Peanut Butter Cookies

A full flavored peanut butter cookie that melts in your mouth. Not a fussy cookie, so easy to make.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

1/2 t baking powder

3/4 t soda

1/4 t salt

3/4 C peanut butter¹

1/2 C butter

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1 egg

1/4 C sugar or sprinkles set aside

Directions

Preheat oven 350º F   Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper

In small bowl add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix. Set aside

In medium bowl add peanut butter, butter, and eggs and mix thoroughly.

Add flour mixture in thirds and combine to peanut butter mixture.

Use teaspoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough from the bowl, roll into a ball and dip into sugar.

Place on cookie sheet and take fork and press criss cross on top of cookies.

Place sheet in oven and bake for 10 to 11 minutes.

 

 

IMG_4287

Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool or eat.

Notes

1 I use chunky peanut butter

 

Turtle Cookies

A fun to make cookie that children and adults enjoy. Whats not to like, a mouthfull of chocolate, pecan and vanilla goodness.

Ingredients

1/2 C butter or margarine, softened

1/2 C brown sugar firmly packed

1/4 t vanilla

1 egg plus 1 egg yolk

1 1/2 C all purpose flour

1/4 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 C pecans sliced lengthwise

1 egg white beat until frothy

Frosting

2 ounces chocolate semi-sweet chocolate squares

1 T milk

1 T butter

3/4-1 C powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350º

Add flour, baking soda, and salt to small mixing bowl and stir together. Set aside.

Add butter and brown sugar to medium bowl and cream. Add eggs,and vanilla and beat until fluffy. F Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

Add flour mixture in thirds and combine.

Arrange cut pecans on baking sheets to form a  head and four legs. Three to four turtles per row.

Scoop teaspoonful of dough and form into a ball.

Brush or dip bottom of balls into beaten egg white and press into pecan groupings.

Bake about 10 minutes.

Transfer to wire racks and cool.

Frosting

Break chocolate squares into pieces and place in microwave safe bowl.

Microwave on high for about one minute until chocolate about melted. Remove and stir until completely melted. Cool for about 5 minutes.

Add butter and milk than stir until blended.

Gradually add sugar, beating until well blended to desired consistency.
Frost cooled cookies. Allow frosting to setup and serve

 

 

 

Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

My mom made raisin cookies for my dad and brothers. They are a soft cookie that has a surprise ingredient of molasses that pairs well with the cinnamon and raisins.

Ingredients

1 1/4 old fashioned rolled oats

3/4 C all purpose flour

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

8 T butter or Crisco® softened¹

2 T molasses

1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

1 C raisins²

Directions

Combine dry ingredients in medium sized bowl and set aside.

In large bowl add butter, sugar, and molasses and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated

Add dry ingredients in thirds.

Add raisins and combine

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours

Preheat oven to 350º F  Cover two cookie baking sheets with parchment paper

Drop dough by teaspoonful two inches apart and bake 15-17 minutes or until golden brown

Remove to cooling rack.

Serve

Note

1 My mom would use Crisco® in place of butter. The cookies were more cake like with Crisco.

2 Chopped dates also go well with this dough

Gluten Free Peanutbutter Cookies

An easy to make gluten free cookie that is chocked full of peanutbutter and chcolate. It is has a nice crunch with the addition of the oats.It tstes good crumbled on top of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C white sugar

1/3 stick buteer softened

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 C chunky peanut butter

2 t baking soda

3 C old-fashioned oatmeal

10.53 ounce bag Milk Cocolate M&M’s or chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven 325º F  Parchment covered baking sheeys

In medium add butter and sugar and beat until fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla and whisk.

Add peanutbutter and mix until incorporated

Add oatmeal and baking soda and mix.

Add M&M’s and combine.

Drop by teaspoonfuls on baking sheet evenly spaced and bake 10-12 minutes. Do not overtake.

Let cookies rest a couple minutes and then gently lift with spatula to baking rack.

 

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s better than a chocolate chocolate chip cookie!  So good with a glass of milk and greater made into an ice cream sandwich.

Ingredients

1/2 C butter softened

1/2 C white sugar

1/3 C brown sugar

1 C plus 2 T flour

1 T Ghirardelli® cocoa mix

2 t espresso

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking powder

1 t baking powder

1 egg

2 T milk

1 t vanilla

1 ounce semi sweet chocolate grated¹

2 C Guittard® milk or premium chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven 375º F   Parchment line baking sheets

In small bowl combine dry ingredients, mix then set aside.

In medium bowl mix butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add egg, milk, and vanilla and combine.

Stir in dry ingredients, chocolate chips, and grated chocolate.

Refrigerate for an hour. Drop by teaspoonful about 2 inches apart. Bake 10 – 12 minutes. Remove and cool on baking rack.

Note:

¹We use a microplane for grating the chocolate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hint of Almond Butter Cookies

A delicate butter drop cookie that is crisp with a hint of almond.  Vanilla or other flavorings can be substituted. 

Ingredients

2 1/4 C flour

1 t salt

1 C butter, softened

3/4 C sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla extract

1/2 t almond extract

* Food coloring

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375º F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

IMG_2983

Combine flour and salt in small bowl and set aside.

Place softened butter in stand mixer bowl using the flat beater attachment. Beat until fluffy., and then add sugar and repeat process. Hard butter bands around in the mixed and does not whip properly.  Softened butter is room temperature and creamy.  If using the microwave to soften butter, make sure not to melt the butter into a liquid.

Add egg and flavorings. Beat  until ingredients are combined and fluffy. Add flour and mix until incorporated.

Remove beater attachment and bowl from stand mixer. Using spatula remove dough from beater. Scrape remaining flour from sides of bowl and stir vigorously until all incorporated.

IMG_2985

Ready to bake or color.

We had an Italian meal planned and wanted a fun dessert.  We divided dough into 3 bowls for plain, red, and green dough. The colors of the Italian flag. We added food coloring until we achieved desired depth of color.

IMG_2986

We hand formed the flags and balloons; the remaining dough was made into drop cookies. Bake the cookies 6-8 minutes and remove to baking rack.

IMG_2610 (1)

Note:

The dough is delicate. When making a spritz cookie, I use more flour for a firmer dough.

The baked cookies are crisp with a hint of almond. We serve them with ice cream and sorbets. They are a year around favorite but more importantly an easy drop cookie to make.

 

Candied Ginger Cookies

IMG_2789

An easy to make delicate cake cookie bursting with ginger flavor with a lemon cream cheese icing.

Ingredients

1/4 C butter soft

1/2 C sugar

1 egg

1/2 C unsulphered  molasses

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 C warm water

2 C all purpose flour

1 t ginger

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t cinnamon

1/2 t cloves

1/4 t allspice

1/2 C diced candied ginger with extra 1/8 C for topping

Icing

1/4 C  whipped  cream cheese

1/4 C confectioners sugar

1/2 small lemon juiced

Directions 

Oven temperature 375º F  Baking sheet with parchment paper

In small bowl add flour, salt, and spices mix and set aside.

Dissolve baking soda in warm water and set aside

In medium bowl cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat. Blend in molasses. Add soda water and mix. Stir in dry ingredients and candied ginger. Chill for 1 hour.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

Frosting

In medium bowl beat cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and lemon juice until smooth.

Assembly

When cookies cool frost and add candied ginger topping.

Note:

Do not over bake.

I cheated using the whipped cream cheese but it worked.

They are good rolled in sifted confectioners sugar or plain also.

These are so good with a cup of tea.

 

 

 

Filled Cookies

This was an old family recipe reserved for special occasions.  I remember eating these cookies at Christmas as a child.  You can use dates or apricots for filling.  My favorite was the apricot.

Ingredient

Cookie

1/2 C butter

1 C sugar

1 egg beaten

1 t vanilla

3 C flour

3 t baking powder

3/4 t salt

1/4 C milk

Filling

Date

1 C pitted dates chopped

1/2 C sugar

1/4 C water

Sugar for topping

Apricot

1 1/4 C dried apricots chopped

1/2 C sugar

1 C water

Directions

Oven temperature 350º  Parchment paper lines baking sheet Makes 2 dozen cookies

Cookie

Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. 

Cream shortening then add sugar and mix until fluffy. Stir in beaten egg and vanilla until well mixed. 

Mix dry ingredients alternately with milk into creamed mixture. Chill dough for an hour. 

Date Filling*

Combine dates, water, and sugar in sauce pan. Cook until softened. Mix well. 

Apricot Filling*

Combine apricots, sugar, and water in small sauce pan and cook until soft. Mash them or use an immersion blender to mix them.

Assemble 

On a lightly floured surface roll cookie dough to about 1/8 ” thick. Cut with 2″ cookie cutter. Place 1 t of filling of choice in center of cookie and fold over then press the edges with a fork to seal. Sprinkle with sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer to rack.

Note:

*Watch closely as the fillings can scorch.

 

 

 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1/2 C butter

2 T Crisco®*

1/2 C white sugar

3/4 C brown sugar packed

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

1 t vanilla

1C flour

1 C rolled oats

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate grated

1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Oven temperature 350º

Combine sugars, butter, and Crisco® In medium bowl and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and blend.

In separate bowl mix flour,  salt, baking powder, and baking soda

Add flour mixture, oats, and grated chocolate to butter mixture and stir. Add chocolate chips and mix.

Place  cookies on prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-14 minutes. Remove and place on rack to cool. 

Note:

*Crisco has a higher melting point angives cookies to set up in the oven resulting in taller cookies. 

Delicious with ice cream.

 

 

 

Old Fashioned Sally Ann Cookies

Ingredients

Cookie

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 t cloves

1/2 t allspice

1/2 t nutmeg

2 t ginger

2 t cinnamon

1 t baking soda

1 cup Crisco®/butter*

1/2 buttermilk

3/4 sorghum or molasses

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

Original Recipe Frosting

1 envelope plain gelatin

3/4 cup water

3/4 sugar

3/4 powdered sugar

3/4 t baking powder

1 t vanilla

Directions

Oven 325º  Parchment covered cookie sheets. Rectangular cookie cutter. My Mom used a Spam® can that she kept with supply of cookie cutters.

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside. Combine wet ingredients and mix well. Add dry ingredients and combine. Refrigerate for about an hour. Divide dough in thirds and refrigerate dough not being rolled. Roll on lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with Spam type cookie cutter. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Don’t over bake. Cool  and frost.

Frosting

Soak gelatin in saucepan for one minute.Add sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour gelatin mixture into medium bowl. Add in powdered sugar and whisk until foamy. Add in baking powder and vanilla and beat until thick about 7 minutes.Needs to be thin enough to be spread across the cookies using spatula. Let frosting dry before storing. These cookie freeze very well.

*Crisco has higher melting point and lets the eggs and flour set so the cookies will be higher and not spread out. These cookies look nicer when using Crisco. Butter has lower melting point and flour and eggs don’t set and the cookies spread out during baking. My Grandmother always used lard for baking cookies. They kept their shape and were delicious.