Coffee Cake Cookies by Jennifer H.

Coffee Cake Cookies 

Ingredients: 

Cookie dough: 

1 cup softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 large egg
2 - 1/2 cups flour
1 Tb baking powder

Crumb Topping:

4 Tb. butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour

Brown Sugar glaze:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 - 1/2 Tb. water

To make the dough:In a mixer, beat butter with sugar.  Add vanilla and egg and mix well.  Add flour and baking powder and mix until combined.  Dough should be soft but shouldn't stick to your fingers.

Roll cookie dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and place on cookie sheet 3 inches apart.  Flatten cookie dough with the heel of your hand.

To make crumb topping:
With a hand mixer, combine butter, brown sugar and flour until crumbly.

For glaze:
In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, water and vanilla and stir until smooth.  Glaze should be easy to drizzle but not runny.  If it's too thick, add a few drops of water until consistency is right.  If it's too runny, add another spoonful of brown sugar.

Lemon Crisp Cookies by Jennifer H.

1 pkg lemon cake mix
1 cup crisp rice or puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well mixed.  (Dough will be crumbly.)  Shape into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until set.  Cool for 1 minute and move to wire cooling rack to cool completely.  Yield:  2 dozen (I think I made them a little bigger than 1 inch around, so you could get more).

2012 Cookie Exchange

 Marilynn did it again! She hosted another fabulous cookie exchange. We had delicious appetizers, yummy cookies, and great conversations. We love this tradition! From left to right: Amy J, Lynne B, Sara W, Marilynn K, Lisa H, Jessica L, Leanne C, DeAnn S, Michele N, and Camie C.

Don't these looke mouth watering?

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.

Honey Pecan Butterballs by Jennifer H.

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. shortening

2 c. wheat flour

1/4 c. honey

2 c. finely chopped pecans

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter and shortening; add honey, then flour, salt and vanilla. 

Mix and add chopped nuts.  Roll into walnut-size balls.  Bake on greased

baking sheet for 10-12 minutes at 350.

Tangy Lemon Cookies by Jennifer H.

1 c. soft butter

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 Tb. lemon powder

1/8 tsp. lemon oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 c. flour

1/2 c. cornstarch

Beat butter, sugar, lemon powder, lemon oil, salt, and vanilla until blended.  Mix in egg yolk, flour, and corn starch until well blended.  Shape into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet, flatten if desired.  Bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are just slightly brown.

Frosting

1/4 c. melted butter

1 Tb. lemon powder

1 1/2 to 2 c. powdered sugar

yellow food coloring (optional)

Beat ingredients together, adjusting consistency as needed with milk or powdered sugar.  Spread small amount on each cookie.  If desired, frosting can be used to make sandwich cookies.   

Lavender Shortbread Cookies by Jennifer H.

2 c. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp lavender buds (no stems) fresh or dried

1.  Sift flour into small bowl, add salt 2.  Beat butter on medium speed until fluffy (3-5 minutes).  Add sugar, lavender buds, and vanilla.  Beat until very light in color, about 2 minutes more.

3.  Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until flour is incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.

4.  On a sheet of wax paper, pat and form the dough into a log about

12-14 inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter.  If you want a square or rectangular cookie, flatten each side of the log as you roll it up in the wax paper.  Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.

5.  Preheat oven to 325.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Remove wax paper from the dough and slice the log into 1/4 inch slices.  Lay slices on baking sheets.

6.  Bake at 325 until firm, about 17-20 minutes.  Cool completely.

Can be stored in airtight container for 3-4 weeks.  Makes 36.

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Sugar Frosting by Jennifer H.

Cookies:
2 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 C sugar
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 c. canned pumpkin

In a medium bowl, combine flour and spices; set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer. Add sugar, mix well. Beat in egg until combined, then add pumpkin and flour mixture. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Transfer to wire rack and let cool. Frost with Brown Sugar-Butter Frosting; let frosting dry.

Brown Sugar Frosting

In medium saucepan heat and stir 6 Tb. butter and 1/3 c. packed brown sugar over medium heat until butter melts; remove from heat. Stir in 2 c. sifted powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Stir in enough hot water (2 to 3 tsp.) to make a smooth, spreadable frosting. Immediately frost cookies. If frosting becomes grainy, add a few more drops of hot water and stir until smooth.