Before I made these cookies, I read the recipe several times and read through all the comments. I don't usually bake, so I wanted to make sure I was going to do this correctly. I was a little worried based on the comments, so I figured I would give a full review here:
-I wanted cookies that would retain shape, as I wasn't using men for cookie cutter, but an intricate outline of my state (WV) which looks way off and just like a big blob if it expands. These definitely did that! They are definitely firm cookies, but not as hard as a gingerbread house you'd by from the store. I wanted firm cookies so this is great for me, but if you're looking for soft, chewy cookies, find another recipe.
-I had not intended to refrigerate the dough, but I ended up doing so because I was running late. It took a long time to return to room temperature, and was still chilly when I began rolling it out.
-I rolled it out between two sheets of parchment paper, instead of on a floured surface. One time I did use the roller bare on the dough, and it stuck it the roller. It wasn't hard to peel back off, though.
-Like one reviewer stated, this dough is not your normal chocolate chip cookie dough consistency. It's more like Play-Dough. If you're expecting that, I think a lot of the comments about it being dry make sense.
-I broke my big refrigerated dough ball up into manageable chunks to roll out. When breaking it, the inside was a little crumbly and I was kind of worried. But as it came to room temperature, the butter inside softened and it was fine. The cookies cut excellently and did not crumble.
-I will say, make sure your dough is of equal depth when you roll it out, or your cookies will have some funny lumps.
-I really like spicy cookies, and I felt these could have used even more spice than it called for. I'd recommend maybe a dash of allspice or more cloves, if you like spicy cookies.
-I didn't plan to decorate or glaze my cookies. After tasting, I think they would have benefited from a light glaze to complement the flavor, but oh well. Next time.
-That being said, I loved that this recipe was so easy to follow and it worked! Especially relieved because as I mentioned, I am not a baker and am prone to cake and cookie disasters. This was not a disaster!
-I do not have a stand mixer, so I was uncertain if the instructions would work for me, but I did it all by hand and it worked fine. I tried an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar, but it was kind of useless. There isn't enough of it for the mixer to be really effective, it just gets stuck in the beaters, so I ended up just using a fork and it was fine.
-I made the dough on a Wednesday, refrigerated it until a Thursday evening, and have the cookies sealed in an airtight container until Saturday evening. I expect this to be fine.
-The "messed up" one we tasted as a baker's glean was great! It didn't snap in my moth, but broke off nicely and was still quite chewable. Flavor was very good; as I mentioned, I think they could have been spicier, but I'm sure our guests will like them just fine. I'm glad I chose this recipe!
★★★★
