Sugar Cookies

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Please note, this is a great tasting cookie recipe. The frosting recipe is not included. Use your own favorite. But if you are needing a sugar cookie in which the shape of the cookies hold the sharp definition of the details, this will not work. But if you are just wanting great taste, this recipe is wonderful.  Thanks to my aunt, Maxine Hooper, for the basic recipe ingredients.  I have updated the instructions to include using parchment or a silicone baking sheet on top of your cookie sheet.

• 2 ½ sticks of butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 Tablespoons milk
• 2 beaten eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3 cups of flour
• extra sugar for sprinkling

1. Cream sugar and butter together.
2. Add milk, beaten eggs, and vanilla and mix well.
3. Add baking soda, salt, and cream of tarter and stir well.
4. Add the flour a little at time, mix well by hand, but don't use a mixer. Overmixing could result in a tough cookie.
5. Form three balls of dough and return to the mixing bowl.
6. Cover the dough and refrigerate overnight.
7. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
8. Line cookie sheets with parchment or a silicone baking sheet.
9. Roll out dough in small batches. (Keep the rest of the dough refrigerated until needed.)
10. Cut into rather small cookies. You can also use larger use larger cookie cutters, but you will need to increase baking time.
11. Use a food lifter (like Rachel Ray uses) to transfer cut cookies for baking.
12. Leave plenty of room between cookies as these spread a bit.
13. Sprinkle extra sugar on the cookies before baking.
14. Bake 375 degrees for 6 minutes for small cookies (longer for larger cookies). They should appear just beginning to brown slightly at the edges.
15. Remove from the oven.
16. Cool three minutes on the pan before removing.
17. Transfer to racks to continue cooling.
18. After cookies are cooled, frost and decorate as desired.

Macaroons

• 1—14 oz. bag shredded coconut
• 7 oz. Eagle sweetened condensed milk (½ of a can)
• Maraschino cherries (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
3. In a mixing bowl, mix the two ingredients until well combined.
4. Using a one tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the mixture and put on the cookie sheet about an inch apart. Make sure the cookie is well packed when placed on the sheet. These cookies do not spread much.
5. Press maraschino cherries into cookies if desired.
6. Bake 16 minutes. Check to see if tops are browned. If not pretty enough, turn the boiler on and watch until they are. Do not leave them. Things will happen quickly. It should not take more than a minute or two.
7. Remove and allow to cool 5 minutes. Then transfer to cooling racks.
8. Enjoy. 

Cashew Brittle

• 2 ½ cups sugar
• 1 ½ cups light corn syrup
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups cashew nuts
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 teaspoons baking soda

1. Put parchment paper on two cookies sheets. It is easier to use ones that have the sides, I think, but flats ones should work, too, if you are careful.
2. With a wooden spoon in a saucepan, heat sugar, corn, syrup, water and salt over medium heat while constantly stirring until sugar has dissolved. Turn to high heat, and keep stirring until mixture reaches 290 degrees Fahrenheit (also known as the hard crack stage).
3. Add the cashews and butter and continue cooking to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in baking soda for 30 seconds. The mixture will be rather bubbly and airy.
4. Pour quickly into the parchment lined pans and spread evenly as quickly as possible. Let cool, harden, and then break apart.  Enjoy.

Cheese Crisps

• 8 oz. Monterey Jack Cheese
• 8 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place a sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet. Do not use a silicone mat for this recipe.
3. Shred the cheese with a box grater in to a bowl.
4. Mix the cheese.
5. Spoon by tablespoons twelve per sheet onto the parchment. Flatten with the bottom side of the spoon.
6. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.
7. Remove and let cool on the parchment.
8. These are great to serve with salads.

Note: If you prefer it more spicy, use all pepper jack cheese.

Bourbon Glazed Pecans

• 6 oz. pecan halves
• ½ cup sugar
  2  tablespoons butter
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons bourbon

1. In an omelette sized skillet, cook the first six ingredients on medium high heat, constantly stirring for 7 minutes. Medium high heat is setting 8 on the small burner of my induction cooktop.
2. Spread them on a silicone cake pan.
3. Allow to cool.
4. Enjoy.

Magic Cookie Bars

½		cup butter, melted
1 ½		cups graham cracker crumbs
1		6 oz. Package semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1		14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
3/4		cup coconut
1		Cup chopped nuts

1.	Melt butter and mix in the graham cracker crumbs.
2.	Press the mixture into the bottom of an 11x13 pan.
3.	Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the top.
4.	Sprinkle with the chocolate and chopped nuts.
5.	Sprinkle with the coconut.
6.	Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees F (325 for glass dish).
7.	Remove from oven and let cool for about 20 minutes before cutting.
8.	I think these are best the second day.

Holiday Spicy Crackers

• 1 stick melted butter
• 3 tablespoons or one envelope of Ranch Dressing Mix
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 box of whole wheat Ritz crackers

1. Put all the ingredients in a big plastic bag.
2. Shake well so that the crackers are covered.
3. Place on cookie sheets.
4. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.
5. Cool and remove.
6. Serve and enjoy.  

Nancy's English Toffee

The most difficult part of this recipe is finding the Golden Syrup. It is an amber colored thick syrup. I used Lyle's brand and I got it at at import store. I think it is popular in the UK, but can be purchased over the internet if you can't find it in your local store. I am giving the directions to use specifically for an induction cooktop, as this is what I have. I have found that an induction cooktop had a bit of a learning curve, but I love it. (No burner crevices for stuff to go down into and get trapped.) But if you are using another type stove, use the cold water test and cook until a little bit dropped in it forms a hard ball. It is much easier to use silicone baking pans because it will not stick, and that is all I will ever use for similar projects any more. One recipe of this makes one 20 count tarltet pan full of candies.

Equipment:

• 1 wooden spoon
• 2 quart saucepan
• timer
• silicone tartlet pan

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/8 cup golden syrup
• 1/8 cup water

Instructions:

1. Measure ingredients and place into saucepan.
2. Set timer for 13:30.
3. Turn the large burner control to halfway between 6 and 7.
4. Constantly stir with wooden spoon until melted.
5. Stir occasionally (about once a minute), until timer goes off.
6. When timer goes off, remove from the heat and pour into the silicone molds.
7. Let cool for an hour and invert on a clean surface.
8. Enjoy.