Cookie party: a pastry chef shows that decorating is child's play

"I used to make Christmas cookies every year with a few friends, but before long everyone dropped out," says Emily Luchetti, executive pastry chef at Farallon restaurant in San Francisco and author of A Passion for Desserts (Chronicle Books, 2003; $35). Five years ago, Luchetti decided to get new help for her annual cookie production; she invited about three dozen relatives and friends--including children--for an afternoon of decorating. "It's nice to have a party that's more about making than consuming," she says. "It puts everyone in a holiday spirit and is a lot more fun than doing all the work yourself."

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Luchetti starts the party at one o'clock so guests don't expect a full meal. Some warm tomato soup in mugs, cheese and crackers, and hot mulled cider keep sugar highs in check (since there's bound to be a little cookie consuming going on). She makes two basic cookies, one light and one dark, which are stacked and ready for decorating by guests, who use plain or tinted icing according to their own tastes. With a few common trimmings--colored jimmies, crystal sugar, mini chocolate chips, red hots--Christmas treats take shape.

See Luchetti's tips on page 98 for planning your own cookie-decorating party.

Swedish Ginger Cookies

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

MAKES: About 5 dozen 2-inch cookies

NOTES: You can make the cookies up to 3 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature (freeze to keep longer).

  2/3 cup butter, cut into chunks
  1/3 cup granulated sugar
  1/3 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
    2 tablespoons light or dark molasses
    1 tablespoon ground ginger
    2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
    2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1. In a 2- to 3-quart pan over low heat, combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir often until butter is melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, mix baking soda with 1/4 cup water. Stir into butter mixture. Add flour and stir until well blended. Divide dough into three equal portions.

3. Place each portion between sheets of floured plastic wrap. Press evenly into a disk about 1/4 inch thick. Stack disks on a baking sheet and chill until dough is firm, at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 days.

4. Working with one portion of dough at a time (keep remaining chilled), peel off plastic wrap and set disk on a floured board. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough about 1/8 inch thick. With floured cookie cutters (2 to 4 in. wide), cut out cookies, placing cutters as close together as possible. Transfer to baking parchment-lined or bare baking sheets (don't butter sheets), placing cookies about 1 inch apart. Gather up dough scraps and press together into a ball. If dough is still cold, roll and cut out remaining cookies. If dough is soft and sticky, press scraps into a ball and repeat step 3.

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5. Bake cookies in a 350[degrees] oven (325[degrees] for convection) until firm to the touch and slightly darker brown around edges, 7 to 9 minutes. If baking more than one sheet at a time in one oven, switch positions halfway through baking. Slide parchment with cookies off sheets and onto racks or a counter to cool, then remove from parchment. Or cool on sheets about 1 minute, then, with a wide spatula, transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. If not using baking parchment, wipe off baking sheets after each batch. Cool sheets before filling with more cookies.

6. Follow instructions on page 98 to decorate cookies as desired.

Per cookie: 49 cal., 39% (19 cal.) from fat; 0.6 g protein; 2.1 g fat (1.3 g sat.); 7 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 64 mg sodium; 5.5 mg chol.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 45 minutes

MAKES: About 5 dozen 2-inch cookies

NOTES: Cookies can be made up to 3 days ahead; store airtight at room temperature (freeze to keep longer).

    1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature
  2/3 cup sugar
    1 large egg
    1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until blended, then beat on high speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.

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2. Add flour and salt; beat on low speed until combined, then on medium speed until well blended. Divide dough into three equal portions.

3. Follow steps 3, 4, and 5 under Swedish Ginger Cookies (page 96) to chill, roll, cut out, and bake cookies, except bake until golden around edges, 7 to 9 minutes.

4. Follow directions at right to decorate.

Per cookie: 57 cal., 51% (29 cal.) from fat; 0.7 g protein; 3.2 g fat (1.9 g sat.); 6.4 g carbo (0.1 g fiber); 42 mg sodium; 12 mg chol.

Royal icing. In a large bowl, combine 4 cups powdered sugar (1 lb.), 6 tablespoons water, and 3 tablespoons meringue powder (or omit water and meringue powder and use 6 tablespoons pasteurized fresh egg whites; see Luchetti's tips at left). With an electric mixer on low speed, beat until evenly moistened, then beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. If desired, divide icing into two or three portions and tint each a different color, beating in enough food coloring for desired shade. Makes about 2 cups.