Our editor-in-Chief, Brian Hart Hoffman, shares a family heirloom cookie recipe, exclusive from our Holiday Cookies Special Issue, co-produced with feedfeed.
“While I’m always baking new recipes and putting my twist on them, there is one cookie recipe that always makes an annual appearance—my Mimi’s Cookies. Each year, I spend a day baking these decorated sugar cookies with my grandmother (Mimi), and it’s a wonder any actually make it to the oven because she likes to eat cookie dough as much as I do. Part nostalgia, part deliciousness, it wouldn’t be Christmas without these iced treats at our family gathering.”
Mimi’s Cookies aren’t the only holiday treat from Brian’s family. For Brian’s Grandfather’s Glazed Fruitcake Cookies, click here.
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs (100 grams)
- ½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
- 4 cups (500 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (3 grams) kosher salt
- 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 grams) whole milk or heavy whipping cream
- Food coloring (optional)
- Icing (recipe follows)
- Sprinkles (optional)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until combined. Add 2 tablespoons (30 grams) milk or cream, beating until a moist, thick dough forms. Add remaining 1 tablespoon (15 grams) milk or cream, if necessary. (Dough should not be crumbly.) Beat in food coloring, if desired. (For multiple colors of dough, divide dough into batches and add desired amount of food coloring.) Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using desired holiday cutters, cut dough, and place on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Frost cookies with Icing, adding sprinkles, if desired.
- 1½ cups (180 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg white (30 grams)
- 1 teaspoon (4 grams) vanilla extract
- Food coloring (optional)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat confectioners’ sugar, egg white, vanilla, and food coloring at medium speed until smooth. Icing should dry quickly and be hard to the touch.
I will give these 5 stars because they looked amazing and were easy to work with and my family ate them all. I prefer a sweeter cookie but as they all disappeared that’s clearly not everyone’s preference.