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.

 

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.  

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.