Sugar Cookies

Easy and fun!

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter. Beat in sugars and eggs, then stir in milk and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients, then blend in to make a soft dough. Chill. Roll to 1/8 inch on floured surface, cut with assorted colors. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired and bake at 325 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Applesauce Spice cookies

I was looking for a cinnamon apple cookie recipe I could use with my new apple-shaped cookie cutter, for my school's upcoming Apple Day carnival. This one fit the bill. I used red and green sprinkles to decorate.

• 1 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/4 cup applesauce
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Cream sugar, butter, applesauce and egg. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices, mix until soft dough forms. Chill at least 1 hour. Roll out on floured cloth to 1/8 inch thickness; cut into desired shapes. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 7-9 minutes.

King David's Crown Cookies

Another food related craft from the life of David. I cut out the cookies the night before; the kids filled, baked and decorated the plate during class.

You need one batch sugar cookie dough, prepared (I used the Betty Crocker mix, immortalized in the "he's gonna leave!" commercial) and one bag Jolly Rancher candies, separated by flavor.

Beforehand, make and chill cookie dough. Grind Jolly Ranchers in food processor and store separated colors in plastic bags.

Roll out the dough and cut into crown shapes. I did a rectangle about the size of a small card envelope, then cut it in half with a zigzag pattern to make two crowns. Place on foil-lined cookie sheets. Using small shaped cookie cutters or the top to a soda bottle, cut small shapes out for jewels. Using a small spoon, have the kids fill in the holes with powdered candy.  For best results, get as little as possible on the cookie dough and pile up a small heap in the center. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool at least 10 minutes; you can speed this process by taking the foil off the cookie sheet. Make sure candy jewels are hardened, then carefully remove the cookie.

Note: these cookies can look better than they taste; the melted candy can take on a burned, bitter flavor, so be forewarned. Making them is still fun for the kids.

Lemon Poppyseed Slice and Bake Cookies

Slice and bake cookies are the way to go for cookie exchanges, when you want a lot, quickly. These are great.

• 1 cup white sugar
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
  
• 1 cup butter
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon lemon rind
  
• juice of one lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
  
• 2 teaspoon poppy seeds
  
• 3 1/2 cups flour
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

Cream butter and sugar.  Mix in eggs, lemon juice, lemon rind and poppy seeds. Mix flour, soda and salt, add and mix until dough forms. Divide into three parts and roll into 15 inch logs on wax paper. Wrap and chill overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice logs into 1/2 inch slices, place on cookie sheet at bake 10-12 minutes.

Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

These can be made as chocolate-and-vanilla or chocolate-and-mint, your choice!

• 1/2 cup butter
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons milk
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 1/2 cup flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 square unsweetened chocolate
  
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
  
• Green food coloring (optional)
  

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in milk, egg yolk and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and stir into dough. Divide in half. Add melted chocolate to half; if desired, add peppermint extract and green food coloring to other half. Roll on waxed paper into two large rectangles, stack chocolate dough on the other half. Roll up jellyroll style, wrap and chill several hours. Slice into 1/4 inch slices and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

A favorite for Christmas cookie exchanges.

• 1 cup butter
  
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
  
• 2 1/2 cups flour
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• Red food coloring
  

Cream butter and sugar.  Beat in egg and peppermint extract. Combine dry ingredients and mix in until blended.  Divide dough in half and tint half red.

Roll out on wax paper in two large rectangles, stack white dough on top of red. Roll up jellyroll style, wrap in waxed paper and chill overnight. Cut log into 1/4 inch slices, place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with red sugar or crushed candy cane pieces, if desired. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Bitter Chocolate Cookies

I love to bake cookies, especially around the holidays, but plain sugar cookies get old quick. These chocolate ones are great.

• 3/4 cup softened butter
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 egg
  
• 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 3/4 cups flour
  

Cream butter and sugar, beat in salt, egg and vanilla. Melt chocolate and blend in.  Stir in flour. Chill dough, then roll on floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness thencut with cookie cutters.  Bake at 425 degrees for 6-8 minutes.

Cream cheese spritz cookies

I'm not a huge fan of pressed cookies in general, but these are good.  Not overly sweet, very nice for a tea or other elegant occasion.

• 1 cup softened butter or margarine
  
• 8 oz softened cream cheese
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• dash of salt
  
• 2 cups flour
  
• decorating sugar or sprinkles
  

Cream butter and cream cheese; add sugar and beat until fluffy. Stir in vanilla, then add salt and flour and mix until soft dough forms.  Chill.  Pack into cookie press and make cookies in desired shaped.  Sprinkle with colored sugar.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes; watch carefully to prevent over-browning. 

 

Black-eyed Susans

A great pressed cookie! Beautiful when flower or star-shaped, though I recently used heart-shaped cookies and chocolates for Valentine's Day.

• 1 stick butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 tablespoons warm water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 50-60 Hershey's kisses
  

Cream butter and sugars. Beat in egg, then water and vanilla. Beat in peanut butter. Combine dry ingredients, then stir into batter. Using star- or flower-shaped disc, press cookies ont baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and immediately press unwrapped chocolate into center. Cool thoroughly.

Chocolate Cut-out Cookies

An easy dough to work with that keeps it shape when baking. I just made a bunch of squirrel-shaped ones (the squirrel is our school mascot) for a Valentine's bake sale.

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 2 cups flour
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup cocoa
  

Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients, add gradually to butter mixture. Divide dough into two balls and chill 30 minutes.

Working with half of dough at a time, roll to 1/8 inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets and sprinkle if desired. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

Iced Brownies

My daughter won a blue ribbon at the Albemarle County Fair with this recipe when she was 7. Adapted from recipes in the old Betty Crocker's Boys and Girls Cookbook, my first cookbook as a child.

• 4 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Melt chocolate and shortening in microwave. With wire whisk, beat in eggs and sugar. mix together last three ingredients, stir into chocolate mixture. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees in a greased square or rectangular brownie pan.

Icing:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon milk

Stir together until blended, add an extra tablespoon of milk if needed. Spread over brownies while they are still warm.

Orange Balls

My absolute favorite no-bake cookie. These are hugely popular whenever they are served and are elegant enough for fancy occasions. Fun to make with kids if you don't mind germs; it's hard to avoid licking your fingers when rolling. The recipe calls for rolling the balls in finely chopped nuts or flaked coconut; I don't care for either but have used vanilla wafer crumbs with great success. Just grind them fine, ideally in a food processor.

• 12 oz. vanilla wafers, crushed into crumbs

• 1 pound powdered sugar

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 6 oz concentrated orange juice

• Finely chopped pecans, flaked coconut or vanilla wafer crumbs for rolling

Mix all ingredients together and chill slightly before shaping into balls and rolling in desired topping. Store in refrigerator.

Grahammy Bars

I agreed tonight to teach two quarters of children's Sunday School next year, which reminded me of this recipe. One of the easiest to do in a group setting, even with preschoolers.

• 2 1/2 packs graham crackers*
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 package chocolate chips
• 1 cup nuts (optional, I usually skip these, especially with kids)

Crush graham crackers into crumbs.** Dump crumbs into bowl, add chocolate chips. Pour in sweetened condensed milk, stick until coated. Press mixture into greased 13 X 9 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. While bars are baking, remove cotton from ears and hose down any sticky children who helped you. Remove from oven and cut while bars are still warm.

*By "packs" I mean the wax-paper bundles that come in the box, usually 11 crackers. Total number of cracker used should be about 28, full-sized, or slightly over half a box.
**Here's where the kids have fun; put the crackers in a Ziploc bag, give them a rolling pin and let them go at it.