Introduction to Slice and Bake Cookies
Making slice and bake cookies is not just a baking trend; it's a game-changer for anyone seeking simplicity without sacrificing flavor. These cookies come to life with only a few ingredients and can easily be customized to suit your mood or event. Whether you want classic vanilla, festive peppermint, or rich chocolate varieties, the beauty of this method is that you can create delightful dough logs that you can slice and bake whenever the craving strikes.
Why are Slice and Bake Cookies a Game-Changer?
Imagine having freshly baked cookies ready in minutes! With slice and bake cookies, once your dough is prepared and chilled, all you need to do is slice it up and pop it in the oven. This method is particularly helpful during the busy holiday season when time is short, yet you want to impress your friends and family with homemade treats.
Not only do these cookies allow for versatility—think about mixing different flavors in one batch—but they also keep remarkably well in the freezer. You can bake what you need and save the rest for later, making it easy to enjoy a sweet treat any time. Looking for more tips? Consider checking out Serious Eats for advanced baking techniques.
So, unleash your inner baker and dive into the world of slice and bake cookies. You might just find your new favorite way to indulge in homemade delights!
Ingredients for Slice and Bake Cookies
Creating delicious slice and bake cookies is a delightful way to indulge in baking while keeping things simple! Here’s what you’ll need to pull off these scrumptious treats, ensuring that you'll impress friends and family alike.
Base Ingredients
For both the vanilla and chocolate doughs, you’ll need:
- Butter: 1 cup (220g), unsalted and at room temperature to help achieve that perfect creamy texture.
- Sugars: A combination of granulated sugar and light brown sugar will add sweetness and a lovely caramel undertone.
- Flour: All-purpose flour (2 ¼ cups or 285g for vanilla; 1 ¾ cups or 225g for chocolate) is essential for structure.
- Salt & Vanilla: These ingredients elevate the flavor profile and balance the sweetness.
Check out some great baking tips for more insights!
Flavor Add-Ins
While the base ingredients provide a delicious foundation, the magic happens with flavor add-ins:
- Chai Spiced Cinnamon Sugar: A delightful mix of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice for a warm, cozy feel.
- Dark Chocolate Cherry: Chopped dark chocolate and dried cherries create a pleasantly tart bite.
- Chocolate Hazelnut: Roughly chopped hazelnuts add crunch, while finely chopped ones are perfect for coating.
- Chocolate Peppermint: A zing of peppermint extract paired with dark chocolate is irresistible, especially around the holidays.
Mix and match these add-ins to create your perfect flavor combination!
Step-by-Step Preparation of Slice and Bake Cookies
Making slice and bake cookies can be a delightful experience, especially when you have a tried-and-true method like this one. Not only are these cookies easy to prepare, but the flavor combinations let you satisfy any craving. Let's walk through the process together!
Preparing the Dough Base
Start by gathering your ingredients for the vanilla dough base. You'll need unsalted butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla bean paste, salt, and all-purpose flour. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together until the mixture looks pale and fluffy – this typically takes about 2-3 minutes with a hand mixer. Then, add the vanilla and salt, followed by the flour. Mix until just combined before switching to a spatula to ensure no flour is left unincorporated. This dough serves as the foundation for your flavorful creations.
Dividing and Flavoring the Dough
Now that you have your dough base ready, it's time to divide it into two portions. You’ll want one half to be slightly larger, as that will become the chai spiced cinnamon sugar cookies, while the other half will incorporate dark chocolate and cherries. For the spiced dough, combine cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice in a small dish and fold these spices into the larger half of the dough. For the smaller half, add the chopped dark chocolate and cherries. This is where personal preference shines—get creative, and feel free to experiment with additional flavors.
Rolling and Chilling the Dough
After flavoring, it’s time to shape your dough. Place each half on sheets of plastic wrap and roll them into logs, about 8-9 inches long. Wrap the logs tightly and chill them in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or overnight if you’re planning ahead). This chilling process helps the flavors meld and makes the dough much easier to slice.
Slicing the Cookies
Once the dough has chilled, it's slicing time! Remove the logs from the refrigerator and trim off the ends, which might be less aesthetically pleasing. Slice each log into approximately 12 cookies, ensuring they are of uniform thickness for even baking. Now, you can coat your cookies in sugar or chopped nuts, depending on the flavor, ensuring each slice is well covered for a delightful crunch.
Baking to Perfection
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. While the oven heats, let the sliced cookies chill in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. This ensures they keep their shape while baking. Place them on the baking sheet, spaced apart. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges become lightly golden. As they cool, the cookies will firm up—perfect for a satisfying bite.
For baking tips and tricks, check out resources like Baker’s Journal for expert advice.
And there you have it—a straightforward method for preparing delicious slice and bake cookies that’ll impress your family and friends! Want to try more unique flavors? Don’t hesitate to get creative!
Variations on Slice and Bake Cookies
Searching for a variation on classic slice and bake cookies? Look no further! Here are some delicious flavor ideas to make your cookie game shine.
Chai Spiced Cinnamon Sugar
Infuse your cookies with warm spices. A mix of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger creates a comforting chai experience. Roll your dough in cinnamon sugar for an added crunch that’s perfect for cozy nights in.
Dark Chocolate Cherry
Indulge in the richness of dark chocolate paired with tangy dried cherries. This combination brings a delightful chewiness that complements the deep chocolate flavors.
Chocolate Hazelnut
Give your slice and bake cookies a nutty twist! Add chopped hazelnuts to your chocolate dough for a satisfying texture and burst of flavor. This one is bound to be a crowd-pleaser.
Chocolate Peppermint
Perfect for the holiday season, blend in peppermint extract and dark chocolate for a refreshing taste. Drizzle with melting chocolate and sprinkle crushed candy canes on top for festive flair.
Explore these variations to delight your friends and family! For more tips on perfecting your cookie recipes, check out resources from The Cookie Companion.
Cooking Tips and Notes for Slice and Bake Cookies
Tips for Chilling
Allow your slice and bake cookies dough to chill for at least 2 hours, or even overnight, to achieve the best texture. This step is crucial, as it helps the flavors meld and makes slicing easier. You can also experiment with chilling times; longer chilling will give you a firmer dough.
Storing the Cookies
Once baked, store your cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If you’d like them to stay fresh longer, consider layering them between sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking.
Freezing Options
If you want to prepare ahead, freeze the cookie dough logs wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil. Alternatively, you can freeze sliced cookies in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag. Either way, they’ll maintain quality for up to a month—perfect for spontaneous cookie cravings! For more tips on freezing baked goods, check out FoodSafety.gov.
Slice and Bake Cookies
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- hand or stand mixer
- paddle attachment
- plastic wrap
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- microwave-safe bowl
Ingredients
Vanilla Dough Base
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
Chai Spiced Cinnamon Sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon allspice
- 3 tablespoon sparkling sugar
- 3 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon for coating
Dark Chocolate Cherry
- 2 oz dark chocolate chopped
- ½ cup dried cherries roughly chopped
- ½ cup raw sugar for coating
Chocolate Dough Base
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
Chocolate Hazelnut
- ½ cup hazelnuts roughly chopped
- ½ cup hazelnuts finely chopped for coating
Chocolate Peppermint
- ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 2 oz dark chocolate chopped
- ½ cup white melting chocolate
- 2 teaspoon oil for coating
- 3 pieces candy canes crushed for sprinkling
Instructions
Vanilla Dough Base
- In a large mixing bowl using a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Mix in the vanilla and salt, followed by the flour. After mixing in the flour, switch to a rubber spatula and continue to mix the dough by hand to ensure all of the flour is incorporated.
Chai Spiced Cinnamon Sugar
- Split the dough nearly in half, giving one half a bit more dough for the chai spiced cookies.
- In a small dish, combine the cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, and allspice.
- Add to this larger half of dough and carefully fold in the spices. Just give it a few folds to swirl the spices throughout. Do not completely mix them in.
Dark Chocolate Cherry
- To the smaller half of dough that’s still sitting in the original mixing bowl, add the chopped chocolate and cherries. Mix to combine.
- Lay out two sheets of plastic wrap and place each dough in the center of the sheets. Form each piece of dough into a log that’s about 8-9 inches long.
- Tightly wrap the logs in the plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Chocolate Dough Base
- Scrape out the mixing bowl you used for the vanilla dough. No need to wash it, just make sure there are no large pieces of dough or mix ins left in the bowl.
- Just as you did with the vanilla dough, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.
- Mix in the salt and vanilla, followed by the flour and cocoa powder.
- Use a rubber spatula to mix the dough by hand in order to ensure all of the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Chocolate Hazelnut
- Split the dough in half and add one half to a separate bowl. Mix in ½ cup roughly chopped hazelnuts.
Chocolate Peppermint
- To the dough that’s still in the original mixing bowl, add the peppermint extract and chopped dark chocolate. Mix well to ensure the peppermint extract is well combined with the dough.
- Lay out two sheets of plastic wrap and add each half of dough to the sheets. Roll each piece of dough into an 8-9 inch log and wrap tightly in the plastic wrap.
- Chill alongside the vanilla dough for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Coating & Baking
- Once the dough is chilled solid, they can each be rolled in their coating.
- For the dark chocolate cherry dough, sprinkle a plate or pan with the raw sugar. Roll the dough in the sugar to fully coat.
- Repeat this process for the chai spiced cookies (rolling in the cinnamon sugar mixture), and the hazelnut cookies (rolling in ½ cup finely chopped hazelnuts). The peppermint cookies are left bare.
- Slice the ends off of each log and then slice each log into roughly 12 cookies.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and place the sliced cookies in the refrigerator to chill while the oven heats up.
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. When the oven is preheated, place the cookies onto the baking sheet, each spaced about 2 inches apart.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges are a very pale golden brown and the tops have turned matte.
- Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and bake the rest of the dough.
- Once cooled, all that's left to do is dunk the chocolate peppermint cookies.
- Place the melting chocolate and oil in a heat-safe bowl and microwave in 30 seconds intervals until smooth.
- Dunk one half of each cookie into the chocolate and then top with crushed candy canes. Transfer these cookies to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set.
- Now your cookies are ready to enjoy!
Leave a Reply