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No-Bake Minions Cookies

No-Bake Minions Cookies

No-Bake Minions Cookies

 

Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies (any flavor)

Yellow candy melts

Blue candy melts

Black candy melts

Small candy eyes

Large candy eye

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper. Melt the yellow candy melts according to the package instructions. Dip one flat side of each cookie into the candy melts then place it on the baking sheet. Refrigerate the cookies for 5 minutes until the candy melt has fully hardened. Melt the blue candy melts according to the package instructions. Dip the lower one-third of each cookie into the candy melts then return it to the baking sheet. Transfer a portion of the melted candy melts into a piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe the straps of the overalls. Refrigerate the cookies for 5 minutes until the candy melt has fully hardened. Melt the black candy melts according to the package instructions. Transfer the candy melts to a piping bag, snip off the tip and pipe a variation of mouths (smiling, frowning, scowling, etc.) onto the cookies above the overalls. Next, pipe a variation of hairstyles at the tops of the cookies, then pipe a line (below the hair) across each cookie and immediately place two small eyes or one large eye on each cookie. Refrigerate the cookies for 5 minutes until the candy melts have fully hardened then serve or use as a cupcake topper.

Soft Amish Sugar Cookies

Soft Amish Sugar Cookies

Soft Amish Sugar Cookies

 

2 cups butter 1 cup softened to room temperature and 1 cup melted

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

2 large eggs at room temp

2 tsp. almond extract or vanilla extract

4 and ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

 

2 T.  butter at room temp

2 T.  cream cheese at room temp

1 to 2 T.  heavy whipping cream can substitute whole milk

½ tsp. almond extract

2 to 2.5 cups powdered sugar (aka confectioners) sifted, then measured

 

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until combined. Stop mixer and scrape sides, combine again. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stop the mixer and scrape sides, combine again. In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. In two additions, add flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until just combined. Do not overmix. Chill dough for at least one hour before baking. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Using a spring-release scoop drop onto a silicone mat on a sheet pan. (My spring release scoop holds 1 T.  of dough.) Press dough slightly flat with your palm or the bottom of a glass. Bake at 350 for 11 to 13 minutes, or until edges and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes on the sheet pan before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. These are good for 5 days stored in an airtight container on the counter before they start drying out. If you frost with cream cheese frosting, you’ll need to store them in the refrigerator. This cookie dough freezes great!  Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.

Add 1 cup of the sifted powdered sugar, whipping cream, and extract and mix until creamy. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Frost cookies and serve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator

Amish Drop Sugar Cookies

Amish Drop Sugar Cookies

Amish Drop Sugar Cookies

 

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ teaspoon almond extract

Sparkling sugar, for topping

 

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.  In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the sugar and butter until creamy and smooth. Add the eggs; mix until completely combined. Add the sour cream; mix until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and almond extract; mix until combined. Using a cookie scoop or tablespoons, drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 9-11 minutes, or just until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges. Cool on wire racks

Baba Yaga’s Wild Spice Honey Cookies

Baba Yaga’s Wild Spice Honey Cookies

Baba Yaga’s Wild Spice Honey Cookies

 

​¾ cup spice-infused honey

½ cup butter

1½ cups rye flour

1½ cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup spiced sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2 egg yolks

 

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter and honey together and stir just until they’re combined. Set aside. ​In a bowl, whisk together eggs and spiced sugar. Add the honey-butter mixture. Then, add the flour and salt. Using your hands, mix together until it holds its shape. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1-2 hours and up to 24 hours. ​When ready to bake, allow the dough to warm up. Roll the dough out to about 1/4 of an inch, and use extra flour if too wet. Cut out your desired cookie shapes and stamp as you wish. ​Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges start browning just a little. Cool on a wire rack before glazing.

 

Butter Rum Spiced Glaze

 

2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tbsp wild spice sugar

1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and warm

1 tbsp dark rum (or lemon juice)

1 tsp warm water

Pinch salt

​

​Prepare the glaze while the cookies are still in the oven, it needs to be brushed on while they are still warm. Sift the icing sugar and wild spice into a bowl. Add melted butter, rum (or lemon juice) and water and mix with a spoon until smooth. The glaze will thicken slightly if it sits around, so stir through a little more warm water if you need to – it should be the consistency of runny honey.  Remove the cookies from the oven, leave to rest for 5 minutes, then brush or dab the glaze all over with a pastry brush. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Biscuits will keep for up to five days in an airtight container.

Marshmallow Flower Cookies

Marshmallow Flower Cookies

Marshmallow Flower Cookies

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/235313149272997867/

 

6 marshmallows

6 hazelnuts

Ground cinnamon optional

 

Preheat oven to 250°F.  At a temperature below 225°F, marshmallows won’t puff up enough, resulting in less crispy cookies. If the temperature exceeds 250°F, a marshmallow tends to puff up too much, resulting in one giant disk of a marshmallow. Therefore, make sure your oven never goes above 250°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Shape: Give 4 crosswise cuts to each marshmallow, while keeping slices connected on one side. Shape into flowers. Lightly wet the scissors if the marshmallow sticks. Place them on the prepared baking sheet with sticky sides down. Stretch out the petals. Lightly wet your fingers to gently press down the flowers to flatten.

Bake: Check the internal temperature is 250°F but not above(between 225°F to 250°F). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place hazelnuts in the center of the marshmallows. Bake for another 45 minutes. Let cool completely, for 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder if desired.

Cardamom Pistachio Cookies

Cardamom Pistachio Cookies

Cardamom Pistachio Cookies

 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 egg yolks

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cardamom seeds, crushed using a mortar and pestle

1/4 cup sparkling decorative sugar

1/4 cup chopped pistachio nuts

 

Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat for one minute. Add the vanilla extract and egg yolks and beat an additional minute. Sift together the flour and salt. Spoon the flour mixture into the butter mixture and add the cardamom. Beat on low speed, then increase to medium and mix until the batter is combined. Spoon the dough into a cookie press and press out onto ungreased baking sheets. Or roll the dough into a log, wrap in parchment paper and chill for two hours before slicing into rounds and arranging evenly onto the cookie sheets. In a small bowl, combine the sparkling sugar and the pistachio nuts, then sprinkle some on each cookie. Bake just until the edges of the cookies start to turn a pale golden color, about 8 to 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet, then remove carefully to a wire rack. The cookies will firm up as they cool. When they are completely cool, store in an airtight container. They may be kept frozen up to two months.

Vanilla Wafer Cookies

Vanilla Wafer Cookies

Vanilla Wafer Cookies

 

1/2 cup sugar (3.5 ounce)

2 T. vanilla paste

1 cup flour (about 7 ounces)

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 egg

1 T. vanilla

 

Blend sugar and vanilla paste to incorporate well; set aside. Whisk and set aside flour baking powder and salt. Cream the butter and vanilla sugar by beating 2 minutes. Add egg and mix a half minute more. Add vanilla and milk and blend on low speed. Add flour mixture and mix on low just to incorporate and do not over mix. Chill the batter for 10 minutes before scooping with 100 scoop. or about 1 teaspoon balls. Arrange  on greased sheet or parchment lined sheet. Bake in 350ºF oven for 15 -18 minutes–remove when evenly golden browned. Cool completely

Italian Sesame Seed Cookies

Italian Sesame Seed Cookies

Italian Sesame Seed Cookies

 

½ pound butter – softened

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Anise Flavoring/ extract

3 cups flour (may need to add more)

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

Milk (for dipping, optional)

12-16 ounces Sesame Seeds (May be lightly toasted in oven, if desired, before using for cookies.)

.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar.  Mix in eggs, vanilla, and a few drops of anise flavoring. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture to form a soft dough. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into small thumb size logs (about 1 ½ to 2 inches long and about ½ inch thick).  You may want to flour hands before shaping cookies. Put sesame seeds shallow bowl or plate.  Roll cookie logs in sesame seeds to coat.  (Optional:  Pour milk and a few drops of anise flavoring in a shallow bowl.  Put sesame seeds in another shallow bowl or plate. Dip dough into milk and then roll them in sesame seeds to coat.).  Place on a greased or parchment covered cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes. Mine took longer. Keep peeking.  Cool on racks.  Can be frozen.  Makes about 2 to 3 dozen

Funny Face Decorated Cookies

Funny Face Decorated Cookies

Funny Face Decorated Cookies

 

Chocolate cookie dough

Sugar cookie dough

Gingerbread dough

Royal icing

Gel food coloring

Free downloadable cookie template

Scissors

Rolling pin

Paring knife

12″ pastry bags

#1 or #2 round tip

Toothpicks

Paper plates or parchment (for experimenting)

 

We used three kinds of cookie dough created by cookie expert Bernard S.: chocolate cookie dough, sugar cookie dough and gingerbread dough. You can use your favorite versions—the ones passed down through your family or the ones that come refrigerated from your grocery store. If you’re making your dough, once it’s mixed up, put it in the fridge to chill for at least an hour. Then print the free downloadable cookie templates and cut the faces out with scissors. First, sprinkle a little flour on a sheet of parchment paper. This will help make sure your dough doesn’t stick. Roll all of your chilled cookie dough out onto the parchment — it should be a scant 1/4 inch thick. Then transfer the whole dough-covered sheet of parchment to a large baking sheet and pop it in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Remove the dough from the freezer and place the templates on the dough. Trace them with the tip of your paring knife, then cut them out. Remove the extra dough and put the cookie faces back in the freezer to keep those edges nice and sharp when they bake. Then just follow the baking instructions for each recipe and let your cookie faces cool completely. (This is really important!) Pro tip: We’re all about the cookie decorating here, but great cookies start with great dough. Check out our best tips and tricks for rolling your dough. Now for the fun part—decorating! Your cookies must be completely cool before you start decorating. Otherwise, the icing will break down. If you have to bake and decorate on the same day, let the cookies cool to the touch on the rack, then give them a quick chill in the freezer (about 10 minutes). Pro tip: Bake your cookie faces a week ahead and freeze them in a zipper bag ’til you’re ready to decorate. Start with the basic royal icing recipe mixed in a super-clean glass or metal bowl. (Fats can break down the icing, so you want your bowl completely free of oil or butter residue.) Mix the royal icing to the consistency of cake frosting and set it aside.  Next, separate the royal icing into as many smaller (and clean!) bowls as you want colors. You’re going to thin it down by mixing in the tiniest bit of water. To test the consistency, run a knife or spatula through the icing.  When it takes a good 20 seconds to fill back in, it’s the right consistency. If it’s too thick, add a tiny bit more water and mix again. Too thin? Add a little more powdered sugar. Pro tip: Adding too much water will make your icing runny. A spray bottle will allow you to control the amount of water so you can get the right consistency. We used plain white royal icing and added tiny dabs of gel food coloring to create different shades of brown. You’ll notice we kept our color palette super simple because #aesthetic. If you want a wider range of options, check out this post about food coloring ratios for different skin tones. We’ve provided our sketches to show different ways to try hair and noses and textures. But we don’t know your fam—you do. Play around! Fill your pastry bag with icing and pop on a no. 1 tip. For the larger areas, like hair and beards, start by outlining with royal icing then fill it in. If there are any open spaces, you can use a toothpick to move the icing around before it starts to dry. For a little dimension, let your first color dry completely (about 2 hours) before adding another on top in a slightly thinned down icing. (If you add icing to wet icing, it’ll all smooth out in one layer.)

Swedish Almond Cookie

Swedish Almond Cookie

Swedish Almond Cookie

 

1 cup of almonds, ground (100g)

1 Tbs all-purpose flour

1 cup of white sugar (100g)

1 cup of salted butter (100g)

2 Tbs cream

 

Preheat oven to 424F (Regulo 6). Ground almonds in a food processor. Add almonds and the rest of the ingredients into a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer, remove from heat. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or butter and flour the baking sheet well. Spoon out mixture with a tablespoon, leaving plenty of room for spreading. Bake about 4 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Remove, cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, until the cookies can be loosened with a spatula without breaking. This should be the texture of a rubber coaster, bendy but not breaky. Roll cookie around the handle of a wooden spoon and rest in a single layer to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Alfajores de Dulce de Leche

Alfajores de Dulce de Leche

Alfajores de Dulce de Leche

 

4 C. all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface

1/4 C. plus 2 T. confectioners’ sugar

1 1/2 C. (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 C. water

Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

For the Dulce de Leche:

2 (14-ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick baking mat (such as Silpat). Sift together flour and confectioners’ sugar. In a food processor, pulse together flour mixture and butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 20 seconds. With machine running, pour in the water in a slow steam and process just until the dough comes together, about 20 seconds. Form the dough into 2 flattened disks and wrap well in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350°. On a well-floured work surface, roll out 1 disk of dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds from dough and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with other disk of dough. Gather up the scraps from both batches, and reroll and cut. Sprinkle half the rounds with sanding sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. About 30 minutes before serving, spread 1 to 2 tsp. of the cold dulce de leche on bottom of unsugared cookies. Place sugared cookies on top to make sandwiches. Serve immediately. Unfilled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. For the dulce de leche: Empty milk into the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until milk is thick and amber in color, about 5 hours. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon to smooth out. Transfer to a clean bowl, and refrigerate several hours or up to 3 days.

Goose Feet Cookies (Gusinie Lapki)

Goose Feet Cookies (Gusinie Lapki)

Goose Feet Cookies (Gusinie Lapki)

 

1 3/4 C. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 C. fresh farmer cheese

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

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

1 heaping T. finely grated orange zest (from 1 orange)

1/3 C. granulated sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, mix together cheese, butter, vanilla seeds, and orange zest with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add flour mixture and stir until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk, and wrap tightly. Refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Using a 4-inch round cutter, cut out rounds. Gather dough scraps, reroll, and cut out more rounds. Place granulated sugar in a wide shallow bowl. Working with one round at a time, brush with water, then dip in sugar to coat. Fold round in half, covering sugar; fold in half again. Place seven cookies on each of two parchment-lined baking sheets. Brush tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar. Bake until golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer sheets to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies are best eaten the day they are made.

Maple Thyme Shortbread

Maple Thyme Shortbread

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.

Cake Mix Cookies II

Cake Mix Cookies II

Cake Mix Cookies

 

1 cake mix (dry ingredients only)

1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 C. mix ins (such as chocolate chips, coconut, nuts, etc.)

 

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper. In a bowl, mix together the cake mix, vegetable oil and eggs until combined. Stir in the mix ins. Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart. Bake just until the cookies are set in the middle, 10-12 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack or a sheet of waxed paper.  Recipe Notes: I have used different cake mix sizes from 15.25 oz to 18.25 oz and they all seem to work just fine. You won’t need to adapt the other ingredients.  Mix ins can be whatever you want to mix into the cookies – coconut, chocolate chips, chopped candy bars, etc. The possibilities are endless!

Coconut Chip Cookies

Coconut Chip Cookies

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)

Dutch Sugar Cookies (Arnhemse Meisjes)

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.

Spiked Snickerdoodle Sugar Cookie

Spiked Snickerdoodle Sugar Cookie

Spiked Snickerdoodle Sugar Cookie

 

2 C. (450 grams) softened butter

2 C. (402 grams) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 T. (29.5 milliliters) vanilla extract

¼ C. (59 milliliters) bourbon, Screwball Cookie Dough Bourbon preferred (optional)

6 C. (750 grams) flour

3 T. (23.4 grams) cinnamon

¼ C. (30.5 grams) cornstarch

For the topping

1 T. (8.3 grams) cinnamon

2 C. (400 grams) brown sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream butter and sugar until blended. Add eggs, extract and, if using, bourbon. Mix until well incorporated. Blend dry ingredients in a separate bowl then add 1 C. at a time, mixing between each cup. Dough should cleanly pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl. If not, add ¼ C. of flour. Take a generous portion of dough out of mixing bowl to roll out between parchment paper. Fluff the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture with a fork to evenly incorporate. With the dough rolled out, generously sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture over it by hand. Roll dough upon itself like a cinnamon roll. Then re-roll the dough, sprinkle again and cut out your preferred shapes. Repeat this process until all dough is used. Bake cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheet for 9 to 12 minutes as ovens may vary. Baking time is based upon dough flattened to a 3/8-inch thickness. If rolled thinner, reduce baking time.

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

 

1 small (about 1½ pounds) pie pumpkin

7 T. unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

⅔ C. (packed) brown sugar

1 large egg, separated

½ tsp. cinnamon

Grated zest of 1⁄2 lemon

¼ tsp. salt

2½ C. all-purpose flour

Coarse turbinado or sanding sugar, for finishing

 

Remove the pumpkin stem and cut in half; remove seeds. Cut each half into 3 pieces. Place in a steamer basket set over simmering water; cover and steam for about 15 minutes or until very tender. Cool, then scoop out flesh and mash; measure ½ C. of pumpkin. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together. Add egg yolk and mix well, then mix in pumpkin. Add cinnamon, lemon zest and salt; blend well. Add flour and mix well. Transfer dough to a work surface. Divide in half and roll each half into a log about 1½ inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350°F; line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white to blend. Brush dough with egg white, then roll in sugar to coat. Slice into rounds about ½ inch thick. Transfer cookies to baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Lemonbalm Shortbread

Lemonbalm Shortbread

Lemonbalm Shortbread

 

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 C. + 1 T. confectioner’s sugar

1 C. flour

1/8 tsp. salt (omit if using salted butter)

3 T. chopped fresh lemonbalm (about 2 dozen leaves)

1 tsp. fresh lemon zest

 

Rinse the lemonbalm well and shake the excess water off, then allow to air dry completely. (A salad spinner speeds up the task). Fresh herbs should never be chopped when wet, so be sure the leaves are 100% dry after rinsing. Pick off the leaves and discard the stems, then pile the leaves on top of each other, a dozen at a time, and roll into a tight “cigar”. Using a sharp knife, slice very thinly. Pile the shredded herbs into a mound and chop them up a bit more, until quite fine. Use right away. In a medium bowl, beat together the room temperature butter, chopped herb, fresh lemon zest, salt, and sugar until well mixed. Add the flour and mix well. You may need to use your hands for the final part of mixing. You can also use an electric mixer, just be sure not to overwork the dough after the flour has been added. Once the dough is smooth and coming together, roll it into a ball and flatten it. Wrap tightly in wax paper and chill for 20 minutes. Roll the flattened disc out on a lightly floured countertop and cut into shapes using a cookie cutter. Quick tip: shortbread dough can be a bit finicky to roll out (it can’t be too warm or too cool because of all that butter). So you can skip the whole rolling out step by shaping the ball of dough into a large cylinder shape, then cooling it in the fridge for 2 hours, and slicing about 1/4 inch thick. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, about 1 inch apart. If you rolled the dough, refrigerate the unbaked cookies for 20 minutes before baking. This helps them hold their shape and bake more evenly. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 8 to 10 minutes on a rack placed in the top third of your oven. If your oven is on the hot side, check the cookies after 6 minutes to make sure they aren’t burning.

Cherry Icebox Cookies

Cherry Icebox Cookies

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

Pistachio Cardamom Shortbread Drops

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

Melody Cookies

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.

Raspberry Cookies

Raspberry Cookies

Raspberry Cookies

 

2 C. all-purpose flour

½ C. granulated sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

½ C. salted butter , cubed

⅔ C. heavy whipping cream , plus more as needed

½ lemon , zested and juiced

1 C. roughly chopped frozen raspberries

 

1 C. powdered sugar

2 T. lemon juice

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix butter in with a pastry cutter, whisk, or your hands until crumbly and combined.  Stir in heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice just until combined and a thick dough forms. If the dough is too dry, add 1 more T. cream. Gently fold or press in raspberries. Using a large cookie scoop, spoon dough 2 inches apart onto the baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  In a medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies. Enjoy!

Lemon Cardamom Sandwich Cookies

Lemon Cardamom Sandwich Cookies

Lemon Cardamom Sandwich Cookies

 

1 cup unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3-1/2 cups powdered sugar

 

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1-3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 medium egg

1 egg yolk

 

1/2 upc white chocolate chips, melted

1/4 cup candied lemon peel, finely chopped

 

To make brown butter buttercream filling: In a medium pot or skillet, cook butter over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, cook about 10 minutes until butter reaches a golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. The butter will be somewhat solidified, but not hard (you can speed up this process by placing butter in refrigerator.) Once cooled, use a stand mixer to beat butter until light and fluffy. Add heavy cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Slowly mix ingredients together until almost combined. Continue to beat mixture on high for 5-7 minutes until light and fluffy. Place buttercream into a piping bag with a piping tip of your choice. To make cookies: Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium pot or skillet, gently melt butter over low heat. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, lemon zest and ground cardamom. Set aside. Add sugar to a mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Once butter is melted, but not hot, add to sugar. Mix using paddle attachment. Add vanilla, egg and yolk to the bowl. Mix until combined. Add dry ingredients and mix until fully combined. Using a 3-ounce cookie scoop, scoop the cookie dough onto a parchment lined sheet pan. You will get approximately 13 cookies (one extra cookie to taste test, of course!) Bake cookies for about 14-16 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely before assembling sandwiches. To assemble: Pipe a thick swirl of buttercream on 12 cookies. Top each with another cookie. Drizzle one half of the sandwich cookie with melted white chocolate. Before the white chocolate sets, top with candied lemon peel.

Triple Ginger Snaps with Sorghum

Triple Ginger Snaps with Sorghum

Triple Ginger Snaps with Sorghum

 

2 1/4 cups unbleached flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 T. finely chopped candied ginger

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sorghum

2 extra-large eggs

1 T. freshly grated wild gingerroot

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

About 1/3 cup sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350º F. In a bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger and candied ginger; toss well to mix. In a food processor or a mixer, pulse or cream butter with the brown sugar until fluffy. Add the sorghum and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, until mixed; add the gingerroot and vanilla extract and pulse or mix until combined. Add the dry ingredients and pulse or mix until just blended. Place the sugar in a saucer. Scoop the dough by the heaping tsp. and roll into balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat and place them on a baking sheet at least 2-inches apart. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until flattened and cracked on top. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cookies stand for about 2 minutes. Remove cookies from the pan onto baking racks to cool. Store in a tightly closed tin for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Summer Solstice Herby Honey Cookies

Summer Solstice Herby Honey Cookies

Summer Solstice Herby Honey Cookies

 

1 & 3/4 cups of flour

¾ cup softened butter

¼ cup honey

¼ cup brown or cane sugar

1 teaspoon minced thyme

1 teaspoon lavender buds

1 teaspoon minced rosemary

1 teaspoon minced sage

a few crushed cardamom seeds

pinch of salt

 

NOTE: I used more like a tablespoon of each herb in my cookies, but this might be too herbaceous for some, so adjust accordingly. And I also added 3/4 cup oatmeal to another batch of cookies and cut back on the flour. Feel free to experiment or use whatever cookie recipe you like…after all it’s not the cookie that matters as much as the spirit!

 

Icing:

 

3 teaspoons milk

1 cup icing sugar

a wee bit of grated lemon rind. (I also added lavender buds to the second batch of icing)

Coloring. I used a combination of golden beet juice, St. John’s Tincture and a pinch of turmeric powder, but of course, you could use a store-bought natural food dye.

 

Combine your milk and icing sugar. Slowing add in your coloring and mix until you find the desired color/consistency

 

Preheat Oven to 300 F. Beat flour, sugar and soft butter together until creamy. Slowly drizzle in honey while beating until mixture pulls together. Add minced herbs and petals, mix well through the dough. Divide into four balls and chill for an hour or so. Roll out and cut into round shapes. Add flour as needed.

Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes. Let cool. Decorate using the flowers and herbs of the sun: petals of calendula, lawn daisies or ox-eye daisies (not store bought daisy chrysanthemums), St. John’s Wort, rose, or sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage.

Addictive Salted Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Addictive Salted Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

Addictive Salted Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Cookies

 

6 T. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 C. semisweet chocolate chips

3 large eggs

½ C. granulated sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 C. plus 2 T. all-purpose flour

2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Canola oil or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing

24 to 28 milk chocolate caramels (I like Dove)

Flaky sea salt, for topping

 

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, bittersweet chocolate, and chocolate chips. Cook over low heat, stirring often, until fully melted and combined—the chocolate will be thick. Remove the pan from the heat and let the chocolate cool slightly. In a small bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on high until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the melted chocolate mixture and beat for 1 to 2 minutes more, until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and kosher salt and beat until fully combined and smooth, about 3 minutes. The batter should be thick but pourable. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. Scoop out scant 2 T. of dough and place them about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Grease your hands with a little canola oil or cooking spray, then flatten the dough into small disks, about 2 inches in diameter, and place a caramel in the center. Scoop out a rounded tsp. of dough and flatten into it into a disk. Place the disk over the caramel, pinching the layers of dough together. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until just set on the edges. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each cookie with a little flaky salt. Let cool for at least 5 minutes on the baking sheet before serving.

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Chip Cookies

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.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

1 ½ C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup unsalted butter see notes below room temperature, use vegan butter for vegan option

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

6 T. sugar

1 ripe banana large & mashed well

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 ¼ C. Milk Chocolate Chips

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt together. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer at medium speed, beat together the butter, and sugars about 2 minutes and is smooth. Add the mashed banana and vanilla and mix on low speed until mixed in. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix in until just incorporated. Do not keep mixing – do not overmix. Add chocolate chips and stir with a wooden spoon, again no overmixing, just until incorporated. Chill dough if dough is warm. Using a small or large ice cream scoop or heaping T., drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, 6 to 8 per pan, depending on size you are making. Bake the cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until the bottoms and edges are lightly browned and the tops feel firm when lightly touched, Small cookies bake 8-10 minutes Large cookies bake 10-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 18 -30 cookies depending on size. NOTES: Butter Tips: To avoid flat cookies: Be sure your butter is room temp (not melted or even softened) and try using cold/chilled dough if dough is warm: Just put it in the refrigerator to chill before baking. Flour Tips: Don’t over-mix cookie batter especially after the flour is added and add it gradually. Make sure your baking soda is not expired. Chocolate Chip Tips: If you’re in chocoholic mode, go the full 2 ¼ C. of chocolate chips as the recipe calls out. If you want to tone down the chocolate chips, just use a lesser amount to your liking.

Salted Margarita Bites Cookies

Salted Margarita Bites Cookies

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.

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

 

2 ½ C. flour

Dash salt

2 sticks butter, softened

½ C. sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

12 mini-candy canes

 

Sift flour and salt into a bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter with an electric mixer. Slowly add sugar; beat until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add yolks and vanilla; beat until smooth. Slowly add flour mixture; beat until dough comes together. Wrap in foil; chill 1 hour. Meanwhile, put candy canes in a zip-close bag and crush them. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough 1-inch thick, press out shapes, and place on cookie sheets. Press candy pieces on top. Bake 10 minutes, or until just golden. Remove from sheet; cool.

 

Yield:  48 servings

Calories:  73

Fat:  4g

Fiber: 0g

Cinnamon Cardinal Cookies

Cinnamon Cardinal Cookies

Cinnamon Cardinal Cookies

½ C. butter, softened

½ C. packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 C.  all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon or cardamom

1/3 C. whipping cream

48 miniature chocolate chips

Red, black and yellow decorator sugar crystals

 

In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy; stir in vanilla. In small bowl, stir together flour, soda and cinnamon. On low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture alternately with cream. Divide dough in half. Wrap halves in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray or grease 2 large cookie sheets. On lightly floured surface, roll half of dough at a time about 1/8 inch thick. Using 3-inch lightly floured cardinal-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies and place on cookie sheets. Place miniature chocolate chip on each for eye. Sprinkle top of back, crown, tail and wing of each bird with red sugar crystals, neck and eye with black sugar crystals, and beak with yellow sugar crystals. Leave bottom breast of bird without sugar. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until light brown and set.

Ombre Sugar Cookie Bars

Ombre Sugar Cookie Bars

Ombre Sugar Cookie Bars

 

1/2 C. Butter, softened

1/2 C. sugar

1 large Egg

1 T. milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

 

2 1/4 C. powdered sugar

3/4 C. Butter, softened

1/8 tsp. salt

1 to 2 T. Heavy Whipping Cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Green food color

 

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 1/2 C. butter, sugar, and egg in bowl. Beat at medium speed, until creamy. Add milk and 2 tsp. vanilla. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Add flour and baking powder; beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed.  Spread into bottom of ungreased 9-inch springform pan. Bake 23-26 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely. Combine powdered sugar, 3/4 C. butter, and 1/8 tsp. salt in bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add whipping cream and 2 tsp. vanilla; continue beating until smooth. Divide frosting in half. Tint one-half with 30 drops green food color. Divide remaining white frosting in half again. Tint one-half with 6 drops green food color. Leave remaining frosting white. Dollop white frosting into center of cookie. Dollop light green frosting around white. Dollop dark green frosting around light green. Using offset spatula, carefully spread frosting in a circular motion to create ombre pattern, wiping off spatula every time it’s lifted off cookie.  Cut cookie into 12 wedges to create Christmas trees.

Baby Polar Bear Shortbread Cookies

Baby Polar Bear Shortbread Cookies

Baby Polar Bear Shortbread Cookies

1 C. butter, softened

¾ C. granulated sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

2 ¼ C. Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

 

1 C. powdered sugar

3 to 5 teaspoons milk

¼ teaspoon vanilla

 

¾ C. grated white chocolate baking bar (about 1 oz from 4-oz package)

76 white vanilla baking chips, tips cut off (about 1/4 cup)

76 mini semisweet chocolate chips (about 2 teaspoons)

19 small round chocolate-covered creamy mints, cut in half

1 pouch (7 oz) Betty Crocker™ Cookie Icing chocolate icing

 

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and salt; beat until blended. Beat in flour gradually on low speed until soft dough forms. Shape dough into ball. On lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 38 circles, gently pressing together and rerolling scraps as necessary. Onto ungreased cookie sheets, place circles 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until edges are just beginning to brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely before decorating. In small bowl, stir together powdered sugar, 3 teaspoons milk and the vanilla until blended. If necessary, stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until smooth and desired consistency. To Decorate Cookies: Using knife, spread icing over cookies in thin layer. For each cookie, immediately sprinkle about 3/4 teaspoon white chocolate evenly over icing. Press into icing 2 vanilla baking chips, cut side down, for ears, 2 chocolate chips for eyes and 1 mint, cut side down, for nose. Using chocolate icing, pipe mouth.

Welsh Cranberry Skillet Cookies

Welsh Cranberry Skillet Cookies

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

PB & J Sandwich Cookies

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.

Giant Witch Cookies

Giant Witch Cookies

Giant Witch Cookies

1 C. sugar

1 C. butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 C. Gold Medal™ flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 container Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting

3 or 4 drops green food color

3 or 4 drops yellow food color

1 container Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

Assorted candies for decorating, as desired

 

In large bowl, beat sugar and butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling. Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper. Shape half of dough into 10 (1 1/2-inch) balls. On parchment-lined cookie sheets, pat each ball of dough into 4-inch circle, using floured fingers if necessary. Place 2 or 3 circles on each cookie sheet, about 9 inches apart. On floured surface, divide remaining half of dough into 2 portions. Roll each portion into 9×6-inch rectangle. Cut each rectangle into 4 whole triangles and 2 half triangles (see diagram).

Press 2 half triangles together to form fifth whole triangle. Cut 1/2-inch strip from top edge of each dough circle on cookie sheet; set aside. Place triangle over each cut edge of circle, covering 1/4 inch of cut edge; press to seal, aligning edge of triangle with edge of circle. Slightly bend point of “hat” if desired. Roll each 1/2-inch strip into 2 (1-inch) ropes; attach to either side of “hat” for brim. Bake 7 to 11 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden and surfaces look dry. With broad metal pancake turner, remove cookies from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Tint vanilla frosting green with green and yellow food colors. Spread on circles for witches’ faces. Spread chocolate frosting on hats. Make faces using candies.

Lemon Verbena Sugar Cookies

Lemon Verbena Sugar Cookies

Lemon Verbena Sugar Cookies

2 1/2 C. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 T. fresh lemon verbena, chopped (I take out the mid-rib of each leaf before chopping it.)

1 1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 C. softened butter

1 1/2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Extra sugar for rolling

 

Combine dry ingredients, leaves and zest. Set aside. Beat butter; add sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add half flour mixture, beat. Stir in remaining flour mixture with wooden spoon. Make rounded tsp. full of dough into rounded shapes, roll in extra sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until edges lightly browned. Cool.

Conifer Needle Shortbread

Conifer Needle Shortbread

Conifer Needle Shortbread

 

1½ C. butter, softened

1 C. sugar, divided

½ C. conifer needles (douglas fir, redwood, pine, etc.), finely minced

2 tsp. lemon zest

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. vanilla

2 tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. lemon juice

3 C. flour

 

Gather several foot-long branch tips from any of our local native conifers. Douglas fir, redwood and various pine species are all excellent, flavorful choices. (Those without access to these trees can substitute rosemary, if desired.) Use sharp trimming scissors to cut the needles finely, directly off of the twigs. Alternatively, pulse needles (removed from branches) in a food processor, or mince finely with a sharp knife. Measure ½ C. minced needles. Combine about ½ C. of the sugar with the minced conifer needles and the lemon zest in a mortar and pestle to release the flavorful oils. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, just combine in a small bowl and let sit until ready for use. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor. You can also mix the sugar and conifer needles together and store them in a jar, for several weeks ahead of time, to use as flavoring for these and other baked goods. In a large mixing bowl, combine the needle mixture with the remaining sugar, butter, salt and vanilla and cream well until fluffy. Add the orange zest, lemon juice and flour, ½ C. at a time. The dough will be crumbly at first but the zest and juice help keep it together. Gather dough with your hands and roll into an oblong log. Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350° F. Remove dough from the refrigerator and slice with a sharp knife into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.