What's Cooking

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 pkg vanilla pudding mix
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 cups plus 1 c chocolate chips

Set out butter and eggs at least one hour in advance.

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in 2 c chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Do NOT overbake. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes and sprinkle remaining 1 c of chips on top of cookies upon removing from oven. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

WeCookiers Sugar Cookies

Without the blather: 

 

Ingredients

2 sticks (1/2 pound) of real butter, room temperature
4 oz. cream cheese, room temp
1 egg, room temp
1 ½ c granulated sugar (vanilla sugar is nice if you're feeling wealthy)
1 ½ tsp vanilla paste
1 tsp butter emulsion
1 tsp salt
3 c flour

This makes roughly 20 three-inch cookies or 3 dozen regular size.

1.       Cream butter and cream cheese together until it looks fluffy and light yellow, about 2 minutes.

2.       Add egg, granulated sugar, and emulsions. Mix just until incorporated.

3.       Add the salt and flour. Mix only until the flour is mixed in. Over-mixing could cause tough cookies due to the egg.

4.       Spatula it out onto plastic wrap on a table. Form a nice ball. Flatten the ball out to a rectangle or disk shape about an inch high (or less).

5.       Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. I double the plastic wrap if the dough will be in the fridge for more than a couple of days. Place it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes (I do overnight).

6.        When chilled, sift out some flour on your workstation or use wax paper. Place dough on the flour (or between sheets of parchment paper) and roll out. I choose to cut them at ¼” thickness. 

7.       Cut out the shapes and place them on (new) parchment-lined baking sheets.

8.       Place sheets in the freezer for at least 10 minutes. 

9.       Preheat the oven to 350⁰.

10.   When cookies are frozen, pull them out of the freezer and place them immediately into the oven (yes, frozen). Bake for 13 minutes or until lightly browned, watching carefully.

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Malted Cookies

1 c butter, softened
1-1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c malt powder
2 T chocolate syrup
1 T vanilla
1 large egg, room temperature
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1-1/2 c chocolate chunks
1 c milk chocolate chips

Beat butter and sugar, malt powder, syrup, vanilla. Add egg. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate. Shape into 2-inch balls, place 3 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Let cool 2 min. on sheets, then transfer to racks. 

Sour Cream Drops

1/4 c shortening
3/4 c sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1/2 c sour cream
1/4 t vanilla
1-1/3 c flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Frosting:
2 T butter
1/2 c powdered sugar
1/4 t vanilla
3-4 T hot water

Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients, stir into egg mixture. Chill 1 hour.

Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 8 min at 425 or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Melt butter; stir in sugar, vanilla, and enough water to reach a spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. 

 

Chocolate Mallow Cookies

2 cups basic cookie dough
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
1 egg
1/4 c milk
20 marshmallows, halved
1 16-oz can chocolate frosting

Combine cookie dough, sugar, cocoa, egg, and milk. Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Press a marshmallow half on top of each cookie and bake 2 more minutes or until marshmallows are puffed. Cool on wire racks; pipe a frosting star on each cookie.

Basic Cookie Dough

2-1/2 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 c milk
2 t vanilla
8 c flour
4 t baking powder
1 t salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients, add gradually to egg mixture. Divide dough into four two-cup portions, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cookies

2 16-oz cans chocolate frosting
1 large egg
1 c peanut butter
1-1/2 c flour

Preheat oven to 375. Reserve 1 can plus 1/3 c frosting. 

In large bowl, mix rest of frosting, egg, and peanut butter. Add flour and stir just until moistened. 

Drop dough by rounded spoonfuls 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Flatten with a fork dipped in sugar.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until firm. Cool on wire racks.  Frost. 

Cinnamon Star Cutouts

1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
2-3/4 c flour
1/3 c cinnamon

Sift together dry ingredients. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs 1 at a time, then slowly add dry ingredients. Chill dough 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Roll dough out to 1/4-inch, cut out into 2-inch stars. Bake for 15 minutes or until edges are brown. 

Reese’s Cookies

¾ c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 c peanut butter chips
1 c chocolate chips

 

Cream butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add eggs. Combine dries and add to mixture. Stir in chips.  Drop on to ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks. 

 

Chocolate Christmas Cutouts

½ c butter, softened
¾ c sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1-1/2 c flour
1/3 c cocoa
½ t baking powder
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt

Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Combine remaining ingredients.

Roll a small portion of dough at a time to 1/4 inch thickness on cookie sheet. (If too soft, chill dough until firm enough to roll.) Cut with 2-1/2 inch cutters; bake at 325 for 5-7  minutes.

Cool 1 minute. Cool on rack. 

 

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ c shortening
1-1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
¼ c water
1 t vanilla
1 c whole wheat flour
½ t baking soda
½ t salt
2 c oatmeal
2 c mini chocolate chips

 

Cream shortening and brown sugar. Add egg, water, vanilla; combine dry ingredients and stir those in. stir in oats and chocolate. 

 

Drop onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.