed for 30 seconds.

3. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine.

4. Add flour mixture and beat until incorporated.

5. Remove dough from mixer bowl and wrap well with plastic wrap; chill for 1-3 hours.

6. Preheat oven to 375F.

7. Roll each dough portion to 3/16-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.

8. Cut out desired shapes with floured plunger cutters, without plunging the design into the cutout.

9. Chill dough before transferring cutouts to sheet pan to prevent distorting.

10. Place cookies 2-inches apart on silpat lined sheet pan.

11. Bake for 6-8 minutes; remove from oven and top with fondant cutouts that have the design pressed into them.

12. Cool completely before serving. Store in airtight container between with wax paper between layers.

Notes

• Recipe makes 40-60 cookies, depending on size.  

• Plan to use about 1/2 pound fondant (I like to buy white fondant so I can color it any way I like).  

• Fondant cutouts can be made a day or more in advance if stored on wax or parchment paper in an airtight container.  

• If cookies cool before fondant toppers are added, warm the cookies for a few seconds in the microwave.