What cookie should I make?

June 21, 2023 9:45 AM

I have a Texas-shaped cookie cutter I'd like to use but I don't make cookies very often, aside from chocolate chip cookies, which probably won't work well.

I'm making cookies for my intern visiting from California when he comes over for dinner this weekend. With the idiosyncratic limitations below, what cookies should I make?

-Not sugar cookies or shortbread (some attendees do not like)
-It's hot as *%$#@ in Texas so something light, ideally
-Assume willingness to make something complicated/interesting and access to any needed ingredient

posted by *s to Food & Drink (11 answers total)

A Texas themed cookie would probably involve pecans - a butter pecan / praline pecan cookie perhaps?
posted by eschatfische at 9:52 AM on June 21, 2023 [6 favorites]

Best answer: Gingerbread cookies are my go-to when I’m making rolled cookies. They’re not really hot-weather cookies, but with icing on them no one’s ever complained about the warmth.

I also love these candied ginger lemon cookies.
posted by Mchelly at 9:54 AM on June 21, 2023 [10 favorites]

Mchelly, those candied lemon ginger cookies are SO GOOD. I can totally vouch for those!

Similarly, something like these Lemon Rosemary Butter Cookies sounds wonderful, although I haven't made them yet. Not sure if butter cookies are too close to sugar cookies, but the lemon/herb combination looks novel enough to make a difference.
posted by mochapickle at 9:59 AM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

These chocolate roll-out cookies from Smitten Kitchen are great for holding the shape of the cutter. I usually add some cinnamon to make them taste kind of like Mexican hot chocolate. They're not overly sweet and look really beautiful/classic with just white icing in any kind of design.
posted by Sweetchrysanthemum at 10:15 AM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

I use my Texas shaped cookie cutter to make biscuits, most frequently. Which I often use for strawberry (or peach!) shortcakes, if a cookie altérnate appeals.
posted by leastlikelycowgirl at 10:53 AM on June 21, 2023 [5 favorites]

Best answer: Whatever recipe you choose, chilling the cookie for 15min in the freezer AFTER cutting and BEFORE baking helps it to retain its shape instead of bulging out!
posted by mekily at 11:37 AM on June 21, 2023 [5 favorites]

Using cookie cutters on brownies is pretty cool.
posted by kevinbelt at 11:42 AM on June 21, 2023 [2 favorites]

if it’s too hot to bake, why not make Jell-O and cut it out with your cookie cutters. You probably have to add more gelatin to make it a bit stiffer
posted by olopua at 1:11 PM on June 21, 2023 [3 favorites]

If it's large, you could cut out bread for sandwiches. Brownies or blondies would be fun.
posted by theora55 at 3:45 PM on June 21, 2023

Oh, and make little texas-shaped ice cream sandwiches from bar cookies or brownies and a coordinating ice cream! That’d be really easy to prep in advance, wrap, and keep in the freezer until the event.
posted by mochapickle at 8:41 PM on June 21, 2023

Response by poster: I wound up making the candied ginger lemon cookies and they worked great! Thank you for the ideas!
posted by *s at 1:03 PM on June 26, 2023 [2 favorites]