Snowflake cookie

You’ll need a set of snowflake cutters and almost infinite patience for cutting out the interior designs to make the cookie pictured here, writes Shirley Corriher in her new book, BakeWise (Scribner). But if you lack both, don’t despair. The dough also can bake up into crisp rounds.

You’ll still need a bit of patience, however. The dough needs to sit overnight so the moisture can be evenly absorbed by the dry ingredients. “In other words, there are not wet spots that will stick when rolling and there are not dry spots that will tear. This is vital for a dough that is rolled so thin,” Corriher writes.

She has found snowflake cutter sets at thecookiecuttershop.com and coppergifts.com. She also suggests searching Google for “cookie cutter snowflake” or going to Amazon.com, scrolling to Home & Garden, and searching for “snowflake cookie cutter.”

GREAT-GRANDMOTHER SCHORR’S MORAVIAN MOLASSES COOKIES

Yield: About 100 very thin cookies

1/4 cup shortening (1.6 ounces)

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar (2.5 ounces)

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses, such as Grandma’s

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (5.7 ounces)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Add molasses; beat until well blended. In large mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and spices. Add 1/3 of dry mixture to molasses mixture; blend on lowest speed. Add another third and blend in, then blend in the final third. Cover dough with plastic wrap and leave on the counter overnight.

Shape a handful of dough into an 8-inch disc, about 1 inch high. Keep the rest of the dough tightly covered until you need it.

Sprinkle a pastry cloth with the smallest amount of flour necessary to keep dough from sticking. Roll dough as thin as you are comfortable. Your first time or two making these, you may want to settle for a little short of see-through thin.

Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 325 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with nonstick foil or parchment coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Cut cookies with a fluted 2 1/2-inch cookie cutter or snowflake cutters. If desired, cut patterns from interior of snowflake cookies. Arrange cookies on baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake until edges just begin to color, 8 to 10 minutes for round cookies. Remove the foil or parchment with the cookies to a rack. Allow the cookies to cool 2 minutes, then remove to the a rack to cool completely. Stir in an airtight container.