Tuesday, December 23, 2014

12 Days of Cookies "Peanut Butter Cookies" Day 6

 
 
Ummm, it's looking like the "12 Days of Cookies" is turning into something like the "20 Days..."
 
What can I say?
 
"Life" is full.
 
:)
 
Though I made these last year on "Day 5", it wasn't a recipe from the greatest cookbook in the world...
 
My Great Aunt Anna Mary (nickname: "GA") compiled this cookbook that she gifted me when Sugar and I flew out West a few years back to meet her and Great Uncle Bob, run the Phoenix Half Marathon, and tour the Grand Canyon for his traditional birthday trip.  She's a gem and I love her dearly. 
 
It's my "go to" for just about everything.  GA's mastery of the English language and writing skills shines through this marvelous work.
 
Did I mention these cookies were outstanding??  Been a long time since I ate a cookie made with Crisco.
 
Peanut Butter Cookies
 
Ingredients
3/4 C shortening
1 C white sugar
1C light brown sugar
1 C peanut butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 C flour
1/4 C water
 
Directions
Cream shortening with sugars.  Add peanut butter, mix well.  Add eggs, mix.  Mix together soda, salt, flour and add alternately with 1/4 cup water.  bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.
 
*Yields 3 1/2 dozen.
    

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

"12 Days of Cookies"Chewy Coconut-Macadamia Nut Cookies" Day 5

 
 Even Sugar,
 

the man from another world, who doesn't like many sweets, including chocolate, like I said, the weirdo from another planet, really liked today's cookie.
 
 Whip up a batch and see what the hoopla is all about!
 
 
 
Chewy Coconut-Macadamia Nut Cookies
 
 
Ingredients 
 

1 cup butter or margarine, softened                        

3/4 cup granulated sugar                        
3/4 cup packed brown sugar                        
1 teaspoon vanilla                        
2 eggs                        
2 1/4 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour                        
1 teaspoon baking soda                        
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon                        
1/2 teaspoon salt                        
1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats                        
1/2 cup coconut                        
                           
1/2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts                        

Directions

  • 1 Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt until well blended. Stir in oats, coconut and nuts.
  • 2 On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart.
  • 3 Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

*These cookies freeze well and thaw quickly. Seal the cookies in an airtight container, and freeze them for up to 2 weeks. Let the cookies stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

**Compliments of Betty Crocker.

Monday, December 15, 2014

"12 Days of Cookies"Cranberry-White Chocolate Cookies" Day 4

 
 
I'm still here!
 
Sorry for the two-day ditch.
 
The girls


and I
we're invited to a Christmas Party.
I know- YAAAAAAY!!!!
 
Couldn't quite swing baking for the party AND the cookies- on top of not just the ins-and-outs of Homemaking, but the additional work involved in decorating, planning, buying, etc., etc. for the holidays.
Chucked that Superwoman cape- which is crafted from kryptonite, they just don't tell you that- long ago. 
Only purpose it served was to weigh me down and cause unnecessary stress.
Anyhow, I digress.
On with today's cookie...


Cranberry-White Chocolate Cookies

 
Ingredients
 
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels
  • 1 (6-ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries

Preparation

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; set aside.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture gradually, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in white chocolate morsels and cranberries.
Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Yields appx. 3 dozen

*Compliments of MyRecipes.com.
 


Friday, December 12, 2014

"12 Days of Cookies" Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies" Day 3

 
You absolutely cannot beat an
ORIGINAL
NESTLE
TOLL
HOUSE
CHOCOLATE
CHIP
COOKIE,
PERIOD.
 
Just ask The Punk.
 
Who happens to be growing up waaaaaaaay to fast...
 
 
 
Original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
{*Be warned!  This recipe makes 5 dozen!  I cut it in half and got the more manageable 2 1/2 dozen.}


Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels 
 
Instructions
 
PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Thursday, December 11, 2014

"12 Days of Cookies" Toffee-Chocolate Chip Shortbread" Day 2

 
Introduced myself to shortbread during last year's "12 Days of Cookies."
An instant love was born.
Thus, I couldn't hold out any longer and made a batch.
HOWEVER, there's a twist.
I found a shortbread recipe that incorporates two of my FAVES: chocolate AND toffee!!!!!
 
Drumroll please...
DELISH!
  

Toffee-Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup toffee bits

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour and salt just until a dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips and toffee bits.
2. Using your hands, roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, pressing down lightly on each one with a moistened palm.
3. Bake until cookies are firm and just golden around edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Place baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
 

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving
Serving Size: 2 cookies
  • Calories: 222
  • Fat: 14g
  • Saturated fat: 8g
  • Protein: 2g
  • Carbohydrate: 22g
  • Fiber: 0.0g
  • Cholesterol: 26mg
  • Sodium: 114mg 
Yields 2 dozen cookies              

*Compliments of myrecipes.com  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Wednesday, December 10, 2014

"12 Days of Cookies" White Chocolate Oatmeal Lace Cookies" Day 1

Got some good news,and some bad news.
Which you want first?
The bad?
Yeah, me too.  Better to get the ugly out of the way ASAP- AND can end on a positive note.
So here goes...
 
I can't remember what the final cookie was that I baked in last year's "12 Days of Cookies."
 
I KNOW...
 


I remember putting it off this time last year, for one reason or another, until, well, I guess I just forgot about blogging it.
 
 ME TOO...
 
 
Enough with the drudgery already though!
Now to the hippity-hoppity SUPERCALIFRAGILISTIC news...
 
the OFFICIAL launching of this year's "12 Days of Cookies!!!!!!!"
 
 
And this time, I won't forget that uber-important twelfth day!!!
 
 
 
          White Chocolate Oatmeal Lace Cookies


Ingredients:
  • 1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour (for GF Bob's Red Mill all-purpose GF)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oat*
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp 1% milk
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 5 oz white chocolate, melted  
  • 1/4 cup colored sprinkles
*For gluten free be sure to check the labels.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, and oats; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine melted butter, milk, honey, and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

Drop 1 level teaspoon of batter onto prepared baking sheets leaving space in between, placing only 12 cookies on each sheet because the cookies will spread in the oven.

Bake for 7-9 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.

Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe mug 30 seconds, stir then repeat another 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted. Careful not to overheat to prevent scorching.

Dip 1/3rd of the cookie into the melted chocolate, then into the sprinkles. Place on a tray lined with wax paper to harden.


Servings: 23 • Size: 2 cookies • Old Points: 2 • Weight Watcher Points+: 2 pt
Calories: 84 • Fat: 4 g • Carb: 12.5 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 1 g • Sugar: 9 g
Sodium: 8.5 mg • Cholest: 6.5 mg
Recipe compliments of Skinnytaste.com

 

 


Friday, December 13, 2013

12 Days of Cookies "Pecan Sandies" Day 11

Ok.
I admit,
after making today's cookie I had to turn to Google to find out more about these light, flavorful concoctions!
Had never heard, nor obviously attempted, to bake a "sandie".
Yes, I have been living under a rock.
This delicious shortbread will definitely find its way back into my oven again. :)
 
 

Pecan Sandies

Ingredients
1 C butter
1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 C All-Purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 C pecans, crushed, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a bowl, beat butter until creamy; then beat in sugar, vanilla and almond extracts until fluffy.  Mix in flour, salt and 1/2 C nuts until blended. 

With floured hands, form dough into 1" balls.  Roll balls in remaining nuts; place 1 1/2" apart on light greased baking sheets.  Flatten with fork tines dipped in flour to 1 1/2-2" across. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly brown.

Yields appx. 2 1/2 dozen.