Cookies

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

2 C. shortening (½ butter)

2 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 C. soured half and half cream (add lemon juice or vinegar)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

6 C. flour

• Chill dough several hours or overnight.
• Roll out and cut to desired shape.
• Bake 10-12 minutes at 350º. Cool and frost.

Icing:

Powdered sugar and milk, mix until smooth and frost.

Barbara Gruener

Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 C. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

½ C. sugar

1 C. salted butter, softened

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 C. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• In medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with wire whisk. Set aside.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer blend sugars at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until just blended. Do not overmix.
• Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips, and blend at a low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix,
• Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 22-24 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies immediately to a cool surface.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

2 C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

1 ¼ C. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

1 ¼ C. sugar

1 C. salted butter, softened

3 lg. eggs

1 C. creamy peanut butter

2 tsp. vanilla

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.
• In a large bowl blend sugars using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add eggs, peanut butter and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until just mixed. Do not overmix.
• Drop by rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. With a wet fork gently press a crisscross pattern on top of cookies. Bake for 18-22 minutes until cookies are lightly brown along edges. Transfer cookies immediately to cool surface.
• As a variation, add 2 cups coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate bar or 2 cups semisweet chips to the flour mixture, then bake as directed.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

2 C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

1 ½ tsp. freshly grated lemon zest

1 tsp. ground coriander

2 T. poppy seeds

¾ C. salted butter, softened

1 C. sugar

2 lg. egg yolks

1 lg. whole egg

1 ½ tsp. pure lemon extract

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, lemon zest, coriander and poppyseeds. Mix well with a whire whisk and set aside.
• In a large bowl cream butter and sugar with electric mixer at medium speed until mixture forms a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add yolks, egg and lemon extract. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 23-25 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along edges. Immediately transfer cookies to a cool surface.

Pecan Supremes

2 C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¾ C. quick oats

¾ C. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

¾ C. sugar

1 C. salted butter, softened

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 C. (4 oz.) chopped pecans

1 C. (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, soda, salt and oats. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside.
• In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer at medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Scrape down sides of bowl, then add eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture, pecans and chocolate chips, and blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 20-22 minutes. Immediately transfer to cool, flat surface.

Eggnog Cookies

2 ¼ C. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

1 ¼ C. sugar

¾ C. salted butter, softened

½ C. eggnog

1 tsp. vanilla

2 lg. egg yolks

1 T. ground nutmeg

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
• In a large bowl cream sugar and butter with an electric mixer to form a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth.
• Add the flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown. Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately.

Bizochitos

2 ¾ C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

2 ½ tsp. aniseed

¾ C. light brown sugar, firmly packed

¾ C. sugar

1 C. salted butter, softened

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. brandy

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and aniseed in a small bowl and set aside.
• Blend sugars in a medium bowl using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add butter and mix until grainy, scraping down sides of bowl. Add eggs and brandy, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
• Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into 1” diameter balls and then flatten each one slightly with the bottom of a glass or a spatula. Press tops into sugar-cinnamon mixture, then place them on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 22-24 minutes until cookies are slightly brown along edges.
• Transfer cookies immediately to cool surface.

Topping:

¼ C. sugar

2 T. ground cinnamon

Gingersnaps

2 ½ C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. diced crystallized ginger

½ tsp. allspice

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 ¼ C. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

¾ C. salted butter, softened

1 lg. egg

¼ C. unsulfured molasses

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, soda, salt, ground ginger, crystallized ginger, allspice, and pepper. Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside
• In a large bowl, mix sugar and butter with an electric mixer set at medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add egg and molasses, and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture and mix at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Chill the dough in the refrigerator for 1 hour­-the dough will be less sticky and easier to handle.
• Form dough into balls 1” in diameter. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 24-25 minutes. Immediately transfer cookies to a cool, flat surface.

Cinnamon Sugar Butter Cookies

Topping:

3 T. sugar

1 T. ground cinnamon

Cookies:

2 ½ C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

1 C. dark brown sugar, packed firmly

½ C. sugar

1 C. salted butter, softened

2 lg. eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

• Preheat oven to 300º.
• In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon for topping. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl combine flour, soda and salt. Mix well with a wire whisk and set aside.
• In a large bowl blend sugars with an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add the butter, and mix to form a grainy paste. Scrape side of bowl, then add the eggs and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until light and fluffy.
• Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix. Shape dough into 1” balls and roll each ball in cinnamon-sugar topping.
• Place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Immediately transfer to a cool, flat surface.

Tea Cookie Dough

In a large bowl, using a mixer set on high, beat 1 stick softened unsalted butter until fluffy. Add ½ C. confectioner’s sugar, 1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract, and 1/8 tsp. salt. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually add in 1 ¼ C. flour. Now you’re ready to make the cookies.

Roly Polys

Preheat oven to 325º. Make dough, but stir in 2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts once flour has been incorporated. Roll dough, by the tablespoon, into balls and place 1” apart on baking sheets. Bake until cookies are firm and just beginning to brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes. Place ½ cup confectioner’s sugar in a shallow bowl, then gently toss warm cookies to coat. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Toss cookies in confectioner’s sugar one more time to coat thoroughly.

Jam Thumbprints

Preheat oven to 325º. Make dough. Roll dough, 1 ½ T. at a time, into balls. Pour ½ cup sugar into a shallow bowl and toss balls to coat; place balls 1 ½“ apart on a baking sheet. Press your thumb into center of each cookie to create a small well. Bake cookies until firm, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and further define well by pressing with your thumb. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Fill well of each cookie with ½ tsp. strawberry jelly, then sprinkle jelly with sugar. Let cookies rest until jelly sets.

Red and Whites

Preheat oven to 350º. Make dough, but substitute ½ cup sugar for confectioner’s sugar. Once sugar and butter are blended, beat in 2 large egg yolks. Divide dough into 10 equal portinos and roll into balls. Place 3” apart on parchment-lined baking sheets and bake until edges are crisp, about 12 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheets. Meanwhile, make icing by mixing 1 cup sugar with 3 to 4 tablespoons cream. Spread on cooled cookies to cover tops. Sprinkle half of each cookie with a red sugar.

Raspberry Bars

Preheat oven to 350º. Make dough, but add an additional ¾ C. confectioner’s sugar to butter mixture. Once sugar and butter are blended, beat in 1 large egg. Spread ¾ of batter (reserve the rest) in an 8” square baking pan, then top with ¾ C. raspberry preserves. Stir ¼ C. unsweetened coconut into reserved batter, then drop batter in small dollops atop preserves. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center tests clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in pan, then drizzle with 2 oz. melted white chocolate. Once chocolate sets, cut into bars.

Shortbread Cookies

1 ½ C. butter, softened

1 C. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 ½ C. flour

Sugar for dusting

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until combined. Add vanilla. Slowly add flour, beating at low speed until dough comes together. Place on a lightly floured surface, and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
• On lightly floured surface, roll dough to a ½“ thickness, and cut with 2 ½“ round fluted cutter. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet, and sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

Celebrate Magazine

Cinnamon Almond Cookies

1 C. butter, softened

1 C. sugar

½ C. confectioner’s sugar

½ C. ground almonds

2 lg. eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

3 ½ C. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

• In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until creamy. Add confectioner’s sugar, beating at low speed for 1 to 2 minutes to combine. Add almonds, beating to combine. Add eggs, almond extract, and cinnamon to butter mixture, beating at medium speed to combine.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, 1 C. at a time beating at low speed to combine. Increase speed to medium high and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a soft dough forms.
• Divide dough in half. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or until firm.
• Preheat oven to 350º. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼“ thickness. Cut into desired shapes, rerolling dough once, if necessary. Place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly golden. Allow to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Celebrate Magazine

Gingerbread Cookies

½ C. all-vegetable shortening

1/3 C. sugar

½ C. molasses

1 ½ tsp. vinegar

1 lg. egg, beaten

3 C. flour

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground ginger

¼ tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

2 C. confectioner’s sugar

2 ½ T. whole milk

1 tsp. vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350º. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a small saucepan, bring shortening, sugar, molasses and vinegar to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat and let cool; whisk in egg.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Stir in molasses mixture. Cover and chill overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼“ thickness. Using a house-shaped cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place 1” apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on pans for 2 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
• In a large bowl, beat confectioner’s sugar, milk and vanilla until blended. Spoon frosting into a squeeze bottle or pastry bag and decorate cookies.

Celebrate Magazine