(for painting sugar cookies)
2 Large Egg Yolks
Liquid Food Coloring
Beat yolks and divide into several small containers (5). Add food coloring while mixing, drop by drop until desired color is achieved. Paint cookies BEFORE baking.
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Oregon Snowball Cookies (PNW)
The classic Russian tea cake gets an Oregon twist with the addition of chopped fir needles and brandy. One of Portland’s first craft distilleries, Clear Creek Distillery, got its start back in 1985 and became famous for its pear-in-the-bottle eau de vie. Its Douglas Fir brandy, which I boil to reduce its alcohol content, adds a delicate, evocative evergreen note to these cookies. It’s almost more scent than taste, like a winter hike in cookie form. If you can’t get your hands on the brandy, see the Note below.
1/2 C. Clear Creek Distillery Douglas Fir Brandy or other brandy (see Note)
1 1/2 C. toasted hazelnuts
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 1/2 C. confectioners’ sugar, divided
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh fir tree needles (see Note)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
Heat the oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the brandy to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced by half, to V4 cup. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. In a food processor or by hand, finely chop the hazelnuts. Set aside. In a food processor or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, process or beat the butter, 1/2 C. confectioners’ sugar, and minced fir needles until light and fluffy. Add the cooled brandy, vanilla extract, and salt and pulse or mix to combine. Add the flour and nuts and pulse or mix until fully incorporated. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on the baking sheets (place them about 1 inch apart; they don’t spread). Bake until just barely beginning to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool slightly and then roll them in the remaining confectioners’ sugar. When completely cool, roll again. Serve or store in an airtight container. Note : I happen to have a true fir tree in my backyard, but if you don’t, look around the neighborhood or go for a walk. Just don’t use your Christmas tree, unless you know for certain it hasn’t been sprayed. If you use Douglas fir needles, keep in mind that they’re more potent. Note: For a brandv-free variation, in a food processor, process ¥2 C. granulated sugar with 2 tablespoons chopped fir needles until the needles are reduced to fine particles and blended into the sugar. Roll the baked cookies in the sugar while still slightly warm. When completely cool, roll in the confectioners’ sugar.
Soft Whole-Wheat Ginger Spice Cookies
1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
1 C. whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4-C. butter, softened
1 C. white sugar
1 egg
1 Tbs. water
1/4-C. molasses
2 T. white sugar
Preheat oven to 350F. Stir together flours, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together butter and one C. sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and then stir in water and molasses. Gradually stir dry ingredients into molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and roll them in remaining two T. sugar. Place the cookies two inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for five minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
3/4 C. butter, softened
2/3 C. shortening
1-1/2 C. sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 C. all-purpose flour
Paste or liquid food coloring
In a large mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour (dough should be stiff). Cover and chill dough at least 2 hours or overnight until dough is easy to handle. Divide dough into portions, one for each color that you want to use. Knead food coloring into each portion, adding it slowly until the desired color is reached (colors lighten slightly when dough is baked). If desired, lightly knead two colors together for dough with a marbled appearance. Break off small pieces of different colors of dough and form into flower shapes. (As a guideline, use about 1/2 tsp. dough for each petal or leaf.) Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until edges are firm and cookies look set but bottoms are not brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 24 cookies.
Peppermint Sugar Candy Cane Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter; softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg
2-3 teaspoons flavoring; pick what you like
2 1/2 – 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Edible Cookie Paint Color
Vanilla Peppermint Sugar
Cream together softened butter and confectioner’s sugar. Crack the egg into a separate bowl and add the flavoring. I use emulsions but extract also works well. Add that to the butter sugar mixture and mix until the egg is thoroughly incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add little by little to the mixture. (I can tell the dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. When I touch it, it has a little give, but does not stick to my fingers.) Roll out on parchment to about 1/4 an inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary. Cut out. (Decorate with Edible Paint and Peppermint Sugar) Then bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.
Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies
2 sticks Unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup Caster sugar
2 Eggs, medium
3 tsp Peppermint extract
3 cups Plain flour
½ tsp Baking powder
Red food coloring
Green food coloring
Red, Green and white sprinkles
Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until softened. Alternatively, you can make the cookie dough, in a large mixing bowl, by hand or with an electric hand whisk. Add the sugar to the softened butter and cream until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, to the creamed mixture. Beat well between adding each egg. Add the peppermint to the mixture and mix until well combined. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the mixture. Gently mix until the dough comes together and is smooth. Turn the cookie dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and split into 3 equal portions. Shape one piece of cookie dough into a rectangle, about 2cm thick, and wrap in cling film. This will be the white part of your cookie. Place one portion of cookie dough into the stand mixer bowl and add green food coloring. Mix well until all the cookie dough is green in color. Add more coloring until you get the color you want. The color will fade when baked, so it is best to go stronger on the coloring, rather than pale. Turn the green cookie dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into another rectangle, similar to the ‘white’ cookie dough. Wrap in cling film. Scrap down the mixer bowl and paddle to remove any remaining green dough. Place the final portion of cookie dough into the stand mixer bowl and add red food coloring. Mix well until all the cookie dough is red in color. Add more coloring until you get the color you want. Turn the red cookie dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and shape into another rectangle, similar to the ‘white’ cookie dough. Wrap in cling film. Chill all 3 portions of cookie dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Remove the chilled cookie dough from the fridge and unwrap. Place the white cookie dough onto a large piece of cling film and place another piece of cling film on top. Gently roll the dough out into a large rectangle, until about 4mm thickness. Every 5 rolls, peel back the top layer of cling film to release the dough, replace and continue to roll out the dough. Repeat for the green and red cookie dough, so you have 3 pieces of cookie dough of similar size. Remove the top sheet of cling film from the white and red cookie doughs. Place the uncovered side of the red dough on top of the uncovered side of the white dough. Flip over the dough so the white dough is on top and remove the cling film. Remove the top sheet of cling film from the green cookie dough, and place on top of the white dough. Gently roll over the cookie dough to seal the three layers together. Remove the cling film from the top of the green dough layer, and from the narrow end begin to roll the cookie dough into a sausage. Use the bottom layer of cling film to pull the dough into a tight roll. Pour the sprinkles into a baking tray, it stops them rolling everywhere, and place the cookie dough sausage on top. Roll the sausage in the sprinkles so that they coat the dough. Wrap the sprinkle dough in a clean piece of cling film and chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 355F and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge and unwrap. Using a sharp knife, slice the cookie dough into equal rounds, approximately 1cm in width. Place the rounds onto the baking parchment, leaving space between them to allow them to spread when baking. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a pale golden color. Slide the baked cookies and parchment off the baking tray and onto a wire rack to cool.
Flooded Christmas Light Cookies
Brown Sugar Roll-Out Cookies
3/4 c. unsalted butter
1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. milk, half and half, or orange juice
2 tsp. extract or emulsion {I used orange and vanilla}
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cinnamon {spices optional}
1 tsp. nutmeg
dash ground cloves
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, extract, and orange juice. Mix until fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients a cupful or so at a time until all of the dry mixture is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not sticky. If it’s sticky, add flour little by little until it isn’t. Divide dough into three parts, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness and cut into shapes. Dusting lightly with flour as needed. Bake 375 for 8-10 minutes until tops are not shiny.
Royal Icing
2 pounds {one bag} confectioner’s sugar {907 grams}
5 tablespoons meringue powder {approximately 53 grams}
2-3 teaspoons oil-free extract or emulsion
1/2-3/4 cups warm water
Instructions
Begin by stirring the flavoring into half the water. Using a paddle attachment, gently mix the sugar and meringue powder. It’s not necessary to sift the sugar beforehand, but you can if you like. With the mixer on it’s lowest setting slowly add the water/flavoring mix to the dry ingredients. As the water is added, the icing will become thick and lumpy. Continue to add the remaining water {this may or may not be the entire amount} until the mixture reaches a thick, honey like consistency. At this point, turn the mixer to medium speed and whip 2-4 minutes until this icing is thick and fluffy. Mixing time can vary greatly so watch carefully and stop mixing when the icing is this enough to form a soft peak. Notes: Don’t be afraid to experiment by adding corn syrup, glycerin, or cream of tartar to the mixture. Use a fan for a smooth shiny finish. Royal icing can be affected by many variables. With a little time and patience, you will find your perfect match.
https://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2011/07/outlining-and-filling-cookies-with-royal-icing/
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Pink Powdered Sugar Frosting
Pink Fondant
Small Tube of Black Icing
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely. Frost with pink icing; decorate with fondant snout and ears. Finish by adding eyes, nostrils, and mouth with black tube icing.
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kid, dessert, sweets, cookies, baking
Peppermint Holiday Soft Sugar Cookies
6 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 C. butter, at room temperature
2 C. granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. peppermint extract
1 1/2 C. sour cream
1 C. butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. peppermint extract
4 C. powdered sugar
Pinch of salt
6 tsp. heavy cream
crushed candy canes, for decoration
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking sod and salt in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Set aside. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) beat the butter and sugar until it is fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sour cream and the peppermint extract, mix well. Gradually start adding the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Divide the mixture in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Lightly flour a workspace, then turn out one half of the dough onto the counter. Roll the dough to a 1/4-inch thickness. Dough will be a little bit sticky, so use flour as needed to avoid sticking. Use a 3-inch round cookie cutter to cut out circles and transfer to prepared baking sheets. Bake the cookies just until set, and still pale, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack or to a piece of waxed paper on the counter to cool completely. To make the frosting, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft and fluffy. Add the peppermint extract. Start adding in the powdered sugar, 1/2 C. at a time, and beat until completely combined. Add the salt and the cream and beat until light and fluffy. Frost each cookie and top with crushed candy canes.
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
1 and 1/2 C. (190 grams) all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 C. (115 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C. (100 grams) granulated sugar
1/4 C. (50 grams) brown sugar
1 egg yolk room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 C. (60 grams) pumpkin puree
For the cinnamon sugar coating:
2 T. (25 grams) granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt until well combined. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 1-2 minutes or until well combined. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract, then mix in the pumpkin puree, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside. Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Using a 2 T. cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, making sure to leave a little room between each one. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the 2 T. of sugar and 1 tsp. ground cinnamon for the coating. Roll each ball of cookie dough in the cinnamon sugar coating and place back on the baking sheets. Bake in separate batches at 350°F for 10-13 minutes or until the cookies are set. Make sure to refrigerate the other batch of cookie dough while the first batch is baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 C. butter room temperature
2/3 C. granulated sugar
2/3 C. brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 C. 100% pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 1/4 C. AP flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 T. unsalted butter room temperature
6 oz. cream cheese room temperature
2 1/2 – 3 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 375F. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon baking mat, set aside. This would also be a great time to brown the butter and place it in the fridge! See first step in frosting below. In the bowl or a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add pumpkin and eggs and mix on medium speed until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice. Gradually add to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until fully incorporated. Drop heaping T. of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, until the edges are set and the top springs back when touched. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
Place the butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan and melt over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The butter will start to foam and turn a golden brown color with a nutty aroma. You’ll notice brown specks after about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof bowl. Place in refrigerator until solid. Remove butter and let it warm up slightly. Place in the bowl of a standing mixer (or a mixing bowl and use a hand mixer) and beat on medium-high speed until creamy. Add cream cheese and continue mixing on medium-high until combined. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix on low until powdered sugar is incorporated, then turn the speed up to high and beat for 1 – 2 minutes. Spread onto cooled cookies and enjoy!
Sugar Cookie Bars
1 1/2 C. butter, softened to room temperature
2 C. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. almond extract
5 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 C. butter, softened to room temperature
5 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
dash of salt
Food coloring (optional)
2-3 tsp. milk if needed
Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat till well blended. Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl. Add to the wet ingredients and stir till well combined. Press into a 17″ x 12″ rimmed baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until barely light brown. Cool completely, then frost. Frosting: Beat cream cheese and butter in a large bowl till smooth. Add powdered sugar, extracts, salt, and food coloring. Beat till smooth and creamy, adding milk as needed. Top with sprinkles if desired.
Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies
½ C. cream cheese, soft
½ C. butter, soft
1 C. sugar
1 egg
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 C. flour
Strawberry Jam (or whatever flavor you fancy)
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, beat together butter and cream cheese. Gradually beat in sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and salt. Whisk together baking powder and flour in a small bowl and, mixing by hand or at low speed, add to cream cheese mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Put a small dollop of jam on top of each dough mound and swirl it around with a toothpick. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, until the bottom edge just barely turns brown. Makes about 3 dozen.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Stir together all ingredients in a large bowl, blending well. Drop cookie dough by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute; remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Crispy Praline-Chocolate Chip Cookies: Add 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels; bake as directed.
1 C. Butter, room temperature
1 1/2 C. Sugar
1 Egg, beaten
2 T. Dark Corn Syrup
Juice and Zest of 1 orange
3 3/4 C. Flour
1 tsp. each ground Cinnamon, Cloves and Ginger
2 tsp. ground Cardamom
2 tsp. ground White Peppercorns
1 tsp. ground Black Peppercorns
1 tsp. ground Pink Peppercorns
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
In mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and heat until fluffy. Add corn syrup, orange juice and zest and blend well. Sift flour together with all of the spices, baking soda and salt. Add this flour mixture gradually to the cookie batter and blend just to incorporate. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least overnight. Roll dough out very thinly on a floured pastry cloth with cloth covered rolling pin. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Arrange on a lightly greased cookie sheet (preferably an air cushioned sheet) and bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes. Watch closely, as they will color and burn easily. Cool on wire racks. Once cooled these cookies will keep well for up to 3 weeks in an air-tight container or jar.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter (I use Irish butter which I think makes ALL the difference)
1 cup Caster sugar (super-fine sugar, also called baker’s sugar)
1 large egg
2 tbsp milk (I used some creamy almond milk)
sparkling sugar, for rolling (you could also use turbinado sugar if you didn’t want a color)
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment,, cream together the butter and sugar until light an fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add in the egg and milk and beat for another few minutes until fully combined. Turn the dough out onto a clean workspace (a silicone baking mat works great), knead it a few times until it comes together, and then divide it into two equal pieces. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight (or at least 2 hours, but I think longer is better). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the fridge and form each ball into a log 1 1/2-2 inches in diameter. They dough will be quite firm so you will have to work with it a bit. Roll the logs in the sugar until the outside is completely coated. Put the dough logs back in the fridge for about 10 minutes so they can firm up a bit. Slice 1/3 inch thick rounds off of the logs and place on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes until the edges just start to turn golden. Cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cook further.
2/3 cup butter, nearly melted and cooled slightly
2 eggs
2 pouches (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
Red food or icing dye
Blue food or icing dye
1 tablespoon raspberry Jell-O
1 tablespoon berry blue Jell-O
Line an 8×4-inch loaf pan with waxed paper, extending paper over sides of pan. In a stand mixer beat butter and eggs together. Add the sugar cookie mixes and beat until just combined. Divide the dough into three equal parts and place in bowls. Set one part aside. Add raspberry Jell-O and red dye for color (You’ll need quite a bit or they’ll be pink) to one part. Knead with your hands in the bowl until the Jell-O is mixed in then pick the dough up and finished kneading folding the dough over with your hands until combined. Repeat with berry blue Jell-O and blue dye. Divide the doughs in half again to make 6 layers. Pat a red dough into the wax paper lined pan. Press gently with the back of a dry measuring cup to even out the dough. Next, pat a plain dough between your hands to form nearly the size of the pan. Press the plain dough into the pan over the red layer. Repeat with blue, red, white and blue. Fold the wax paper over the cookie dough and cover with foil. Refrigerate for several hours until firm. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Once chilled, dump the dough out into a cutting surface. Remove dough from pan and trim edges. Cut log into ¼” thick slices. Then cut slices in half to form squares. Place cookies on sheets 1 1/2 inches apart. Freeze sheets for 10 minutes to retain shapes if desired. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are no longer wet looking and are very lightly golden on the sides. Let cookies firm up on the cookie sheets for a couple of minutes then move to a cooling rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup carnation malted milk powder (I used Ovaltine Chocolate Malt Mix)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick plus 3 tbsp butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup whole milk (I used low-fat milk and it worked fine)
2 cups Whoppers, coarsely chopped
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. Sift together the flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until very smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about a minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned in the mixture looks curdled – it will even out when the dry ingredients are added. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear in the the batter. Mix in the milk, then the remaining dry ingredients, mixing only until they are incorporated. The batter will look more like fudge frosting than cookie dough – and that’s fine. With the mixer on low, or by hand with a rubber spatula, mix in the malted milk balls and chopped chocolate. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls on to the sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between spoonfuls. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 6 minutes. When done, the cookies will be puffed and set slightly but soft to the touch. Let the cookies rest for 2 minutes before using a wide metal spatula to transfer them to the racks to cool to room temperature. Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.
1/3 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/3 cup of shortening
3/4 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon orange juice or milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups of all purpose flour
red food coloring
1 egg white
1 tablespoon of water
Green coarse sugar
Miniature semisweet chocolate chips
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Beat butter and shortening in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar – beat till fluffy. Beat in egg, orange juice or milk, and vanilla until combined. Add in your food coloring (takes about 8 drops to get the red) Slowly mix in the flour mixture till combined. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill dough for 3 hours or until easy to handle. Stir together egg white and water. Roll each half of dough on a floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a floured 3-inch round cookie cutter. Cut cookies in half. place on an ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press a few chocolate pieces into each. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown; do not allow to brown on top. Transfer to wire racks and cool. In a small shallow bowl stir together egg white and water; brush the edge of each cookie. Sprinkle sugar on edges. dry
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 T. white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 T. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour (plus a little more for rolling)
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Stir in vanilla and cocoa powder. Whisk baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour. Using a wooden spoon, incorporate flour mixture into wet ingredients- mix until blended. Transfer bowl to fridge and chill cookie dough for at least 15 minutes. After chilling, turn out cookie dough onto slightly floured surface and roll out about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies using a small (2-inch) round cookie cutter. Place cookies on parchment paper lined baking sheets and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
Chocolate Coating
2 cups Andes Chocolate Chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 T. Crisco
In a double boiler, melt chocolates and stir in crisco until smooth and creamy.
Once cookies have cooled they’re ready to be dipped. Using tongs or a fork, dip cookies into chocolate until completely coated. Transfer dipped cookies to parchment paper lined baking sheet for chocolate to set. Allow cookies to set for at least a couple of hours before eating.
I like my Thin Mints cold, so as soon as the chocolate was set to the freezer they were sent until I was ready to indulge in these wonderful little minty cookies.
1 1/2 C. sliced blanched almonds
1 C. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 C. all-purpose soft wheat flour
Pinch of salt
Sifted powdered sugar
Process almonds in a food processor until ground. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add almonds and extracts; beat at low speed until blended. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Divide dough in half; wrap each portion in plastic wrap, and chill at least 1 hour. Roll level tsp.fuls of dough into ropes; place ropes 1 inch apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bring ends of each rope toward center to form crescents. (Keep remaining dough chilled and ready for shaping.) Bake at 300° for 17 minutes; cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Gently roll in powdered sugar, and cool completely on wire racks.
1 C. butter, softened
1 C. margarine, softened
1 C. sifted powdered sugar
4 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Plastic drinking straw
Frosting
20 to 25 chocolate-flavored candy coating drops, melted
Small pastry brush or paintbrush
Red or black licorice, cut into 8″ strips
Several 20″ x 30″ sheets of green tissue paper or Christmas fabric
Beat butter and margarine at low speed of an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture. Mix at low speed until blended. Roll dough to 3/8″ thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out cookies, using a 3″ spade-shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Make a hole in “socket end” of each cookie, using a straw. Bake at 350° for 16 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks. Spread Frosting on the “bulb end” of each cookie, using the back of a small spoon. Place frosted cookies on wire racks to dry. When frosting is dry, brush “socket end” of each cookie with melted chocolate, using a small brush. Let dry. When cookies are completely dry, lace licorice strips through holes in cookies. Place tissue in a large flat box, if desired. Arrange cookies in a loose circle on tissue paper to resemble a string of Christmas lights. Note: Use these cookies as tree ornaments or as edible place cards at a children’s party. Write names on frosted cookies using tubes of decorating gel.
Frosting:
7 C. sifted powdered sugar
1 (5-ounce) can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
25 vanilla-flavored candy coating drops, melted
Paste food coloring
Combine first 3 ingredients in a large microwave-safe bowl; stir well. Gradually add melted vanilla-flavored drops, stirring slowly to avoid air bubbles. Microwave at HIGH 45 seconds or until thin enough to spread; stir well. Divide frosting equally among four shallow bowls. Tint frosting to desired colors, using paste food coloring.
(for painting sugar cookies)
2 Large Egg Yolks
Liquid Food Coloring
Beat yolks and divide into several small containers (5). Add food coloring while mixing, drop by drop until desired color is achieved. Paint cookies BEFORE baking.
1 C. butter, softened
1/2 C. white sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 egg
1 T. lemon juice
1 T. finely grated lemon rind
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
8 ounces chocolate kisses
Preheat oven to 350 F. Cream butter and gradually beat in sugars until very smooth and whipped. Add egg, lemon juice and rind. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add half the flour mixture, beat until smooth, and then add the rest. Fill cookie press and use flower press (No. 10). Or, form cookies by dropping 1 T. dough onto ungreased cookie sheet. Place 1 chocolate kiss in center. Bake 9-10 minutes.
1 package (18 oz) Pillsbury® Ready To Bake!™ refrigerated sugar cookies
20 flat wooden sticks with round ends
1 1/4 C. vanilla creamy ready-to-spread frosting (from 1-lb container)
Assorted small candies, or candy decors or nonpareils, if desired
10 yards red curling ribbon
Heat oven to 350°F. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cookie dough pieces 2 inches apart. Into side of each piece of dough, insert wooden stick 1 inch, overlapping wooden sticks as necessary. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely, about 10 minutes. Spread frosting on one side of each cookie; decorate with candies. Tie 18 inches of red ribbon into bow around each stick next to cookie.
2 C. whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
salt
1/2 C. better butter or transfat free spread
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. dark molasses
1 egg white
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat several cookie sheets with vegetable oil spray. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Stir with a fork to blend. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the Better Butter or spread until smooth. Add the sugar, molasses, and egg white. Mix slowly to incorporate, then beat until smooth. Gradually stir in the reserved flour mixture until well blended. The dough will be soft but not sticky. Using your palms, roll the dough into 3/4″ balls (1 level tsp.). Place, separated, on the prepared pans. Bake for 8 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let stand on the sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool. Continue until all the dough is baked.
Yield: 23 servings (3 cookies per serving)
Calories: 90
Fat: 3.5g
Fiber: 1g
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 C. old-fashioned oats
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. 1% cottage cheese
2 T. better butter or trans-fat free spread
1 egg
1/2 tsp. mint extract
confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat an 8″ x 8″ baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Place the chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high power for about 1 minute, or until partially melted. Stir until smooth. Set aside. Place the oats, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking powder in a food processor bowl fitted with a metal blade. Process for 3 minutes, or until the oats are finely ground. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the cottage cheese to the processor bowl. Process, scraping the bowl as needed, for about 2 minutes, or until smooth. Add the Better Butter or spread, egg, and extract. Process, scraping the bowl as needed, for about 1 minute, or until smooth. Add to the oats mixture along with the reserved melted chocolate. Stir to mix. Dollop the batter into the prepared pan. Pat to spread evenly. Bake for about 16 minutes, or just until the top is set. Do not overbake. Let stand to cool. Cut into 16 squares. Dust lightly with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.
Yield: 16 servings
Calories: 100
Fat: 5g
Fiber: 1g
3/4 C. all-purpose flour
1/2 C. whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. apple pie spice
salt
3 T. better butter or trans-fat free spread, softened
3 T. honey
1/2 tsp. orange extract
1 egg
3 T. fat-free milk
3 T. chopped walnuts
3 T. chopped dried cranberries
On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the flours, baking powder, spice, and salt. Stir with a fork to mix. In a mixing bowl, combine the Better Butter or spread, honey, and orange extract. With a wooden spoon, beat until smooth and light. Add the egg, beating until smooth. Add the milk. Beat until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until combined. Stir in the walnuts and cranberries. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or longer if desired, until firm. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Coat a baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough in half. Roll each piece of dough into a 1″ diameter log. Place the logs, separated, on the sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the logs are set. Remove to a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F. On a cutting board with a serrated knife, cut each log into 1/2″-wide diagonal slices. Place the slices, cut sides down, on the baking sheets. Bake for 18 minutes, or until toasted on top. Turn the cookies and bake for about 10 minutes, or until toasted on top. Remove to racks to cool.
Yield: 10 servings
Calories: 133
Fat: 5g
Fiber: 1g
You can use very intricate shapes and the dough will not spread while baking–it truly does not fail. It also holds up great for cookie pops, just be sure to roll the dough 1/2″ thick.
6 C. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 C. butter
2 C. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees–do this first, you want your oven preheated at 350 for at least 30 minutes before you bake your first batch. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Add in dry ingredients a little at a time and mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
Chill for 1 to 2 hours before rolling. If you need a shortcut, place blobs of dough between parchment paper or in a 2-gallon sized ziploc, roll to desired thickness (I like 1/2″) and cut into desired shapes (even if I don’t need a shortcut, this is how I roll my dough as it’s less messy & keeps the cookies tender since you don’t need extra flour for rolling). Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges (as in BARELY–do not overbake!). Makes just under 5 dozen 3” cookies.
Icing Tip: When I first started making these, I would frost with homemade buttercream and then pipe on details with royal icing. It took forever. Then I discovered a great shortcut–use thinned storebought frosting to dip the cookies (any brand, just not whipped), then do the piping. Here’s how: put a big blob of the frosting in a microwave safe bowl (one that is a couple inches deep & wide enough for your cookies to lay flat in) & microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring, until you reach a sour-cream-like consistency. Hold your cooled cookie, by the edges, in your fingertips and dip the front of the cookie, gently shake off excess frosting, turn right side up, and quickly place on wire rack to dry. You will inevitably get some drips–I usually let it set up for a second then go around the edges with an offset spatula to take off any drips (but more often than not, the cookies are for the under-6-yr-old set, so I don’t worry about it). I can usually dip 10 or so before I need to reheat in the microwave, adding more frosting as necessary. Do not heat up all of your frosting at once as bits of cookie may get into the frosting and cause lumps. Please give it a try before you turn up your nose on store bought–I promise they taste great and it saves you a ton of time.
Royal icing:
1 bag confectioners’ sugar
4 T. meringue powder
2 t. flavoring (usually almond, though lately I’ve used lemon)
warm water
Place confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder in mixing bowl. Start beater and mix slowly for a few seconds, keep mixer running and add 3 to 4 tsp. warm water and add flavoring. Continue mixing and adding water a little at a time until you get the consistency you want. Divide and color. Place in piping bags or ziplocs w/ corner snipped–if kids are decorating, I like to use squeeze bottles. Keep covered until you are ready to use–it dries incredibly fast, unless, of course, it’s actually on the cookie and takes forever to dry (and if someone could please explain the physics on that, my 6 yr old thanks you b/c evidently “it just does” is NOT an adequate answer). Note: cookies iced with thinned store-bought frosting (as described above) and royal icing can be stacked–a huge benefit over using traditional butter cream! They will last a few days at room temperature if stored in an airtight container. They also freeze beautifully, which you cannot do with butter cream (it’ll separate. ewww). To freeze, allow iced cookies to dry completely (about 12 hours but I just let them go overnight), then stack (wax paper or parchment paper in between) & place in ziploc. I have frozen them for a month. To defrost, do not open the ziploc until the cookies are thawed (this will keep any condensation off the cookies).
1 1/2 C. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 C. dutch cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
salt
1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped into small chunks
1 1/2 C. sliced almonds
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Blend in the sugars with an electric mixer. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients. Blend on low speed until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the chocolate and almonds and blend thoroughly. (The dough will be very stiff and sticky.) Dust your hands with flour. Place the dough on a clean work surface liberally dusted with flour. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Shape each into a 10″ x 2″ x 3/4″ log. Place on the prepared pan, 2″ apart. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until set. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325ºF. Cut the logs diagonally into 1/2″ slices. Place the slices on their sides on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until firm. Transfer the biscotti to racks to cool.
Yield: 18 servings
Serving Size: 2 Biscotti
Calories: 159
Fat: 9g
Fiber: 3g
Chocolate Malt Shortbread Cookies
113 g Unsalted butter ½ cup, room temperature
60 g Powdered sugar ½ cup, sifted
½ tsp Sea salt
½ tsp Vanilla
28 g Malted milk powder 4 tbsp
125 g AP Flour 1 cup
60 g Chopped milk chocolate
Have a sheet of parchment or plastic wrap about 12×12 laid out on your counter. In a medium bowl and hand mixer or the bowl of your stand mixer with paddle attached, beat your butter and powdered sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add in your salt, vanilla and malted milk powder and mix thoroughly. Add in your flour. If using a mixer, mix on low until flour is incorporated and crumbly. Add your chopped chocolate and mix into the dough with a rubber spatula until evenly dispersed. The dough will still look pretty crumbly but if you press it together it should stick. Using your hands, push the dough together with your hands until it becomes a a large ball or mass. Move the dough to your parchment or plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a log shape (round or square). There are no hard and fast rules on what size it needs to be but I generally end up with something about 6 inches long and 2 inches wide on both the other sides. Wrap in your plastic wrap or parchment after shaping. Place your cookie dough into the refrigerator for about 1 hour, but up to 24 hours is fine. Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. After your dough has chilled at least one hour, remove it from the refrigerator and wrapping then slice into slices that are about ¼” thick. Place your slices onto your cookie sheet giving them about 2-2½ inches space and place directly into the oven. Bake your cookies for 10-12 minutes. For softer cookies right around the 10 minute mark the cookies should be set and ready to come out. If you want crisper cookies, wait a few more minutes until the edges have started to brown. After the cookies have come out of the oven, I often use my spatula to fix any uneven spreading and reshape the cookies. Let sit on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling tray. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Enjoy!
1⁄2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non stick cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping tsp. of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. If using a non stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.
1 C. of flour
2 tbsp of fresh rosemary
1/4 C. of butter, cut into cubes
1/2 C. of grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 C. of sour cream
Salt and pepper
Balsamic Syrup (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, place flour, rosemary, butter, salt and pepper. Pulse until combined. Add the Parmesan cheese and sour cream. Pulse until the dough comes together. Roll dough out into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Slice dough into cookies and place them on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, until they just start to brown. Serve with balsamic syrup.
Balsamic Syrup
1 C. balsamic vinegar (fig infused balsamic is also good)
3 T. of sugar
3 T. of light flavored honey
Combine balsamic vinegar, sugar and honey in a saucepan over medium/low heat. Simmer until reduced by ½ and has the consistency of syrup. Be careful not to let it reduce too much or it will become bitter and hard. Also watch out for the fumes from the vinegar as it cooks. Allow the syrup to come to room temperature. You can cover and refrigerate the syrup for up to 2 weeks. Bring the syrup to room temperature before using it.
The Best Perfectly Buttery Shortbread
1 C. (2 sticks/225 g) salted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
¾ C. (150 g) granulated sugar (reserve a spoonful for sprinkling)
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1¾ C. (255 g) all-purpose flour (if you aren’t using a scale, sift the flour, then scoop it into the measuring cups; go for 2 scant cups)
Optional 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or bars, roughly chopped
2 T. unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into ½-inch cubes
Flaky salt
1. Line an 8 × 8-inch pan with two wide strips of parchment paper, crossing over one another, for easy lift-out later. (You can use a 9 × 9-inch pan, or a 9-inch cake pan, and so on; just start checking the cookies earlier for doneness using the visual cues in step 4.) 2. In a large bowl, use a wooden spoon to combine the butter, sugar, and salt until mostly uniform but still dense; it will look like the store-bought almond paste you’d use to make rainbow cookies. Add the flour. Integrate into the butter mixture with the wooden spoon, or your hands, or a fork, or some combination—the resulting mixture will look like crumbles of streusel, and if you pinch one, the insides should be uniform (not just a clump of butter coated in flour). Press the crumbles evenly into the pan. 3. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or up to 24 hours. 4. Heat the oven to 300°F. Sprinkle the reserved sugar evenly over the dough. Use a fork to “dock” the surface, i.e. make holes all over that go about halfway down. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until barely golden around the edges and just set and dry to the touch in the center. 5. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then lift out of the pan using the parchment overhangs. Carefully cut into 8 square bars, or 16 long rectangular bars. 6. If topping with chocolate, melt two-thirds (about 4 ounces) of the chocolate in 10-second bursts in the micro wave, stirring between each one. When melted, add the rest of the chocolate and the butter and stir until melted. Return to the microwave for 10 seconds. Stir. (Repeat if not silky smooth. Chocolate is fickle.) 7. Dip each shortbread cookie into the chocolate to cover it partially. Sprinkle with flaky salt. Set on a rimmed rack in the fridge to let the chocolate harden. Store loosely covered at room temperature or tightly covered in the refrigerator. These also freeze very well, tightly covered, for weeks.
Milk Powder Shortbread
Swap in 1/3 C. (48 g) whole milk powder for 48 g (roughly a heaping 1/3 cup) of the all-purpose flour; the best way to do this is to measure out the 48 g whole milk powder in a bowl on the scale, and then add all-purpose flour until you reach the full 255 g. These will finish baking about 5 minutes earlier than the standard recipe; start checking at 3 5 minutes.
Vanilla Bean-Citrus Sugar Shortbread
Just before you make the shortbread, rub 2 T. citrus zest into the sugar. Scrape the insides of 2 vanilla beans or add 1 T. vanilla bean paste into the butter mixture before you mix in the flour.
Salty Chocolate Buckwheat Shortbread
Swap in 40 g (scant 1/3 cup) buckwheat flour for 40 g (heaping 1/4 cup) of the all-purpose flour. Add 40 g (scant 1/2 cup) cocoa powder. Before making the dough, toast both flours and cocoa powder on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 300°F for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool, get rid of any lumps with a whisk or fork, and add to the recipe in place of the plain flour.
Tahini Date Shortbread
Swap in 3 T. tahini for 3 T. of the butter. Before baking, drizzle the shortbread with tahini, pinches of the reserved sugar, and several pitted, finely diced dates.
Toasted Rice Flour and Jam Shortbread
Swap in 70 g (scant 1/2 cup) rice flour for 70 g (scant ¥2 cup) of the total flour. Toast both flours on a parchment-lined sheet pan at 3 00°F for 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool, then use in the recipe in place of the all-purpose flour. Before baking the dough, dollop a few tsp. of raspberry jam on the surface and use a martini pick, toothpick, or knife to swirl it, without integrating it too much (leave the swirls distinct). You could also swirl some peanut butter into the surface. Bake as directed.
Browned Butter Shortbread
Brown half of the butter in a small saucepan; when it foams, add 2 T. milk powder and whisk. Let the mixture come back to a soft room temperature, then add the rest of the room-temperature butter and proceed with the recipe.
Grape-Nuts Shortbread
Sprinkle 1/4 C. Grape-Nuts plus 1 T. additional sugar evenly over the parchment in the pan. Press the dough into it as if the sugary Grape-Nuts are a roughly hewn bottom crust. Before chilling the dough, sprinkle an additional ¼ C. Grape-Nuts and 1 more T. sugar over the dough. Press hard so some of the cereal wedges into the top of the dough. Bake as directed.
2 C. unbleached white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C. sugar
2 whole eggs
1 egg white
2 T. freshly grated lemon peel
1 T. ground anise seeds
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with cooking spray or a very light coating of oil. In a large mixing bow, sift together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Lightly beat the eggs and add them to the flour mixture. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla, and walnuts, mixing just until the dough is smooth. Using a rubber spatula and floured hands, scoop half of the dough out of the bowl and onto one side of the baking sheet. Shape the dough into a 15″ long log. Make a second log on the other side of the baking tray with the remaining dough. Space the logs at least 6″ apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top of each biscotti log is firm. Remove them with a long spatula to a wire rack and cool for 10-15 minutes. Cut each log on a severe diagonal into about 20 1/2″ thick slices and place them, cut side down,on the baking sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Hot from the oven, the biscotti might be slightly soft in the center, but they will harden as they cool. Allow them to cool completely. Stored in a tin or other tightly closed container, they will keep for at least a couple of weeks.
Yield: 20 cookies
Serving Size: 1 Cookie
Calories: 51
Fat: .5g
1 C. Creamy peanut butter
1 C. Frozen concentrated Apple Juice, thawed
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 C. Whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
Combine peanut butter, apple juice, and vanilla in a mixing bowl; mix well. Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda (dough will be sticky). Drop by rounded T. onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Dip a glass in flour and use it to press down the cookies; dip a fork in flour and make the traditional peanut-butter marks on the cookies using the fork. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.
1-1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup reduced-calorie stick margarine
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed to measure
4 packets (or 1-1/4 tsp. bulk) Sweet’N Low
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup raisins
Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, mix the margarine, sugar, Sweet’N Low, egg whites and vanilla with an electric beater. Stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Add the raisins. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Drop the dough by rounded tsp. onto cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Makes 3 dozen cookies or 18 servings.
Serving Size: 2 cookies
Calories: 95
Fat: 3g
2 eggs
3/4 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1 T. butter, melted
2 tsp. baking powder
1 3/4 C quick cooking oats
Heat oven to 350. In large bowl beat eggs until frothy. Add sugar, ginger, vanilla and salt; mix until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes longer. Blend in butter and baking powder, then fold in the oats. Cover a large cookie sheet with ungreased foil. Drop the batter onto sheet in rounded tsp.fuls spaced 2″ apart. Bake in center of oven until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from pan while hot and cool on a rack. Repeat with remaining batter.
1/2 C. cake flour, sifted
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
6 T. sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, and saltsp. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl, rapidly, until very thick and lemon colored, adding almond and vanilla flavorings during the beating. With clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff and shiny; begin to add sugar, not more than 1 T. at a time, and beat constantly. Continue to beat rapidly until whites are very stiff and glossy. Gently fold in the beaten egg yolks. In the same manner fold in the dry ingredients until well mixed. Using a small spatula and a measuring T., measure and droop onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apartsp. Bake for 10 minutes until light and golden brown. Remove at once from sheet to cool.
Yield: 39 cookies
Serving Size: 3 cookies
Calories: 50
Fat: .9g
Fiber: 0g
3 C. white flour
1 1/2 C. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 C. mashed green bananas (unripe)
1 1/2 C. granulated sugar
1 1/2 C. brown sugar
3 tsp. vanilla
4 egg whites
1/2 pkg. Toll House morsels
Mix all ingredients together in mixer, adding chocolate chips last. Bake rounded tsp.fuls on greased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.
2 1/2 C. flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 pinch salt
3 fresh oranges
3 large eggs
3/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger
powdered sugar, for rolling
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, pepper and salt. Finely grate 1 T. of zest from the oranges and set aside. Squeeze 4 T. of juice through a strainer and reserve. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, orange zest and juice together. Add this to the flour mixture along with the candied ginger and stir until a stiff dough forms. Scrape the dough onto a lightly sugared work surface and divide it into 4 pieces. Roll each piece with the palms of your hands into a log slightly shorter than the length of your cookie sheet. Place two logs on each cookie sheet, several inches apart (the logs will double in width). Bake for 15 minutes, until the logs feel set or firm to the touch. Set the cookie sheets on racks and let cool. Reset the oven to 300°F. When cool to the touch, place the logs on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice them into 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Lay the biscotti out on the prepared cookie sheets in a single layer and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until they are dry and lightly toasted. Cool completely. Store in an airtight tin or plastic container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.
3 Biscotti = 101 calories