Cookies Starting with the Letter A: Aachener Printen, Abernethy Biscuits, and Afghan Biscuits

Let's explore the wide world of cookies, starting from the beginning of the alphabet and going all the way to the very end. While most cookies share the basic ingredients of flour, sugar, and butter or lard, the possibilities are truly endless, thanks to the rich tapestry of different cultures and the boundless power of human imagination.In this article, we'll share a few cookie recipes that begin with the letter 'A.'

Aachener Printen from Germany

Ingredients:

• 5 cups of flour
• 1 ½ cups of corn syrup
• ½ cup of brown sugar
• 2 tsp of baking soda
• 1 tbsp of rum
• 3 tbsp of water
• 6 tbsp of candied orange peel
• 2 tsp of cinnamon powder
• 2 tsp of anise powder
• 2 tsp of coriander powder
• A pinch of ground cloves

Instructions:

• In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together syrup and water until hot. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Reserve about a small cup's worth to use as glaze.
• Then dissolve the baking soda in the rum. Add all of the ingredients, including the spices, the baking soda-rum mix, and the syrup you just warmed with the water, to a large mixing bowl and knead until a good structured dough forms.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and let the dough rest in a cool place overnight.
• Whenever you want to bake the cookies, remember to preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a baking tray or line it with a baking sheet.
• On a lightly floured flat surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick and cut it into rectangles. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, about a few inches apart, and bake for 15 minutes. Allow them to cool once out, then glaze with the syrup you had reserved earlier.
• This is not the traditional recipe, but a quicker and easier one for someone who wants to replicate the taste but isn’t too bothered about the authenticity.

Abernethy Biscuits from the United Kingdom

Ingredients:

• 1 ⅓ cups of refined flour
• 1 tsp of baking powder
• 4 ½ tbsp of cold butter
• ½ tsp of caraway seeds (jeera powder)
• 6 tbsp of sugar
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp of milk
• A pinch of salt (omit if using salted butter)

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C and prepare your baking tray by lining it with baking paper.
• Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and caraway seed powder into a large bowl.
• Add the cold butter and salt to the flour, mixing until you achieve a sandy texture.
• Slowly introduce milk to the flour until you get cookie dough. If your dough is not coming together, add more milk.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out your cookie dough to about ¼ of an inch thickness.
• Use a round cookie cutter or any desired shape to cut out the biscuits. If there is any leftover dough, simply roll it back up and wrap it in cling film for storage in the freezer.
• Bake the biscuits in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes until they develop a golden color and a crisp appearance.
• Cool the biscuits on a wire rack; they will further crisp up as they cool.

Afghan Biscuits from New Zealand

Ingredients:

Biscuits:

• ¾ cup of melted butter
• ½ cup of white sugar
• 1 ¼ cups of refined flour
• ¼ cup of Cadbury Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of cornflakes

Icing:

• 1 ½ cups of icing sugar
• 1 tbsp of Cadbury Cocoa Powder
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp of melted butter
• 1-2 tbsp of water
• ½ cup of walnut pieces (halved)

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C and line your baking tray with baking paper.
• Cream ¾ cup of butter and ½ cup of white sugar until the mixture is pale and creamy.
• Add the flour, Cadbury Cocoa Powder, and vanilla extract, and combine. Fold in the cornflakes.
• Take a tablespoon's worth of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Flatten it with your fingers so that each ball resembles a biscuit.
• Arrange all the pieces of the biscuits on your baking tray, ensuring they are at least an inch or two apart.
• Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes until they are soft and crumbly.
• Once out of the oven, let them cool and prepare your icing with icing sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and melted butter. Thin this mixture with a tablespoon or two of water.
• Drizzle this on your cookies and decorate with walnut pieces.