Cookies

Gingerbread Men

December 17, 2011

Gingerbread Men

These are the traditional cut-out gingerbread men cookies. You can decorate them or leave them plain. Either way it wouldn’t be Christmas without gingerbread men!

INGREDIEIENTS

2/3 Cup Molasses

1/3 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar

1/3 Cup Softened Butter

1 Egg

2 ¾ Cups Unbleached Flour

1 Teaspoon Ground Sugar

½ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Salt

Frosting

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

½ Cup Softened Butter

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

3 Tablespoons Milk

In a medium size bowl combine the molasses, brown sugar, butter and egg. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Reduce the speed to low and add all of the remaining ingredients. Beat until combined. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 4 hours. Remove from the fridge and divide the dough in half. Keep the other half in the fridge. Roll out the dough, on a floured surface, to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with a 4 inch gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place the cookies 1 inch apart onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 375° F. Place in the oven and bake for 6 minutes until no indentation remains when touched. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Makes 48 cookies.

To make the frosting: Combine the powdered sugar, butter and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat at a low speed. Add enough milk for the desired spreading consistency. You can add food coloring to tint the frosting if you like. Decorate cooled cookies with the frosting.

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

December 16, 2011

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour

¼ Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

3 Ounces Chopped Bittersweet Chocolate

1 Cup Softened Butter

1 1/3 Cup Sugar

½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Icing (Optional)

Sugar Decorations (Optional)

In a medium size bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Stir the chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Set aside. Using an electric mixer beat the butter in a large bowl at medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the egg and beat for 1 minute until well blended. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the vanilla and chocolate. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just to blend. Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half. For each half into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap the disks separately in plastic wrap and chill overnight. Remove from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before rolling out. Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350º F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to 1/8 inch thickness for smaller cookies and ¼ inch thickness for larger cookies. Using the waxed paper prevents you from adding too much flour which will make the cookies tough. Using decorative cookie cutters, cut out the cookies. Cold dough is much easier to work with. If it gets too warm when you’re cutting out the cookies, place the dough, waxed paper and all in the freezer for 5 minutes. Space the cookies 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Gather the scraps, roll them out and cut more cookies. Repeat until all the dough is used. If you are not icing the cookies then you can decorate with sprinkles or other sugar toppings if you like. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 9 minutes, for smaller cookies, until cookies are firm on the top and slightly darker around the edges. Bake for 12 minutes for the larger cookies. Line the baking sheets with fresh parchment as needed. Cool completely on a wire rack. Decorate the cookies with royal icing if you like. Store in airtight containers. Make 60 small or 20 large cookies.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

December 14, 2011

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Unbelievably yummy!

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter

8 Tablespoons Softened Butter

1 ¼ Cups Sugar

3 Eggs

1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Unbleached Flour

½ Teaspoon Salt

2 Cups Chocolate Chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter for 1 minute. Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla and beat until creamy. Blend in the flour and salt. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Spread into a parchment paper lined 13×9 inch baking pan. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Bake for 25 minutes until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips over the cookie layer. Let stand for 5 minutes until the chocolate chips become soft. Spread the rest of the chocolate chips evenly over the top. Cool completel and slice into cookie bars. Makes 24 cookies.

Lemon Slice & Bakes

December 13, 2011

Lemon Slice & Bakes

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour

½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt

1 Cup Room Temperature Unsalted Butter

¾ Cups Sugar

2 Tablespoons Finely Grated Lemon Zest

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

4 Large Egg Yolks

Icing: 1 ¼ Cups Powdered Sugar, 2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice, Food Coloring (optional), Sanding Sugar (optional)

In a medium size bowl whisk the flour and salt together. In a separate large bowl beat the butter, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract together using an electric mixer for 3 minutes. Add the egg yolks and beat just to blend. Add the flour mixture a bit at a time to combine. Do not over mix. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a 10 inch long log which should be about 1 ¾ in diameter. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour. Arrange the oven racks in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat to 350° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap 1 dough log and using a lightly floured sharp knife, cut the log into ¼ inch thick rounds. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets and space 1 inch apart. Bake for 16 minutes until the cookies are firm and golden brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks and let cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough log. Makes 50 cookies.

For the icing whisk the sugar and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl. Add more juice by ½ teaspoonfuls if the icing is too thick. Add food coloring if you want. Spread or drizzle the icing over the cookies. Decorate as desired. Let the cookies stand for 10 minutes until the icing sets.

Pecan Tassies

December 12, 2011

Pecan Tassies

Some people call these cookies, “mini-pecan pie cookies,” but their proper name is Pecan Tassies. I grew up eating these little gems at holiday time and have always loved them.

INGREDIENTS

½ Cup Softened Butter

3 Ounces Softened Cream Cheese

1 Cup Unbleached Flour

1 Egg

¾ Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 Tablespoon Melted Butter

2/3 Cup Coarsely Chopped Pecans

In a medium size bowl beat the ½ cup butter and cream cheese until well combined. Stir in the flour. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Press a rounded teaspoon of pastry evenly into the bottom and up the sides of 24 ungreased 1 ¾ inch muffin cups. For the pecan filling beat the egg, brown sugar and 1 tablespoon melted butter in a medium size bowl until well combined. Stir in the pecans. Spoon about 1 heaping teaspoon of filling into each pastry lined muffin cup. Bake for 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is puffed. Cool slightly in the pan. Carefully transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes 24 cookies.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

December 7, 2011

Christmas Sugar Cookies

This is such a good basic Christmas cookie recipe. I’ve added a bit of spice that you can leave out if you like.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Unbleached Flour

1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder

½ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon

¼ Teaspoon Allspice

¼ Teaspoon Cloves

½ Cup Butter

1 Cup Sugar

1 Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon Cream

Sugar For Decorating (optional)

Sprinkles For Decorating (optional)

Blend 1 cup of the flour, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl. In a separate medium bowl cream the butter. Add the sugar and beat with a mixer on medium speed. Beat in the egg, vanilla and cream. Next, add the 1 cup of flour & spices mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine, but don’t over mix. Finally add just enough of the remaining 1 cup of flour to make the dough stiff enough to roll. You don’t have to use all of the remaining flour if the dough is stiff. The idea here is less flour is better. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Place on a lightly floured cutting board and roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Use floured cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet, sprinkle with sugar and/or holiday sprinkles. Bake for 8 minutes. Makes 2 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutters.

Peanut Butter Kisses

December 6, 2011

Peanut Butter Kisses

Simple to make!

INGREDIENTS

1 ¼ Cup Unbleached Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

½ Teaspoon Salt

½ Cup Softened Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Creamy Room Temperature Peanut Butter

½ Cup Sugar (Plus a Bit More For Coating)

½ Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar

½ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Egg

36 Unwrapped Chocolate Kisses

In a medium sized bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a separate medium sized bowl beat the butter and peanut butter for 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Add the sugar and the brown sugar and beat for 3 more minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat for 30 seconds. Slowly add the flour mixture beating for 2 minutes. Transfer the dough to a medium sized clean bowl and refrigerate overnight. You want to be able to roll into balls so the dough needs to firm up. When you are ready to bake the cookies preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll the dough into 1 ½ inch balls. Roll the balls into the extra sugar. Set the dough balls 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Gently flatten the cookies. Bake for 18 minutes until they are just light golden brown on the bottoms. Remove the cookies from the oven and press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Return the cookies to the oven and bake for 1 minute. Remove from the oven and cool for 2 minutes and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 36 cookies.

Brownie Bites

November 29, 2011

Brownie Bites

All you need is a round biscuit cutter!

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Butter

2 ¼ Cups Sugar

1 ¼ Cups Cocoa Powder

1 Tablespoon Espresso Powder

1 Teaspoon Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

4 Large Eggs

1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour

2 Cups Chocolate Chips

1 Cup Chopped Pecans (Optional)

Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a saucepan melt the butter over a low heat. Add the sugar to the melted butter and stir. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs. Stir until smooth. Add the flour, chocolate chips and pecans (optional). Stir until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. The brownies should feel set on the edges and barely set in the center. Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour. Using a 1 ½ inch round biscuit cutter cut out as many circles as possible. You should get about 38 circles. Wrap well to store. When you are ready to serve, garnish the Brownie Bites with whipped cream, cherry topping or shaved chocolate. You can save the scraps and crumble on top of ice cream for a whole different dessert. Makes 38 Brownie Bites

Blondies

November 11, 2011

Blondies

These bar cookies are great if you are in a rush. I can throw these babies together in about 10 minutes and have an instant dessert. The brown sugar gives these bar cookies a butterscotch flavor. This recipe calls for nuts, but you can certainly leave the nuts out if you want to.

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Packed Brown Sugar

1 Cup Butter

3 Eggs

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

2 Cups Unbleached Flour

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

¼ Teaspoon Baking Soda

1 ½ Cups Chopped Almonds, Pecans or Cashews

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking pan with parchment paper and set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir the brown sugar and butter over a medium heat until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly. Stir in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Spread the batter in the parchment lined baking pan. Sprinkle with the nuts. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars while warm. Makes 36 blondies.

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

November 2, 2011

Chocolate Crackle Cookies

These cookies are a chocolate lover’s dream.

INGREDIENTS

12 Ounces Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (Divided)

¾ Cup Flour

2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1 Teaspoon Ancho Chili Pepper

½ Teaspoon Baking Powder

¼ Teaspoon Salt

¼ Cup Softened Butter

½ Cup Sugar

¼ Cup Packed Brown Sugar

2 Lightly Beaten Eggs

2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Melt 8 ounces of the chocolate. It is a good idea to use a double boiler, but you can also melt it in the microwave. After melting the chocolate set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate. Mix the flour, cinnamon, ancho chili pepper, baking powder and salt in a small bowl. In a medium bowl beat the butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Add the melted chocolate and beat until well blended. Gradually beat in the flour mixture on a low speed until well mixed. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoons 1 ½ inch apart on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 10 minutes. You want the cookies set and slightly cracked on top. Transfer the cookies onto a wire rack and cool completely. Makes 3 ½ dozen cookies.

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