One bite of a cookie and you're right back in the bosom of childhood. Just to accept the offer of a cookie from another is like saying "I accept my inner child".
PEANUT KISSES from Betty Crocker
Makes 24 cookies
12 oz Chocolate Kisses
1-1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick softened butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling cookies
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350.
Sift together the flour baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl or standing mixer cream together butter and peanut butter until well blended.
Add white and brown sugar and beat until fluffy either by hand or preferably with a stand mixer. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Blend in flour mixture.
Shape dough into one inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. While cookies are baking, unwrap chocolate kisses.
Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate candy kiss into the center of each cookie. Remove from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
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KRINGLE COOKIES
Makes 2-1/2Dozen
1/4 Cup Butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 Cups Sugar
4 Extra large eggs
2 Cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Cup Confectioner's sugar for dusting
In a large, heavy saucepan over very low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to the chocolate mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1-1/2 Hours (Overnight is even better)
Preheat oven to 300 . Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place racks in upper and lower third of oven.
Place Confectioner's sugar in a small bowl and dust some on your hands and fingers. Roll dough into 1" balls and then roll each ball in the confectioner's sugar and place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheet. Rotate sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through bake time.
Bake 20-22 minutes or until tops are slightly soft in the center. Remove immediately and cool on wire rack.
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GINGERBREAD COOKIE HOUSES
from Nick Malgieri's "Cookies Unlimited"
Makes about 30 large cookies
5 Cups flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2/3 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 Cup molasses
Royal Icing
Raisins, nuts and candies for decorating (Optional)
In a large bowl, combine flour, spices, baking soda and salt and whisk to mix.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until soft and light, about a minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the bowl and beater.
Adjust the speed to low and add in about half the flour mixture. Add all the molasses, then scrape the bowl and beater. Add the remaining flour mixture, about a cup at a time and beat after each addition until it has all been absorbed.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and give the dough a final mixing with a large rubber spatula. Scrape half the dough on to a large piece of plastic wrap and press it to about a half inch thickness. Wrap the dough securely and repeat with the remaining dough. Chill at least two hours and up to three days.
When you are ready to bake, set oven to 350 and set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap one of the pieces of dough and cut it in half. Re-wrap one half and return to refrigerator. Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes and place one inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.
Gather dough scraps and knead together and place back into the refrigerator (If you use them without refrigeration, the cookies will "puff" unattractively.)
Bake about 12-15 minutes or until they feel slightly firm when pressed with a fingertip. Do not over bake or they'll be very dry. Slide paper from the baking sheet to the wire racks and cool.
Decorate with Royal Icing. Store between sheets of wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight fitting lid.
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CANDY CANE COOKIES from Betty Crocker
Makes 2 dozen
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp red food coloring
Peppermint candy canes, placed in a bag and crushed with a rolling pin.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place candy canes in a heavy duty plastic bag and crush into flaky pieces. Set aside.
Whisk together flour and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream shortening and butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in egg, almond and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and incorporate on low speed.
Divide dough in half.
Blend red food coloring into one half.
Roll 1 teaspoon of the red dough and 1 teaspoon of the white dough on lightly floured board into 4 inch logs.
Place logs side by side and press lightly together and twist. Curve top of rope down to look like the handle of a candy cane. Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned. While still warm, sprinkle with crushed peppermint stick candy. Cool completely on wire racks.
OATMEAL COOKIES
Makes 26 Cookies
When you find yourself out of rolled oats and only have the quick oats on hand, here's your perfectly heavenly, chewy and delicious Oatmeal Raisin cookie.
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Salt (heaping)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Large Egg
3 Tbsp Honey
3/4 Cup Flour
1-1/2 Cups Quick Oats
1-1/2 Cups Raisins
In the bowl of a standing mixer (or by hand) incorporate all the ingredients from butter to vanilla until smooth.
Beat in the egg. Then beat in the honey. Stir in the flour next; then the oats and raisins. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment and drop dough by generous tablespoons 2" apart on the paper.
Bake for 10 minutes. Watch closely, you want to bake them just when the edges are turning golden.
Cool on the pan. Then cool completely on wire rack.
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ENERGY COOKIES
Makes approximately 40 Small 2" Cookies or 20 Large 4" Cookies
All the credit goes to Peter Reinhart (Brother Juniper's Bread Book).
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Sesame Seeds
2 Tbs Flax Seeds
4 Cups Flour
1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
2 Cups Rolled Oats, not quick oats
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Honey
1 Cup Raisins, plumped
Preheat oven to 350F. Place 1 cup raisins in small bowl. Boil one cup of water and pour over raisins. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and save the liquid.
Combine seeds and toast them in a dry frying pan, stirring occasionally until they crackle. Remove immediately and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix everything up. Add the drained raisins and mix. Add the chocolate chips and mix. Add he oil and honey and mix everything together with your clean hands or a sturdy wooden spoon, if you prefer. (I suggest using your hands as the batter will become very thick and heavy)
Begin adding the reserved water from plumping the raisins a little at a time. Your goal is to have a moist, stiff batter with no clumps of dry ingredients. It should resemble an oatmeal cookie dough.
Scoop with an ice cream scoop or spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press down with a fork or the palm of your hand, as these cookies will not spread.
Bake for approximately 14 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet. Thoroughly cool on wire racks.
*******************************************************
AMARETTI
Creampuffs in Venice food blog recipe
Makes approximately 35 cookies depending on size
Sometimes you just have to have something elegant and sweet; so bake some Amaretti!!It will surely impress your friends and family; my sisters were amazed that they were so good and extremely easy to make. For Christmas gift baskets, I wrapped two cookies together bottoms facing in colored tissue paper and twisted the ends. In the photo above I made the balls too big. Be sure they are only 1" across for the traditional shape and size.
Makes about 35 cookies.
1-1/2 pounds of almonds, finely ground
2 Cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp Cocoa powder (Dutch process)
4 Egg Whites, beaten
3 Tbsp almond extract
1 Cup granulated sugar for rolling
Preheat your oven to 350. Position oven racks so that one rack is at the bottom of the oven and the other is in the middle of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground almonds, 2 cups of sugar and cocoa. Mix well.
Add eggs and almond extract and mix until there are no "streaks" of egg whites visible and all ingredients are well incorporated. Using a tablespoon or your hands, scoop out enough of the dough to form a 1" ball.
Roll each ball in the sugar and place on the baking sheet 1" apart.
Bake cookies on the lower rack for 10 minutes and then move to the middle rack for an additional five minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, store at room temperature in an airtight container. They will be fresh for up to 10 days!
PEANUT KISSES from Betty Crocker
Makes 24 cookies
12 oz Chocolate Kisses
1-1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick softened butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling cookies
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350.
Sift together the flour baking soda and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl or standing mixer cream together butter and peanut butter until well blended.
Add white and brown sugar and beat until fluffy either by hand or preferably with a stand mixer. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Blend in flour mixture.
Shape dough into one inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. While cookies are baking, unwrap chocolate kisses.
Remove from oven and immediately press a chocolate candy kiss into the center of each cookie. Remove from the cookie sheet and place on a wire rack to cool completely.
********************************************************************************
KRINGLE COOKIES
Makes 2-1/2Dozen
1/4 Cup Butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
2 Cups Sugar
4 Extra large eggs
2 Cups sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 Cup Confectioner's sugar for dusting
In a large, heavy saucepan over very low heat, melt butter and chocolate, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to the chocolate mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least 1-1/2 Hours (Overnight is even better)
Preheat oven to 300 . Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place racks in upper and lower third of oven.
Place Confectioner's sugar in a small bowl and dust some on your hands and fingers. Roll dough into 1" balls and then roll each ball in the confectioner's sugar and place 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheet. Rotate sheets top to bottom and back to front halfway through bake time.
Bake 20-22 minutes or until tops are slightly soft in the center. Remove immediately and cool on wire rack.
****************************************************************
GINGERBREAD COOKIE HOUSES
from Nick Malgieri's "Cookies Unlimited"
Makes about 30 large cookies
5 Cups flour
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
16 Tbsp (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
2/3 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2/3 Cup molasses
Royal Icing
Raisins, nuts and candies for decorating (Optional)
In a large bowl, combine flour, spices, baking soda and salt and whisk to mix.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar at medium speed until soft and light, about a minute. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Scrape down the bowl and beater.
Adjust the speed to low and add in about half the flour mixture. Add all the molasses, then scrape the bowl and beater. Add the remaining flour mixture, about a cup at a time and beat after each addition until it has all been absorbed.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and give the dough a final mixing with a large rubber spatula. Scrape half the dough on to a large piece of plastic wrap and press it to about a half inch thickness. Wrap the dough securely and repeat with the remaining dough. Chill at least two hours and up to three days.
When you are ready to bake, set oven to 350 and set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Unwrap one of the pieces of dough and cut it in half. Re-wrap one half and return to refrigerator. Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes and place one inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.
Gather dough scraps and knead together and place back into the refrigerator (If you use them without refrigeration, the cookies will "puff" unattractively.)
Bake about 12-15 minutes or until they feel slightly firm when pressed with a fingertip. Do not over bake or they'll be very dry. Slide paper from the baking sheet to the wire racks and cool.
Decorate with Royal Icing. Store between sheets of wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight fitting lid.
************************************************************
CANDY CANE COOKIES from Betty Crocker
Makes 2 dozen
2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp red food coloring
Peppermint candy canes, placed in a bag and crushed with a rolling pin.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Place candy canes in a heavy duty plastic bag and crush into flaky pieces. Set aside.
Whisk together flour and salt and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream shortening and butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in egg, almond and vanilla extract. Add flour mixture and incorporate on low speed.
Divide dough in half.
Blend red food coloring into one half.
Roll 1 teaspoon of the red dough and 1 teaspoon of the white dough on lightly floured board into 4 inch logs.
Place logs side by side and press lightly together and twist. Curve top of rope down to look like the handle of a candy cane. Bake 9 minutes or until lightly browned. While still warm, sprinkle with crushed peppermint stick candy. Cool completely on wire racks.
OATMEAL COOKIES
Makes 26 Cookies
When you find yourself out of rolled oats and only have the quick oats on hand, here's your perfectly heavenly, chewy and delicious Oatmeal Raisin cookie.
1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/4 Cup White Sugar
1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/2 tsp Ginger
1/2 tsp Salt (heaping)
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Large Egg
3 Tbsp Honey
3/4 Cup Flour
1-1/2 Cups Quick Oats
1-1/2 Cups Raisins
In the bowl of a standing mixer (or by hand) incorporate all the ingredients from butter to vanilla until smooth.
Beat in the egg. Then beat in the honey. Stir in the flour next; then the oats and raisins. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment and drop dough by generous tablespoons 2" apart on the paper.
Bake for 10 minutes. Watch closely, you want to bake them just when the edges are turning golden.
Cool on the pan. Then cool completely on wire rack.
Makes approximately 40 Small 2" Cookies or 20 Large 4" Cookies
All the credit goes to Peter Reinhart (Brother Juniper's Bread Book).
I've made these cookies with different kinds of honey, which changes the final color of the cookies ranging from light to dark brown. DELICIOUS!
1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1/2 Cup Sesame Seeds
2 Tbs Flax Seeds
4 Cups Flour
1 Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips
2 Cups Rolled Oats, not quick oats
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Honey
1 Cup Raisins, plumped
Preheat oven to 350F. Place 1 cup raisins in small bowl. Boil one cup of water and pour over raisins. Let sit for 5 minutes. Drain and save the liquid.
Combine seeds and toast them in a dry frying pan, stirring occasionally until they crackle. Remove immediately and transfer to a large bowl.
Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix everything up. Add the drained raisins and mix. Add the chocolate chips and mix. Add he oil and honey and mix everything together with your clean hands or a sturdy wooden spoon, if you prefer. (I suggest using your hands as the batter will become very thick and heavy)
Begin adding the reserved water from plumping the raisins a little at a time. Your goal is to have a moist, stiff batter with no clumps of dry ingredients. It should resemble an oatmeal cookie dough.
Scoop with an ice cream scoop or spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Press down with a fork or the palm of your hand, as these cookies will not spread.
Bake for approximately 14 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Remove from the oven and cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheet. Thoroughly cool on wire racks.
*******************************************************
AMARETTI
Creampuffs in Venice food blog recipe
Makes approximately 35 cookies depending on size
Sometimes you just have to have something elegant and sweet; so bake some Amaretti!!It will surely impress your friends and family; my sisters were amazed that they were so good and extremely easy to make. For Christmas gift baskets, I wrapped two cookies together bottoms facing in colored tissue paper and twisted the ends. In the photo above I made the balls too big. Be sure they are only 1" across for the traditional shape and size.
Makes about 35 cookies.
1-1/2 pounds of almonds, finely ground
2 Cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp Cocoa powder (Dutch process)
4 Egg Whites, beaten
3 Tbsp almond extract
1 Cup granulated sugar for rolling
Preheat your oven to 350. Position oven racks so that one rack is at the bottom of the oven and the other is in the middle of the oven. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground almonds, 2 cups of sugar and cocoa. Mix well.
Add eggs and almond extract and mix until there are no "streaks" of egg whites visible and all ingredients are well incorporated. Using a tablespoon or your hands, scoop out enough of the dough to form a 1" ball.
Roll each ball in the sugar and place on the baking sheet 1" apart.
Bake cookies on the lower rack for 10 minutes and then move to the middle rack for an additional five minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, store at room temperature in an airtight container. They will be fresh for up to 10 days!
The Christmas you made these amaretti cookies for me I only shared with one person who I knew would appreciate them. I ate the rest myself. Yummy! Going to put them on my list of cookies to give as gifts this year. Thanks sister
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