sugar cookies:

As promised, here is the recipe for the petite cookie spoons I served with my Classic Chocolate Mousse. I have yet to witness anyone scoop up a bite of mousse with one of these cuties without an impish grin appearing on their face. I created the spoon shape with an actual plastic spoon from the gelato store and hand cut around each impression, but you could use a cookie cutter, of course.

Whenever possible, no matter what I cook, I reach for organic ingredients except when baking cookies like these. Organic sugar has a permanent place in my heart and pantry but it tends to be more granulated and darker in color. So when I occasionally make shortbread or sugar cookies like the bikini cookies I made a while ago, I use C&H, which is pure white cane sugar, and it does the job beautifully.

Spoon Cookies

Adapted (just a tad) from Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (I like King Arthur), plus more for surface

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted organic butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Mix in the egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, and mix until the dough comes together.

Shape the dough into 2 disks, wrap each loosely in plastic, and then use your rolling pin over the plastic to smooth and create the desired thickness: about 1/2 of an inch thick. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).

I used a gelato spoon to create marks in the dough and a paring knife to cut out the spoon shapes.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the slabs of cookie dough on a lightly floured surface. Use your mold or cookie cutter of choice to create the desired shape. I didn’t have a spoon-shaped cookie cutter on hand, so I used a spoon from the gelato store and pressed lightly to create marks in the dough. Then I used a paring knife to cut out the spoon shapes, each about 3 inches long. The hand cut technique makes for a more “rustic” spoon rather than the uniformity and clean-cut look you’d get with a cookie cutter.

Place the cookies carefully on baking sheets that are lined with parchment paper.

Line your baking sheets with parchment paper before carefully placing the cookies on them. Roll out the scraps and repeat. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes before baking.

Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks to cool.