Oh so Sweet Spiced Sugar Coins

After a long day shopping, I decided to make some spiced sugar coins. Well actually i put the dough together sometime around Christmas, prepared the logs, and froze them for a later date. Well I'm really glad I did because they are really yummy : ) So it was actually a last minute plan... there was no dessert. So that calls for extreme change! Then it dawned on me, I have cookies waiting to be baked in my freezer!! So i took them out and let them thaw a little, and prepared them to be sliced. Then i got the sugar out.
Then I drew a monkey in the sugar because my log had not yet thawed enough to slice it.Then it had thawed!! Yesss! So I sliced and rolled the edges of the coins in sugar. My dog Bear lies down and dreams of me dropping a cookie. Not going to happen BearBear.

Then I bake them up.I really encourage you to try these cookies, especially if you have the Christmas blues. They have a very nice spice to them, and they almost remind me of eggnog.


Spiced sugar coins
Baking and Books
"The essential Baker" by Carole Bloom.

Ingredients: Makes about 5 dozen cookies

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar + 1/3 cup granulated sugar (divided use)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 extra large egg yolk

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric stand mixer or in a large bowl. Beat the butter on medium speed until it’s fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of sugar, and cream together well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed.

Add the vanilla to the butter mixture and blend well. Over a large piece of waxed or parchment paper or a bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Add the nutmeg and salt and toss to blend. Add this mixture in 3 stages to the butter mixture. Stop after each addition and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix thoroughly.

Place two large sheets of waxed paper on a flat surface and divide the dough evenly onto them. Use the waxed paper to shape and roll the dough into cylinders about 10 inches long and 1 inch wide. Cover the cylinders tightly with the waxed paper and wrap each roll in plastic wrap. . Chill in the freezer for 45 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, until firm enough to slice. (I left my dough in the freezer for an extended length of time, so if you do that, make sure to let it thaw so you can slice it without it cracking.)

Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line each baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking liner. Using a fork, lightly beat the egg yolk in a small bowlDivide the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar evenly between sheets of waxed or parchment paper. Unwrap each cylinder. Using a pastry brush or a spoon, coat the outside of each cylinder with yolk, then roll in the sugar, coating each completely.(I omitted this the second time, because it was messy, and somewhat unnecessary. I just rolled them in the sugar without it, and it worked fine.)

Place the cylinders on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, cut each cylinder into 1/2 inch slices. Cut straight down and roll the cylinder a quarter turn after every 6 slices so it will keep its round shape. If the dough becomes soft while you work with it, re-wrap it and chill for another 10 to 15 minutes, then continue slicing.

Place the slices on the baking sheets, leaving at least 1 inch of space between them. Bake for 5 minutes. Switch the baking sheets (between racks) and bake another 5 to 6 minutes, until set. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies completely.