Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS
2/3 Cup Softened Unsalted Butter
1 Tablespoon Pistachio Paste
¼ Cup Confectioners’ Sugar
¼ Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¾ Cup Unbleached Flour
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Finely Chopped Pistachios
Combine butter, pistachio paste, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. With a mixer, that is set to medium speed, beat until light and fluffy. Sift together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on low speed until combined. Fold in chopped pistachios.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut with a 2 inch fluted round cutter. Place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 20 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool on the pan for 1 minute. Remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 24 cookies
Butterscotch Chip Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
½ Cup Granulated Sugar
¾ Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1 ½ Teaspoon Vanilla
2 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Butterscotch Chips
Preheat oven to 375° F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat until mixture is combined scraping sides of bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in butterscotch chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto on ungreased cookie sheet or use parchment paper (which is what I use). Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until edges are light brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool. Makes approximately 60 cookies
Chewy Ginger Snaps
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups + 2 Tablespoons Flour
½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Dark Molasses
1 Egg
3.5 Ounces crystallized Ginger (coarsely chopped)
¼ Cup Turbinado Sugar for Rolling Dough
Preheat oven to 375° F. Sift dry ingredients together. Set aside. Combine softened butter, sugar, molasses and egg. Using a mixer, beat well. Stir in crystallized ginger. Sift dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture. Mix well. For 1 inch balls and roll in turbinado sugar. Place on greased (or use parchment paper) cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Russian Tea Cakes
I grew up eating these at Christmas. Sometimes I would see how many I could fit in my mouth at once!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Softened Butter
½ Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
¼ Teaspoon Salt
2 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
¾ Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts
Additional Powdered Sugar
In a large bowl combine first 6 ingredients on the low speed of a mixer for about 1 minute. Gradually add flour at low speed until just combined. Next stir in the nuts. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them about 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350° F for 8 to 10 minutes or until firm to the touch – but NOT brown. Do NOT over bake. While warm, roll in additional powdered sugar. Cool and re-roll in powdered sugar before serving.
A holiday favorite!
Shortbread Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
¼ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Salted Butter
Preheat the oven to 300° F.
In a large bowl mix together the flour and sugar. Add the butter, but don’t over mix. Evenly press the shortbread mixture into a tart pan. If you don’t have a tart pan then you may use a pie pan. Smooth the top and prick the surface with the tines of a fork. Bake on the middle rack for approximately 40 to 50 minutes. You will know when it is done when shortbread turns a light biscuit color. Remove and place on a rack to cook for about 5 minutes. Cut into approximately 16 wedges.
Super Fudge Brownies
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
2 ½ Cups Sugar
1 ¼ Cups Dutch Cocoa
1 Tablespoon Coffee
1Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
4 Large Eggs
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 350° and grease 9×13 inch baking pan.
Mix melted butter and sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir in the cocoa, coffee, salt, vanilla and baking powder. Next add the eggs, beating until smooth. Now add the flour and chocolate chips and stir until well combined. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
Bake the brownies for approximately 30 minutes or until done. The brownies should feel set both on the edges and in the center. Remove from the oven and after 5 minutes loosen the edges with a knife. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Makes approximately 2 dozen brownies.
Camille’s Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup raisins
Icing: (optional)
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons whipping cream, fresh orange juice or rum
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add nuts and raisins. Drop by teaspoonful onto parchment covered baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool.
Icing: Cream confectioners’ sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. (If icing is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar; if too thick, add more cream, orange juice or rum.) Drizzle over cookies.
Camille added a cup of chocolate chips and a whole can of pumpkin. If you decided to add chocolate chips and more pumpkin then bake the cookies for 20 minutes instead of 15.
Oven 350°
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
1 ½ Cups Sugar
3 Eggs
3 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Salt
12 Ounces White Chocolate – Chopped
6 Ounces Macadamia Nuts – Chopped
Place butter in a large mixing bowl and cream. Beat in sugars and eggs. Mix in flour, baking soda and salt. Add white chocolate and nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Flatten each cookie slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake at 325° for approximately 10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
Oven 350°
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
3 Eggs
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Oatmeal
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Chopped Pecans
6 Ounces Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Place butter in a large bowl and beat until creamed. Mix in sugars, eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Next, add oatmeal, coconut, pecans and chocolate chips. Mix well until all ingredients are combined. Drop dough by rounded tab teaspoonfuls onto
Ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for approximately 10 minutes. Come completely on wire racks. Makes about 4 dozen cookies
Tips For Better Cookies
- Make sure that your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Don’t forget to preheat your oven to the temperature stated in the recipe.
- I like to use large mixing bowls – it cuts down on the splatter.
- Heavy aluminum baking sheets work best. They seem to produce evenly browned cookies.
- I like to use either large or jumbo eggs.
- Try to use butter and not margarine. Also, use real vanilla for a better taste.
- For chewy cookies, bake just until the dough is set, usually the shortest recommended baking time. For crisper cookies, bake a little longer.
- Let baked cookies cool on the baking sheets a few minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. This will prevent cookies from breaking.
