cookies.cookies, cookies.

[funhouse8]

I know it has been posted before but I'm looking for a really good recipe that will make up a large batch of cookies for a cookie exchange I'm invited to nest week. They cannot be chocolate chip cookies. Please help I want to WOW the group. LOL

 

[EthansMom]

I love to make traditional sugar cookies with frosting at Christmas. I make mine thick and soft, using large Christmas-themed cookie cutters.

Here's the recipe (it makes a LOT):

Sugar Cookies

1 lb. butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teas. almond extract
1/2 teas. salt
1 teas. baking powder
1 teas. vanilla
4 1/2 - 5 cups flour

Mix above ingredients together. Add more or less flour to get consistency right -- dough should not be sticky, but should not be dry. Roll dough (in small amounts) out on a clean, floured surface to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out dough. Bake cookies at 350 degrees until golden brown, approximately 9-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting.

To frost, I like to use:

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 teas. vanilla
1 Tablespoon milk

Add the milk slowly to the powdered sugar and vanilla until a spreadable consistency is achieved -- should be not too thick, but also not runny. Add either more powdered sugar or more milk until consistency is correct.

I usually split the icing into several bowls and use food coloring to make different colors of icing. I also add sprinkles on top of the icing for many of the cookies. Allow icing to dry completely before stacking any cookies on top of each other.

These cookies take a bit of a fine touch to get just right -- too thin and they get crispy and the edges burn. Also, it is a lot of work to mix, roll, cut, bake, and decorate the entire batch. However, I get rave reviews every time I share them with friends and family. Making them has become one of our family Christmas traditions.

 

[sissybells]

I have a great one that everyone loves and they go fast. I just get a bag of the Peanut Butter cookie mix. I make the mix but I just roll them up into balls and bake them that way. When they are done in the oven I take them out and right away put a full size Recess Peanut butter cup in the center and push down. They are always a hit. I hope this helps. They are also super simple.

 

[Briarmom]

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

Makes 2 dozen


7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate

1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup unsulfured molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

4. Heat oven to 325°. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.




When I make these cookies, people call and ask to come over. And yes, you must use the fresh ginger as well as the ground. I usually triple the batch. Oh, and be sure to buy the parchment paper if you don't have it.

 

[marybet]

I have a pineapple cookie recipe that makes a lot, they are a soft cookie and you ice them . Also sour cream cookies, they are out of this world. If you would like either pm me, as I am way to lazy to type them out if you aren't interested.

 

[laurie31]

Snowballs

1 cup butter
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecans, chopped

1/3 box powdered sugar

Cream butter and 4 Tbsp sugar, gradually add flour, vanilla and nuts. Mix with hands, until a stiff dough. Roll into balls.

Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, until lightly browned
While hot, roll in powdered sugar.

These are very easy. I usually put the confectioner's sugar in a small paper bag (the kind used for sack lunches) and put 10-15 cookies in and gently shake them. You can use the glittery sugar instead if you like. You can also use cocoa powder instead if you want them chocolate ("muddy snow balls" )

I usually double this recipe and it makes a lot. They don't flatten out at all when they bake so you can fit tons of them on a cookie sheet. You can also make the dough a day or two ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to use. Sometimes I roll all the dough into balls, then put them in the fridge to bake the next day.

I will be making 150 of these next week

Laurie

 

[funhouse8]

Thanks these all sound great. I guess I will have to try them all. LOL

Briarmom - Where do I find the fresh ginger in the supermarket? These cookies sound wonderful! Not sure if I can use them for the cookie exchange because I have to make alot. But I'm going to make them for my family.

EthansMom- I also make sugar cookies each year. Every year I try a new recipe I have been looking for a good sugar cookie and I think I will give this one a try. Mine always seem to be too sticky.

Those peanut butter cookies & snowballs I've made too. They are good too. Oh so many greats. To bad I couldn't just make them all but they have to be the same.

Keep the recipes coming Theses are great Thanks all.

 

[stinkerbelle]

Vanishing oatmeal raisin cookies
http://www.quakeroatmeal.com/kitchen/Recipes/recipeoutput.cfm?recipeID=24&Tab=Search

you can sub in choco-chips for raisins (leave the cinnamon in though - gives them a NICE flavor)

if you drop these by tablespoon fulls, it makes about 4 doz cookies. I make these ALL the time and they never fail to please.

 

[christinadei]

Everyone always asks me to make macaroons for Christmas. They are really easy. If you want the recipe, let me know and I'll get it and post it. I don't have it here at work. It's basically coconut, a little flower, almond extract and I think sugar. I top them with 1/2 of a marchiano cherry,b ut you don't have to. You can also dip half in chocolate for a pretty effect if you wanted.

 

[EthansMom]

Everyone always asks me to make macaroons for Christmas. They are really easy. If you want the recipe, let me know and I'll get it and post it. I don't have it here at work. It's basically coconut, a little flower, almond extract and I think sugar. I top them with 1/2 of a marchiano cherry,b ut you don't have to. You can also dip half in chocolate for a pretty effect if you wanted.

I would love it if you could post your recipe for macaroons! It's been eons since I've had a macaroon.

 

[EthansMom]

EthansMom- I also make sugar cookies each year. Every year I try a new recipe I have been looking for a good sugar cookie and I think I will give this one a try. Mine always seem to be too sticky.

Working with sugar cookie dough is a lot like working with pie crust dough. If it's too sticky, add flour (a little bit at a time) until the dough is no longer sticky. I love making sugar cookies, but only make them at the holidays because they are so much work and make such a mess, especially after DH and the kids help decorate them!

 

[AprilN]

Briarmom - Where do I find the fresh ginger in the supermarket? These cookies sound wonderful! Not sure if I can use them for the cookie exchange because I have to make alot. But I'm going to make them for my family.

Fresh ginger should be in the produce section, maybe in the "specialty" area (international vegetables), or near the fresh herbs. Be sure to store it in the fridge - the crisper would be best!

I've made these cookies as well (got the recipe from the Martha Stewart website), and gave plates of them as holiday gifts to coworkers a couple of years ago. Big hit! I love them, because they have a great holiday ginger-spice flavor, but still include CHOCOLATE.

Have fun with your cookie exchange!

 

[Briarmom]

Fresh ginger should be in the produce section, maybe in the "specialty" area (international vegetables), or near the fresh herbs. Be sure to store it in the fridge - the crisper would be best!

I've made these cookies as well (got the recipe from the Martha Stewart website), and gave plates of them as holiday gifts to coworkers a couple of years ago. Big hit! I love them, because they have a great holiday ginger-spice flavor, but still include CHOCOLATE.

Have fun with your cookie exchange!

Yep, what she said.

I make them year round though. People ask me to make them for everything. That is how good they are.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I just saw a magazine on the racks at the supermarket, I think it is a Martha Stewart special edition magazine for this time of year. It had over 100 cookie recipies, with pictures and everything, and they all looked SO good!