Every year for the Super Bowl we theme our food options to the two teams that are playing. There has been Philly Cheesesteak Queso, Lobster Roll Dip, Dumplings (San Francisco), and many years of Kansas City Ribs. While I’m happy to not be having Kansas City Ribs for the third year in a row, the worst culinary result possible happened in the AFC. Skyline Chili. Maybe I’ll enjoy it, but I’m skeptical. So I’m turning my attention to the cookies for this weekend instead, and in the sweets department Ohio does have a claim to fame. I will upload more pictures of the fully decorated cookies but it’s a multi day process for me and I wanted to make sure these recipes are up in time for the big game.

Bengals Buckeye Cookies

Cookie Ingredients

2 1/4 cups (270 g) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (42 g) cocoa powder

2 sticks (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing Ingredients

16 oz confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons peanut butter powder

2 tablespoons meringue powder

7 tablespoons water

• Measure flours, baking powder and salt into a medium mixing bowl and whisk out the lumps.
• Cream the butter, cocoa powder and sugar with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or with a handheld mixer) at medium speed until uniform color. Add egg and extract and beat until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches at low speed, scraping down the bowl between additions.
• Turn dough out into plastic wrap, flatten into 1/2 inch tall disk or disks, wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least one hour)
• When you’re ready to bake preheat the oven to 350. Break pieces off of your disk of dough to roll out, leaving the rest in the fridge. Roll dough out approximately 1/8 inch thick, cut out shapes and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets. If the dough is still firm you can put it right in the oven, if it’s starting to soften refrigerate it for 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes, until slightly puffed. It’s difficult to judge the color with chocolate cookies but they’re done when the tops are no longer shiny. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before moving to cooling rack. This also lets the pan cool down since you’re probably having to reuse the baking pans for more cookies. Ice when cookies are completely cool.
• Icing: In your mixer (with the whisk attachment) mix together the confectioners sugar, peanut butter powder, meringue powder and water. Beat on medium high until soft glossy peaks form. You may need to add more water or more sugar depending on the consistency you need for decorating or flooding, and on the humidity. Do what you feel is right.

Rams Lemon Almond Cookies

Cookie Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (180 g) all purpose flour

1 cup (96 g) almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (226 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

zest from one lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Icing Ingredients

16 oz confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons meringue powder

5 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons lemon juice (from your zested lemon)

• Measure flours, baking powder and salt into a medium mixing bowl and whisk out the lumps.
• Cream the butter and sugar with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer (or with a handheld mixer) at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, extracts and lemon zest and beat until combined.
• Add the dry ingredients in two batches at low speed, scraping down the bowl between additions.
• Turn dough out into plastic wrap, flatten into 1/2 inch tall disk or disks, wrap, and refrigerate until firm (at least one hour)
• When you’re ready to bake preheat the oven to 350. Break pieces off of your disk of dough to roll out, leaving the rest in the fridge. Roll dough out a bit more than 1/8 inch thick, cut out shapes and arrange 1 inch apart on baking sheets. This is a delicate dough because of the almond flour so you’ll need to use a lot of flour for dusting. If the dough is still firm you can put it right in the oven, if it’s starting to soften refrigerate it for 30 minutes before baking.
• Bake for 11-13 minutes, until slightly puffed. Avoid browning. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before moving to cooling rack. This also lets the pan cool down since you’re probably having to reuse the baking pans for more cookies. Ice when cookies are completely cool.
• Icing: In your mixer (with the whisk attachment) mix together the confectioners sugar, meringue powder and liquids. Beat on medium high until soft glossy peaks form. You may need to add more water or more sugar depending on the consistency you need for decorating or flooding, and on the humidity. Do what you feel is right.