Unplugged Cookie Recipe Exchange

[*NikkiBell*]

With all of the talk on the podcast about favorite snacks and treats, I thought it'd be fun to start a thread listing your favorite cookie recipes. What will you be making for the holidays?

Here's one of my favorites. It's a Paula Deen recipe, but I've done variations of it before including strawberry cookies with cherry bits, etc.

Chocolate Gooey Butter Cookies

Ingredients
1 (8-ounce) brick cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18-ounce) box moist chocolate cake mix
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Beat in the egg. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Beat in the cake mix. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to firm up so that you can roll the batter into balls. Roll the chilled batter into tablespoon sized balls and then roll them in confectioner's sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes. The cookies will remain soft and "gooey." Cool completely and sprinkle with more confectioners' sugar, if desired.

 

[faithtrustpixie]

Sounds like fun!

I'll be making these. They are so yummy!!!!

Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 jar (18 oz ounce) peanut butter, crunchy or smooth (I like creamy.)
6 cups corn flakes
3 oz good quality chocolate of your choice

Directions:
Combine sugar and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and stir until the mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in the whole jar of peanut butter. Mix well.
Add corn flakes to a large bowl. Pour peanut butter mixture over corn flakes and mix well, taking care to coat all of the corn flakes.
With a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop out and form into 1-2 inch balls, depending on your preference, and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper.
Put the chocolate in a small bowl and melt in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir until smooth.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies.

 

[wiigirl]

In for this!

 

[HollyMac71]

keep them coming. Once I get back from retreiving my parents I will have to make some.

 

[WorldWacky]

I'm in! This thread is right up my alley. My favorite Christmas cookie recipe is one for Rainbow Cookies. They're a bit involved, but for those in the NY/NJ area who have had a good rainbow cookie, they're worth the time and effort. To buy these things, it costs a pretty penny!

RAINBOW COOKIES

8 ounces almond paste(not almond cake filling)
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons almond extract
6 drops red food coloring or use food color gels(such as Wilton brand) to get desired shade
6 drops green food coloring
6 drops yellow food coloring
1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam
1/3 cup apricot jam

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Day 1
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line three 9 x 13 inch baking pans with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, break apart almond paste with a fork and cream together with butter, sugar and egg yolks. When mixture is fluffy and smooth, stir in flour to form a dough. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold egg whites into the dough. Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Mix one portion with red food coloring, one with green and one with yellow. Spread each portion into one of the prepared pans. (This part takes some patience. I use a silicone spatula and have found that this works best.)

3. Bake 8-12 minutes until lightly browned. Don't overbake. Carefully remove from pan and parchment paper and cool completely on wire racks.

4. Place green layer onto a piece of plastic wrap or Press and Seal large enough to wrap around all three layers. Spread green layer with raspberry jam and top with yellow layer. Spread with apricot jam and cover with pick layer. Wrap all three layers and place on a baking sheet. Place a cutting board and heavy pan(I use my cast iron skillet) on top of the wrapped layers to compress. Chill overnight.

Day 2
1. Melt chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons of butter and add the 1/4 cup of heavy cream.

2. Remove pastic wrap and trim all edges of the compressed layers.

3. Use a pastry brush to cover with melted chocolate. I like to cut the full "cake" into about 1 1/2 x 9 inch logs before I "paint" the chocolate onto three sides. Cool in fridge. Flip and paint fourth side. I cover with chocolate or red and green sprinkles before the fourth side hardens completely. Then I cut my strips into small Rainbow Cookie squares similar to pettifours. They freeze really well.

It really does seem worse in writing than it really is... I promise!

 

[NejTheLion]

I'm in! This thread is right up my alley. My favorite Christmas cookie recipe is one for Rainbow Cookies. They're a bit involved, but for those in the NY/NJ area who have had a good rainbow cookie, they're worth the time and effort. To buy these things, it costs a pretty penny!

RAINBOW COOKIES

3. Use a pastry brush to cover with melted chocolate. I like to cut the full "cake" into about 1 1/2 x 9 inch logs before I "paint" the chocolate onto three sides. Cool in fridge. Flip and paint fourth side. I cover with chocolate or red and green sprinkles before the fourth side hardens completely. Then I cut my strips into small Rainbow Cookie squares similar to pettifours. They freeze really well.

Having trouble picturing...what sides are you brushing with the chocolate? Top and bottom? Just the four edges?

Sounds fun, will have to try

 

[UConnFan]

Yum! How fun

This is cheating, but I have to share! We love these ginger spice cookies from Immaculate Baking. They're super soft and wickedly delicious.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Off to Google. Not sure what rainbow cookies you mean...

Back. These are one of my FAV cookies!!!!

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Just saw this on Pinterest. Do you guys think that the star is fondant or a small sugar cookie?

 

[stindall]

Just saw this on Pinterest. Do you guys think that the star is fondant or a small sugar cookie?

It looks like fondant to me

 

[bababear_50]

I use my mickey head cookie cutter for these and dip the ears in chocolate
Use crushed fine candy canes to sprinkle on the mickey ears just after dipping in chocolate.

Shortbread Cookies
From Barefoot Contessa

3/4 lb butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz semi-sweet chocolate (chips, or chocolate bar, finely chopped) I use Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350. Cream together the butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Sift together the flour and salt, then add gradually to the butter mixture, mixing until the dough comes together. Shape into a disk shape, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. This makes the dough easier to roll out.

Roll the dough out into 1/2 inch thickness, then cut out with cookie cutter. I used a 2 1/2 inch fluted round cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for about 12 minutes until edges are just barely starting to turn golden brown. If you like soft, not crispy, cookies , take them out before they start to turn golden. Cool on cookie rack completely.

Place chocolate in microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is just melted. Dip half the cookie in the chocolate, then let harden on the cookie rack or on parchment paper.

 

[WorldWacky]

Having trouble picturing...what sides are you brushing with the chocolate? Top and bottom? Just the four edges?

Sounds fun, will have to try

Off to Google. Not sure what rainbow cookies you mean...

Back. These are one of my FAV cookies!!!!

Thanks Nikki! These are the cookies, but I like more chocolate, so I only leave two "rainbow" sides exposed. The ones pictured have the chocolate on the top and bottom. On mine, top, bottom and two sides get covered!

 

[myweegirls]

Yum, cookies! Here's my favorite for the holidays - I've already made a triple batch in advance of Thanksgiving...and they're gone.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies
(courtesy of allrecipes.com with some modifications)
I often double the recipe, which, depending on how big you make the cookies, gets you 6-7 dozen soft nummy fall-tasting cookies. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Combine pumpkin, sugars, canola oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, spices, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda into the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2. Add vanilla and chocolate chips.

3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheets and bake at 350F (175C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Enjoy!

XO
Liz

 

[dgthree]

Just saw this on Pinterest. Do you guys think that the star is fondant or a small sugar cookie?

Maybe Royal Icing piped into star shapes & dusted with sanding sugar?

 

[Wimpy]

So, is it just a cookie thread, or would other desert recipes be accepted?

 

[OKW Lover]

So, is it just a cookie thread, or would other desert recipes be accepted?

Hmmm, I'd be interested in other desert recipes. What say Nikki?

oh, and nice to "see" you again Wimpy!

 

[Wimpy]

Hmmm, I'd be interested in other desert recipes. What say Nikki?

oh, and nice to "see" you again Wimpy!

Nice "seeing" you again as well. Jayme and I have the fudge recipe (appeared on the show once). We normally make about 5-7 batches this time of year.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

So, is it just a cookie thread, or would other desert recipes be accepted?

Hmmm, I'd be interested in other desert recipes. What say Nikki?

oh, and nice to "see" you again Wimpy!

Sure, why not!

Heh. I just realized I already killed the "cookies only" rule when I posted a pic of those Christmas tree cupcakes.

 

[Wimpy]

Hardware
1 large pan/pot
1 can opener
Wooden spoon
9x13 inch pan
Parchment paper
Spatchula

Software
4.cups sugar
1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup evaporated canned milk
2 heaping tablespoons of King Syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 oz peanut butter
8 oz marshmallow fluff

In a large pan, combine sugar, butter, milk, and king syrup. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to boil. Boil for 5 minutes until mixture forms a soft ball in cold water (if a soft ball does not form, boil for 30 seconds and check again). Remove from heat, add vanilla, Peanut butter, and marshmallow fluff. Stir vigorously until smooth. Pour into a parchment lined 9x13 cake pan to cool.

Lick spoon to verify flavor when all done.

 

[OKW Lover]

Jim,
Thanks for the fudge recipe. I'm not familiar with "King syrup" but maybe I've lead a sheltered life. What is it?