Super Soft Sugar Cookies

These are hubbster's FAVORITE sugar cookies. Not that I blame him - they are super soft but still able to hold a good amount of butter cream frosting. So easy to make for holiday decorating too.

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

2 eggs & milk to make 1 cup

1 tsp. soda - dissolved in 1/2 cup milk

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

6 cups flour

Directions:

(1) In a large mixing bowl cream the shortening and sugar.

(2) Beat in the egg and milk mixture.

(3) Beat in the soda and milk mixture. Add the baking powder, salt and nutmeg until well incorporated.

(4) Beat in 6 cups flour. Dough will be a little sticky.

(5) Roll dough onto a generously floured surface. Cut into shapes.

(6) On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes or until the edges are just golden.

(7) Cool on wire racks before frosting with http://theyankeesouthernbelle.blogspot.com/2012/02/butter-cream-frosting.html Butter Cream Frosting.

Killer Scotch Shortbread

I LOVE the shortbread cookies at Panera. Yesterday, that was all I wanted to eat. So what's a pregnant girl to do? Make it.

So I started looking online for shortbread recipes. It couldn't be just any shortbread. It had to equal the taste and texture of the Panera shortbread. Online I found the words "killer shortbread". That sounded just like the kind of shortbread I was looking for. And I was not disappointed.

Watch out Panera Bread. I've got the goods.



Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
(1) Cream butter and sugar well.
(2) Add flour, cornstarch and salt. Blend with mixer until "crumbles" are the size of peas.
(3) Turn into a 9x9" pan. Press down until smooth.
(4) Prick all over with fork. Top with sprinkles/sugar if desired.
(5) Bake at 300 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Don't over bake.
(6) Remove from oven to wire rack and immediately cut into squares. Allow to cool slightly before eating or you'll burn your tongue.

Helpful Hints:
(1) Enjoy with a mug of Friendship Tea!

GGMa Reger's Sugar Cookies

During our vacation in Florida I had the privilege to sit down with Da'Hubby's grandma where she was kind enough to share some of her favorite recipes. According to GGma this is the only sugar cookie recipe that she uses.

It produces a light, flavorful, soft on the inside and crisp on the outside sugar cookie.

Ingredients:

5 cups sifted flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup shortening

2 Tbsp. cream

3 tsp. lemon rind

3 tsp. baking powder

4 eggs, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

nutmeg

Directions:

(1) Sift dry ingredients together.

(2) Add lemon rind to shortening. Add sugar and cream mixture until fluffy.

(3) Add vanilla, eggs and cream. Beat well. Add flour gradually and blend.

(4) Chill.

(5) Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until just golden brown.

Caramel Nut Thumbprints

Chocolate, caramel and pecans. A heavenly combination if you ask me! These are great little cookies with a gooey caramel filling that will make you hungry for more.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg, separated

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups pecans, finely chopped

20 caramels, unwrapped

1/4 cup half-and-half

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

(2) In a large bowl combine sugar, butter and shortening. Beat until light and fluffy.

(3) Add vanilla and egg yolk. Blend well.

(4) Add flour, cocoa and baking powder.

(5) In a small bowl beat egg white until foamy. Place pecans in another small bowl.

(6) Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip in egg white and roll in pecans.

(7) Place on ungreased cookie sheet. With thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie.

(8) Bake in preheated oven for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are set.

(9) Immediately remove from cookie sheets to wire racks.

(10) In a small saucepan combine caramels and half-and-half. Cook until caramels are melted, stirring occasionally. Spoon caramel mixture into center of each cookie. Cool until caramel is set.

Cinnamon Stick Cookies

I absolutely love these cookies with a cup of coffee. They're even better when it's cold and dreary outside. Perfect for a day like today.
I found this recipe in Jane Hunter's cookbook and she states that she received it from a friend named Sue Jacobs. Well Mrs. Jacobs had a daughter named Brooke Sue and she and I were pretty good buddies throughout my middle school and high school years. So maybe that is also why I love these cookies - because they remind me of my friend.

Ingredients:
1 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
5 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
(2) In a large mixing bowl cream margarine and sugar. Add vanilla, 1 tsp. cinnamon and egg.
(3) Add 1 cup flour and mix well. Add rest of flour. Dough will be very firm and easy to handle.
(4) Grab a walnut size ball of dough and roll like a pencil. Roll in mixture of 5 Tbsp. sugar and 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to coat. Place on un-greased cookie sheet.
(5) Bake for 10 minutes.

Helpful Hints:
(1) Store in loosely covered container.
(2) Can freeze

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

This cookie recipe is from my mother-in-love. Recently we were in Florida visiting Da'Hubby's grandparents. GGma had a plate of these cookies and Da'Hubby told her that these cookies always remind him of Christmas.

There are only 2 bad things with these cookies: (1) they're really good so you can't just eat one at a time (2) you have to chill the dough overnight (or if you're impatient like me, chill for just an hour or two).

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

(1) In a large mixing bowl combine the vegetable oil, melted chocolate and sugar.

(2) Blend in one egg at a time until creamy.

(3) Add vanilla and dry ingredients.

(4) Chill overnight.

(3) Drop one full tablespoon of dough into powdered sugar and roll to cover.

(4) Place cookie dough on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

(5) Allow cookies to cool on wire rack.

Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

One of the first things I think of when the word "Autumn" is mentioned is my Grandma Rosie's wonderful Frosted Pumpkin Cookies. I have fond memories of going out to her farm, riding in the back of the harvest wagon while ears and ears of dried corn fell on to my sisters, my cousins and I (it was really lots of fun). And for some strange reason I also remember lots and lots of grandma's pumpkin cookies.

These cookies really are wonderful. They are a very soft cookie with a comforting taste of pumpkin and cinnamon topped with a homey brown sugar glaze. One of my favorite cookies!

Ingredients:

1 cup Crisco

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 35o degrees.

(2) In a large mixing bowl combine the Crisco and sugar. Beat until smooth.

(3) Beat in egg and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree to the mixture.

(4) In another bowl combine all dry ingredients: salt, baking powder, baking soda, flour and cinnamon.

(5) Add dry ingredients to the sugar mixture until well Incorporated.

(6) Drop by rounded spoonful onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until bottoms just begin to turn golden.

(7) Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for about a minute. Remove cookies to cooling rack. Once cooled to room temperature frost with Brown Sugar Glaze.

Brown Sugar Glaze:

5 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. milk (or heavy cream)

Powdered Sugar

In a small saucepan melt the butter, brown sugar and milk and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring only once or twice. Remove from heat. Stir in enough powdered sugar to form a thick consistency but yet, still spreadable. Using a large spoon spread glaze on cookies.

Reese's Chewy Chocolate Cookies

Da'Hubby has a twin brother and he can make a mean cookie. In fact in college a group of us would get together every other Friday night and play games. One night The Twin made these and they were AWESOME! The Twin has a special little trick to make them extra good - he uses two bags of chips.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 (10 oz) bags of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips


Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
(2) In a large bowl stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
(3) In another large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar until fluffy.
(4) Add the eggs and vanilla, beat well.
(5) Gradually blend in the flour mixture, beating well.
(6) Stir in peanut butter chips.
(7) Drop by rounded spoonful onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake 8-9 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Granny's Chocolate Chip Cookies

From the worst to the best cook - everybody has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies and everybody has a different opinion on what the *perfect* chocolate chip cookie is. In my opinion (take it or leave it) these are the best chocolate chip cookies, because they remind me of the cookies Granny (my great-grandma) used to make for us. So funny story....I found this recipe in my Jane Hunter cookbook and soon discovered that it is the Toll House cookie recipe - except for one minor difference. Are you ready for this? The difference is 1/4 cup less flour. Who would have thought? So here's the funny part....my sister and I were talking about Granny's recipes and I asked her if she had THE chocolate chip cookie recipe. She said she didn't but had asked Granny about that and Granny confessed she just used the Toll House recipe. Why mess with a good thing.
So if you want THE chocolate chip cookie that is slightly crisp around the edges and perfectly soft and chewy in the middle then this is the one for you.

Ingredients:

2 3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

2 large eggs

12 oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

(1) Preheat oven to 357 degrees

(2) Mix flour, salt and soda. Set aside.

(3) In large mixing bowl whip butter add sugar and brown sugar until pale, light and fluffy.

(4) Add vanilla.

(5) Add eggs one at a time. The eggs should be well beaten in, mixture should look creamed and not curdled.

(6) Add dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time until well incorporated.

(7) Add chocolate chips.

(8) Drop by spoonfuls or use a Pampered Chef cookie scooper and place on un-greased cookie sheet.

(9) Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown.

Helpful Hints:

(1) Do not under any circumstance use margarine instead of butter for this recipe. It's gross.

(2) Use unsalted butter - then you can control the amount of salt you add. If you use salted butter omit the salt. The salt helps to enhance the chocolate - and we all know that's a good thing.

(3) If you have it, use pure vanilla extract.

Lemon Cookies

Oh sweet Moses these cookies are good. I think I found this recipe online somewhere. My Grandma Pete loves anything with lemons in it so I made them for her. She loves them! I bet you can't just have one. Ingredients:
1 (18.25 oz) box of lemon cake mix with pudding
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar for decorating

Directions:
(1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
(2) Pour cake mix into a large mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, oil and lemon extract until well blended. Dough will be thick.
(3) Roll into balls and drop into powdered sugar until well coated.
(4) Place on un-greased cookie sheet and bake for 6-9 minutes. The bottoms will be light brown and the centers chewy.