Sugar Cookies

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Sugar Cookies

You can probably find a sugar cookie recipe in just about every cookbook you have as well as every cooking website and blog that you go on.  The reason why, is that they’re a staple.  You can bake them plain, decorate them with icing and decorations, or you can use the dough as the base for a multitude of other cookies.  I like this recipe, it’s fast and easy.  You can make it ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for several days. 

 

 

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 Cup Butter, softened

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

1 Egg

2 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Cream of Tartar

Red and Green colored sugar

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and the butter with electric mixer on medium speed.  Stir in vanilla, almond extract and the egg.  Add the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.  

Heat oven to 375º

When I baked these cookies, I went old school.  I rolled them with a 1 inch scoop then pressed them down with the back of a glass dipped in flour.    I sprinkled them with colored sugar before baking on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Cutout cookies – Lightly flour surface.  Roll out 1/2 the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets place shapes about 2 inches apart.  

Bake 7-10 minutes or until light brown.  Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.  Cool completely.

 

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

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Chocoate Peanut Butter Chips

All I can say about these cookies is Wow.  The chocolate and peanut butter are a great combination, now add pecans and it is absolutely heavenly.  The Espresso powder in this recipe enhances the chocolate flavor to make it rich and decant. 

 

Ingredients

1 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Cups Sugar

2 Eggs

2 Cups Flour

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

2/3 Cups Unsweetened Cocoa

3/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Salt

1 TBSP Instant Espresso Powder

1 10-oz Package Peanut Butter Chips

1 Cup Pecans, chopped

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375º.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar on medium speed.   Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, espresso powder and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer.  Combine all ingredients throughly.  Add the chips and chopped pecans and mix once more.

Using a small cookie scoop or heaping teaspoon, drop on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  

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Toffee Snickerdoodles

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Snickerdoodle Toffee

These are so easy and a favorite of everyone’s.  The other great thing about these cookies is that the recipe makes 5 dozen.  So, if you are in a cookie exchange, this is a great cookie to make.

 

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Butter, softened

1/2 Cup Shortening

1 Cup plus 3 TBSP Sugar, divided

2 Eggs

2 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 tsp Cream of Tarter

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 8-oz package Toffee Bites

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

 

Instructions

Heat oven to 400º.  In a large bowl, beat butter, shortening and 1 cup sugar in large bowl until fluffy.  Add eggs and beat throughly.  In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture.  Mix all ingredients until combined.  Stir in toffee bits.

In a small bowl, combine 3 TBSP sugar and the cinnamon.  Shape the dough into 1 1/4 inch balls.  Roll in the cinnamon-sugar mixture and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 9-11 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges.  Let cool slightly on the baking sheet, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. 

 

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Cookie Exchange 2015

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Cookie Exchange

Its cookie exchange time and I am so excited.   We started our cookie swap about 7 years ago and every year I enjoy it more.  The first couple of years were a bit of a challenge, setting aside enough time to bake, cool and package 15 dozen or so cookies.  And then there was estimating the amount of ingredients I needed.  I thought I bought enough of everything, but had to run back to the store several times midstream. 

There was one or two batches that I left in the oven to long and had to throw away.  The first year, I was up through the night baking the perfect cookies.  When we got together, I heard similar stories from almost everyone, it was great!!!!

So now that I am more experienced, I do some trial runs with cookies to see which one I would be the perfect cookie for the year.  I change it up every year and try not to repeat any cookies.  Some people make the same cookie every year, and everyone looks forward to it.  I have made biscotti, coconut macaroons, sugar mint cookies, no bake cookies, pecan sandies, filled sugar cookie cups and a few more that I can’t remember.  They were all good.  My favorite is the biscotti.

For our exchange, we have everyone announce the type of cookie that they are going to bring ahead of time to make sure we don’t have any duplicates.  Then, everyone brings one dozen cookies for each person, plus one dozen to eat at the party.  The packaging is also important.  You should bring your cookies in a festive bag or plastic container.  We have had all sorts of different packaging.  Some people also include the recipe with the cookies.

I serve wine and coffee and finger foods and the ladies enjoy a few hours together in the middle of the holiday shopping season.  It’s the best.

Cookie Exchange

So, now its time to start baking.  I will post one cookie each day until the end of the month.  They will all be delicious and easy to make.  

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Cheese Pizza

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Pizza Cheese

There is nothing better than pizza.  Cheese pizza….Yum.   Crispy crust, cheese oozing everywhere.  Delish.

 

Ingredients

Pizza Dough – I used store bought

1 Cup Marinara Sauce

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Oregano or Italian Seasoning

1 Lb Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450º.

There are two ways that I like to cook pizza at home.    I have used both and they are equally good.

Option #1

Stretch the dough onto a 9-inch round pizza pan or a baking sheet.  Brush with olive oil, then sprinkle with oregano or Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Spread the marinara sauce over the dough, leaving 1/2 inch on all sides.  Bake until the crust is golden brown.  Remove from the oven.

Add the cheeses and return to the oven.  Bake until the cheese is melted. 

Option #2

Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest rack in the oven.  Let the oven heat up to 450º – 500º.  

Lightly flour a pizza peel.  If you don’t have a pizza peel, a piece of parchment paper will work just fine. Stretch the dough and lay it on the peel or the paper.  Brush the dough with olive oil, then sprinkle with oregano or Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.  Spread the marinara sauce on the dough, leaving 1/2 inch on the sides.  Top with the cheeses.

If you are using the pizza peel, slide the pizza onto the stone or baking sheet in the oven.  If you are using the parchment paper, place the pizza with the parchment paper on the stone or baking sheet.  Bake until the crust is golden brown. 

 

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