This giant cookie is not what you’d expect. On the outside it looks like a large version of your traditional Hanukkah cookie, but on the inside it’s drastically different. Cut into the dessert and you'll find a chocolate coin surprise! I began by making three separate sugar cookies, placing chocolate coins in the center, then gluing the layers together with royal icing. Typically made with egg whites, royal icing is the perfect decorating ingredient to spice up any plain cookie. Serve it at your Hanukkah gathering and guests of all ages will devour it!
Sugar Cookie Recipe-
Ingredients:
1½ sticks (¾ cup) butter, melted
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3¼ cups flour
1¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3-4 tablespoons water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350℉. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed in a large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add the vanilla and eggs and beat to incorporate.
Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and 3 tablespoons of water.
Either continue to beat on medium high speed or stir to incorporate. If necessary add in another tablespoon of water. Be careful not to overmix. Let the dough sit at room temperature for a few minutes (this will make rolling the dough easier.) Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper or wax paper until ⅛ inch thick.
Cut out 2 full dreidel dreidel shapes and 2 dreidel shaped borders all about 8 inches big each.
I placed each cookie on its own quarter sheet pan but feel free to place 2 on a full size sheet pan leaving at least ¾ inch in between each. Place the cookies in to the freezer for 15 minutes before baking. Re-roll the scraps and cut out any shapes you like. Optional- before baking press blue sanding sugar on the edges of the dough.
*For the middle I made chocolate coin “thumbprint” cookies. To make these cookies take small round unbaked cookies and place a chocolate coin in the center. Fold the edges of the dough onto the chocolate. Freeze and then bake.
**You will have extra dough.
Baking Guide:
Full Dreidel- 20-22 minutes
Dreidel Border- 17-19 minutes
Cutouts and small cookies- 12-14 minutes
Cool the cookies before decorating.
Royal Icing-
Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Over a double boiler continuously whisk the egg whites and sugar until the sugar granules are dissolved. About 5 minutes. (This will pasteurize the eggs.)
Beat in the salt and vanilla and continue to beat for another 3 minutes.
Decorating-
Decorate the top dreidel cookie any way you like with royal icing and cookies. I made two strips out of royal icing and then placed a cookie of the hebrew letter gimel in the center. Let dry overnight before assembling the final dessert.
For cutout cookies I swirled blue food coloring into the royal icing and then dipped the cookies into the icing to give them a marble effect. Let dry overnight. Feel free to decorate them any way you like.
Assembly-
Step 1: Place your undecorated full dreidel cookie on a cardboard round or plate.
Step 2: Pipe the royal icing around the edge of the cookie. Place a border cookie on top. Pipe the royal icing around the edge of the cookie and place the second border cookie on top.
Step 3: Pour ½ cup of any kind of sprinkles, ¼ cup of chocolate coins, and a few cookies in the center.
Step 4: Pipe the royal icing around the edge of the border cookie and place the decorated cookie on top.
Enjoy!
