I recently baked some cookies as a thank you gift (who doesn't want cookies??) and decided to take my favorite sugar cookie and bump it up a notch. You can use my recipe below or bake your favorite cut out cookie and then dip half the cooled cookie in melted chocolate. I have two variations here, but the options are endless. By mixing your cookie cutter shapes and colors of dipping chocolate you have an endless assortment of thank you cookies. Ingredients 1 lb. (4 sticks) of butter softened to room temperature 1 box (8 oz) cream cheese softened to room temperature 2 cups granulated sugar 2 egg yolks (save the whites for another project) 4 1/2 cups flour (plus 1 cup extra to use when rolling out the cookies) 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 or more bags of Wilton's melting wafers - any color or flavor 2 - 3 Tablespoons Crisco Directions
Here is the same cookie dipped in red melting chocolate and swirls of blue chocolate for a Memorial Day or 4th of July theme cookie. Enjoy!
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A few weeks ago I visited my Seattle family and picked up several bags of dried cherries at the airport. I know you can get dried cherries at the grocery store, but somehow the ones from Washington state seem sweeter. I created the recipe below so that I could incorporate one bag of the dried cherries into my favorite shortbread cookie recipe. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients 1 lb. (4 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature 2/3 cup sugar 2 tsp. almond extract 4 cups all purpose flour 1 cup whole almonds 1 12 oz. package of dried cherries Directions
I recently purchased a bag of crushed Butterfinger baking bits at the grocery store (where they sell chocolate chips) and did some research on the Internet about cookie recipes using this ingredient. Here is a basic recipe for brown sugar cookies which incorporates the Butterfinger Bits. You'll note that the recipe calls for cornstarch, which is added to cookie recipes to make the cookies extra chewy. Also, if you chill the dough before baking, your cookies will be soft and puffy. If you can't wait and skip the chilling step, your cookies will still by yummy but will bake a little flatter. I hope you enjoy this treat! INGREDIENTS
If you come across a bag of mini-M&M's in the grocery store, please be sure to pick one up for this cookie recipe. These cookies include cream cheese in the recipe which makes for a rich, smooth texture that everyone is sure to love. If you don't have M&M's simply substitute mini-chocolate chips. Not as colorful, but just as tasty! Enjoy Ingredients: 1 cup butter (2 sticks) softened to room temperature 3 oz. softened cream cheese 3/4 cup white granulated sugar 1 egg 2 tsp. vanilla (you can substitute lemon extract or almond extract if you prefer) 3 cups all purpose flour 1 package of M&M mini's 1/2 cup granulated sugar (for pressing on the top of the cookie) Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. 2. Beat the butter, sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Then add the egg, vanilla and 3 cups of flour (1/2 cup at a time into the mixer). 3. Fold in the mini-M&M's until evenly distributed 4. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a baking sheet lined with silicon or parchment paper. Using the bottom of a flat glass, spayed with Pam or other shortening, dip the bottom of the glass in the reserved sugar and flatten each cookie. 5. Bake for 10 - 11 minutes or until just starting to brown. Remove from cookie sheet onto a wire rack and cool completely.
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Here is my favorite recipe for the classic peanut butter cookie. I have been baking these cookies for many years and even though I tend to "tweak" recipes from time to time, this recipe has been unchanged for years. It is faithful, reliable and delicious. Enjoy! Ingredients
1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar (packed 2 eggs 1 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter 1 cup butter, room temperature 2 teaspoons vanilla 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt Directions
Just about everywhere you go there is something being offered with pumpkin in it. Well, here is another pumpkin offering for your consideration. This simple, soft pumpkin cookie is the perfect afternoon treat and you can talk yourself into a second helping because, after all, since there is pumpkin in it...it must be healthy! Ingredients 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened 1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) 1 large egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Glaze (recipe follows) Instructions
COMBINE flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or over night until dough is firm. PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. BAKE for 8 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies. FOR GLAZE: COMBINE 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth. I recently had to come up with a quick cookie for my granddaughter's volleyball team. I was able to throw this cookie together in under 1 hour with ingredients I found in my cupboard. I made them extra large so that each team member could have a cookie. When you make your cookies extra large, be sure to rotate the cookie sheets half way through the baking process so they cook evenly. Also, be sure not to over bake so that they stay soft and chewy in the middle. Enjoy! Ingredients 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup white granulated sugar 1 cup butter flavored Crisco 1 tsp. vanilla 2 eggs (I use large) 1 1/2 cup flour 2 cups oatmeal (I use quick cook, not instant) 3 Tbsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. salt 1 package of mini-chocolate chips (use the mini instead of regular size and you will have TONS of chocolate morsels with each bite!) Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and prepare cookie sheets by lining with parchment paper, silicon mats or spray with Pam Using a stand or hand mixer blend both sugars and Crisco until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until fully incorporated. In another bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, cornstarch, baking soda and salt and stir to combine all ingredients. After your butter and sugar mixture is fully mixed, add the flour mixture slowly while beating on medium speed until all the flour mixture is combined. Turn off the mixer and hand fold in the mini chocolate chips. If there are no nut allergies in your group, add 1 cup finely diced pecans or walnut if you like. I didn't do this for the volleyball team because I know one girl has nut allergies. Drop by large spoonfuls (about golf ball size) onto prepared cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with your hand or a spoon. Bake at 375 for about 11 minutes. Be sure to turn your pans about half way through the cooking process so they bake evenly. Don't over cook! Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack. Makes about 24 jumbo cookies. I love so many of the fall cookie recipes but you can't beat the smell of molasses. When you add it to a recipe, something wonderful happens. Here is a recipe that combines my favorite oatmeal raisin cookie with molasses. This chewy cookie is the perfect companion with a cup of tea and a warm fire. I hope you enjoy! Ingredients 1 cup white sugar ¾ cup Crisco (part butter is okay too) 2 eggs 5 Tbsp. molasses 2 tsp. vanilla 2 cups flour 2 cups oatmeal (quick cook or regular, not steel cut) 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp. ground cloves ¾ cups raisins ¾ cup nuts (I use pecans but walnuts work too) Directions
I'm so excited that fall is finally here. I wanted to make a colorful fall leaf cookie for the salon so I have used my favorite sugar cookie recipe, White Velvet, and divided the dough into four sections coloring each section with the fall colors. It's a little tricky to work with colored dough, but the results are well worth the extra steps. You can make the leaf cookies either one color, or combine pieces of each color to get a colorful fall leaf. I brushed a clear glaze over the cookies to give them a shiny finish. Enjoy! Ingredients 2 cups butter, softened 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 2 cups sugar 2 large egg yolks 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour Food coloring – yellow, orange, green, brown or your choice
To make multi color leaves: pinch off a section of each color dough and carefully combine to get a marbled effect. Roll out dough to ¼-in. thickness and cut with cookie cutter. Optional glaze: Combine 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir until completely dissolved and translucent. Add more water if needed. Using a pastry brush, gently brush the top of each cooled cookie and allow to set up at room temperature until the glaze is hard. |
GrammatlcGrammatlc bakes all the cookies for the clients at Split Ends Hair Studio (to visit the salon website, click the button above). She also bakes sweet treats for friends and family. Enjoy the recipes! Archives
December 2017
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