Cookies may be small, but my love for them is mighty. They are the perfect bake, capable of any conceivable flavour combination and texture. They’re nostalgic, quick and easy to make, and need very little equipment. But why small batch? There are plenty of times when I bake to share with large groups – for birthdays, for big celebrations – but what about the small celebrations, the “I survived another week” celebration that deserves a little treat? Small-batch baking is also inherently cheaper and less wasteful. (That said, both of today’s recipes can be doubled without issue!)
Apple cider doughnut cookies (pictured top)
I have spent a lot of time in New York over the years and, to me, there is no better time to visit than the autumn, especially around Halloween, when the city feels like a film set. It is a picture-perfect, almost cliched dose of cosiness, with pumpkins everywhere and a city bedecked in autumnal colours. In those moments, there is nothing better than enjoying an apple cider doughnut from the farmers’ market, a cake doughnut made with cider and coated in a warming spice sugar. This recipe is an attempt to recreate that feeling in a simple cookie. I should clarify that the apple cider is not the alcoholic sort – it’s just the American term for unfiltered apple juice. You can use any apple juice to make these, but they are best made with something similar – that is, the less processed, the better.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr
Makes 6
240ml unfiltered apple juice (AKA apple cider in the US – see recipe intro)
60g unsalted vegan block butter, at room temperature
70g light brown sugar
¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
150g plain flour
¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
¼ tsp fine sea salt
For the coating
50g granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
20g unsalted vegan block butter, melted
Before you make the cookie dough, you need to reduce the apple juice to concentrate its flavour. Pour the juice into a small saucepan, put it on a medium heat and cook until the juice is reduced by three-quarters, to just 60ml. Pour into a jug and leave to cool to room temperature.
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Put the vegan butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl and, using an electric hand mixer, beat for about five minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the cooled reduced apple juice a little at a time, beating in each batch until fully combined before adding more – if you add the juice too quickly, it will split the butter, so go slowly. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and mix to form a soft cookie dough.
Using a 60ml cookie scoop, divide the dough into six and arrange them on the lined tray, keeping them 5cm apart to account for spreading. Bake for 16–17 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are starting to brown, then remove and leave to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the sugar and cinnamon for the coating in a wide, shallow bowl. Brush the cookies all over with a little of the melted vegan butter, then dip them in the spiced sugar, coating them much as you would a freshly fried doughnut. The cookies will keep for two to three days in a sealed container.
Chai pumpkin snickerdoodles
Made with a blend of spices and black tea, these are an homage to one of my favourite beverages and one of my favourite cookies: namely, masala chai and the humble snickerdoodle. The combination of flavours is warm and cosy, all wrapped up in a cookie with a fudgy centre and a chewy edge. A pumpkin spice latte wishes it could be this good.
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr
Makes 6
115g unsalted butter
1 black teabag
60g caster sugar
60g light brown soft sugar
80g canned pumpkin puree
1 large egg yolk
¼ tsp vanilla extract
100g plain flour
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp fine sea salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
For the spiced sugar coating
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cardamom
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g granulated sugar
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Melt the butter in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Rip open the teabag, add the tea leaves to the butter and cook until the butter is browned. As it cooks, it will first splutter, as the water is cooked out, then it will start to foam. At this stage, should watch for brown flecks to appear. Once the butter is nutty and brown, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, then discard the tea leaves. Stir the sugars into the butter, then leave to cool for a couple of minutes.
Meanwhile, scrape the pumpkin puree on to a couple of sheets of kitchen paper, then top with a couple more sheets of kitchen paper. Press the pumpkin into a thin, flat layer, blotting as much moisture from it as possible.
Once the butter is no longer hot, stir in the pumpkin puree, egg yolk and vanilla, until smooth.
In a second bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar, salt and spices, then tip into the butter mixture bowl and mix to form a dough. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and roll each one into a ball.
Put the spices for the spiced sugar coating in a small bowl, then stir in the granulated sugar. Roll the dough balls in the spiced sugar, then arrange them on the lined tray, keeping them well apart to account for spreading.
Bake for about 12 minutes, rotating once halfway, or until the edges are golden. Remove from the oven, leave to cool on the tray for five minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. They will now keep for three to four days in a sealed container.
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These recipes are edited extracts from Small Batch Cookies: Deliciously Easy Bakes for One to Six People, by Edd Kimber, published this week by Kyle Books at £22. To order a copy for £19.80, go to guardianbookshop.com
