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Spice Butter Cookie Dough

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on August 22, 2007

Yield

Yields approximately 6 dozen single-layer cookies

Spice Butter Cookie Dough

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour ¼ cup cornstarch 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon allspice ¼ teaspoon ginger ⅛ teaspoon mace Pinch ground nutmeg Pinch table salt 2 egg yolks 2 tablespoons light cream 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup brown sugar 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened2 tablespoons molasses 4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Instructions

  1. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
  2. Cream sugar with butter, molasses, and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
  3. Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Suggested shapes: Gingerbread men; classic cut-outs; Linzer cookies filled with lemon curd.
Spice Butter Cookie Dough

Spice Butter Cookie Dough

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Yield

Yields approximately 6 dozen single-layer cookies

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon mace
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons molasses
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon mace
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons molasses
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ cup cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon mace
Pinch ground nutmeg
Pinch table salt
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons light cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons molasses
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a holiday cookie dough recipe that could be shaped into a variety of rich and tender cookies. When we added some cornstarch, which tenderized the dough, we had our perfect butter cookie recipe.

Instructions

  1. Mix flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix yolks, cream, and vanilla together in a measuring cup.
  2. Cream sugar with butter, molasses, and shortening until lightened and pasty. Beat yolk mixture into creamed butter until just combined.
  3. Add dry ingredients and beat until mixture begins to clump together (about 18 to 20 seconds on lowest speed of electric mixer).
  4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead gently to shape into a soft dough. (Can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 6 months.) Proceed with rolling, shaping, and baking instructions under selected cookie. Suggested shapes: Gingerbread men; classic cut-outs; Linzer cookies filled with lemon curd.

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