FLOUR SIFTER CABINET RECIPES

Steps:

• Remove neck, gizzards and any other parts that might be inside the bird.
• Rinse the bird, inside and outside, under cool running water.
• Cut the chicken into pieces
• Place cut chicken in a large stock pot, cover with about 6 inches of water.
• Place on Medium-High heat and let come to a boil.
• Boil chicken about 45-55 minutes or until done.
• Remove chicken from water, place pieces in a pan to cool. Do not discard the water in the pot.
• Turn the heat off under the pot while the chicken is cooling.
• Allow chicken to cool enough to handle and remove chicken from bones.
• Skim as much fat as possible that has surfaced in the stock pot. Discard the fat.
• Remove ¾ cup of broth from the pot and set aside. You’ll need it to make the dough.
• Place the bones back in the pot and add water to cover about 2 inches.
• Let simmer on Medium-Low heat while you make the pastry dough.
• In a medium bowl, add flour and one teaspoon of salt. Sift together.
• Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the ¾ cup of the chicken broth.
• Mix together until you have a slightly moist dough ball.
• Generously flour your table, countertop or large cutting board.
• Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to about ¼ inch thick.
• Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife and cut the dough into strips about 1 inch wide.
• Cut each strip into sections about 2 inches long.
• Let the dough pieces rest for about 30 minutes to dry out some.
• Remove the chicken bones from the stock pot.
• If needed, add enough water to equal about one gallon of liquid in the pot.
• Add chicken base or granules as needed to create a good tasting broth.
• Bring the chicken stock to a low boil and drop pieces of dough, one by one, into the stock.
• Try not to drop dough pieces on top of each other and DO NOT STIR.
• Add the shredded pieces of chicken to the pot.
• Add Black Pepper to taste.
• Test the pastry before adding any additional salt. Add salt if needed and stir gently.
• Simmer for about 15 minutes until dough pieces are fully cooked and tender.
• Serve warm and enjoy.

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and sugar together until well combined and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolks and continue beating until thoroughly combined, then beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, about 1 cup at a time, and mix, using either a wooden spoon or the stand mixer on low speed, until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Transfer the dough to a work surface and divide into 4 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, then flatten the balls into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out a dough disk about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick. Using cookie cutters, cut out shapes from the dough. Arrange the shapes on baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Gather up and reroll the scraps and cut out more cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough disks.
• Bake the cookies until golden on the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the cookies to wire racks and let cool completely.
• To make the icing, in a small bowl, stir together the confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice and corn syrup. The mixture should be very thick. Whisk in the milk a few drops at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If you want to use the icing for outlining, you want it to remain quite thick. If, however, you want to cover the cookies with icing, it should be more liquid.
• Decorate the cooled cookies as desired with the icing, using a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip or a small plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Decorate with sanding sugar if desired. Store the cookies in an airtight container. Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on cutter size.
• Recipe by Amanda Rettke, creator of the blog I Am Baker and author of <i>Surprise-Inside Cakes</i>