NANA'S GERMAN SOUR CREAM TWISTS

NANA'S GERMAN SOUR CREAM TWISTS image

Categories Cookies Dessert Bake Christmas

Yield 2 dozen

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
3 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, sliced
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sour cream
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white sugar (for sprinkling and board)

Steps:

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a bowl and let activate while you complete remaining steps. Sift flour before measuring. Sift flour and salt together Cut in shortening & butter with pastry cutter until fat forms balls size of peas OR Place flour and salt into a food processor and pulse once or twice to combine. Scatter shortening and butter slices over flour and process until fat is thoroughly mixed into the flour, about 1 minute. Whisk yeast mixture, sour cream, egg, egg yolks, and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Mix thoroughly with the hand, scrape dough down from sides of bowl into the center OR pour mixture into food processor. Pulse several times, just until the dough starts to hold together and clean the sides of the bowl (do not over-mix). Remove dough from food processor or bowl and divide in half; form each half into a thick disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours. For best texture, refrigerate overnight. The dough does not rise but becomes very cold and rather firm. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle work surface generously with sugar and roll out one of the dough disks into an 8x16 inch rectangle. Sprinkle dough with a generous amount of sugar. Fold the dough over in thirds, letter-style, and roll out again; fold as before and roll out and fold a third time, sprinkling dough with sugar each time. Finally, roll dough into a 4x14-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Cut strips from the short side of the dough rectangles, making them 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Place strips onto the parchment-lined baking sheets, twisting and slightly stretching them. If preferred, form into horseshoe shapes. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cookies will puff up a bit. Let cookies cool for about 5 minutes on sheets before transferring to wire cooling racks. Repeat process with second dough disk.