So let's assume you have the basic sugar cookie recipe mastered, but you are getting bored of it. You understandably want to try something more interesting. Fortunately, the basic sugar cookie recipe lends itself to so much more.
The appearance is the best place to start. You can use food coloring to modify the appearance; a couple of drops should be more than enough to change the color lightly, so color to desired darkness. You can do a light mixing so that there are splashes of color rather than a solid color. You can also separate the mass of dough into smaller sections, roll the dough into inch-thick logs, color each differently, and then cut into inch-thick wheels. You can then match up wheels of different colors and roll them out using a straight back-and-forth method.
Don't want to use cookie cutters? You have two options: Roll up the dough into a two-inch-thick log and the square off the ends. You can then use a dough cutter to slice the log into quarter-inch sections (you don't need to be exact) before putting them on the cookie sheet. You can also use roll them into 1" balls as well (if you use a tablespoon, they are called "drop cookies"). You may want to cook these an extra two to three minutes to make sure that they are cooked. You can also use cookie cutters, but create ridges before you throw on the sheet.
You can also add things to them. If you cut them into circles, a Hershie's Kiss can be pressed down in the center before cooking, or you can use small bits of fruit. You can also add up to about a cup of ingedients to the dough, such as chocolate chips, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, or any variety of fruits. Take out the vanilla and almond extract, and you can replace it with chocolate liqueur or any kind of cooking wine or sherry. For something special, add in a tablespoon each of orange zest and lemon juice. You can also add in a half cup of dark molasses and a tablespoon of powdered ginger, but you may want to increase cooking time to ten minutes.
Yes, there are more precise recipes for any specific ingredient or group of ingredient, but this is meant as a beginning; experiment as much as you wish. The key is to have some fun while you cook, and you are bound to make some mistakes, but enjoy them rather than be horrified of them. Find a recipe you like and remember it, or even write it down. No one will judge you until you show them what you have been doing, and by then you will have something worth showing off. Best yet, you can destroy any evidence of failure, utterly and completely. Sounds like you have some cooking to do...
The appearance is the best place to start. You can use food coloring to modify the appearance; a couple of drops should be more than enough to change the color lightly, so color to desired darkness. You can do a light mixing so that there are splashes of color rather than a solid color. You can also separate the mass of dough into smaller sections, roll the dough into inch-thick logs, color each differently, and then cut into inch-thick wheels. You can then match up wheels of different colors and roll them out using a straight back-and-forth method.
Don't want to use cookie cutters? You have two options: Roll up the dough into a two-inch-thick log and the square off the ends. You can then use a dough cutter to slice the log into quarter-inch sections (you don't need to be exact) before putting them on the cookie sheet. You can also use roll them into 1" balls as well (if you use a tablespoon, they are called "drop cookies"). You may want to cook these an extra two to three minutes to make sure that they are cooked. You can also use cookie cutters, but create ridges before you throw on the sheet.
You can also add things to them. If you cut them into circles, a Hershie's Kiss can be pressed down in the center before cooking, or you can use small bits of fruit. You can also add up to about a cup of ingedients to the dough, such as chocolate chips, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, or any variety of fruits. Take out the vanilla and almond extract, and you can replace it with chocolate liqueur or any kind of cooking wine or sherry. For something special, add in a tablespoon each of orange zest and lemon juice. You can also add in a half cup of dark molasses and a tablespoon of powdered ginger, but you may want to increase cooking time to ten minutes.
Yes, there are more precise recipes for any specific ingredient or group of ingredient, but this is meant as a beginning; experiment as much as you wish. The key is to have some fun while you cook, and you are bound to make some mistakes, but enjoy them rather than be horrified of them. Find a recipe you like and remember it, or even write it down. No one will judge you until you show them what you have been doing, and by then you will have something worth showing off. Best yet, you can destroy any evidence of failure, utterly and completely. Sounds like you have some cooking to do...
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