I’m calling these cookies “Polish” not because they are a traditionally Polish, but instead because I made them while visiting Poland over Christmas. While I could have sworn that I repeated exactly what I would have done had I made them in my own kitchen in America–aside from the colored sugar crystals which were nonexistent there–the cookies were, well, “different.” They were golden brown (rather than pale colored) and had a slightly different texture when I bit into them. They weren’t crumbly crunchy and not chewy, but instead something in between. I think they are kind of cool looking, in a rustic sort of way.
That’s right: no colored sugar crystals. I looked high and low, and colored sugar was nowhere to be found in the supermarkets. I instead used some sort of flavored jimmies, or something close to it. The flavor I picked was raspberry. They melted strangely on the cookies, but what could I do? At least they added a new flavor dimension to the cookies. I also sprinkled coarsely granulated “brown” sugar for added texture.
Back to the color of the cookies. But why so golden brown? I’ve concluded that it must have been the eggs. The yolks of Polish eggs are all dark orange.
I never saw an egg yolk with such a color in all the thousands of eggs I’ve cracked open or eaten in the U.S. Check out egg yolks from my local supermarket in the U.S. for comparison.
The deeply colored Polish eggs have a deeper flavor to match the deeper color. Unfortunately, I do not have a similar photo of Polish butter, of which they offer many different varieties in supermarkets. Their butter–always unsalted–also has a deeper color. Just goes to show you how much simple, basic ingredients affect the end product!
I’m happy to report that these a-typical, rustic-looking sugar cookies were gobbled up in a flash.
| Servings |
dozen
|
- 1 large egg white
- colored decorating sugar or sprinkles
Ingredients
For the decoration
|
|
- Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Mix in zest and vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and then gradually mix into the butter mixture on low speed until just combined. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Wrap dough in the plastic wrap while forming into a disc or log. Chill dough in the refrigerator for about one hour.
- Preheat oven to 400⁰F.
- On a floured surface, roll-out dough about 1/4 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- In a tea cup or small bowl, break up egg whites by beating with a fork. Brush cookies with egg whites. Sprinkle colored sugar or sprinkles over cookies. Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
