The favorite holiday cookie for Utah composer, Kurt Bestor, dates back to "the old country." Bestor's German grandmother, who stood just 4-foot-11, used to make Pfeffernüsse cookies for her grandson every Christmas in Jackson Wis., where Bestor was born. "While everyone else seems to crave a variation of the usual chocolate chip or snickerdoodle, I yearn for a 'pepper cookie,' " said Bestor, one of eight well-known Utah residents to share their favorite holiday cookie recipe with The Tribune. "The only ingredient missing in the recipe," said Bestor, "is a heaping helping of love which is probably why it has a special place in my heart."
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon crushed aniseeds
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¹/8 teaspoon ground cloves
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
¼ cup light molasses
1 egg
2 cups powdered sugar, for dusting
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, pepper, aniseeds, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat together butter, brown sugar and molasses until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Grease two baking sheets with butter. Scoop up pieces of the dough and roll between your palms into balls 1½ inches in diameter. Place balls on the baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake until the cookies are golden brown on the bottom and firm to the touch, about 14 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks and let the cookies cool slightly on the sheets.
Place the powdered sugar in a sturdy paper bag. Drop a few cookies into the bag, close the top securely and shake gently to coat the warm cookies with the sugar. Transfer to racks and let cookies cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Will keep for one week.
Servings » 2 ½ dozen
Source » Kurt Bestor, film, television and music composer
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup shortening
1¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 package chocolate kisses, unwrapped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg, and beat just until blended. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Mix on low speed just until blended. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly and place one unwrapped chocolate kiss on top of each cookie.
Bake 7--8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Place cookies on wire racks to cool completely.
Servings » 2 dozen
Source » Peter Corroon. Salt Lake County's mayor
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup shortening
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.
Sift together dry ingredients. Cream shortening and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs; mix thoroughly. Add flour mixture. Blend together. Add chocolate chips and nuts. Mix until well distributed throughout the dough. Using a teaspoon, spoon walnut-size quantities of dough onto greased baking sheets. Do not crowd. Bake approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool slightly on pan before removing to rack.
Servings » 2 dozen
Source » The Most Rev. John C. Wester, Catholic Bishop for the Salt Lake Diocese
1½ cups sugar, plus ¼ cup
½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
½ cup shortening
2 eggs
2 ¾ cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix 1½ cups sugar, butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Shape dough into 1¼-inch balls. In a bowl, mix remaining ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon, and then roll balls into the mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 8--10 minutes or until set. Remove cookies from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Servings » 2 dozen
Source » Shannon Hale, best-selling author of Princess Academy and other books for young adults
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine
1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1 egg
¼ cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1¼ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cloves
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat until fluffy, but do not overbeat. Add egg and molasses until combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and mix until combined. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place additional granulated sugar in a bowl, and roll dough balls in it. Place balls 1½ inches apart on ungreased cookie tray. Bake 8--10 minutes, or until puffed.
Servings » 2 dozen
Source » Whitney Merrifield, Miss Utah 2009
¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened
½ cup sugar
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon almond extract
1¾ cup flour
½ cup apricot preserves (preferably homemade)*
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract. Slowly mix in flour until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
Use your finger or an instrument of similar size to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the indent with ½ teaspoon of preserves. Bake 8--10 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Place cookies on a wire rack to cool.
Servings » 2 dozen
Source » Kelsey Nixon, fourth-season contestant on "The Next Food Network Star"
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking power
Dash of salt
½ cup old-fashioned oats
1 (12-ounce) package milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cream butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla together. Set aside. Mix together dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to creamed ingredients. Add oats and chocolate chips. Mix well. Drop dough, by teaspoonfuls, onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes.
Servings » 2 dozen
Source » Kyle Whittingham
1¼ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup shortening
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder; set aside. Mix shortening, peanut butter and sugars; beat in vanilla and egg. Stir in flour mixture, blending well. Shape mixture into ¾-inch balls, and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10--12 minutes.
Servings » 2 dozen
Source » Bronco Mendenhall, Brigham Young University football coach
