GINGER CRISPS

I rarely post to my blog these days.  Rare to bake something new but I recently had a friend share the recipe for these Ginger Crisps.  I had never made gingersnaps and these were a hit.  My little community has a bake sale for Valentine's Day to support our Heritage Society.  I made a couple of cakes and also these cookies to contribute.  

GINGER CRISPS

1-1/2 sticks of butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1-1/4 cup brown sugar (I used light, but I think dark would be better)

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup molasses

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Blend together butter, sugars, egg and egg yolk, and molasses till smooth.  Add dry ingredients and spices and blend well.

Roll dough in small balls.  These spread quite a lot so place on baking sheet to allow.

Bake at 325 degrees for 13 minutes.

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

A weekend with my cousin.  I like to bring a treat. It is always a good visit.  

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter, softened

1 egg

3/4 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well.  In another bowl, cream together the sugars and butter till smooth.  Add egg and vanilla.  Combine dry ingredients.  Mix together well.  Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.  Scoop tablespoons of dough and place on prepared pan with parchment paper.  These cookies spread quite a bit, so space at least 2 inches apart.  Bake at 350 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes till golden brown. 

CINNAMON OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

I recently visited my cousin and her husband.  I wanted to take a treat and went in search of something new to bake.  I had some beautiful raisins that I get when I visit California, the red flame raisins that are just amazing.  Nice and plump.  Like nothing you can buy in a grocery store.  

CINNAMON OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.  In a large bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Gradually mix in flour until well mixed.  Stir in oats and raisins and pecans if used. Drop by tablespoons onto parchment paper line cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes until lightly brown.  Cool.

LEMON OATMEAL COOKIES

Things are certainly boring during the pandemic sometimes.  Another recipe hanging out in my to try file and wanting to make something lemony found this recipe.These cookies spread out really big so it only made 2 dozen which I shared with a few peeps at work but made them each a small bag since it wasn't good to have them on a plate for people to grab one with trying to keep safe from virus germs.

LEMON OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon lemon extract

grated zest from 1 small lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup sugar for top of cookies

1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, wish together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl with a mixer beat the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the lemon extract, vanilla and zest and blend well.

Slowly add dry ingredients. Add the oatmeal and mix well.

Roll dough into small balls about walnut size.  Press a glass in the lemon juice and sugar and pat the cookies down.  These cookies spread quite a lot.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes until tops are lightly brown.  Cool. 

GLAZED LEMON COOKIES

My cousin hosted a ladies luncheon this past weekend.  The theme was Italian.  With all the heavy pasta dishes I thought a light dessert would be good.  If you have ever been to Maggiano's Little Italy restaurant for your birthday you might have tasted their little crescent shaped lemon cookies.  In searching for a recipe these came up as a copy cat version.  Lots of good reviews from the ladies.  They were really good.

ICED LEMON COOKIES

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour

Glaze:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add egg yolks, vanilla and salt.  Blend well.  Add flour.  Divide dough in half and roll into logs wrapped in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate 30 minutes.  Slice into 1/2 inch slices and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 16-20 minutes until lightly golden.  Do not overbake.  Cool cookies.  Combine glaze ingredients.  Dip cooled cookies into glaze and let rest until dry, about 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE DREAM COOKIES

A recent birthday for a friend who loves chocolate.  I had made some really good chocolate cookies before but was not at home to search my files for that recipe so I went in search of a similar one.

Searching the trusty Internet, I found the following recipe from Nestle and I think they were a big hit.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE DREAM COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.

1/2 cup baking cocoa 

1 teaspoon baking soda.

1/2 teaspoon salt.

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened.

1 cup packed brown sugar.

3/4 cup granulated sugar.

2 large eggs.

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl.  In another bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until creamy.  Beat in eggs for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels.  Drop by rounded tablespoon (I used a cookie scoop) onto parchment paper.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes until cookies are puffed.  Cool on baking sheets.

Auntie Crae's Plantation Chews

I've been absent from my blog for a few months.  I think I have been baking things I have already blogged about and not too many new things.  I'm not really sure how I happened upon this recipe from this site Rock Recipes.  It is an interesting recipe with the use of corn flakes instead of flour.  Believe me, the word chew in this cookie is an understatement.  These are almost as if there were caramel in them.  Interesting cookie for sure.  Below is my adaptation of the recipe listed in the link.

AUNTIE CRAE'S PLANTATION CHEWS

1 stick of butter, softened
2-1/4 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups cornflakes (not crushed)
1-1/4 cups coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and sugar until very fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated.  Add dry ingredients and beat on high speed for 12-14 minutes, scraping bowl often.  Scoop
out cookies onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  Flatten cookies with moistened fingertips.  Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool on pan until set.  They will be a little hard to take off the pan at first.

Toffee Crunch Cookies

Sorry for the long lag in posting.  I just haven't baked anything new lately, mostly old favorites which doesn't make for new blog posts.  I bought a bag of Hershey Toffee Bits around Christmas and went in search of a cookie recipe to use them in.  I came across this one on All Recipes.  My official cookie tester gave them a thumbs up and said that the middle is soft and chewy with a crisp outside.  The toffee bits melt and give this cookie a rich, buttery flavor.  I took liberty with the recipe and here is my version.

TOFFEE CRUNCH COOKIES

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag toffee baking bits
1 cup chopped, toasted pecans 

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, cream butter with brown sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Mix until smooth and creamy.  Blend dry ingredients and add to wet mixture.  Fold in toffee bits and pecans.  Drop by tablespoons or cookie scoop onto cookie pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 12 minutes at 350 degrees until light brown.  Makes 4 dozen.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

I started out this holiday season with good intentions with this cookie but soon fizzled out and I have not done a lot of baking so far.  I put this cookie together using a couple of standard recipes.  I think they are worthy of staying in my good cookie recipes.

PEANUT BUTTER OATMEAL COOKIES

2 sticks butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2-1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In the bowl of your mixer add butter, both sugars, and peanut butter.  Mix on medium spead until light and fluffy -- about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time until mixed in well.  Add vanilla and mix well.  Combine all dry ingredients together and add slowly to wet mixture.  Fold in peanut butter chips.  Place tablespoons of dough on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Press down just a little.  Bake at 13-15 minutes until golden brown.

Pecan Pie Cookies

I'm always looking for new cookie recipes.  We had a good crop of pecans this year and I was lucky enough to be able to go to my son's friend's property and pick up pecans.  I found this recipe on Pinterest which took me to this blog. These cookies are soft instead of crispy and the filling is similar to pecan pie. Following is the way I made them.

PECAN PIE COOKIES

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, continue beating until egg is fully incorporated and mixture is once again smooth and fluffy.
Add baking powder and flour, continue beating until mixture is uniform, with everything incorporated. Set dough aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, mix pecans and brown sugar. Add in heavy cream and vanilla, mix until well combined.
Roll cookie dough into balls that are about 1.25″ in diameter, and place them on cookie sheets – leave about 2″ between the cookies.
Gently use thumb to press down in the middle of each cookie, making an indentation. Roll thumb slightly to stretch the indentation out a little. Fill each indentation with about 1 tsp of pecan filling
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. 

Oatmeal Brittle

One of the first blogs I started reading was Anna Ginsberg's Cookie Madness.  I have her blog in my Google Reader and she posts almost every day.  Recently she posted a recipe for Oatmeal Brittle.  This recipe is definitely going on my Christmas goodie list.  It is easy and delicious. This is how I made it.

OATMEAL BRITTLE

1 stick butter, melted (I used salted)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup, Karo
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 cups oats (I used whole grain, not quick)
1/3 cup angel flake coconut
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 13×15 inch heavy duty rimmed baking pan with nonstick foil or parchment paper. In a large bowl, stir together the butter, corn syrup, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder. Add the oats and coconut and stir until thoroughly mixed. Spread the mixture as thinly as you can across the baking sheet to the edges. Set in preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are browned. Let cool completely on a wire rack. When cool, the cookie should be perfectly crisp. Break it into pieces. 

The World's Best Cookie

This recipe has been around since the 70's.  It was called the 'cornflake cookie' for a long time.  I have received this cookie in a Christmas cookie exchange (thank you, Carolyn) and I have given them also as it makes a lot.  I'm sure many would disagree this is the World's Best Cookie, but I think it is up there in the top 10 for sure.

THE WORLD'S BEST COOKIE

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup vegetable oil 

1 cup white sugar 

1 cup brown sugar 

1 egg 

1 cup crushed corn flakes (or can use rice krispies)

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal (I used old-fashioned)

1 cup flaked coconut

4 cups flour, decrease to 3 1/2 cups for a chewier cookie 

1 tablespoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and egg. Add oil. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop cookies onto baking sheet.  Bake for 10- 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a rack to cook.

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

I've got lots of cookie recipes but was looking for something new.  I came upon these cookies from Shugary Sweets and they looked really good.  I prefer my cookies to be a little more crisp, but I think these are pretty nice.  This is my version.

ICED OATMEAL COOKIES

For the Cookie:

1 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled.

1 cup granulated sugar  

1/2 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 eggs 

1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon  

1 teaspoon salt  

1 teaspoon baking soda  

1 tablespoon baking powder 

2 cups quick oats 

2 cups flour

1 cup chopped pecans

For the icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In mixing bowl, blend together butter with sugars. Mix 1-2 minutes until combined. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.  Mix together dry ingredients and add to wet mixture.  Stir until thoroughly combined.

Drop by tablespoon or cookie scoop onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 16 minutes. Remove and cool.  To make glaze, whisk together powdered sugar with heavy cream and cinnamon until smooth. Frost each cookie and allow to harden. These harden nicely and can be stacked.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Christmas baking continues. I couldn't find my Mom's peanut butter cookie recipe. This isn't quite it, but I think this will do.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup peanut butter (I used crunchy)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw for a sparkly effect).

Mix sugars and shortening together until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Mix in peanut butter until smooth. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together. Add to creamed mixture. Scoop dough onto cookie sheet and criss-cross with a fork dipped in water. Sprinkle sugar over and bake at 375 for 13 minutes until lightly browned.

Extreme Brownie Cookies

My first Christmas party tomorrow evening. I am taking along these cookies. I found this recipe on Cook Eat Share of which I am a member. I'm not a big fan of chocolate, but if you are these would definitely do the trick. Here is my version.

EXTREME BROWNIE COOKIES

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)
1 stick butter
3 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup toasted chopped pecans

Melt chocolate chips and stick of butter. Set aside to cool. Using a mixer beat the eggs and vanilla until frothy. Slowly add the sugar and beat until mixture ribbons off beaters (about 3-4 minutes). Add the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add to batter and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts. At this point the mixture is like thick cake batter. Chill until set. Scoop mixture into walnut-sized balls (I used a cookie scoop) and place onto parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes. Let the cookies cool a bit before taking them from the cookie sheet as they tend to crack. Makes 4 dozen.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COCONUT MACADAMIA COOKIES

I was looking for new cookie recipes for this holiday baking season. I got this one looking through the Pioneer Woman's website Tasty Kitchen. I couldn't find macadamia nuts in my little one-horse town so I substituted toasted pecans. These are a crispy/chewy chocolate chip cookie. I think the macadamia nuts would have made this a much better cookie but these weren't too bad. Here is my version as I made them.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COCONUT MACADAMIA COOKIES

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup toasted macadamia nuts (I used toasted pecans)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In your mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth.

Mix in the flour mixture until just combined and then stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

Take double the amount you would make for a cookie form it into a ball in your hands. Hold the ball with both hands and break it apart in half, like you are cracking an egg. Place each half, craggly-side up, on a parchment-lined cookie sheet, making sure to leave plenty of room for the cookies to spread.

Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the cookies are just barely golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave on the cookie sheets to cool at least 10 minutes.

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I haven't taken anything to work in a while. I was bored today and although we are suffering with triple digit heat I decided to bake! Well, crank the A/C down a bit and pretend it's not sweltering and voila cookies are done. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. I think the addition of some toasted coconut and/or craisins would have given them a bit more flavor but I went with what I had on hand.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 cups white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Add in the eggs and vanilla. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Add the oats, white chocolate chips and pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

Lavender Sugar Cookies

Back in June I took a trip to the Texas Hill Country to see the Lavender Festival. Sadly due to the drought and excessive heat this year the lavender fields were dry and not blooming.

Last week I was fortunate enough to travel to the Portland, Oregon area to visit a friend and got to see the most beautiful lavender fields. They were amazing. The area is so lush and I have never seen such beautiful flowers. It was a welcome escape from the horrible summer we are experiencing. The weather there was just wonderful and I enjoyed every minute. My friend is a superb cook and thought these cookies would be a good showcase for our lavender. These cookies are taken from a recipe of Penny McConnell from Penny's Pastries in Austin, Texas.

AMAZING SUGAR COOKIES

Butter Sugar Cookie Dough

1 cup butter, salted
1 cup granulated sugar (7 oz.)1 large egg
2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups (15 oz.) unbleached flour, unsifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
We added 2 teaspoons culinary lavender to these cookies.

Cookie Glaze

3 to 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon flavoring (almond, orange, lemon, etc.) We used lavender syrup.
1/4 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or in a heavy-duty mixer, combine butter and sugar using low speed with mixer. Do not over mix. Add egg, whipping cream, vanilla and almond extract all at once to butter/sugar mixture. Mixture will probably look curdled. Mix just until combined.

In separate bowl, mix flour with baking powder. Add dry ingredients to liquid. Mix to form dough. Give dough a quick knead, then roll out on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake on parchment-lined sheets until set and very lightly browned around edges about 12 minutes. Cool before decorating. Mix up glaze and drizzle over cooled cookies.

This dough rolls out beautifully. A good tip is to use powdered sugar instead of flour to roll out to keep the cookies from tasting too doughy.

Pecan Sandies

These little cookies go by all sorts of names, Mexican Wedding Cookies, Sand Tarts, Snowballs, but we have always called them Sandies in our house. Another traditional cookie on the Christmas plates each year.

PECAN SANDIES

1 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped fine

Mix all ingredients. Chill dough for 3-4 hours. Roll into 1 inch balls. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes until lightly browned. While still warm roll in powdered sugar and let cool. I always roll them a second time before storing.

Almond Joy Cookies

I helped my son make some cookies to take to his coworkers last weekend. This is a cookie he has made for a couple years now and is a staple on his Christmas cookie list.

ALMOND JOY COOKIES

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 packages semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups chopped almonds

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray cookie sheets or use parchment paper. Combine dry ingredients, set aside. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugars together. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until mixed well then stir in chocolate chips, coconut, and almonds. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool on a rack.