3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

¾ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 package (11 ½ ounces) milk chocolate chips

1 package (12 ounces) white chocolate chips

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Step-by-step

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.       Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl, set aside.

3.       Combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl.

4.       Beat with an electric mixer set on high speed until light and fluffy.

5.       Beat in eggs one at a time: Stir in vanilla.

6.       Gradually and the flour mixture, beating well after each addition.

7.       Fold in all the chocolate chips and the walnuts.

8.       Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.

9.       Flatten the dough slightly with the back of a fork.

10.   Bake the cookies until golden, about 15 minutes.

11.   Cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

1/2 cup margarine or butter (i use butter for richer flavor)

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

15 oz bag of chocolate, white, Carmel etc.. chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  

In a large mixing bowl mix shortening, butter, sugar, and eggs until well blended.  Then add vanilla, baking soda, and the flour.  Blend well.  Then with a wood spoon stir in the 15 ounces of what ever kind of candy chip you chose.  Make balls of dough about 1 1/2 tablespoons worth and put on baking sheet.  Cookies need to bake for 9 minutes.

Here is how a variation of one of the decorated sugar cookies goes:

You would need:

A cup of butter or any other shortening, a cup of white sugar, two eggs, a teaspoon of vanilla, two and a half cup of flour, a teaspoon of baking powder and half a teaspoon of salt to give it a little contrast to the sweetness.

To start the dough for the decorated sugar cookies, combine the wet ingredients in a bowl, then the sugar and the vanilla afterwards. Sift the flour into the mixture slowly while gently adding the baking powder. It is best to chill the dough for two to three minutes before rolling it out and cutting. To cut the dough properly, you must first roll it flat on your kitchen counter. 

The thickness should be just right about half an inch. Never make your decorated sugar cookies too thick or too thin. After rolling it out flat, then proceed with the use of the shaped cookie cutters.  You can have as much fun as you want, as the shapes will not affect the taste.  Then bake for six to eight minutes and allow them to cool afterwards.

Decorated sugar cookies will never be complete without the colored icing.  Here is how you can make the frosting for the decorated sugar cookies. All you need is a cup of confectioner’s sugar also called powdered sugar; one fourth teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of vanilla add a teaspoon of water to turn it into a paste. Then add the coloring of choice and decorate the cookies by using a pastry tube or a cone of paper with cut tips to apply intricate designs.

Just make sure that you decorate the cookies after they have cooled. Basically that is one way of making decorated sugar cookies. Feel free to change the flavor by substituting flavors other than vanilla. After a few practices in making this recipe you can easily make it with your own versions and variations. It will also be fun if the kids are involved especially in the mixing and the cutting of the dough.

Image via Wikipedia

Image via Wikipedia

Part of what makes the holiday season so special is spending time with family and friends. Year after year families gather together to exchange Christmas presents and share holiday memories. Maintaining old traditions plays an important role in the festive season, but creating new traditions is just as important.

This year invite your friends and family to a Christmas cookie exchange, these get togethers are simple and easy to plan. Have each guest prepare a tin of cookies to bring to the party. Cookie tins are inexpensive, usually available at any dollar store, and come in a large array of designs. Place a festive colored napkin in the bottom of your tin, layer the homemade cookies, and fold the napkin gently over the top. Remind you guest to include their name on their cookie tin. Prepare a decorative table to place the cookie tins on, and as your guest arrive arrange their cookie offerings. When your guest are departing for the evening, have each choose a delightfully delicious parting gift. Earlier I mentioned including your name on your cookie tin, this insures that no one gets their own cookies back and also allows friends and family to ask for and share their wonderful cookie recipes.

Creating your Christmas cookie tin for the exchange should not be a chore. Just be creative and have fun with it. There are a huge variety of cookies, tins, and decorative ribbons you can add to make your tin special. Listed below are a few of my favorite Christmas cookie ideas to get you started.

Christmas sugar cookies

Shortbread cookies

Peanut Butter cookies

Chocolate chip cookies

Double chocolate sable cookies

Chocolate peanut butter bonbons

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“C is for cookie, that’s good enough for me.”

                                                                                                -Cookie Monster

It is Cookie Monster’s birthday and a great day to make some delicious cream cookies to honor him. No one can forget that adorable blue monster with the crumbly mess of cookies following him wherever he went. He was simple and funny. He was a bit OCD and only thought about cookies. There is no better way to say happy birthday for this guy than to make up a batch of delicious cookies. You can have this easy dough ready when your children get home from school or have the cookies coming right out of the oven. This will make your house smell wonderful. Imagine walking in from a long day at school and having your nose met by the tranquil smells of freshly baked cookie dough? They will love it. If you have frosting and decorations available, let the kids make them into their own creative masterpieces. Happy birthday Cookie Monster!

This recipe comes from Make it Minnesotan (Sesquicentennial Cookbook): 150 years of recipes and stories from Minnesota kitchens. This particular cookie recipe was submitted by Eldrene Ebert and has been in her family for one hundred years. Thank you, Eldrene.  Just a thought, I’d call them Dream Cookies.

Cream Cookies (Big White Cookies)

1 ¾ C sugar

2 eggs

12 C butter, melted

1 C. whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. soda

4 – 4 ½ C. flour (enough to make a stiff dough)

Beat the sugar and eggs until light. Add the cooled melted butter, cream and vanilla. Mix the soda with 3 cups of the flour and add to the mixture. Then, add enough remaining flour until dough is stiff. Chill dough ½ hour.

Roll dough out on floured surface to ¼  inch thickness. If dough is sticky, roll in more flour. Cut out cookies with 4 inch cutter. Place on greased sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

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Ingredients

1 c. shortening

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar, packed

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 1/2 c. self-rising flour, sifted

Method

1) With an electric hand mixer, cream together the shortening and peanut butter on Low.

2) Add both the sugars and cream the mixture thoroughly until smooth.

3) Add the eggs and mix well.

4) Add the sifted flour to the creamed mixture and beat on High until well blended.

5) Chill the dough for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

6) Roll chilled dough into small balls and place on lightly greased cookie sheets.

7) Flatten each ball with a fork dipped in flour.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. (Makes 6 to 8 dozen cookies)

Note: For a smaller batch of cookies, cut the recipe ingredients in half.

With this easy recipe, you can enjoy fresh baked biscuits all the time. Swiss biscuits have a host of decedent flavors. The fruity orange, compliments the rich dark chocolate, perfectly. These delightful flavors are hidden away in a light and tasty pastry. It should only, take about 35 minutes to make this tasty, Swiss biscuit recipe

Ingredients

• 4oz Butter
• 2oz Granulated Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1-1⁄2 Tablespoons Orange Juice (Fresh Squeezed)
• 1 Tablespoon Orange Zest
• 11oz Plain Flour
• 1⁄8 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda
• 3oz Walnuts (Chopped)
• 4oz Dark Chocolate (Coarsely Grated)
• Butter or Humus (Topping)

Method

Start off by greasing a medium baking tray. Next, Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the egg and beat well. Beat in the orange juice and grated zest. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and bicarbonate of soda, then beat it, into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate and wrap the mixture in cling film.

Chill for about ten until or until the dough is firm enough to handle. Then shape into a roll about 1in in diameter, wrap and chill again, until the dough is very firm. Next preheat the oven to 350°F and cut the roll into slices about 1⁄2in thick Then place on the baking tray and bake in the oven for 10–12 minutes. Remove from the oven, and allow the biscuits to cool on a wire rack. I like to top my Swiss biscuits with either butter or hummus, depending on if it’s for a snack or served with dinner.

• 1 roll peanut butter cookie dough
• 1 bag Reese’s peanut butter cups

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  You will need two or more mini muffin tins or mini muffin foil baking liners for this recipe.  Simple roll the cookie dough into small balls (they will fill about 1/2 of the muffin cup or less), remove the wrapper from the peanut butter cups and press one peanut butter cup into each ball of dough.  Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.  Allow to cool partially and then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• vanilla extract
• ¼ tbps salt
•  2 cups all-purpose flour
• waxed paper

Directions

1. In large bowl, with electric mixer on high, beat ½ cup plus 2 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened to room temperature, and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 1 egg yolk, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, and ¼ tsp. salt. Gradually beat in 2 cups all-purpose flour until well combined. Divide dough in half. Form into 2 flattened rounds, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm.

2. Heat oven to 350°F. Roll out each dough round between 2 sheets of waxed paper to 1/8″ thickness. Remove 1 piece of waxed paper, and invert cookie dough, rerolling scraps and re-chilling as needed. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes, or until firm and golden brown. Remove cookies to wire racks and cool completely.

3. To decorate: Dunk 1 flat side of cookies into 8 oz. melted semisweet chocolate, and dip edges into orange sprinkles. Add candy-icing eyes. Place on wire rack to dry completely.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Try this simple, reliable recipe, it will make about 30 cookies.   

700 gms plain flour

1    rounded teaspoon Bicarbonate of soda   

2    rounded teaspoon ground Ginger

250 gms block margarine    

350 gms caster sugar

2    eggs

250 gms  golden syrup (4 tablespoon)               

Sieve together the first three dry ingredients.         

Rub the fat into this mix using the fingertips.              

Stir in the sugar.              

Add the beaten eggs and the syrup              

Mix all well together to make a smooth dough.  

Store the dough in the refrigerator until firm.               

Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 6mm. thick 

Cut to shape

Place well apart on greased baking trays              

Bake at 180C for 8-10 minutes until golden. (they will still be soft to the touch) 

ool for a few moments on the baking tray then transfer to a rack to cool completely.               

Decorate when cold. 

Store in an airtight tin.

ENJOY !!!!

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