Recipes

[house_cat]

My friend hosts a cookie baking day at her house every year.  It's scheduled for this coming Saturday.  After all these years, we seem to have made all the obvious, most popular ones.  

Does anyone have a cookie recipe that's tried and true, maybe something you make every year?

If you wouldn't mind sharing the recipe, I'd really appreciate it.

Thank you!

[LillyBee2]

Cross between a cookie and candy -  really delicious and easy.  Check out her cooking blog  * Once upon a Chef*  I've made several recipes and they are good.

Coconut Macaroons -

By Jennifer Segal - Once Upon a Chef

Soft and chewy on the inside, crisp and golden on the outside — these are the perfect coconut macaroons.

Servings: 26 macaroons
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 45 Minutes
Ingredients:

1 14-oz bag sweetened flaked coconut, such as Baker's Angel Flake (about 5-1/3 cups)
7/8 cup sweetened condensed milk (see note below on measurement)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs whites

1/4 teaspoon salt
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, best quality such as Ghirardelli, chopped (optional)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Set two oven racks near the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff peaks form. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.
Using a mini ice cream scoop or two spoons, form heaping tablespoons of the mixture into mounds on the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back, until the tops and edges are golden. Let cool on the pans for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

If dipping the macaroons in chocolate, melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at medium power, stopping and stirring at 30 second intervals, until just smooth and creamy. (Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.) Dip the bottoms of the macaroons in the chocolate, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, and return to the lined baking sheets. Place the macaroons in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes to allow the chocolate to set. The cookies keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.
Note: 7/8 cup = 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons
Note: Make sure to use parchment paper (NOT wax paper) on the baking sheets. The macaroons will stick to wax paper.
Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The macaroons can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove the cookies from the container and let them come to room temperature.

[house_cat]

@LillyBee2 

What a great idea! I was going to make a very similar recipe for my tea party last summer, but I never got the chance!  Thank you!

[Pook]

@house_cat  I searched for years for a soft and unique sugar cookie and finally found this.

SOUR CREAM SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter softened

1/4 cup shortening

1 tsp lemon extract (can use any flavor)

1 egg

2 2/3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cups sour cream

cream sugar, butter and shortening

add extract

mix in dry ingredients alternating with sour cream

roll at least 1/4" thick and cut in desired shapes

bake 375 7-10 minutes

glaze with a powder sugar/milk glaze - can flavor with  extract flavor you use

I always use fresh squeezed lemon juice

I usually use snowflake cookie cutters in varying sizes and sprinkle wet glaze with flaked sparkle sugar

This does not make many larger cookies

[house_cat]

@Pook 

Thank you! That recipe is a keeper!

[Zhills]

Pride Of Iowa Cookies

Another Iowa State Fair winner!

Pride Of Iowa Cookies

2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1 cup coconut
1 cup nutmeats
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3 cups oatmeal

Beat eggs; add sugars and butter; mix well. Add coconut, nuts and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, soda and boaking powder. Add to first mixture. Add oatmeal and mix well. Roll into small balls. Press down with fork on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes or until brown.

These don't taste like coconut or oatmeal but the mixture is unforgettable!

[Happy2BHere]

My husband likes these because they're not too sweet - kind of like a Mexican Wedding cookie if you like those (from Taste of Home):

Tender Pecan Logs

1 cup butter, softened

5 tablespoons confectioners sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup finely chopped pecans

Confectioners sugar

• In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour, beating on low speed just until combined. Stir in pecans. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
• Shape 1/2 cupfuls into 1/2-in.-thick logs. Cut logs into 2-in. pieces. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Roll warm cookies in confectioners' sugar; cool on wire racks.

[lork]

Pook, I think I searched half my life for a really good sugar cookie recipe.  Now I have two!  For a plain, soft, unfrosted sugar cookie I like Plain Janes.  That they have "a pinch" of mace is extra special to me, as my youngest son's name is Mace!  My "The Best  Sugar Cookie" recipe is what I use to make decorated sugar cookies.  These cookies are very good for cutting and produce a thick, cake like cookie with a butter flavor.  I frost them with Buttercream Icing and store in frig to "set" the frosting.

 PLAIN JANE'S 

1 1/2 C sugar

1 C shortening

2 eggs, beaten well

1 t soda

1 t baking powder

1 C sour cream

1/2 t salt 

1 t vanilla

4 C flour

a pinch of MACE

Mix soda into sour cream; set aside.  Cream shortening and sugar together.  Beat in eggs, vanilla, baking powder, Mace and flour.  Mix in sour cream/soda mixture.  Cover and chill dough for several hours or overnight. 

On slightly floured board, roll dough out to 1/4" thick and cut with favorite cookie cutters.  Sprinkle cookie tops with granulated sugar and bake on oiled cookie sheets at 350 degrees, until just done on the bottem of cookies.  Cool on waxed paper and store in tightly covered container.  These keep very well/improve with age.

THE BEST SUGAR COOKIES

3 eggs, seperated

1 C melted margarine (not butter)

2 T baking powdser

4 C flour

1/4 t salt

2 t vanilla

Beat egg whites till stiff, set aside.  Beat yolks till creamy.  Combine whites and yolks gently.  Add melted margarine, sugar and vanilla.  Beat.  Sift dry ingredients together and mix in.  Cover and chill.  Roll dough on lightly floured board to 1/4' thick and cut as wished.  Bake on oiled cookie sheets for 8 minutes or until just done on bottems at 350 degrees.  Cool on waxed paper and decorate as you like.  I frost with Buttercream icing and chill in frig to "set" icing. 

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1/2 C soft butter

4 1/2 C powdered sugar

*1 1/2 t vanilla

5-6 T milk

Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy.  Makes 3 C frosting

*Almond Buttercream:  add 3/4 T almond extract

*Chocolate Buttercream:  4 C powdered sugar, 1/2 C cocoa, 6-7 T milk

*Lemon Buttercream:  5-6 T lemon juicie instead of milk, 1 t lemon zest

*Orange Buttercream:  5-6 T orange juice instead of milk, 1 t orange zest

*Peanut Butter Buttercream:  1/2 C PB instead of butter, 6-8 T milk

*Peppermint Buttercream:  1/2-3/4 t peppermint extrat, 1 T crushed peppermint candy

[Yahooey]

@house_cat 

these are most everyone's favorite cookie during the holidays

they are Martha Stewart Chocolate Laced Cookies

here is the video

https://www.marthastewart.com/976284/crunchy-chocolate-lace-cookies

this is what it looks like - I call them Florentines

My tips

I melt chocolate chips in the microwave - just watch and.stir (don't have orange oil)

Cut 1 stick of butter in pieces to melt in the microwave and let cool a bit before mixing

Use my big bag of raw almonds from Costco - toast and chop 

Don't even crush the rolled oats - they get crumbly enough from mixing

Candied orange peel - I always use it

In a pinch - I have used orange zest but it isn't the same

REFRIGERATE - these are real buttery and will sperad like crazy - leave room

I tend to bake until golden to make sure crispy

Mafch each odd shape together - they will NOT be perfectly round

they are delcious and do NOT make double batch - it doesn't turn out right

seal them separately from other cookies since they are light and crispy

I once put them with others and the florentines lost their crispiness

[house_cat]

Thanks everyone!

I don't know which I'll use, but I'll surely be saving each of these recipes.

@Yahooey 

How do you suggest storing them?  I'm thinking an airtight container would make them soggy.