Cookie questions

[RangerPooh]

I'm not a very good cookie maker. My cookie skills are basically just the store bought dough or packaged just add butter, egg, and water kind. I haven't strayed much from just adding sprinkles and would like to try a few things with premade dough as from scratch just doesn't work too well for me. My questions:

1. I want to add a chocolate kiss or peanut butter cup to the center, do I do this immediately after they come out of the oven, half way through cooking, or is it even doable with premade cookie dough?

2. I would also like to make the type with jam in the center. Can I do with with the premade sugar cookie dough and if so when?

3. Any suggestions for homemade peanut butter cups?

Thanks.

 

[mommytotwo]

You would add the kiss or peanut butter cup before baking.

For the ones with the jam, they are called Thumbprint Cookies and here is an easy recipe that you can try-
2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1 1/4 all-purpose flour
Jam or chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the butter and sugar into a bowl. With an electric mixer beat until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat well. Stir in the flours and mix to a dough.

Line a baking try with non-stick baking paper. Roll 2 tablespoons of the dough into a ball.

Press your thumb into the middle of the dough to make a hole. Fill the hole with either the jam or chocolate chips. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown.

Cool on wire racks.

Yield-18 cookies

 

[JudithM]

These cookines are on my Christmas baking list every year.

PEANUT BLOSSOMS

1¾ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons milk
½ cup solid shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup sugar
48 unwrapped Hershey candy kisses

Combine all ingredients (except candy kisses) in large mixer bowl. Mix on lowest speed until dough forms. Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoon. Roll balls in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for10-12 minutes. Upon removal from oven, top each cookie immediately with a candy kiss pressing down firmly so each cookie cracks around the edge.

 

[bclydia]

Hello
One of the Christmas magazines I bought this year had a whole section on doctoring up store bought cookie dough. They suggested putting the dough in a ziplock bag and squishing in other ingredients. For example, taking chopped dried cherries and chopped pecans and mixing them into a chocolate chip cookie dough. Sounded like a great idea for those who are "cookie challenged".
There is no reason you couldn't use ready made sugar cookie dough for thumbprint cookies. I'd take tablespoon sized dollops and roll them into balls. If you want to roll them in finely chopped nuts, that would be nice. Put the balls on your cookie sheet and make a hole in the middle with your thumb or the dowel end of a wooden spoon. The spoon gives a deeper hole and more uniform look. Put a little jam in each one, raspberry is best. Then bake for a minute or two longer than the package directed.
I have used a Pampered Chef "recipe" and it's a great hit. Take a tube of chocolate chip cookie dough and roll table spoons of the dough as above. Place the dough in a mini muffin pan and press a hershey's kiss into the top of each one. Bake for a minute or two more longer than the package indicates.
I hope that gives you some ideas.
Let us know what you do!

 

[cryssi]

I was watching the food network the other night, and semi-homemade cooking with sandra lee was on. Now, I am typically a from-scratch baker, but her "doctoring" for sugar cookie mix sounded interesting:

snow flakes and peace doves cut out cookies

17.5-ounce package dry sugar cookie mix
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavoring
1 cup all-purpose flour

Royal Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder
Water, for icing consistency



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cookie mix with the cream cheese until crumbly. Mix in the eggs and flavoring until well combined. Add enough flour to make a firm dough that can be rolled out. Roll dough out on lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out snow flakes, doves, or other desired shapes.

Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes.

While the cookies are baking, make the icing by combining powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it reaches desired consistency.

Decorate cookies with royal icing. Allow to dry for 1 hour.

Cook's Note: To make the cookies into ornaments, use a toothpick or chopstick to form a hole in the dough at the top of the design before baking. Make the hole large enough to be sure it doesn't close up during baking. Remember to clear the hole before icing hardens.


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