Spicy Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Mix the flour, the baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a bowl.
• Cream the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth; beat the egg and vanilla extract into the butter mixture. Add the flour mixture in small amount to the butter mixture, beating each addition until blended. Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets.
• Roll the dough out on a floured work surface with a rolling pin to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 2-inch cookie cutters. Arrange the cut cookies onto the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• For the cookies: Put the sugar in a food processor and pulse a few times to finely grind. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pulse just to combine.
• Add the butter and pulse until all of the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture is sandy. Add the egg and vanilla and pulse until the mixture comes together in big clumps.
• Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead a few times to form a ball. Divide the dough in half, pat into 2 discs about 1/4-inch thick, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes to make rolling easier. Put 1 disc of dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper and roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Cut out with desired cookie cutters and arrange on one of the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake until the bottom of the cookies are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet until firm enough to transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Gently gather any scraps into a ball and press into another disc. Chill the disc until firm enough to roll and cut out as many cookies as possible.
• For the icing: Sift the meringue powder and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl and add 6 tablespoons water. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high until the mixture is glossy and soft peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Add food coloring if using or divide into several batches and color with different shades of food coloring. Decorate cookies as desired. The cookies can be store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. , Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool. , For frosting, cream the confectioners' sugar, butter and zest in a large bowl. Gradually add lemon juice, beating until frosting achieves desired spreading consistency. Frost cookies.

Steps:

• Mix flour, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in egg, vanilla extract and ginger. Add dry ingredients and beat just until blended. Form dough into ball. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll each piece of dough between palms of hands and floured work surface to form 1 1/4-inch-diameter log. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake cookies until set but still very pale, about 12 minutes. Cool on racks. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

Steps:

• In a bowl cream the shortening with the brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy and stir in the egg and the molasses. Into another bowl sift together the flour, the baking soda, the cinnamon, the ginger, the cloves, and the salt, add the flour mixture in batches to the shortening mixture, and blend the dough well. Chill the dough, covered, for 1 hour.
• Roll level tablespoons of the dough into balls, dip one side of each ball into the granulated sugar, and arrange the balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake the cookies in batches in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are puffed and cracked on top. Transfer the cookies with a metal spatula to racks and let them cool.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just blended.
• Wrap dough with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
• Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and roll the balls in remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Cream shortening and sugars, then add egg and vanilla and mix well.
• Sift together dry ingredients, then add them to the creamed mixture.
• Fold in the walnuts.
• Roll into 1" balls and roll balls in granulated sugar.
• Bake 10-12 minutes.