Cookies on a pie crust–Light Spice Holiday Cookies

Seeking a way to dress up a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie without burning a delicate pie crust, I came across this recipe on the King Arthur flour site. It’s a light but flavorful spice cookie that I cut out in leaf shapes to border the pie crust once the pie was baked. Some were sprinkled with turbinado cane sugar in advance of baking and that is a nice touch.

 

These bake quickly so keep an eye on the baking time. They have a good crunch and spicy flavor.  I used ground cloves instead of allspice. I did not have shortening and substitued butter for shortening which didn’t seem to make too much of a difference. I am not paid to promote the company but do prefer the King Arthur brand, especially the cake flours.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 3 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, beat together the butter, shortening, sugars, baking powder, spices, and salt until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and molasses, and beat well.

Mix about half of the flour into the butter mixture. When well combined, add the cornstarch and the remaining flour.

Divide the dough in half, flattening each half slightly to make a disk. Smooth the edges by rolling the disk along a lightly floured work surface. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour (or longer), for easiest rolling.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Take one piece of dough out of the refrigerator, and flour a clean work surface, and the dough.

Roll it out as thin or thick as you like. For slightly less crisp cookies, roll it out more thickly. The main recipe notes these are best 1/8″ to 1/4″inch thick. Use flour under and on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to the table or rolling pin.

Alternatively, place the dough on parchment, and put a sheet of plastic wrap or another piece of parchment over it as you roll, pulling the plastic or parchment to eliminate wrinkles as necessary when rolling; this will keep dough from sticking without the need for additional flour.

Transfer the cookies to parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake them just until they’re slightly brown around the edges, or until they feel firm, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool on the baking sheet for several minutes, or until they are set. Transfer to a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough.

If you are freezing these, wrap them well and don’t decorate until you are ready to serve them. I like to decorate cookies just out of the freezer as I find the frosting sets more quickly on a frozen cookie.