There are so many interesting cookies to get excited about baking for the holidays. Can’t quite decide what to bake, so the scheme I devise is to bake often — or continuously for 12 days. Start with the thyme sea-salt cookies since there are fresh herbs leftover from Thanksgiving. At the same time, sea salt cookies will nicely kickstart the transition from the realm of savory to predominantly sweet. This will be a fun project for December this year and a diversion from the usual routine.
Giving Tuesday and everyday makes it possible for me to bake during the holiday season and not to worry about the consumption of sweets. Generosity is the theme here! Meanwhile, working a wide variety of recipes can be instructive in compiling how different ingredients, ratios, methods affect the way different cookies turn out.
- INGREDIENTS: There are three key ingredients: sugar, butter and flour. The two extra are: salt and thyme.
- RATIO: The classic short sweet dough (for a short bread cookie) is one part sugar, 2 parts fat and 3 parts flour. This is what Michael Ruhlman calls the 1-2-3 cookie dough which generally gives you the essence of a plain cookie. The thyme sea-salt cookie dough ratio (1-4-4) departs from that of the 1-2-3 cookie dough, primarily in doubling the amount of butter. Yes, there are two sticks of butter; so consider it a high fat warning.
- METHODS: This is how most cookie dough is prepared. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer. Gradually add flour and salt until you get a uniform dough. Freeze the cookie dough. Then roll and cut.
- TEXTURE: These cookies are quite delicate and crumbly.
- SPECIAL NOTES: Sprinkle salt or the optional sugar flakes. Salt adds interest to this buttery cookie, giving it a combination of savory and sweet note. Press fresh thyme leaves to give the cookies their distinctive herbaceous appearance.
Thyme Sea-Salt Cookies
Sea salt lends interest to this buttery cookie, a combination of savory and sweet. Feel free to substitute rosemary, savory, lavender or sage for the thyme. Make Ahead: The dough logs need to be frozen for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 month. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups (238 grams) flour, plus more for the work surface
- Pinch sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks, 226 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar, plus optional 2 tablespoons for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, plus tender sprigs for optional decoration
Instructions
MIX DRY INGREDIENTS: Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.
CREAM BATTER: Combine the butter and the 1/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for 3 or 4 minutes, until creamy and fluffy. Stop to scrape down the bowl.
MAKE DOUGH: On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, beating each time until well incorporated. Add the thyme leaves and beat just long enough to distribute them evenly. Gather the dough into a ball, then divide it into four equal portions.
FREEZE DOUGH: Lightly flour a work surface. Use your hands to form each portion of dough into a log 2 1/4 inches long. Wrap each one in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 month. The colder the dough, the easier it will be to cut even, uniform slices.
When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Line two or three baking sheets with parchment paper.
ROLL AND CUT DOUGH: Unwrap 1 log of dough at a time. Use a sharp knife to cut each log into 9 equal slices, arranging them 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Rotate the log between slices to avoid flattening it on one side. If desired, snip off the tender ends of thyme sprigs and place one on top of each cookie, pressing gently so it adheres. Sprinkle each slice with a little sea salt. Sprinkle with some of the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, if using.
BAKE: Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets top to bottom and front to back. Bake for 6 minutes or until the cookies are a light golden brown around the edges. Let them rest on the baking sheet for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Notes
Adapted from "Fresh Cooking: A Year of Recipes From the Garrison Institute Kitchen," by Shelley Boris (Monkfish Books, 2014). https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/thyme-sea-salt-cookies/14300/
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