Moravian Spice Crisps Recipes

MORAVIAN SPICE CRISPS

Steps:

• Melt shortening in small saucepan over low heat.
• Remove from heat; stir in brown sugar, molasses and corn syrup.
• Set aside; cool.
• Place 1 1/2 cups flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves in large bowl; stir to combine.
• Beat in shortening mixture.
• Gradually beat in remaining 1/4 cup flour to form stiff dough.
• Knead dough on lightly floured surface, adding more flour if too sticky.
• Form dough into 2 discs; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease cookie sheets; set aside.
• Working with 1 disc at a time, roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/16-inch thickness.
• Cut dough with floured 2 3/8-inch cookie cutter.
• (If dough becomes too soft, refrigerate several minutes before continuing.) Gently press dough trimmings together; reroll and cut out more cookies.
• Place cutouts 1/2-inch apart on prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 minutes or until firm and lightly browned.
• Remove cookies to wire racks; cool completely.
• Place small strips of cardboard or parchment paper over cookies; dust with sifted powdered sugar.
• Carefully remove cardboard.

MORAVIAN CRISPS WITH ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Make cookies:
• Pulse shortening, brown sugar, and molasses in a food processor until smooth. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add to processor and blend just until combined.
• Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly, allowing dough to absorb a little more flour if sticky. Divide dough in half and form each half into a 3-inch square. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 day.
• Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough on a floured pastry cloth using floured sleeve-covered rolling pin until very thin (less than 1/16 inch thick), about a 15-inch square. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and, using offset spatula to transfer, arrange about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.
• Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, 10 minutes. Let stand 1 minute on sheet, then loosen with spatula and transfer on parchment to a rack to crisp, about 10 minutes. If first batch isn't crisp, bake 1 minute more (on baking sheet), then bake remaining batches 10 to 11 minutes. Cool cookies completely on rack.
• Repeat with remaining dough (cool baking sheets and line with fresh parchment). Reroll scraps once for extra cookies if desired.
• Make icing:
• Beat together icing ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and beat until icing holds soft peaks, about 3 minutes more. If desired, divide icing and add food coloring.
• Fill pastry bags with icing and pipe decoratively on cookies, then let set, about 1 hour.