Aunt Chere’s Cutout Cookies

These cookies are perfect for making any kind of cutout cookie, not just for Christmas!!

The recipe is listed on our Facebook page:  Aunt Chere’s Cutout Cookies

Grandma Ruth’s Preserve Thumbprint cookies

These cookies are delicious!  Rich buttery flavor with the touch of fruity sweetness from the preserves.

The man’s mother makes a cookie tray for each of her children.  These are one of her cookies and my favorite by far!  This year she turned 80 and has realized it’s too much work to make so many cookies.  She made a 3 ring binder for each of her grandchildren with all of her recipes and a beautiful handwritten not to each of them.  What a special gift!!

Last night we made her thumbprint cookies.  This was my first shot at making these and while not as pretty as hers (which are always perfectly round), they taste the same!  We are bringing them to a family party tonight.

These are ridiculously simple with easy ingredients and dough that is perfect to work with!

2 Cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup butter softened

2 eggs, separated

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

finely chopped pecans (or walnuts) to roll cookies in

Any flavor fruit preserves (I used apricot and raspberry)

Preheat the oven to 350F.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, butter, egg yolks, salt and vanilla.  Beat at low speed scraping the bowl often until smooth (about 2 minutes).

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls.

In  small bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy (this is clear with many bubbles)

Dip each ball into the whites and then into the finely chopped nuts.

Place about 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets (or parchment/silpat)

Make a depression in the center of each cookie with the back of the teaspoon.

Bake for 8 minutes, remove carefully and place a small teaspoon of preserves in the center.  Return to oven and bake for approximately 7-9 more minutes (or until lightly browned on the edges).

Makes about 36 cookies!

 

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Ok….it was 4 ingredients for half the batch as I added chocolate chips to some.

1 cup of peanut butter

1 cup of sugar

1 egg

mix all until smooth, add chocolate or butterscotch chips if desired, form teaspoon size balls and press with a fork.  Bake at 350 for exactly 12 minutes and you have a delicious cookie.  These are also gluten free!

This recipe is shared from Barefeet in the Kitchen and you can find the recipe on my post here:  Easiest Peanut Butter Cookies

White Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

The tween queen and our 3 year old nephew/cousin made these for her Spanish teacher’s birthday party tomorrow.

They are rich, chocolatey and delicious!

You can find her recipe and more pictures on my Facebook page here:  White Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

M&M Cookie Recipe

This is actually a chocolate chip cookie recipe taken out of a recipe book our children’s school created a few years ago.  These cookies were delicious and super easy to make.  It also made 71 cookies!!!!

You can easily use chocolate chips or M&M’s or nuts, butterscotch chips, Heath Candy pieces, or white chips with macadamia nuts.  Anything would be great in this tasty dough.

You can find the recipe on my Facebook page here:  Chocolate Chip Cookies

Italian Chocolate Cookies

These are my absolute favorite cookie.  I love the hint of cloves sweetened with the cocoa and light powdered sugar icing.  You can add chocolate chips (truly my favorite way), raisins, or nuts to these as well.

Growing up this was a staple Christmas cookie in our family.  I remember watching my mom make them and waiting until they were cool enough to grab a few off the tray!

I alternate between our family recipe and an Italian friend of mine who has a slightly different version.  Her’s contain less clove and uses Crisco in place of the lard our family recipe calls for.

They are easy to make and look pretty when displayed with other cookies.  The taste is fabulous and even better with a cup of coffee or tea!

Here is the recipe I used for these cookies

4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cloves

1 tsp cinnamon

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP Crisco (shortening)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP milk

3/4 cup chocolate chips (or raisins or chopped nuts)

Mix flour, salt, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cloves, cinnamon, sugar, chips and Crisco with a pastry blender until pea size balls form.

Mix vanilla, egg and milk together in a separate bowl.  Add to flour mixture and stir by hand until all dry ingredients are blended.

Roll into walnut size balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.

Bake in preheated 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Dip in icing or frosting when cool and decorate

Christmas Cutouts

Christmas cookies are a great way to make a family tradition. No matter how busy we are and other traditions have been outgrown, the cutting and decorating of the cookies is something that draws us all together.  It’s a fun family thing to do and the kids like seeing their cookies displayed on the cookie tray at our family gathering.

I like to try all sorts of recipes and last year made 2 different types of cutouts so we could vote on our favorite.  This year I decided to try the widely “Pinned” Sour Cream cut out cookies.

The dough was made and the rolling, cutting and of course eating began.

I found this dough to be a stickier dough you have to knead with flour or powdered sugar after you pull a chunk out (I mix a bowl of flour and powdered sugar to sprinkle on the rolling pin and mat) to keep from sticking. But it was easy to roll and cut.

I made the dough two days prior to us being able to get together and make the cookies.  It kept very well in a sealed container in the fridge.

The cookies had a “crinkly” look to them right out of the oven and were very puffy but settled down smooth.  The recipe received the “approval” of the kids as they said they tasted great without the frosting.  It made a nice big batch of cutouts also.

After the frosting was made and colored everyone went to town to get them decorated.

And another year of memory making was had!

Here is the recipe I used:

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream together butter, sugar and salt with electric mixer.  Blend in sour cream, egg and vanilla.  Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add to sugar mixture slowly mixing well.  You can leave dough in the bowl and cover with plastic and chill for an hour.  Roll out using flour/powdered sugar as needed to keep from sticking.  Cut into shapes and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes (slightly brown at edge).  Let cool for 2 minutes then transfer to wax paper to cool.  Frost as desired

Ricotta Cookies

These are a staple cookie at our house and especially during the Holidays.  Ricotta cheese makes these cookies moist and delicious!!

They are simple to make and you can frost them with cream cheese frosting (recipe at bottom) or leave them plain as the tween queen in our house requests.  They are perfectly delicious either way!

I like to separate the batter at Christmas and make red and green colors as they make your cookie tray very pretty.

Here is the fast and easy recipe:

Ricotta Cheese Cookies

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks butter (1 cup) softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 lb (16 oz container) ricotta cheese

½ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

¼ tsp baking powder

4 cups flour

Food coloring if making different colors

TO DO:

Beat butter and sugar until creamy (about 3 minutes)

Add eggs 1 at a time

Add vanilla, ricotta cheese, salt, baking soda, baking powder until incorporated

Add flour slowly and combine all

**IF MAKING DIFFERENT COLORS ADD FOOD COLORING HERE

Drop by teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet (or you can use parchment paper or silpat mat)

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

Frost with Cream cheese frosting (homemade or store bought works great)

**These cookies freeze well also. Separate layers with wax paper**

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:

1 8oz brick cream cheese softened

1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup) softened and cut into pieces

1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until smooth

Add the vanilla and mix well

Slowly add the sugar until well combines

(store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks)

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies

These sugar cookies are SIMPLE and so yummy!

The Tween Queen decided she needed these cookies so set about making them. She even took the pictures for my blog!!

These would be a great cookie to wrap in a pretty cellophane bag with a decorative bow as a gift as they are truly soft and chewy.

You can also ice them to decorate or add a little flavored extract (almond is our favorite) for a different touch, or try adding food coloring and make different colored cookies.

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
1 egg
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

Colored Sprinkles or plain sugar to roll the cookies in

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat mat

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and mix well

Stir in flour slowly, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla.

Scoop cookie dough and roll into a ball (about a walnut size ball).

Add sprinkles/sugar to a bowl or plate and roll the cookie dough into it to coat it or on top half only.

Place sugared ball onto baking sheet, spacing about 1½-inches apart.

Lightly press each cookie down with the back of the tablespoon.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on the bottom edge

Store in an air tight container

Super easy, great flavor, and simple on-hand ingredients make this cookie a favorite!

Cookie Tips

I saw this on Facebook and a few of my blogging friends sites.  This is very interesting. 

A friend who is a chef told me years ago that whenever a recipe in cookies, cakes or cupcakes called for baking soda or baking powder I should use half of each.  For example if the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking soda, you would use 1/2 tsp. baking soda and 1/2 tsp. baking powder.  I have done that for every recipe I have made since and it’s never failed me. 

Maybe I will try some of the above along with my secret!!