Moravian sugar cookies, also known as "SCF's" or Moravian wedding cookies, are a delicious and treasured treat originating from the Moravian community. These delicate and buttery cookies are traditionally enjoyed during Christmas and other special occasions, but their popularity has continued to grow worldwide due to their irresistible flavor and unique appearance. In this article, we will explore the history and significance of Moravian sugar cookies and provide you with the best recipe to make these delightful treats at home. We will guide you through the process of creating the perfect dough, rolling it out, and shaping it into various festive forms. Additionally, you will learn the art of creating the signature sugar coating that gives these cookies their distinctive look and taste. So, gather your ingredients, preheat your oven, and get ready to embark on a delightful culinary journey.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
MORAVIAN COOKIES
Thin, crisp rolled cookies with a good ginger and molasses flavor. If you get tired of rolling these out, roll into balls, flatten them out and bake. I have often made and brushed them with a clear boiled sugar/water glaze, and when the glaze dried my children referred to these as my "varnished" cookies.
Provided by superbuna
Categories Dessert
Time 2h40m
Yield 72 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Sift together into bowl the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
- Add the brown sugar and mix well.
- With pastry blender, cut in butter and lard. (I use my Kitchen Aid for all).
- Gradually add the molasses and vinegar and mix thoroughly.
- Chill several hours or until firm enough to roll.
- Using a small amount of dough at a time, roll out on floured surface to about 1/8 inch or more thickness and cut with fancy cutters.
- Bake in preheated moderate oven 350 degrees F. for about ten minutes or until browned.
- Cool and decorate.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 84.4, Fat 2.8, SaturatedFat 1.3, Cholesterol 3.4, Sodium 33.6, Carbohydrate 14.2, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 6.9, Protein 0.8
MORAVIAN SUGAR COOKIES
This is a rolled cookie recipe, that you cut with cookie cutters. You will need a stockinette for your rolling pin, and pastry cloth, because these cookies are rolled out very thin. They are crisp and sweet, and I like them so much better than a regualar sugar cookie.
Provided by KittyKitty
Categories Dessert
Time 9h20m
Yield 9 dozen
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed with electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Combin 2 1/4 cups flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well. Add remaining 1/4 cup flour if dough seems very sticky. Cover and chill 8 hours.
- Work with one-fourth of dough at a time, and store remainder in fridge. Place stickinette cover on rolling pin; flour well. Roll dough to 1/16 inch thickness on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Cut with a 3 inch roud cutter, and carefully place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375F for 6-8 minutes or just until cookies brown around the edges. Cool slightly on cookie sheets and sprinkle with superfine sugar. remove to wire racks, and cool completely. repeat with reaminingdough. Store in airtight containers.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 301.7, Fat 11.2, SaturatedFat 6.7, Cholesterol 50.9, Sodium 287.3, Carbohydrate 46.5, Fiber 0.8, Sugar 22.7, Protein 4.3
MORAVIAN MOLASSES COOKIES
This recipe makes an enormous quantity of cookies--up to 8 pounds. Read through all the instructions before attempting it.
Provided by Food Network
Categories dessert
Yield About 7 or 8 pounds of cookies
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Melt the margarine and lard together and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
- Put the molasses in a very large and heavy smooth-bottomed pot. Stir in the cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and the brown sugar. Turn to medium-high and start stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is warm, the sugar has dissolved, and all the spices are incorporated, 5 to 10 minutes. Do NOT bring it to a boil.
- Put the salt and soda in a cup or small bowl and mix it with about 3 tablespoons flour in a cup. Add that to the molasses mixture. Stir until completely dissolved, mashing any particles of soda against the side of the pot so that every bit is incorporated.
- Pour in the cooled margarine and lard, and beat with a wooden spoon until completely blended. Allow the whole mixture to cool before adding the flour, or the dough will absorb more flour. Add about one-third of the flour mixture and stir well with a wooden spoon. Add the second third of flour and continue to mix.
- Take the remaining third of flour and sprinkle a work surface thickly with some of it. Scrape all the dough out onto the floured surface, and begin to knead, flouring your hands frequently while you incorporate the remaining flour.
- When the dough has become stiff and firm and far less sticky, roll it into a long tube and cut it into eight pieces, which will weigh roughly one pound each. Shape each ball into a disk, slapping the surface with your hands to smooth it (you'll see the lard rise to the surface, making each disk kind of shiny).
- Put four disks of dough in each of two large plastic bags and seal. Allow to sit overnight on the countertop. The dough will swell some and the spice flavors will mellow and blend.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Cover a pastry or rolling board (or a square piece of plywood) with bleached muslin that's been washed several times, tacking it tightly around the edges. Flour the muslin and rub the flour into the cloth to coat it deeply. Roll the cookies as thin as possible, 1/16 to 1/32 of an inch. Cut with any cookie cutter you like, using tiny cutters such as hearts or circles to cut out little cookies in the spaces between larger cookies. (You can also gather the scraps and reroll, but these cookies won't be as tender.)
- Lift the cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Watch them, and don't let the cookies brown around the edges. Allow to cool on the pan for several minutes before lifting them onto cooling racks. As soon as they're completely cool, pack and store in an airtight container. If you're using cookie tins, seal the lid of the tin with masking tape. Any air creeping in will cause the cookies to soften.
MORAVIAN SUGAR COOKIES
Steps:
- Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Combine 2¼ cups flour, soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well. Add remaining ¼ cup flour if dough seems very sticky. Cover and chill 8 hours. Work with one-fourth of dough at a time, and store remainder in refrigerator. Place stockinette cover on rolling pin; flour well. Roll dough to 1/16-inch thickness on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Cut with a 3-inch round cutter, and carefully place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375℉ (190℃) F for 6 to 8 minutes or just until cookies begin to brown around edges. Cool slightly on cookie sheets, and sprinkle with superfine sugar. Remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely. Repeat procedure with remaining dough. Store in airtight container. OLD FASHIONED TEACAKES: Roll dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut as directed above. Bake at 375℉ (190℃) for 8 to 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts :
MORAVIAN CRISPS WITH ROYAL ICING
Provided by Shelley Wiseman
Categories Cookies Mixer Dessert Bake Christmas Kid-Friendly Cinnamon Clove Christmas Eve Party Molasses Gourmet Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher Small Plates
Yield Makes 40 to 80 cookies (Depending on size)
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Make cookies:
- Pulse shortening, brown sugar, and molasses in a food processor until smooth. Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add to processor and blend just until combined.
- Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly, allowing dough to absorb a little more flour if sticky. Divide dough in half and form each half into a 3-inch square. Wrap each in plastic wrap and chill at least 1 day.
- Preheat oven to 325°F with rack in middle. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out 1 piece of dough on a floured pastry cloth using floured sleeve-covered rolling pin until very thin (less than 1/16 inch thick), about a 15-inch square. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and, using offset spatula to transfer, arrange about 1/2 inch apart on baking sheets.
- Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, 10 minutes. Let stand 1 minute on sheet, then loosen with spatula and transfer on parchment to a rack to crisp, about 10 minutes. If first batch isn't crisp, bake 1 minute more (on baking sheet), then bake remaining batches 10 to 11 minutes. Cool cookies completely on rack.
- Repeat with remaining dough (cool baking sheets and line with fresh parchment). Reroll scraps once for extra cookies if desired.
- Make icing:
- Beat together icing ingredients in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and beat until icing holds soft peaks, about 3 minutes more. If desired, divide icing and add food coloring.
- Fill pastry bags with icing and pipe decoratively on cookies, then let set, about 1 hour.
MORAVIAN GINGER COOKIES II
These are lower in fat than most cookies, but still delicious! Try using whole wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour, if you wish.
Provided by JJOHN32
Categories Desserts Cookies Spice Cookie Recipes
Yield 6
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Mix molasses, shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl. Stir in flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and spices. Cover and refrigerate about 4 hours or until firm.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness or paper-thin on a floured cloth-covered surface. Cut into 3 inch rounds with floured cutter.
- Place about 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 1/8 inch thick cookies about 8 minutes; paper-thin cookies about 5 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.
- To Make Frosting: Mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1-2 tablespoons half-and-half until of spreading consistency. Spread frosting on cooled cookies.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 326.2 calories, Carbohydrate 58.5 g, Cholesterol 1.4 mg, Fat 9.4 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 2.8 g, SaturatedFat 2.5 g, Sodium 180.4 mg, Sugar 34.3 g
MORAVIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES
A very large recipe for gingerbread-molasses-type Christmas cookies from the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania area. A full batch makes more than 12 dozen. With medium cookie cutters, a quarter recipe made 74 cookies.
Provided by ARBethany
Categories Desserts Cookies International Cookie Recipes American Cookie Recipes
Time 1h40m
Yield 144
Number Of Ingredients 9
Steps:
- Sift flour, cinnamon, and ginger together in a large bowl. Add sugar and mix well. Work lard and butter into the flour mixture using a pastry blender.
- Combine vinegar and baking soda in a small bowl; mix to dissolve. Add mixture to the flour mixture in the bowl. Add molasses and mix thoroughly. Place dough in the refrigerator until chilled, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Roll dough out very thin on a floured surface. Cut into shapes using fancy cookie cutters.
- Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 89 calories, Carbohydrate 15.5 g, Cholesterol 4.7 mg, Fat 2.8 g, Fiber 0.2 g, Protein 0.7 g, SaturatedFat 1.4 g, Sodium 17.9 mg, Sugar 8.4 g
Tips:
- Chill the dough before baking: This will help the cookies keep their shape and prevent them from spreading too much.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure out the dough: This will help ensure that all of the cookies are the same size and cook evenly.
- Bake the cookies until the edges are just starting to brown: This will help prevent them from becoming overcooked and dry.
- Let the cookies cool completely before decorating them: This will help prevent the frosting from melting.
- Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days: You can also freeze the cookies for up to 2 months.
Conclusion:
Moravian Sugar Cookies are a delicious and easy-to-make treat that is perfect for any occasion. With their simple ingredients and classic flavor, these cookies are sure to be a hit with everyone who tries them. So next time you're looking for a sweet and satisfying snack, give Moravian Sugar Cookies a try!
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