Kristen's Recipes

Maple Thyme Shortbread

Shortbread:

8 T. butter (1 stick)

½ C. powdered sugar

1 C. flour

½ tsp. salt

1 T. minced fresh thyme leaves

Maple glaze:

½ C. maple syrup

1 C. confectioners’ sugar

pinch salt

Beat the butter and sugar together until fully combined. The mixture will turn a light pale color, and should take a solid 5 minutes by hand, or 3 minutes in a standing mixer. Add flour, salt and thyme slowly and mix until combined. With a rubber spatula, place the mixture on a layer of plastic wrap, and carefully roll into a log about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap fully and freeze at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°F. Slice the log into ½-inch rounds, arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 10–15 minutes, until just lightly brown. Watch carefully—don’t let the bottoms get too dark. Set aside to cool while you make the glaze. Whisk all the glaze ingredients together until thickened. When the cookies are cool spoon some of the glaze over and allow to harden before serving.

Coconut Chip Cookies

1 C. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature

½ C. plus 2 T. granulated sugar

¾ C. packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 ¼ C. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour, plus more for glass

1 tsp. baking soda

Pinch of fine sea salt

4 C. coconut chips

Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and granulated sugar; add brown sugar and mix until well combined. Add eggs and mix until fully incorporated. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix to combine. Add remaining flour mixture and mix to combine. Add half of the coconut chips; mix to combine. Add remaining coconut chips and mix to combine. Using a 1 ¾ inch (1 ½ tablespoons) ice cream scoop, scoop out balls of dough onto prepared baking sheets at least 3 inches apart. Transfer baking sheet to refrigerator; let chill for 30 minutes. Using the flat bottom of a floured drinking glass, flatten dough slightly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer baking sheet to oven and bake until golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool at least 20 minutes before serving.

Dutch Sugar Cookies (Arnhemse Meisjes)

Sugar, for sprinkling

1/3 C. whole milk

5 grams fresh yeast

1 1/2 C. unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

1 T. pure vanilla extract

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, room temperature

Line a baking sheet with parchment; sprinkle evenly with sugar to cover. Set aside. In a liquid-measuring cup, combine milk and yeast. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, salt, and vanilla. Beat in milk mixture on medium-high speed until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, add butter, 1 T. at a time, making sure it is fully incorporated before adding the next one. Once all butter has been added, increase speed to high and beat 5 minutes. Turn out dough, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously sprinkle sugar on work surface. Place dough on sugared surface; sprinkle with sugar to cover. Top with a piece of parchment, then roll out dough 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3-inch oval cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet, spaced 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake until deeply golden all over, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Cherry Icebox Cookies

1 C. (2 sticks / 227 g) unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ C. (250 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

¼ C. maraschino cherry juice (You’ll see the jar listed below, use ¼ C. from the jar.)

½ tsp. almond extract

3 ¼ C. (406 g) all-purpose flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. cream of tartar

1 jar (10 ounces) maraschino cherries, quartered (about ½ cup)

½ C. (71.5 g) almonds, finely chopped (can omit)

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add butter and sugar. Mix until light and creamy. (You could also use a handheld mixer.) Add the egg, cherry juice, and almond extract. Mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl add flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Whisk together to combine. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, 1 C. at a time, until combined. Gently fold in the cherries and the almonds. Add dough to a sheet of parchment paper and roll into 2, 8-inch rolls. Wrap in plastic wrap and seal the ends. Place the dough in the refrigerator to chill for about 2 hours, or until firm. When ready, preheat the oven to 375°F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place each roll on a cutting board. Slice each dough log into ¼-inch cookies and place cookies onto the prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned.

Pistachio Cardamom Shortbread Drops

1 C. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 1/4 C. whole spelt (or whole wheat) flour

1/2 C. icing sugar*

1/2 C. ground pistachios

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 C. finely chopped pistachios for garnish

Using an electric mixer, whip the butter, sugar, cardamom, and ground pistachios together until smooth and creamy. Add the flour and mix until a uniform dough is obtained. With floured hands, roll into balls about an inch in diameter. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, 3 inches apart. With your thumb, make an indentation in each ball and fill with chopped pistachios. Refrigerate the cookie sheet with the cookies on it for about 15 minutes, while you preheat your oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 F. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan before removing.

Melody Cookies

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1/3 C. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature

3/4 C. sugar

3/4 tsp. fine sea salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 large egg white

sanding or granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together. Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt together on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes; scrape down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and blend in the vanilla, followed by the egg white, and beat for 1 to 2 minutes. The white might curdle the dough and make it slippery — keep going; it will smooth out when the flour goes in. Turn the mixer off, add half the flour-cocoa mixture and pulse the machine to get the blending going, then mix on low only until the dry ingredients are almost incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and repeat with the remaining flour-cocoa mixture, this time beating just until the dry ingredients disappear and the dough comes together. Scrape the dough onto a work surface, divide it in half and shape each half into a disk. Working with one piece of dough at a time, sandwich the dough between pieces of parchment paper and roll out to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Slide the dough onto a baking sheet — you can stack the slabs — and freeze for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Getting ready to bake: Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. I use a 2-inch-diameter scalloped cookie cutter, but you can make the cookies smaller or larger if you’d like; the baking times will be almost the same, though the yield, of course, will change. Working with one piece of dough at a time, peel away both pieces of paper and return the dough to one piece of paper. Cut out as many cookies as you can. Place them on the lined baking sheets, leaving a generous inch between rounds; reserve the scraps. Sprinkle the cookies with sanding or granulated sugar. Gather together the scraps from both pieces of dough, re-roll them between paper until 1/8 inch thick and chill thoroughly. Bake the cookies for 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the pans front to back and top to bottom at the midway mark. The cookies are done when they feel firm to the touch around the edges and give only the least little bit when poked in the center. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the cookies rest on the sheets for about 2 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide spatula. Let cool completely. Cut out and bake the remaining dough, always using cool sheets.

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 C. (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temp

1/4 C. cream cheese, at room temp

1/2 C. sugar

1 C. packed light brown sugar

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 C. semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, cream cheese, sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla extract until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture, beating to combine, then stir in the chocolate chips. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for a minimum of 2 hours and up to 3 days. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats. Drop 2- to 3-T. mounds of dough onto the baking sheets, spacing the mounds at least 2 inches apart. Bake the cookies for 9 to 11 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 2 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Salted Margarita Bites Cookies

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix

1 T. slightly packed grated fresh lime peel

1/3 C. butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon coarse (kosher or sea) salt

In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and lime peel until blended. Add butter, egg and lime juice. Beat with electric mixer on medium-low speed until blended and soft dough forms. On 17-inch piece plastic wrap, shape dough into 12-inch log. Wrap tightly; freeze at least 30 minutes or until firm enough to slice. Heat oven to 375°F. Unwrap dough; cut into %-inch slices. On ungreased cookie sheets, place slices 2 inches apart, reshaping if necessary; lightly sprinkle with salt. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until pale brown on bottom. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely before storing in airtight container. If desired, garnish cookies with freshly grated lime peel just before serving.

Welsh Cranberry Skillet Cookies

2 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 3/4 C. sugar, plus more for sprinkling

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. finely grated lime zest

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1/2 tsp. salt

1 stick unsalted butter, diced, plus 4 T. melted

3/4 C. dried cranberries

2 large eggs

2 T. heavy cream

Whisk the flour, 3/4 C. sugar, the baking powder, lime zest, cardamom and salt in a medium bowl. Work in the diced butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks sandy. Stir in the dried cranberries. Lightly beat the eggs and heavy cream in a small bowl, then stir into the flour mixture to make a shaggy dough. Transfer to a sheet of plastic wrap; shape into a disk. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Roll out the dough on a generously floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out circles with a 1 1/2- to 2-inch round cookie cutter; arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to cook, at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Put the remaining 1 C. sugar in a medium bowl. Working in batches, brush the skillet with melted butter, then add the dough rounds. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (Brush the skillet with more butter between batches.) Toss the warm cookies in the sugar, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days; the texture actually improves after a day.

PB & J Sandwich Cookies

1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker™ peanut butter cookie mix

Vegetable oil and egg called for on cookie mix pouch

1/3 C. Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting (from 1-lb container)

2 T. peanut butter SAVE $

1/3 C. favorite jelly, jam or preserves

Heat oven to 375°F. Make cookies as directed on pouch, using oil and egg. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. In small bowl, stir frosting and peanut butter until smooth. For each sandwich cookie, spread generous teaspoon frosting mixture on bottom of 1 cookie; spread scant teaspoon jelly over peanut butter mixture. Top with another cookie, bottom side down.

Sprinkle Cookies

2 1/2 C. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. unsalted butter, room temperature

1 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed, about 2 minutes or until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, then the vanilla extract. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined.  Using a heaping T. for each cookie, roll dough into balls. Put the sprinkles in pie plates so they won’t scatter. Roll the top half of each ball into the sprinkles and place balls on ungreased baking sheets, 3 inches apart. If the dough is too sticky, chill it for 5 minutes.  Bake the cookies for 8 minutes, just until they start to turn golden but are still soft. Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.

Root Beer Cookies

1 C. butter, softened

2 C. brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 C. buttermilk

3/4 tsp. root beer concentrate or extract

4 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C. chopped pecans, optional

3 1/2 C. powdered sugar

3/4 C. butter, softened

2 T. water

1 1/2 tsp. root beer concentrate or extract

Cream butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Beat in buttermilk & root beer concentrate. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture, stir in nuts. Drop by rounded T. 3″ apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees f. for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. In a mixing bowl, combine frosting ingredients together, beat until smooth. Frost cooled cookies. Enjoy!

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies

14 T. unsalted butter 1 3/4 sticks

1/4 C. sugar

2 C. packed dark brown sugar

2 C. flour plus 2 T.

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 T. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a skillet melt 10 T. butter over medium-high heat. Whisk constantly until butter starts to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Pour into bowl, add remaining butter to same bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl whisk together sugar, 1/4 C. brown sugar, flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add remaining brown sugar and salt to butter and whisk until smooth. Whisk in egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Combine butter mixture with dry ingredients, stirring until a dough forms. Either roll dough out to 1/2-inch thick and use a cookie cutter or roll into a ball and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until cookies begin to set.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 C. butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature

1-1/2 C. smooth peanut butter

1 C. packed brown sugar

1/2 C. white sugar

2 eggs

2 T. light corn syrup

4 T. water

1 T. vanilla extract

2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).  In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the corn syrup, water, and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Chill dough for 15 minutes in the refrigerator (this will prevent spreading during cooking), then drop by large spoonfuls (about 1-1/2 T. each) 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 in the preheated oven, or until edges are golden (they will seem super soft). Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.