Thursday, November 18, 2010

Sugar Cookies by Jennifer H.

1 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour

Preheat oven to 400.  In large bowl, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  Add baking powder and flour, one cup at a time.
Dough will be stiff - blend last flour by hand.  Do not chill dough.

Divide dough into 2 balls.  Roll out on floured surface until 1/8 inch thick.  Cut out shapes. Bake on ungreased cookie cheets for 7 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool

Royal Icing

2 lb. powdered sugar
3 heaping Tb. dehydrated egg whites (I use "Just Whites".  You can buy it at Maceys)
1 tsp clear vanilla
cold water

Place 1 lb. powdered sugar in mixing bowl.  Add egg whites and mix into sugar well.  Add about 1/3 c. cold water and blend.  Add rest of sugar and more water in small amounts until frosting reaches a consistency that will hold its shape when squeezed through a decorating bag.  Separate frosting in multiple bowls and add color as desired.  To decorate cookies, place frosting in bag with desired tip and pipe around the edges of cookies.  In another bowl, combine frosting with water until the consistency is like syrup but not too runny.  Carefully place frosting in cookie and "flood" cookie until you have filled in the center of the areas you piped.  (I use a plastic spoon to gently coax frosting to every spot on the cookie).
Be careful not to add too much and overflow the cookie.  When the icing has set, you can once more take the frosting in bags and decorate over the top of the icing.  Let dry before stacking.  Note:
royal icing is known for the pretty things you can do with it, not for being the yummiest frosting.  If you wish, you can add a teaspoon of mint, orange, almond or any other extract to help compliment the taste of your cookies.

Easy Yummy Chocolate Chip Cookies by Cynthia S.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2/3 cup margarine/butter (softened)*
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg  (I use the egg substitute so my kids can eat a lot of dough :)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Then add:
about 2 cups flour (start a little less then add more if needed)
semi-sweet chocolate chips (almost a half a bag)

I put the first seven ingredients in a bowl and mix it really well.  You can do this by hand (but you have to do it fast and very well) or use a mixer. Then mix in the flour. The dough will be right if it no longer sticks to the bowl and it forms a soft mass of dough in the middle.  Then add the chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 min. Don't overcook!  Enjoy! 
¥ields: about 2 dozen

* I like using the Canola Harvest spread because it's healthier and you don't have to soften it, but you probably have to add a bit more flour.

M&M Cookies by Sara W.


2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp vanilla

Blend well

4 cups flour
3 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 3/4 cup oatmeal

Mix Well and then add:
1 package chocolate chips (or one bag plain M&M's or half and half)

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until slightly brown.

Old Fashioned Soft Sugar Cookies by Lisa W.

Cream together in large bowl:

2c. sugar
3c. eggs
1c. Margarine

Mix dry ingredients:

6 c.    flour
5 tsp. baking powder
pinch of salt

Mix:

1 tsp vanilla
1c     milk

Rotate adding dry ingredients and milk mixture to creamed mixture in a large bowl.  Add flour if needed until dough mixture is Right consistency to roll out.
Roll onto floured surface and cut with cookie cutters.  Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Cookies will be light in color and will
stay very soft for several days.  This recipe makes about 100 small cookies!!

Chocolate Snickerdoodle Drops by Lisa H.


Ingredients
  • 1  cup butter, softened
  • 2  cups sugar
  • 1  teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2  teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2  teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 2  egg
  • 2/3  cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4  tablespoons sugar
  • 2  teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups sugar, soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.
2. Drop by slightly rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Stir together remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle dough with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 30 cookies if you use a large cookie scoop.
Make-ahead tip: Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in freezer up to 1 month.