Parsnip Cookies Refined

After a couple more experiments with the parsnip cookies, I think I’ve got the recipe down now, or at least close enough that it’s tweakable by others to suit their tastes/needs (see previous experiment post here). If I come up with any other major improvements or alterations I’ll update this post (I might experiment with whole wheat flour sometime). Otherwise, give these a go and see what you think!

I made the latest batch for an informal get-together of other mama bloggers here in Austin and everyone seemed to like them. I made some plain and some with a squiggle of the lemon icing leftover from the cookies I made for a donation event a few days before (more on those in another post to come). The recipe is from the Ann Clark Lemon Cookie page at the bottom, which makes too much relative to the lemon cookies themselves so it’s nice to have an alternate usage.

Catherine from LiveMom said she liked both iced and non-iced, adding that the latter made a nice sort of coffee biscuit. I prefer the non-iced but like them both. If other testers had preferences, please let me know!

I should also mention that although they came out of the oven with a nice lightly crisp texture on the undersides, and even though I let them cool for several hours, they got so warm in the plastic box in my hot car that they got kind of soggy. Tasty, yes, but not as nice. Yet the reviews were positive, which speaks well to the pleasant overall flavour.

Parsnip cookies, both iced and plain.

Parsnip Rolled Cookies

Yield: Depends on cookie size, but you can get 77 1.5″ square cookies (plus a leftover blob) out of one batch rolled as directed for an area of about 174 square inches.

1 cup of finely grated or pureed parsnips
1 cup softened unsalted butter (two sticks brought to room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Place grated parsnips in a microwave safe bowl with a dribble of water and cook for about three minutes on high or until very tender. Mash thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

Cream butter and sugar in a mixer. Add egg and vanilla, beat until combined. Add allspice, nutmeg, and salt, mix to combine. Add mashed parsnips and mix thoroughly. Gradually add flour in small amounts until thoroughly combined. Dough will be very soft and sticky.

Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least two hours or overnight.

Liberally dust a board with flour, pat out a chunk of the dough fairly flat, then dust that with more flour and roll to 1/4 thick. Cut with open-style cookie cutters (closed/imprinted will stick badly). Place on parchment paper on baking pans.

Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.

Cool thoroughly and ice as desired, or leave plain.