Recipes - Cookies

AbbysMom

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I haven't made these, but the sounds easy and good. I don't have enough mint lovers in my family to make them up.

From Stonewall Kitchen -

Chocolate Mint Bark Cookies

makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

ingredients
•2 1/2 dozen thin chocolate covered chocolate cookies (store bought ones are fine)
•4 ounces good quality white chocolate
•Peppermint candy, crushed

directions
1.Place cookies on a work surface lined with waxed paper or parchment paper.
2.Melt white chocolate in a double boiler over boiling water, or in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave cooking for 15 second intervals stirring after each until chocolate is melted and smooth.
3.Spread melted chocolate over each cookie. Sprinkle with peppermint candy. Allow to cool completely. If in a hurry, cookies can be chilled in the refrigerator until the chocolate hardens.
 

mrblanche

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Did we ever get a recipe section someplace?  I can't seem to find it.

Here's a recipe I just got from my sister.  She saved all my mom's old recipes, and my mom was a good baker.  Chocolate cookies that put Mrs. Fields to shame.

Anyway, these are some molasses/ginger cookies that I loved growing up.  They are not "snaps."  They will be soft on the inside, with a great sugar coating.

GINGER SNAPS

Sift together:

2 cups flour                                         1 t. cloves

1/2 t. salt                                             3/4 t. ginger

2 t. soda

Cream together in another bowl:

3/4 cup shortening                               1 egg

1 cup sugar                                          1/4 cup molasses or pancake syrup

Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Roll in granulated sugar and make walnut-sized balls.  Do not flatten.  Bake in 350-degree oven 10 to 12 minutes.
 

mrblanche

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Here are some of my favorite cookies made by my mother as I grew up.

I just got this recipe from my sister.  She saved all my mom's old recipes, and my mom was a good baker.  Chocolate cookies that put Mrs. Fields to shame.​
Anyway, these are some molasses/ginger cookies that I loved growing up.  They are not "snaps."  They will be soft on the inside, with a great sugar coating.

GINGER COOKIES
 ​
 ​
Sift together:

2 cups flour                                         1 t. cloves

1/2 t. salt                                             3/4 t. ginger

2 t. soda

Cream together in another bowl:

3/4 cup shortening                               1 egg

1 cup sugar                                          1/4 cup molasses or pancake syrup

Combine wet and dry ingredients.  Roll in granulated sugar and make walnut-sized balls.  Do not flatten.  Bake in 350-degree oven 10 to 12 minutes.
 
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Speaking of putting Mrs. Fields to shame.......here's my adaptation of the "Mrs. Fields $250 cookie" recipe that floated around about 30 years ago.

Amy’s Chocoholic Chocolate Chunk Cookies


Cream together:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together:
2 cups flour
2-1/2 cups oatmeal (put small amounts in blender (after measuring) until it turns to powder)
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix together all ingredients and add:

12 oz bag chocolate chunks
6 oz bag chocolate chips
1 Hershey Big Block bar, grated
1-1/2 cup nuts (I prefer pecans)

Make golf ball size cookies, 2 inches apart on ungreased
cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Makes
about 50.

Editorial addition from DH:
By the way, when mixing the ingredients, use a STRONG spoon. Or at least one that you don’t much care for. We have broken several good spoons on this recipe. Nowadays, we just dive in fingers first and mix it with our hands.
 
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momofmany

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Mom's Crescent Cookies

1/2 pound butter (softened)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 cups sifted flour (measure after sifting)
1 cup crushed pecans
Confectioners sugar (for icing - recipe didn't give me a quantity and I didn't measure)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter until smooth. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the flour and pecans and mix again. Cover and put in refrigerator for an hour until firm. Pinch off small amounts and roll them in your hands to make a cylinder shape (about 2 inches long and 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick). Fold slightly into a crescent shape and put on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. While still warm, roll each cooky in confectioners sugar to form a glaze over the entire cooky. Let cool on wire rack then sprinkle a little more confectioners sugar on top of them.
 
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I found this recipe in a Good Housekeeping magazine back during the fall. The recipe is called Super Natural Halloween Cookies; the magazine editors used leaf cookie cutters. I made them for Christmas, using star and tree cookie cutters. The dough is very easy to roll. I just call them Maple Cut-out Cookies.


   Maple Cut-Out Cookies (originally called Super Natural Halloween Cookies)

2-1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped

Sanding sugar

Extra maple syrup, for glazing

Combine flour and salt. In large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugars until just blended and creamy, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Add syrup and vanilla, beat until mixed.

 

Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour, then the pecans, just until blended, scraping bowl.

 

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Flatten each piece into a disk and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour or up to 3 days. Let stand until pliable enough to roll.

 

Between sheets of waxed paper, roll 1 disk of dough 1/4-inch thick. With 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters, cut dough into as many cookies as possible. Place 1 inch apart onto prepared sheets.

 

Bake cookies 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with remaining dough and trimmings.

 

When completely cool, brush cookies with extra maple syrup. Sprinkle sanding sugar over the syrup glaze. Let sugared cookies dry on racks for at least one hour.

           

Store cookies (with waxed paper between layers) in airtight containers at room temperature up to one week or in freezer up to 3 months.

           

Makes about 4-1/2 dozen cookies, depending size of cookie cutters. 

 

Note: This recipe does not call for any eggs, but I had to add one beaten egg to the dough to get a good dough; it was too crumbly without the egg. These are very good cookies. I prefer to use Grade B maple syrup.....Grade B seems to hold the maple flavor when baking better than Grade A.
 

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Brown sugar cookies are like a mix of a gingerless ginger cookie and a traditional sugar cookie. They're not too sweet and you can get different flavours using different types of brown sugar or different types of flour. A whole wheat flour will give you a nuttier flavour with a slightly different texture whereas dark brown sugar will give it more of a molasses flavour. This recipe makes A LOT of cookies. Mine varied in size, but I ended up with 58 cookies (5 of which never made it to the cooling rack). 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (any kind, I use dark)
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

1. Fluff butter and brown sugar until well blended and creamy. Add vanilla, then eggs, one at a time. 
2. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix well. Add flour 1/4-1/2 cup at a time until well blended. 
3. Shape into ~1" balls, roll in white sugar (gives them a bit of a crunch), place on baking sheet and flatten slightly. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for ~12 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
 
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I made these squares, using cherry pie filling....because that was the only pie filling in the pantry. They were even good with cherry. I'm going to try them with the apple pie filling next time. The recipe is from Favorite Brand Name Eagle Brand (it's three cookbooks in one).

HARVEST APPLE STREUSEL SQUARES

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

8 ounce package cream cheese, softened (I use 1/3 fat)

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk) I use Eagle Brand

2 eggs

20 ounce can apple pie filling

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I use almost 3/4 teaspoon)

1/4 cup cold butter or margarine

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped pecans

 


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cracker graham cracker crumbs, butter and finely chopped pecans. Press evenly onto parchment paper-lined 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese on low until fluffy. Add sweetened condensed milk and eggs. Pour over prepared crust. Spoon apple pie filling over cream cheese layer.

In medium bowl, combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cranberries and chopped pecans. Sprinkle over apple layer. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overbake. Makes 12 servings.

NOTE: I used the parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. I did not grease the pan at all. If you don't want to use parchment paper, you'll likely have to grease your pan.
 
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From the King Arthur Cookie Companion Cookbook....

King Arthur’s Essential Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

3/4 cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 Tbsp. cider OR white vinegar

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2-1/4 cups flour

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly grease sheet or line with parchment paper. In medium mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars, corn syrup, and vinegar, then beat in eggs. Beat in vanilla, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in flour and chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake cookies for 10 minutes, until almost set; the centers may still look a bit underdone. Remove them from the oven and transfer to rack to cool.

Note:  These cookies spread, but do not go flat. You can chill the dough before baking if you prefer.....1 or 2 hours will work. I also use parchment paper instead of greasing my cookie sheets. Do NOT overbake!
 
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From America's Test Kitchen - Rick just loves these bars

We put a bar in the bottom of a bowl, then put a couple scoops of homemade strawberry ice cream on top. Then some whipped cream and some sliced strawberries. Delicious! But you can eat them plain, too.....they're quite good.

They are best eaten the same day they're made, but you can keep them for a day or two. The crust and topping may soften a little bit, but they'll still be good to eat.

Strawberry Streusel Bars

2-1/2 cups (12-1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
2/3 cup (4-2/3 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 18 pieces and softened (you will need 16 pieces for the crust and then add the remaining 2 pieces when making the topping)
1/2 cup (1-1/2 ounces) old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup (2 ounces) pecans, toasted and chopped fine
1/4 cup packed (1-3/4 ounces) light brown sugar
3/4 cup strawberry jam
3/4 cup (3-3/4 ounces) fresh, chopped strawberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with a foil sling and grease the foil. (I didn't do this and my bars were fine; they came out of the pan with no trouble.)

Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Beat in 16 tablespoons of the butter with an electric mixer at low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand, 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Reserve 1-1/4 cups of the mixture for the topping.

Sprinkle the remaining mixture into the prepared pan and press into an even layer with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake the crust until fragrant and the edges begin to brown, 14 to 18 minutes.

Mix the reserved flour mixture, oats, nuts, and brown sugar together in a medium bowl. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and pinch the mixture between your fingers into hazelnut-sized clumps of streusel. In a small bowl, mash the jam, strawberries, and lemon juice together with a fork until just some of the berry pieces remain.

Spread the berry mixture evenly over the hot crust, then sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake the bars until the filling is bubbling and the topping is deep golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Let the bars cool completely in the pan, set on a wire rack, about 2 hours. Remove the bars from the pan using the foil, cut into squares, and serve.

To Make Ahead: The cooled, uncut bars can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil, and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw the bars completely at room temperature (do not unwrap), about 4 hours, before cutting and serving.
 
 
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PEPPERMINT CRUNCH ICEBOX COOKIES

1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened            

1-1/4 cups sugar                                

1/3 cup brown sugar                        

2 large eggs                            

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla                                    

3-1/3 cups flour                                

2-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoons. cinnamon

1-1/2 cups pecans, finely chopped

10 oz. Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips

Red decorators sugar

Combine butter and sugars and beat until well creamed. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture beating at medium speed. Stir in pecans and peppermint baking chips. Cover and chill dough for 1/2 hour.

    

Divide dough into two parts. Roll into two 12-inch logs. Roll logs in red decorator sugar. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until firm.

    

Slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Bake cookies at 350 degrees F (about 178 degrees C) for 11-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Let cookies set 2 minutes on cookie sheet and then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Note: I did not roll the dough into logs and did not freeze them. I made the dough, then simply took a good teaspoonful of dough, rolled it into a ball, and flattened the ball a bit into a dish of red sugar and then placed the flattened dough on my parchment-lined cookie sheet. Mine were done in about 11 minutes, then 1 minute on the cookie sheet before moving to the wire racks. 
 
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From Taste of Home's  Best of Country Cookies cookbook.

WHITE CHOCOLATE MACADAMIA COOKIES

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped 

1 cup white baking chips

Preheat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour and baking soda; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

Stir in nuts and baking chips.

Drop by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4-1/2 dozen. (I didn’t get that many; I made larger cookies.)

Note: Freeze cookies, layered between waxed paper, in freezer containers. To use, thaw before serving or, if desired, reheat on a baking sheet in a preheated 350° F .oven 3-4 minutes.

CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar, until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pudding mix and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts (dough will be stiff).

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° F for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 9-1/2 dozen (I didn’t get that many; I made larger cookies).

Note:  One 3.9-ounce package of instant chocolate pudding mix may be substituted for the vanilla pudding mix. May be frozen, layered between waxed paper in freezer containers.
 
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Perfect for fall baking.....wonderful pumpkin cookies!

Pumpkin Bars

Note: These are cake-like and moist in texture rather than firmer, denser or with a crust and topping like other bar-type desserts. They freeze beautifully (but good luck getting them into your freezer!). 

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature
2 cups canned pumpkin (one 15-oz. can)
4 eggs, room temperature
2 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 15 X 10 1/2 X 1-inch pan. Sift flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together; set aside. Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Spread mixture into pan. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched or toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost.

Icing (can be doubled, if desired...I always double it and I don't even care for cream cheese):
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon orange zest (optional, but it really sets off the tang of the cream cheese)
2 cups powdered sugar

Beat together until smooth.

Note: If desired, the recipe can be very easily halved. A 9 x 13 x 1-inch sheet pan (quarter sheet) works perfectly. The baking time will be about the same...start checking at 20 minutes.


 
 

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Two of my very favorite recipes are below, one for sugar cookies (two icing options) and one for chocolate chip cookies. A few years ago, I won first prize at a dessert contest for the chocolate chip cookies, but imo the sugar cookies are the very best.

------------

These cookies are perfect for cutting into shapes for holiday decorating. They are crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside. They won't break even if you make oversized cookies. They are very tasty and not overly sweet, so the sweet icing adds just the right touch. (You must have corn syrup for these cookies to work out.)

Best Sugar Cookies Ever

3 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg, large

1 Tablespoon corn syrup, light 

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, mix flour and salt, and in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Mix in egg, vanilla, and corn syrup. Add half the flour mixture, mix briefly, then the other half. STOP when the flour is just mixed in. 

If you have parchment paper, roll the dough to 1/4 inch thickness between two pieces, and refrigerate one-half hour. Remove top paper, cut shapes, remove extra dough, and leave cookies on parchment to bake.

If you don't have parchment paper, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for one to two hours. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thick between waxed paper. Cut out shapes and transfer to cookie sheet. (Do not grease.) 

Preheat 375 F degrees oven for one-half hour. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Cookie Frosting  

(forms a light crust)

2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar (also called icing sugar or powdered sugar)

1/4 cup butter at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-2 Tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except milk at low speed until it reaches spreading consistency. Add a little sugar, or a little milk if necessary, until texture is soft but firm.

Decorating Icing  

(dries smooth and hard)

2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (also called icing sugar or powdered sugar)

2 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon butter at room temperature

1 Tablespoon corn syrup, light

1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract OR 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Combine all ingredients and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add a little more water if needed. Continue beating until icing is of right consistency for piping. Use half for outlining cookies, then mix in a little more water, a teaspoon at a time, if you want "flooding" icing to fill the inside of the outline.

------------

Cooks Illustrated Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

2 1/8 cups bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), 7 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 -2 cups chocolate chips or chunks (semi or bittersweet)

1 cup nuts (pecan or walnut), optional

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325º. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips and nuts (optional).

3. Form scant 1/4 cup dough into ball. Holding dough ball using fingertips of both hands, pull into two equal halves. Rotate halves ninety degrees, and with jagged surfaces exposed, join halves together at their base, again forming a single cookie, being careful not to smooth dough’s uneven surface. Place formed dough onto one of two parchment lined lipless cookie sheets, about 9 balls per sheet.

4. Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes). Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

http://dancingbaker.wordpress.com/2009/10/03/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-9-cooks-illustrated/
 
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King Arthur's Vanilla Dreams - about 4 dozen cookies
  • 2-3 teaspoons  vanilla extract (I used 3)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baker's ammonia (or 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder)
  • 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt (If you enjoy the "salty-sweet" combination, use the greater amount of salt. If you'd prefer the salt less prominent, use the lesser amount.)
  • 1-1/4 cups sugar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted softened butter ( I had the butter in the microwave overnight)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • Coarse or granulated sugar for topping, optional (I bought some pearl vanilla sugar when we were up at King Arthur last year and use that)
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease (I use parchment) two baking sheets.

Combine the vanilla, baker's ammonia, and salt in a very small bowl. Stir to dissolve the ammonia; the salt won't fully dissolve. Combine the vanilla mixture with the butter and sugar, and beat until smooth.

Mix in the flour; the mixture will seem quite dry at first. But continue beating until the dough comes together; that may take about 5 minutes (it took me about 3 minutes).

Break off pieces of dough about the size of a gumball (about 3/4 ounce); a teaspoon cookie scoop works well here. Roll the pieces into balls and roll them into the coarse sugar. Space them on the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1-1/2 inches between the balls.

Use the bottom of a glass, dipped in sugar if necessary, to prevent sticking, to flatten the balls to about 1/4 to 3/8-inch thick.  If you have it, use the end of the food pusher from a food processor; many of these have a circular, ridged pattern on their end, which imprints the cookies with a nice design.

Bake the cookies until they're a very light golden brown around the edges, about 25 minutes. (I think I'd go with 22 minutes, but start checking after 15 minutes or so, depending on how crunchy you want your cookies to be)

Remove them from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.

If you want to put them over the top (I did!)

Chocolate Dip: 1 cup chocolate chips and 1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil microwaved until the chocolate softens. Stir until completely melted.

1 cup crushed pecans

Use a pastry brush to paint the bottom of each cookie with chocolate.

Dip the painted cookie into the crushed nuts or just sprinkle the chocolate with the nuts.

Place cookies, chocolate-side up, on a piece of parchment or cookie sheet to set. (You can put them in the fridge to help the chocolate set up faster).

NOTE: This recipe does not use eggs.
 
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SWOON PIES (from the Southern Cookie Cookbook by Southern Living)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (8-oz.) container sour cream

Parchment paper

Marshmallow Filling

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

2 teaspoons shortening

Toppings: chopped roasted salted pecans, chopped crystallized ginger, sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir in graham cracker crumbs.

Beat butter and next 2 ingredients at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until blended.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.

Drop batter by rounded tablespoonsful 2 inches apart onto 2 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake, in batches, at 350 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or until set and bottoms are golden brown. Remove cookies (on parchment paper) to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Turn 12 cookies over, bottom sides up. Spread each with 1 heaping tablespoonful of Marshmallow Filling. Top with remaining 12 cookies, bottom sides down, and press gently to spread filling to edges. Freeze on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet 30 minutes or until filling is set.

Pour water to depth of 1 inch in a medium saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer; place chocolate and shortening in a medium-size heatproof bowl over simmering water. (You can also use a double boiler, if you have one. I used the microwave.) Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes or until melted. Remove from heat, and let cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove cookies from freezer, and let stand 10 minutes.

Dip half of each cookie sandwich into melted chocolate mixture. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with desired toppings, and freeze 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Makes 12 “pies”.

Note: To completely coat Swoon Pies, increase semisweet chocolate morsels to a full (16-oz.) package and shortening to 3 teaspoons. Prepare recipe as directed, dipping cookie sandwiches completely in chocolate mixture. Use a fork to easily remove sandwiches from chocolate. (I dipped half of each cookie and then sprinkled a combination of chopped miniature Health bars and toasted chopped pecans with a wee bit of sea salt on the dipped ends. We liked the crunch and the saltiness combined with the chocolate and the cookie.)

These are good! I only got eight pies, not twelve, but I made mine a little larger. Next time, I may double the ingredients for the Filling because Rick didn’t think a tablespoon of Filling was enough and, as it was, I barely had enough Filling for the eight pies. Use your own judgement for that.
 
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Winchester

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BROWNIE COOKIES (from the Southern Cookie Book by Southern Living)

1/2 cup butter

4 (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares, chopped

3 cups semisweet chocolate morsels, divided

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine butter, unsweetened chocolate and 1-1/2 cups chocolate morsels in a large heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until butter and chocolate melt; cool.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla at medium speed with an electric mixer. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture, beating well. Add chocolate mixture; beat well. Stir in remaining 1-1/2 cups chocolate morsels and pecans.

Drop dough by 2-tablespoonsful 1 inch apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

NOTE: Watch closely; you don’t want to overbake these cookies. They are best at the chewy stage.
 
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Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies (from The Southern Cookie Book)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup, plus 1 Tbsp, granulated sugar, divided
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2-1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup chopped pecans, divided (I toasted them)
6 (2 oz.) packages Twix, cut into 1-inch pieces

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup granulated sugar and the brown sugar, beating until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in ½ cup pecans.

Shape one tablespoon of dough around each Twix piece, covering completely to form balls.

Combine remaining pecans and remaining sugar. Gently press the top of each ball into the pecan mixture. Place the balls, pecan side up, 2 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake 7 – 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

Makes 4 dozen (or so the recipe says). I didn’t get that many. My MIL, who has a serious sweet tooth and a special love for anything chocolate, says these are wonderful cookies.
 
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Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pecans and Sea Salt - from King Arthur
I love the taste of salty and sweet. Yum

1 cup (16 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
1 teaspoon molasses
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup
bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Coarse
sea salt, to sprinkle on top

1. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2. Place half the butter (8 tablespoons) in a medium skillet. Melt the butter over medium heat, swirling it in the pan occasionally. It'll foam and froth as it cooks, and start to crackle and pop. Once the crackling stops, keep a close eye on the melted butter, continuing to swirl the pan at intervals. The butter will become fragrant, and brown bits will form in the bottom. Once the bits are amber brown (about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or so after the sizzling stops), remove the butter from the burner and pour it into a small bowl, bits and all. Allow it to cool for 20 minutes.

3. Beat the remaining 1/2 cup butter with the brown sugar for 3 to 5 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth.

4. Beat in the vanilla and molasses.

5. Pour the cooled brown butter into the bowl, along with the granulated sugar. Beat for 2 minutes, until smooth; the mixture will lighten in color and become fluffy.

6. Add the egg and egg yolk, and beat for another minute.

7. Add the flour, salt, and baking soda, beating on low speed just until everything is incorporated.

8. Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and pecans.

9. Scoop the dough onto a piece of parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap. Flatten it slightly into a thick disk, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. About 15 minutes before you're ready to begin baking, preheat your oven to 350°F, with the racks in the center/upper third.

10. Scoop the dough in 2 tablespoon-sized balls onto the prepared baking sheets. Each will weigh about 1 ounce (28g). Leave about 2 inches between the cookies; they'll spread as they bake.

11. Sprinkle the cookies with sea salt, to taste — as much or as little as you like.

12. Bake the cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, until they're golden brown. Remove them from the oven, and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes before moving them.

13. Serve warm; or cool completely, and store airtight at room temperature for several days. For longer storage, wrap well and freeze.

14. Yield: about 24 large (3") cookies.
 

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Chewy Coconut Pecan Cookies


These are so good you'll want to make a couple batches so you have one all to yourself! I love making these for the holidays and office parties. These are chewy in the middle and the butter gives them a crispy edge They are melt in your mouth delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup cane sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon extract
1 1/3 cups coconut shreds
1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Peheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine the dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla and lemon extracts until light and fluffy.

Gradually blend in the flour mixture. Then mix in the coconut. and last the pecans.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or uintil lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

Makes about 3 dozen medium large sized cookies.
 
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