Ever heard of French Cookies? Probably not!
I like to describe French Cookies as a thin spiced cake, cut and served like a cookie. I have no idea why they’re called french cookies or what their origin is but I’ve yet to encounter them in any other form outside of my family. However, I do know that they become and instant favorite for anyone who is fortunate enough to give them a try!
Family Lore
This is one of my Grandma Val’s recipes which means it comes from my dad’s side of the family.
In my memory, the most contested thing about these cookies is: To raisin, or not to raisin.
My father is staunchly on Team Raisin. In his words: “They are properly made with raisins and they are better that way, because they are more moist.”
My mom and I, on the other hand are Team No Raisin. My mom thinks adding raisins makes them more bumpy and harder to cut. I think adding raisins means they then have raisins in them, and who wants that…
But the one thing we can all come together and agree upon is that this by far is the best batter out of all the Christmas cookies.
Let me know which team you’re on if you ever try these.
Original Recipe
The original french cookies recipe is written on a very old piece of binder paper in my mothers handwriting.
Some fun observations:
- Who needs full directions when you can just use brackets?
- Two pans of this makes *a lot* of cookies. Hence the half batch measurements added by none other than yours truly.
- I really love my moms question that she wrote one year and then answered the next:
- “This may make two pans?”
- :This *does* make two pans”
- And my favorite recipe commentary: “butew” added next to the raisins, in case my opinion on the matter was ever in question…
- P.S. This absolutely should have been “ptooey”
Check out all of my Family’s Christmas Cookies here.
French Cookies
Equipment
- 2 Jelly Roll Pans (15×10 inches)
- Hand or Stand Mixer
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 1½ Cups Brown sugar packed
- 1 Cup Unsalted butter room temperature
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 3 Cups Cake flour sifted
- 1 Tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder rounded
- 1 tsp Cinnamon rounded
- ½ tsp Cloves rounded
- 1½ tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 Cup Coffee Cold and strong
- 1 Cup Raisins *optional
Icing
- 5 Cups Powdered sugar
- ¼ Cup Unsalted butter softened
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla
- ½ Cup Boiling water
- ⅛ tsp Salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉ and prep two jelly roll pans with buttered parchment paper.
- Measure out 3 cups of cake flour and sift through a fine mesh sieve. Re-measure the 3 cups of flour by spooning it back into the measuring cup and then leveling with a knife. This is your sifted cake flour.3 Cups Cake flour
- Pour the sifted cake flour through the sieve again and sift in the cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Sift together 2 more times then set aside.1 Tbsp Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tsp Cinnamon, ½ tsp Cloves, 1½ tsp Salt, 2 tsp Baking Soda
- To the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl if using a hand mixer), add the butter and sugar. Cream together until fluffy and then add the eggs and vanilla.1½ Cups Brown sugar, 1 Cup Unsalted butter, 2 Eggs, 1 tsp Vanilla
- Alternate adding in the dry ingredients and coffee, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.1 Cup Coffee
- *Optional: Fold in raisins.1 Cup Raisins
- Spread the batter in a thin layer in the parchment lined jelly roll pan, making sure it reaches all the corners and edges.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until it pulls away from the edges and a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
- Make the icing by whisking together the powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, boiling water, and salt.5 Cups Powdered sugar, ¼ Cup Unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp Vanilla, ½ Cup Boiling water, ⅛ tsp Salt
- Pour the icing over the still warm cake (see notes).
- Once cooled, cut into 48-54 squares.
Notes
- Hand or stand mixer: Since getting my stand mixer, I’ve used it to make these. However, my mom has always used a hand mixer so either works!
- To raisin or not to raisin: As mentioned in the above blog post, I’m not a big raisin fan so I do not include them. However, if you like raisins, they help make the cake extra moist and flavorful. Note: it can make the cake more difficult to slice and the top will end up being a little more uneven.
- The icing: This cake is incredibly light which makes the icing not spread super well without tearing up the top of the cake. With that in mind, try to pour it over as much surface area of the cake as you can and then go in with an offset spatula to very gently spread it out the rest of the way.
- Cutting the cookies: I highly recommend using a pizza cutter for this if you have one! It helps to ensure straight lines for even cookies.
