Oatmeal Lace Cookies

 

 

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 ½ cups rolled oats (quick cooking kind or regular)
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sized saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar over medium heat.  Stir occasionally.
3. Remove from heat when butter is melted and brown sugar is dissolved. 
4. Let cool for about 10 minutes.  If you add the egg immediately, it will scramble the egg and you don’t want that to happen.  
5. Add the salt and stir.
6. Add the vanilla and stir.
7. Add the oats and stir. 
8. Add the flour and stir.
9. Add the beaten egg and stir.
10. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
11. Using the smallest of three sized cookie scoops, drop by scoopful on to the parchment.  Each sheet should contain 12 drops.  Flatten with a glass.  These cookies spread a lot, so do not try to add more to the sheet.
12. Bake 8 minutes on the bottom rack of the oven.
13. Remove cookies and let cool on the parchment slightly before removing them to a rack for further cooling.

Makes about 72 cookies. 

Enjoy.

 

Lemon Oatmeal Cookies

 

• 2 sticks of butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• zest of three lemons
• juice from three lemons
• 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of oatmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Additional sugar to dip cookie in before baking.

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. 
2. Beat in eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the mixture.
3. Add baking powder and salt.  Mix well.
4. Add oatmeal and mix well.
5. Add flour and mix well.
6. Chill for 30 minutes. 
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
8. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
9. With a medium cookie dough scoop, get dough and make into balls. 
10. Flatten each ball into a round cookie.
11. Dip in sugar.
12. Place on the parchment paper.
13. Bake 12 at a time on the bottom oven rack for 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are light brown.
14. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Place on racks to finish cooling.
15. Makes about 36 cookies.

 

 

Cornflake Cookies

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup white corn syrup
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup salted peanuts
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 6 cups cornflakes

1. Heat sugar and corn syrup in 3-quart saucepan until the sugar is just dissolved, stirring frequently.  If you heat it longer the cookies will be too hard.
2.  Remove from heat. 
3.  Add salt and stir. 
4.  Add peanut butter and stir. 
5.  Add peanuts and stir.
6.  Add cornflakes and stir. 
7.  Using a quarter cup, scoop mixture onto parchment in mounds.  
8.  Let cool and set up. Makes about 30 cookies.

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Unwrap the butter and put in a large mixing bowl.  Let come to room temperature.
2. Let the eggs come to room temperature.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Mix the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl. 
5. In the bowl where you have been softening the butter, stir the brown sugar and sugar into the butter.  Stir until smooth.
6. Add the two eggs, and vanilla to the sugar mixture and stir until well blended.
7. Stir in the dry ingredients, a little at a time, until well mixed.
8. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
9. Mix the ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a cereal sized bowl.
10. Using a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop (the large one), make balls of the dough, nine at a time. 
11. Dip the balls in the sugar and cinnamon mixture. 
12. Place on the parchment.
13. Smash the balls.  Sprinkle some of the sugar and cinnamon mixture on the top of the smashed dough.
14. Bake on the middle oven rack for 14 minutes. 
15. Remove and let completely cool before transferring to paper towels.   
16. Repeat for the next 9 cookies. 
17. Repeat again, but there will only be about 6 cookies this time. 
18. Enjoy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lemon Cookies

 

• 1 stick plus 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons reconstituted lemon juice
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Small bowl of confectioner’s sugar
• Small bowl of regular sugar

1. Cream butter and 1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar together.
2. Add the zest from one lemon.
3. Add the reconstituted lemon juice and stir.
4. Add the egg and beat until well mixed. 
5. Add the salt and baking soda.  Mix well.
6. Add the flour and stir until well mixed. 
7. Place a lid on the mixing bowl and refrigerate at least two hours.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
10. Using a small cookie sheet, scoop nine scoops into a bowl of regular sugar.
11. Roll each ball into the regular sugar. 
12. Roll each ball into powdered sugar.
13. Place each ball on the parchment, 9 to a sheet. 
14. Flatten with the bottom of a glass.
15. Sprinkle a little more sugar on the tops of the cookies.
16. Bake for 8 minutes. 
17. Remove and let them cool on the sheet for 10 minutes.  Do not remove them too early or they will fall apart.  They need this additional time on the sheet to get firm.
18. Transfer them to a cooling rack. 
19. Repeat the baking process as many times as necessary.
20. This recipe makes about 36 cookies. 

Enjoy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sydney's Chocolate Kiss Peanut Butter Cookies

 

By Sydney 12/12/03

A kiss in each cookie. This makes a lot (36) of them.

• 2 sticks butter
• 2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar (plus some extra to the side for sprinkling)
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups flour
• 1 bag of Hershey Milk Chocolate kisses

1. Cream butter and peanut butter together.
2. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar, beating at medium speed until fluffy.
3. Add eggs and vanilla and beat well. 
4. Combine dry ingredients.  Mix well.
5. Add dry ingredients.  Mix well.
6. Shape into 1 ½ balls.  Place on parchment lined aluminum air bake cookie sheet. 
7. Squash with a fork.
8. Sprinkle sugar on the tops.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. 
10. Remove sheet and place kiss on top of each cookie.
11. Let cool for 3 minutes.
12. Transfer cookies with a spatula to a cooling rack.
13. Repeat as many times as needed.   
14. Eat rest of kisses as needed, popping one into Paw Paw’s mouth every once in a while.

 Tip:  Most cookies break less if you use a flexible spatula. 

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. 

Molasses Ginger Cookies

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon hot water
• 1 ½ teaspoons white vinegar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• Extra sugar for sprinkling

1. Let the butter slightly soften. (Cut the butter stick in 8 pieces and wait about 10 minutes.)
2. Cream the sugar with the butter.
3. Stir in the molasses and egg.
4. Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. Add to the mixture and stir.
5. Add vinegar and stir.
6. Add vanilla, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir.
7. Stir in the flour gradually until completely mixed, but be careful not to overstir. (Overstirring can ruin the chewy texture of the of the cookie.)
8. Cover the bowl and chill, preferably overnight, but at least 4 hours.
9. Preheat oven to 350 degree.
10. Line cookie sheet with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper.
11. Make nickel marble sized balls of dough and place on the sheet. These cookies are small, but spread considerably, so I only baked 15 (3 x 5) at a time.
12. Return the dough to the refrigerator.
13. Slightly flatten the balls and sprinkle with some extra sugar.
14. Bake on the oven center rack for 12 minutes.
15. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.
16. Transfer to racks to continue to cool.
17. Let the cookie sheet completely cool between batches.
18. Repeat the baking process until all cookies have been baked.

Serve and enjoy.

Rhubarb Pinwheels

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 ½ cups water

Boil sugar and water until dissolved. Set this syrup aside to cool.

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2/3 cup milk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and mix with milk. Let cool.

Add dry ingredients. Mix and knead lightly.

Roll 1/3 inch thick into a 6 x 12 inch rectangle.

• 3 cups rhubarb, cut into ½ pieces
• ½ cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 tablespoon butter

Spread rhubarb over the dough and sprinkle with a crumb mixture of confectioner's sugar and butter.

Roll up and cut into 1 ½ inch slices.

Place in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.

Pour the syrup over the pinwheels.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

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.

Meltaways

This is the only sugar cookie that I will be making from now on unless they are to be rolled and cut into shapes. These cookies are wonderful!  The dough seems a little dry to handle but it will make GREAT cookies with a delicate texture.

• 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
• ¾ cup powdered sugar
• ¾ cup cornstarch
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• granulated sugar for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter with powdered sugar. 
3. Add the cornstarch and mix well.
4. Add the flour, a little at a time, and mix well.
5. Scoop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into your hands, making the dough into balls. 
6. Place on a cookie sheet with a silicone liner. 
7. Place 12 cookies on each cookie sheet.
8. Flatten each cookie slightly with a glass bottom.
9. Sprinkle with sugar.
10. Bake 12 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.
11. Remove from the oven and let cool two minutes.  Then loosen from the silicone sheet by lifting a portion of the sheet and letting the cookie slide carefully into your hand because these cookies are somewhat fragile.  Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
12. Frost if you wish with your favorite frosting (optional).
13. Makes 36 cookies. 
14. Enjoy.   

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

• 1 box Duncan Hines lemon cake mix
• ½ cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• granulated sugar for topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, oil, eggs, and lemon juice.
3. Mix well. 
4. Put the powdered sugar in a separate bowl.
5. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture into the powdered sugar and roll until completely covered. 
6. Put each coated cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone liner.
7. Flatten each cookie slightly with the heel of your hand.
8. Sprinkle with as much granulated sugar as you desire.
9. Bake for approximately 12 minutes (oven times may vary and mine seems a little slow).
10. Cool one minute on the sheet and then remove to a rack with a spatula to continue cooling.   
11. Enjoy. 

Snickerdoodles

My granddaughter, Sydney, and I decided on a rainy fall day to make snickerdoodles since it was too ugly to be outside.  When I saw a recipe that did not use butter or eggs, I had my doubts, but we decided to try them anyway.  It uses mayonnaise instead.  And to our surprise, they were delicious.  And I promise that you would never know that mayonnaise was used. 

Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Cookies:

1 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mixture for rolling cookies in:

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup sugar

Remove a tablespoon of the sugar from the ½ cup and set to the side.

Mix the rest of the half cup of sugar and cinnamon.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine mayonnaise, vanilla extract, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda.

When thoroughly mixed, shaped into 24 balls. 

Flatten balls slightly and roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone baking mat, and bake 12 at a time for 12 minutes or until lightly brown.

Once out of the oven, sprinkle with the reserved sugar.

Let cool for 2 minutes only. 

Remove with a spatula to a cooking rack to continue cooling.

Enjoy.

Pumpkin Cookies with Bourbon Icing

This makes a soft cookie.

Pumpkin Cookies

• 2 sticks butter
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 large can pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add eggs and stir well.
3. Add pumpkin and stir.
4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Stir well.
5. Add flour a little at time, stirring to mix well.
6. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
7. On a cookie sheet lined with a silicone cookie sheet liner, drop dough onto the sheet, using a medium sized cookie dough scoop.
8. Bake 12-16 minutes.
9. Let cool one minute before removing from the sheet and place on rack to finish cooling.
10. Makes approximately 60 medium sized cookies.

Bourbon Frosting

• 2 sticks butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon bourbon
• 1 2lb. bag confectioner’s sugar

1. Cream butter and confectioner’s sugar.
2. Add vanilla and bourbon.
3. Stir until smooth.
4. Frost cookies when they are completely cooled.
5. Enjoy.

:

Sydney's Salted Caramel and Chocolate Shortbreads

This recipe was adapted from British concoction, Millionaire Shortbread, this is my granddaughter Sydney's improved version of it.  Shortbread, being very fragile, often crumbled when we made these in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Using one of those silicone pans for baking filled mini-cupcakes we adapted the recipe to take advantage of this updated baking container. These finished delights reflect on the complex of layers of life—the salty caramel  paired with  the sweetness of the chocolate.  These cookies are required a bit work, but not overwhelmingly so and are so WORTH it!

Shopping list:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 pounds salted butter in sticks (2 packages, but you only use 6 of the sticks) 
• 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar, divided
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt,
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla divided
• ¼  cup light corn syrup
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 2-12 ounce packages of milk chocolate chips
• Non-stick cooking spray

Shortbreads:

Bake in two batches as follows.  For each batch:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spray the silicone filled mini-cupcake baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

To make batch of shortbread, measure the 2 cups flour, ½ cup of the brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until mixed.

Add 1 cup (two sticks) of the butter in chunks and pulse until roughly mixed.

Add ½ teaspoon of the vanilla.  Continue to process until the dough begins to for a ball.  Remove from the process and press evenly over cupcake cavities of the silicone baking pan.  Try to make them even.

Bake 20 minutes.  Turn baking pan so that it browns evenly.  Bake another 15 minutes.  Remove the container and let cool exactly 10 minutes.  

Place a cookie sheet over the pan of baked shortbreads.  Invert and press if necessary to make the cups release the shortbread.

Repeat this process for the second batch of shortbread.  Use a separate cookie sheet for the inversion step.

Caramel Layer:

This amount will fill all the cookies.  

Melt the remaining 1 cup butter (2 sticks) over low heat.  Stir in the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar, the corn syrup, and the condensed milk.  Raise heat to medium-low.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  With a measuring spoon, scoop 1 teaspoon into each of the cooled shortbreads.  Let cool 10 minutes.

Chocolate Layer:

Do this next step in two batches. 

Heat half a bag of milk chocolate chips. heat over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Stir after every minute until the chips are all melted or microwave for one minute.  

Again with a measuring spoon, scoop 1 teaspoon over each shortbread with caramel piece.  This should do half of them.  Let cool.

Repeat with the second half bag of milk chocolate chips.  

Makes 40 Sydney's Salted Caramel and Chocolate Shortbreads.

Millionaire Shortbread

This recipe was stolen blatantly and adapted from the old people’s magazine, AARP.  A British concoction, these squares reflect on the complex of layers of life—the salty caramel  paired with  the sweetness of the chocolate.  I am so glad that we get the old people’s magazine (and we have been getting it for a while, since we turned 50, I think).  Anyway, these cookies are required a bit work, but not overwhelmingly so and are so WORTH it!

Shopping list:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour (it didn’t say to, but I sifted it)
• 1 pound butter (in 4 sticks)
• 1 ½  cups packed light-brown sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla divided
• ¼  cup light corn syrup
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 12 ounce package of milk chocolate chips

Shortbread layer:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Butter the bottom and sides of a 9” x 13” inch glass baking dish.

To make shortbread, measure the flour, ½ cup of the brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of the salt into the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until mixed.

Add 1 cup (two sticks) of the butter in chunks and pulse until roughly mixed.

Add ½ teaspoon of the vanilla.  Continue to process until the dough begins to for a ball.  Remove from the process and press evenly over the bottom of the pan.

Bake 20 minutes.  Turn dish so that it browns evenly.  Bake another 15 minutes.  Remove the dish and let cool.

Caramel Layer:

Melt the remaining 1 cup butter (2 sticks) over low heat.  Stir in the remaining 1 cup of brown sugar, the corn syrup, and the condensed milk.  Raise heat to medium-low.  Bring to boil, stirring constantly for 4 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Pour evenly over the shortbread.  Let cool.

Chocolate Layer:

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave on high.  Stir after every minute until the chips are all melted.

Pour the chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly over it.  Let cool. Once the dish is somewhat cool, you might even refrigerate it to make them easier to handle until they are cut.  Cut and enjoy.