Liz Franklin - The Cookie Jar

THE COOKIE JAR Liz Franklin Photography by Kate Whitaker Designer Maria Lee-Warren Senior Designer Megan Smith Commissioning Editor Stephanie Milner Production Manager Gordana Simakovic Art Director Leslie Harrington Editorial Director Julia Charles Publisher Cindy Richards Food Stylist Annie Rigg Prop Stylist Jo Harris Indexer Hilary Bird First published in the UK and USA in 2015. This revised edition published in 2020 by Ryland Peters & Small 2021 Jockeys Fields, London WC1R 4BW and 341 E 116th Street New York, NY 10029 www.rylandpeters.com 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Text Liz Franklin 2015, 2020 Design and photographs Ryland Peters & Small 2015, 2020 ISBN: 978-1-78879-239-4 EISBN: 978-1-78879-367-4 Printed and bound in China The authors moral rights have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publicationmay be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. A CIP record for this book is availablefrom the British Library. Notes Both British (metric) and American (imperial plus US cup) measurements are included in these recipes for your convenience, however it is important to work with one set of measurements and not alternate between the two within a recipe. Notes Both British (metric) and American (imperial plus US cup) measurements are included in these recipes for your convenience, however it is important to work with one set of measurements and not alternate between the two within a recipe.

All spoon measurements are level unless otherwise specified. 1 teaspoon is 5 ml 1 tablespoon is 15 ml All eggs are medium (UK) or large (US), unless specified as large, in which case US extra-large should be used. Uncooked or partially cooked eggs should not be served to the very old, frail, young children, pregnant women or those with compromised immune systems. It is recommended that free-range, organic eggs be used whenever possible. Ovens should be preheated to the specified temperatures. We recommend using an oven thermometer.

If using a fan-assisted oven, adjust temperatures according to the manufacturers instructions. Whenever butter is called for within these recipes, salted butter should be used. When a recipe calls for the grated zest of citrus fruit, buy unwaxed fruit and wash well before using. If you can only find treated fruit, scrub well in warm soapy water before using.

Theres something unquestionably magical about cookie baking. A simple dough goes into the oven and only minutes later you have golden, irresistible cookies that fill the whole kitchen with the most blissful aroma.

Most of us like a little sweet treat now and again, and making your own cookies at home makes that treat something really special, much nicer and far more gratifying than just blindly opening a packet of something youve picked up at the supermarket. And the best thing is that cookie doughs arent generally difficult or time consuming to make, they dont need lots of complicated equipment and both the dough and the cookies themselves tend to freeze really well too! Nowadays we are constantly told to cut down our intake of sugar, salt and snack foods and thats no bad thing at all. But it doesnt mean we have to go without all together. By making cookies at home rather than eating endless packets of store bought ones, we can control the amount of sugar and salt we add and avoid using hydrogenated fats that are so typical of the bought variety. Homemade cookies are more satisfying to eat too, and so its less tempting to eat cookie after cookie although I have to fess up to occasionally eating a few more than I should! All of the cookies recipes that follow are made with ingredients that can be easily found in the supermarket. I always, always use real butter, or extra virgin olive oil in the crackers never margarine.

Margarines are often made from hydrogenated fats, and those that arent are often a blend of various oils that leave a lot to be desired. I would rather have butter which is a natural product with a lovely flavour and eat less, which I find much easier to do with homemade goodies because theyre far tastier and more fulfilling! The selection of cookies Ive included incorporates everything from simple to stylish and all of the cookies throughout can be packaged prettily and given as edible gifts. There are cookies to please all ages and for all occasions, from spooky Witches fingers for Halloween to pretty lace-like tuiles to serve at the most elegant dinner party. There are cookies to comfort, biscuits to dunk and crisp crackers to top with crumbly cheese; favourites such as chocolate chip cookies, custard creams and buttery Scottish shortbread, as well as some that are a little less ordinary, such as chocolate-stuffed sabls, Garibaldi biscuits, delicate Florentines and fig rolls. Whether your preference is for something plain, or youre the original sweet-toothed Cookie Monster, Im sure youll find lots to delight as you work your way through the book. Happy cookie baking! Equipment You may like to have some nice cookie cutters to hand, but apart from that, the usual mixing bowls and spoons and a couple of flat baking sheets are all that you will need.

An electric handheld whisk helps for the recipes that involve stiffly beaten egg whites, and a food processor is a must for the macaron recipe on , but most of the time I tend to avoid complicated cooking paraphernalia. I like to line baking sheets with baking parchment rather than greaseproof paper as I find its non-stick properties more reliable. Non-stick silicone baking mats are really great too theyre made of fibreglass and food grade silicone and are available from specialist catering suppliers, cook shops and online. You simply wash them, roll them up and keep them in the cupboard to reuse time and time again. I do collect cookie cutters, and there are lots of great suppliers on the high street and online. See Suppliers on .

Ingredients Poor ingredients will give poor results. All the recipes in this book are made with good-quality salted butter, or extra virgin olive oil. Please dont be tempted to substitute low fat margarines (or indeed any margarine), as the results just wont be the same. Sometimes I read reviews of recipes (not just my own) where readers have substituted ingredients and changed this or that and they are not happy with the results. By all means experiment with flavours and such, but not by changing good-quality ingredients for inferior quality ingredients. If you do use unsalted butter, then it is important to add a pinch of salt to the recipe, as the flavour of the finished cookie will be a little flat without it.