COOKIE DOUGH WITHOUT EGGS RECIPES

Steps:

• Sift four cups of flour onto your work surface. Make a well and pour in a little bit of hot water. Mix everything together using your hands, aiming to evenly moisten the flour as you go.
• Gradually add more water and continue blending it with the flour. 
• Observe the forming dough and allow it to “drink” as much water as it requires. You’ll know it has enough liquid, once the dough doesn’t stick to your hands anymore. 
• Continue kneading until the dough is soft, elastic and there aren’t any lumps. It can take a while, so don’t get discouraged.
• Attach a dough hook. Place four cups of flour in the work bowl. 
• With the machine running, gradually add hot water, up to half a cup. 
• Once you’re done, stop the mixer. Poke the dough a bit with your fingers. Ideally, the dough should be soft, but still hold its shape when pinched. If it feels too loose - add a tablespoon of flour. If it feels too tough, add some water (a teaspoon at the time).
• Run the mixer for 5 minutes. After that time the dough should be soft, elastic and it shouldn’t stick to your hands.
• To let the gluten develop, cover the dough ball for 15-30 minutes and keep at room temperature. You can use a cloth or a warmed bowl placed upside-down.
• Once rested, divide the dough into workable chunks (I quartered it, but that’s up to you).
• Dust your working surface with flour. Roll out a chunk of dough, as thinly as you can. 
• Cut out circles, roughly 3 inches (7.5-8 cm) in diameter. You can use a round cookie cutter, or a glass rim.
• Place a tablespoon of your chosen filling in the middle of each pastry round. Fold the edges together, creating a semi-circular dumpling. Press the edges firmly. Continue, until you’re out of dough and the filling.
• Once all pierogi are assembled, boil a large pot of water. Drop in a few pierogi at the time, waiting for them to float. Once they do, cook for another minute. Then remove them with a slotted spoon. 
• Serve immediately with melted butter or another topping of your choice. Alternatively, melt a tablespoon of butter on a frying pan and fry pierogi on both sides until golden. If you would like to learn more, have a look at this post on how to cook pierogi.

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In separate large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to low; beat in eggs, almond extract, and vanilla extract until mixed, then beat in flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces; flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from refrigerator. Place dough disk between two sheets of parchment paper, roll dough until 1/8-inch thick. With floured 3-inch to 4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible; reserve trimmings. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, on two ungreased large cookie sheets. and sprinkle sanding sugar on top (if desired). Bake until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating cookie sheets between upper and lower oven racks halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Let cookies cool. Store in tightly covered container (with waxed paper between layers if decorated) at room temperature up to 2 weeks, or in freezer up to 3 months.