Ginger Cookies

           Here is a recipe for some delicious cookies to celebrate the start of fall!

                             

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Additional sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar.

Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned.

Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

These cookies are like ginger snaps, without the snap. They are soft, slightly chewy and full of sugar and spice!

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

Here's a recipe for some yummy oatmeal sandwich cookies!

Oatmeal Sandwich Cremes

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups self-rising flour-Note: As a substitute for each cup of self-rising flour, place 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

FILLING:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. 

Flatten with a glass.

Bake for 13-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients; beat until smooth.

Spread filling generously on a cookie...

...and top with another cookie to make a sandwich.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them.

These are a nice change from the normal chocolate sandwich cookie. Also, the filling is amazing!

Monster Cookies

Peanut butter + Oatmeal + Chocolate Chips + M&M's = One good cookie! These festive cookies are extremely simple, and extremely tasty!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 pound brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 pound peanut butter

2 teas. baking soda

2 teas. vanilla

4 1/4 cups oats

3 oz. chocolate chips

3 1/2 oz. M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients.

If you want big monster cookies, use an ice cream scoop to drop cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets. Or, you can always do as I did, and make mini monster cookies! In that case, just drop dough by spoonfuls.

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Yep. As simple as that.

These cookies are perfect for parties! The M&M's give them just the right party touch! If you're like me, however, you won't need a party for an excuse to make these delicious treats! I like eating them just because!

Lemon Dreams

Yes, you really will be dreaming about these throughout the day. The cookie itself is actually just a plain shortbread cookie. It's the dreamy lemon filling that gives these cookies just the right touch!

Lemon Dreams

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teas. vanilla

1 2/3 cups flour

Filling

2/3 cups sugar

1 1/2 teas. cornstarch

1 teas. grated lemon peel

1/4 teas. salt

1 egg, beaten

3 Tabl. lemon juice

1 Tabl. butter or margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the middle of each.

Using your fingurs, strech out the indentation, to make a large gap in each dough ball.

Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool.

For filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch, lemon peel and salt in a saucepan. Stir in egg, lemon juice and butter until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until thickened. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Cool. 

Generously spoon filling into each cookie.

Dust with powdered sugar if desired. Makes 2-3 dozen, depending on how big you make the cookies.

Ooooooooo!!! Doesn't it look dreamy?! Well, I can guarantee you that it certainly is!

Chocolate Chip Cookies, and a Twist!

I have NEVER, had a better chocolate chip cookie than these. They're soft, filled with chocolate chips, and have ever so slight a hint of lemon. "Lemon with chocolate?" you might ask. Yes, I know it sounds a bit weird, but have you ever tried a chocolate chip cookie with a hint of lemon in it before? Well, if you haven't, now would be the perfect time to start! Plus, these cookies look pretty.

This recipe makes A LOT of cookies; about 5-6 dozen. And they're not small. So if you make the original recipe without halfing it, you're going to need a REALLY big bowl. This is what I use...

Big fellow.

Well, I know you're dying to have the recipe for these scrumptious cookies, so here it is!

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the World

1 1/2 cups butter, softened

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

5 eggs

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon extract

2 Tbsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

6 cups white flour

2 cups wheat flour

16 oz. package chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil, and sugars. Add in eggs, vanilla and lemon extract. Then stir in 2 cups of white flour and the wheat flour. Knead in chocolate chips and nuts. Then add the rest of the flour.

Shape dough into ping-pong sized balls, place on ungreased baking sheets, and flatten slightly.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

MmmmmMmmm! Have I convinced you yet? Well, if I haven't, then it's time for the twist. Take a look at these!

This is an easter egg cookie cutter. Bet ya can't guess what I'm going to do with it!

Take a cookie dough ball and press it into the egg shaped cookie cutter. Remove the cutter, and repeat.

Well, I could just bake them now, but I've got a better idea!

Got any of these on hand?

They're mini wooden popsicle sticks!

Insert one into the bottom of each of the dough balls eggs.

Bake.

Okay, I know, they don't look much like easter eggs...yet.

So, we shall prepare royal icing!

Royal Icing

3 egg whites

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teas. cream of tarter

1/2 teas. clear vanilla or almond extract

Place ingredients in bowl and beat on medium high for a full 10 minutes. Icing will become thick and glossy. Keep covered with damp cloth while using. Icing hardens with a nice sheen.

Lay out cooled cookie pops on a sheet of wax paper. Frost with royal icing.

Hmm. Still not white enough. Let icing harden, and then, do another coat!

 

Much better!

Place the remaining icing in small bowls, and tint desired colors. Then, put frosting in small plastic sandwich bags, cut a small hole in the corner of each, and decorate the cookie pops!

Looks good!

        Tastes even better!

By this time, I hope you're convinced! Of course, if you made the pops, you wouldn't have to do them in the shape of an easter egg. You could do any shape that strikes your fancy. I've got to admit, these are definately killer cookies!