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Make Impressive Holiday Treats Mrs. Claus’s Christmas Cookies

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  • Make Impressive Holiday Treats

    Mrs. Claus’s Christmas Cookies

  • Mrs. Claus’s Christmas Cookies

  • Table of Contents:

    Copyright 2006-2020, The Prepared Pantry. All rights reserved.

    The material herein is published by The Prepared Pantry for the private use of individuals and may not be used for commercial purposes without the express consent of the publisher. The in-formation contained herein is believed accurate but the publisher makes no warranties, express or implied, and the recipient is using this information at his or her own risk.

    The Prepared Pantry2 N. Landmark Lane

    Rigby, ID 83442208-745-7892

    www.preparedpantry.com

    Part I: Christmas Cookies: Tips and Toppings......................................... 3Types of Cookies and How to Bake Them ...................................................... 3Ingredients for Baking Great Cookies............................................................ 4How to Make the Very Best Sugar Cookies.................................................... 7Painted Christmas Cookies............................................................................. 8How to Decorate Cookies................................................................................ 9How to Make Fancy and Festive Thumbprint Cookies................................. 11Cookie Troubleshooting Guide..................................................................... 12

    Part II: Drop Cookies..................................................................................... 13Jubilee Jumbles............................................................................................. 13Frosted Brown Sugar Cookies....................................................................... 14Cherry Chocolate Cookies............................................................................. 15Cherry Pineapple Cookies............................................................................. 16Macadamia and Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.................................... 16

    Part III: Hand Form Cookies....................................................................... 17Pink Peppermint Chocolate Cookies............................................................. 17Mint Dipped Cookies..................................................................................... 18Making Cookies with Multi-Colored Dough................................................. 19Best Snickerdoodle Recipe........................................................................... 20Snow Topped Mountains.............................................................................. 21

    Part IV: Refrigerator Cookies..................................................................... 22Cinnamon Dutch Almond Cookies............................................................... 22Coconut Cranberry Refrigerator Cookies..................................................... 23Festive Fruit and Oat Refrigerator Cookies................................................. 24Almond Nut Wafers...................................................................................... 25Double Chocolate Sandwich Cookies........................................................... 26

    Part V: Rolled and Cut-out Cookies........................................................... 27Frosted Malt Chocolate Cookies................................................................... 27Marionberry Cream Cheese Tarts................................................................ 28Chocolate Raspberry Sandwich Cookies...................................................... 29

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    Aunt Katie’s Oatmeal Molasses Cookies...................................................... 30Gingerbread Men.......................................................................................... 31

    Part VI: Bar Cookies...................................................................................... 32Chocolate Toffee Bars................................................................................... 32Cranberry Coconut Bars............................................................................... 33Chocolate Shortbread Bars Recipe............................................................... 34Pecan Squares............................................................................................... 35Chocolate Mint Chip Brownies..................................................................... 36Brown Sugar Brownies................................................................................. 36

    Part VII: Other Cookies................................................................................ 37Mix-in-a-Jar: Mint Fudge Cookies............................................................... 37Cherry Spritz Cookies................................................................................... 38Vanilla Spritz Cookies................................................................................... 38Coconut Macaroon Thumbprints................................................................. 39Chocolate Pecan Thumbprint Cookies......................................................... 40

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    Types of Cookies and

    How to Bake Them

    Part I: Christmas Cookies: Tips and Toppings

    There are many different types of cookies. In this book, we utilize five categories though more categorization is possible. Each category has its place. Here, we review our five types of cookies and provide tips for each.

    Drop CookiesThese are the most common cookies and prob-ably what we think of first when cookies come to mind. There are more recipes for drop cook-ies than for any other type. Make each cookie of equal size and height for uniform baking. (An ice cream scoop with a release mechanism helps make uniform cookies.) Bake until the cookies are delicately browned and an imprint remains if lightly touched with a finger. Do not over bake the cookies. Over baked cookies are dry and hard. Remove them immediately to racks to cool. Let them cool completely before stacking.

    Hand Formed CookiesThese are formed into balls between the palms of your hands. Some are flattened with a fork or the bottom of a glass before baking. Some are left round—the oven mettles the butter and cookie softens to a flattened shape. It’s easy to make uniform, round cookies. To make them

    the same size, use a kitchen scale and weigh each ball. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use a ruler so that each cookie has the same diameter. Bake these cookies until they are delicately browned and an imprint remains if lightly touched with a finger. Remove them immediately to racks to cool and let them cool completely before stacking.

    Note: To make formed cookies from uniform-ly-sized balls of dough, roll the dough into a log the diameter that you wish the balls to be then slice the log into equal chunks. Form the chunks into balls.

    Refrigerator CookiesIn some ways, refrigerator cookies are the most convenient cookies. You can mix the dough ahead of time and bake them when needed and bake only as many as are needed. Dough can be stored for a week in the refrigerator and much longer than that in the freezer. After mixing, form the dough into a round or rectangular log and chill thoroughly. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut cleanly especially if there are nuts in the dough. Use a ruler to get the cookies all the same thickness. When slicing round logs, roll the dough after each cut to keep the log uniform. Bake the cookies until they are deli-cately browned and cool them on racks.

    Rolled CookiesHandle and chill the dough as for refrigerator cookies. Roll the dough out on a very lightly floured surface. Most recipes call for the dough to be about 1/4-inch thick. Use a toothpick to make sure that the dough is uniformly the right thickness. A thinner cookie will make for a crisper cookie. Cut the dough with cookie cut-ters. Get as many cookies from each rolling as possible. Successive rolling, with the flour from the counter incorporated into the dough and with more handling of the dough, will make for tougher cookies. Bake the cookies until they are delicately browned and cool them on racks.

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/deluxe-quick-release-ice-cream-scoop-medium.aspxhttps://www.preparedpantry.com/deluxe-quick-release-ice-cream-scoop-medium.aspx

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    Bar CookiesWhen you are in a hurry, nothing is faster than a bar cookie. Mix, pour the batter in a pan, and bake. You don’t have to form individual cook-ies—the most time consuming task in many recipes. If you would like a tender, cake-like cookie, use all-purpose or pastry flour. Don’t over mix--over mixing will develop the glu-ten and make for a tougher cookie. Instead of greasing the baking pan, consider lining the pan with foil or parchment paper. Lightly spray the foil with vegetable spray. Be sure and spread the dough evenly in the pan for uniformly baked cookies. Cake-like bar cook-ies should be baked until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean. When lightly pressed with a fingertip, the top should spring back. For brownie-type cookies, the tops should be dull—not glossy—and an imprint will remain when touched. After baking, holding the edges of the paper or foil, lift the loaf of cookies from the pan. Use a sharp, serrated knife and trim the edges. Then use a ruler to mark the cuts for uniform bars. Bar cookies can be cooled in the pan or on a rack. They can be stored in the pan but we prefer to cut the cookies into bars as described, and wrap them individually in plastic.

    Ingredients for Baking Great CookiesCookies are wonderful concoctions of flour, sugar, and fat—usually butter and eggs. To these basic ingredients, we add fruit, nuts, and flavors. If we start out with compromised ingredients, the cookies from any recipe will be inferior.

    SugarsSugars not only sweeten, they add moisture and tenderness to the cookie and help the cookie brown. Sugar grains cut into the but-ter when the two are creamed together creat-ing tiny air pockets for a lighter, airier cookie. Always use the type of sugar called for in the recipe. Since superfine sugar melts faster than does granulated, it will create more spread. Brown sugar adds a caramel flavor and more moisture than granulated. Powdered sugar has added cornstarch and makes a firmer, drier cookie. Measure sugar in measuring units designed for dry ingredients. For granulated sugar, use a knife to level the top of the meas-ure. Pack brown sugar firmly into the measur-ing unit. Always use fresh, soft, brown sugar. Hardened brown sugar will not add enough moisture to the cookie. An old trick to soften brown sugar is to add a slice of bread to the container. Since sugar is hygroscopic, that is it attracts moisture, it will draw the moisture from the bread. In a day or two, the sugar will be soft and you can throw away the now hard-ened bread.

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    FloursUse good quality, fresh flour. If your bag of flour has been sitting open too long, it may be dry or in a humid climate, it may have absorbed moisture. For a more tender cookie, use pas-try flour. Bread flour with its gluten creates a tough, chewy cookie and is unsuitable for most recipes. All-purpose flour is suitable for most cookies. Measure flour as you would white sug-ar, in a dry measure and scrape the top off with the back of a knife. Do not dip the measure into the flour. Flour packs easily and scooped flour results in too much flour for the recipe. Whisk or sift the flour to lighten it and then carefully spoon the flour into the measure.

    ButterNothing tastes like butter. It contributes much of the flavor that we love in cookies, some of the color, and much of the tenderness. Butter acts as a shortening, that is, it “shortens” the gluten strands found in flour and gives the cookie a soft, melt-in-your mouth texture. Margarine can be substituted for butter. Margarine often has more water than butter and some adjust-ment to the recipe may be necessary if you sub-stitute margarine for butter. Shortening can be used in place of butter but the cookie is likely to be very different. A cookie with shortening will have less spread, will tend to be crisper, and will lack that buttery flavor—even if you use butter-flavored shortening.

    EggsEggs add structure and fat to the cookies. The eggs, as they are beaten, create bubbles that make the cookies lighter and the protein in the egg solidifies to create a firmer, higher profile as it bakes. Always use fresh eggs and use the size of eggs called for in the recipe. Set the eggs on the counter for thirty minutes before using—warmer eggs will make a lighter cookie.

    Fruits and NutsWhere would we be without raisin cookies or those nut-filled cookies? Nuts become rancid easily. The smaller the nut pieces, the quicker they will spoil. Always taste the nuts before us-ing them in the recipe. If they taste even slight-ly rancid, discard them. For longer life, store your nuts in the refrigerator, or better yet, the freezer. To enhance the flavor of nuts, consider toasting them. Place them one layer thick on a baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees. The type and size of the nuts will determine the bak-ing time, anywhere from three minutes to ten minutes. Determine when the nuts are toasted by both fragrance and color. Always let the nuts cool and reabsorb the oils before mixing them into the batter. Nuts can also be toasted in a skillet.

    Dry fruit becomes hard as it ages. Steam rai-sins and other dried fruit by pouring boiling water to just cover them and let stand until plump—the length of time will be a factor of the freshness and type of fruit. Pat them dry on paper towels. Kids who turn their noses up at raisin cookies may change their minds if they experience cookies with plumped raisins.

    SpicesThe wonderful world of spices was designed for cookies. Use the best spices that you can buy, keep them covered, use them while they are fresh. There is a world of difference between quality spices and inexpensive spices. Buy the best cinnamon that you can find. Taste-test your cinnamon for quality. Good cinnamon will taste sweet and have almost a citrus flavor. Cheap cinnamon will be astringent and bitter. Good quality cinnamon will make a marvelous difference in your baking.

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    Leavening AgentsWhile breads use yeast—an organic leavening agent—cookies rely on chemical reactions to give them lift and make them palatable. The following ingredients are the most common leaveners in cookies: baking soda, baking pow-der and cream of tartar.

    Baking SodaBaking soda is a powerful alkaline used pri-marily to leaven cookies, muffins, and cakes. Because it is alkaline, it reacts with acids in a batter as soon as it is mixed causing bub-bling and a thickening of the batter. It does not require the heat of the oven to begin leavening. Generally, only acidic recipes call for baking soda. Buttermilk, juices, non-alkalized cocoa, and molasses are common acids used in bak-ing. The reaction of the alkaline baking soda with an acidic batter has two effects: it creates the carbon dioxide bubbles that leaven the batter and it neutralizes the acid in the batter. Neutralizing the acid changes the taste—butter-milk, for example, no longer has its character-istic acid tang.

    Typically, recipes use 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda for each cup of flour. Very heavy batters or very acidic ones may use more. Occasionally drop cookies call for more baking soda but that is to allow the cookie to brown more easily. A batter with a lower pH will brown more easily.

    Baking PowderWhile baking soda is alkaline, baking powder is a mixture of an alkaline baking soda and two acids designed to create a neutral com-pound. It therefore reacts with itself using the moisture of the batter as a catalyst. Like bak-ing soda, this reaction creates carbon dioxide bubbles. The baking powder generally used in the kitchen is double-acting: it reacts at room temperature in the presence of moisture and again in the oven in the presence of heat. The result is the extra lifting power necessary to make a cake light and airy. Because the baking powder reacts with itself, it does not alter the pH of the batter.

    Often a weakly acidic recipe will call for both baking soda and baking powder. The baking soda will react with the acid in the batter but the reaction will not be strong enough and is bolstered with the extra baking powder.

    Cream of TartarCream of tartar is a by-product of the wine-making industry and is derived from tartaric acid. As an acid, it is the counterpart to baking soda and when the two are combined they cre-ate a chemical reaction which produces carbon dioxide. Most recipes that call for cream of tar-tar also call for baking soda. In some recipes, cream of tartar is used to increase the acidity in the batter to preserve the tang of buttermilk or an acidic juice used in conjunction with baking soda.

    Other LeavenersThere are other chemical leaveners, though they are rarely used in today’s kitchens. In ad-dition, mechanical means are used for leav-ening. Creaming butter and sugar together entrains air in the batter. Steam is used to lift products. Egg whites are whipped to capture tiny air pockets and thereby lighten products.

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    How to Make the Very Best Sugar CookiesEveryone loves sugar cookies at Christmas. But sugar cookies don’t always turn out right. We’ve compiled this list of tips and techniques to help you make the very best sugar cookies.

    1. Measure ingredients accurately, espe-cially the flour. Too much flour will make your cookies hard and dry. If you scoop the flour with the measuring cup instead of spooning sifted flour into your cup, you are likely to have 20% too much flour.

    2. Sugar cookies are made by the creaming method. This is the most important step in making sugar cookies—it incorpo-rates the air into the dough that acts as a leavening agent. Use the paddle attach-ment of your electric mixer to cream the sugar, salt, and spices with the butter or shortening. Cream the ingredients together at low speed, not high. For light cookies, cream the mixture until it is light and fluffy. For a denser, moister cookie, cream only until the mixture is paste-like.

    3. Add the eggs and liquid after creaming, beating these in at low speed.

    4. Mix the flour into the creamed mixture only until it is combined. If you over-mix, you will develop the gluten and make a tougher cookie.

    5. Choose a low protein flour, preferably pastry flour, for your sugar cookies. Avoid bread flours with their high protein content. All-purpose flour is an accept-able compromise.

    6. If the dough is too soft to work easily, chill it until firm. The dough should be pliable but not squishy soft. Handling of the dough with warm hands will make the dough soft.

    7. Use no more flour than necessary to dust the counter. The flour will work into the dough for a drier, tougher cookie.

    8. Too much re-rolling will make for tougher cookies. Not only does succes-sive re-rolling work the dusting flour into the dough, the continued working of the dough develops the gluten.

    9. When cutting shapes, make the cuts as close together as you can to minimize the amount of dough that will be re-rolled.

    10. Most recipes call for the dough to be rolled to 1/8 inch in thickness. This cre-ates a crisp cookie. For a moister, less crisp cookie, roll the dough to 1/4 inch.

    11. Remove the cookies from the counter with a thin metal spatula.

    12. When garnishing cookies with sprinkles, drop the decorations from a height of eight or ten inches for a more even distri-bution.

    13. The size of the cookies will affect bake times. Put like-sized cookies on the same sheet.

    14. Do not over bake cookies. Thin cookies will bake in seven or eight minutes at 350 degrees. Thicker cookies will take ten or twelve minutes. Cookies on darker pans will bake in less time. When done, the cookies will still be pale-colored with just a tinge of brown at the edges.

    15. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Do not frost them until they are completely cooled.

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    Painted Christmas Cookiesyour cookies a beautiful, glossy finish. You can paint the sheen on the cookie, let it dry, and then paint designs, if desired, over the sheen. If you paint the sheen over the painted cookie, it tends to smear the colors but beautifully blended patterns can be created. Sheens come in silver, gold, pearl, and some colors.

    For fine work, such as the eyes on a snowman or the star on a Christmas tree, use a toothpick to dab color on. You can also use a food writer pen to paint on details. It is fun to make pretty painted cookies and you can be as creative as you like. If you are more of an artist than we are, you can create stunning works of art with cookies and a paint brush.

    Easy Meringue FrostingYou will need a meringue frosting to create a base upon which to paint.

    Meringue powder is made with powdered egg whites (plus starches and flavors). Reconsti-tuted egg whites dry hard leaving a shell on the frosting. You can purchase meringue powder at baking supply stores or on our site.

    3 tablespoons meringue powder for icing

    1/4 cup water

    2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, more or less

    Stir the meringue powder and water together until smooth. Add enough of the powdered sugar to obtain the desired consistency for spreading. Completely cover any leftovers.

    You can paint cookies to make wonderful decorations for Christmas or other holidays. Whether you are looking for a fun project with the kids or just want to impress the neighbors, try painting cookies. It’s easy to do using edible food colors and gels as paints and it’s the fun way to decorate cookies.

    Here’s how to do it:Bake your sugar cookies or other flat, smooth cookies according to the recipe or mix direc-tions. The surface will be porous, so you can’t paint directly on it. You will need to cover the surface with a hard shelled frosting, usually a frosting with meringue powder added to create a smooth, firm surface. On the frosted surface, bright colors and crisp lines are painted using undiluted liquid food coloring or a barely di-luted color gel. If you are using liquids, dip the tip of the paint brush right in the food coloring bottle. If you are using gel colors, mix a little gel with a few drops of water to reach the right consistency. Simple water color brushes work well. They are inexpensive, you can buy them in different widths, and they clean up with hot water.

    New food coloring sheens can be used to give

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/sugar-cookie-mixes.aspx

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    How to Decorate CookiesI have pleasant childhood memories of sugar cookies. For Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and sometimes Easter, we would break out Mom’s tired and true sugar cookie recipe and make sugar cookies. We would spread them with colored icing and sprinkle them with decorations, always colored sugar crystals or jimmies. In addition to these, there are other creative ways to decorate sugar cookies and expand your horizons.

    Make chocolate or vanilla cookies with your fa-vorite recipe or one of our sugar cookie mixes. Cut them out as you would for other cookies to decorate. After cooling, frost your cookies with either royal icing or fondant. Royal icing dries to a hard shell and creates a nice, glossy surface for painting. Turn to the next page to see how to make royal icing.

    Decorate the edges For intriguing cookies, consider decorating the edges. This is usually done with refrigerator cookies where the “log” is rolled through the decorations. Most sugar cookies can be baked as refrigerator cookies though. Simply roll the dough into a “log,” roll it through the decora-tions and then slice the log into cookies.

    Decorate them with fondant.It’s super easy to cover your cookies with rolled fondant. Roll the fondant to about 1/8-inch thick and cut the fondant using the same cookie cutters that you used to make the cook-ies. Lift the fondant off the counter, brush a little water on the back with your finger, and lay the fondant on the cookies of correspond-ing shape. The fondant will cover the cookies to about 1/8-inch of the edges and the moist back will hold the fondant in place until drying. Fondant creates a little different effect than does royal icing. While royal icing is slick and shiny, fondant is more of a matte finish.

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/pastel-colors-rolled-fondant-by-wilton.aspx?search=fondant

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    “Spread and sprinkle” The most common way to decorate Christmas cookies is to “spread and sprinkle.” That is, you use a spreadable icing, either premade or from a recipe, and sprinkle the tops with decorations. That’s where the magic usually comes in. Decorations don’t add much flavor, but they sure make the cookies beautiful. Most commonly used are decorating sugars and Jimmies. You can also buy white colored sugar crystals and tint them with food color gels to make your own colored decorating sugars. Ic-ing and frosting can also add color and decora-tion by using food color gels.

    Candy bark adds flavor as well as color. It’s a combination of crushed candy—usually in-tensely flavored candy—and white chocolate. It costs more but tastes much better.

    Lastly, don’t forget the meringue powder. Meringue powder is basically sugared, flavored dry egg whites. A little will make your frosting firm so it will not mar and smear so easily. We typically add two tablespoons when we make cookie icing. The royal icing used to make cake decorations—like the flowers and leaves on a wedding cake—is hardened with meringue powder.

    How to Make Royal IcingMeringue powder is essential if you make sugar cookies or decorate cookies or cakes. You need to be able to make hard shell frost-ings like royal icing. Traditionally hard shell icings relied on egg whites to create a shiny luster and a hard surface on the icing. Today, most of us are concerned about using raw egg whites in our kitchen with the bacteria they may harbor.

    Meringue powder is made from dry egg whites with flavors and stabilizers added. Without fresh egg whites, the concerns about safety are eliminated. It’s easy to use. Simply add the meringue powder along with the powdered sugar to your recipe to create a frosting that will set up with a firm shell. The more you add, the harder the shell. For a moderately firm frosting shell, add two tablespoons per cup of powdered sugar. We often use 1 1/2 tablespoons of meringue powder for each cup of powdered sugar and this gives us a hard enough shell for painting cookies.

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/meringue-powder-royal-icing-frosting-1.aspx

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    How to Make Fancy and Festive Thumbprint Cookies

    to the whisk handle but a quick swish in water after every few cookies will help prevent that). Add the filling before bak-ing. Two chocolate wafers are perfect for chocolate centers in 2-inch cookies. Try three for larger cookies.

    3. Choose a flavor: It’s not necessary, but we like to match a flavor or extract to the filling. With a cherry filling, consider a cherry or amaretto flavor in the dough. Add a raspberry flavor to the dough with a raspberry filling and a blueberry flavor with a blueberry filling.

    4. Dress them up: For a more formal cookie, drizzle a little melted white or dark chocolate across the cookies. You could also make an icing to drizzle across the cookies. Adding two tablespoons of meringue powder to the frosting will make the frosting set harder so that the frosting will be less likely to mar when storing or shipping.

    Recommended ingredients:• Jams and jellies

    • Dawn pastry fillings

    • Dark chocolate wafers

    • Guittard White Wafers

    • Marsden and Bathe premium flavors

    • Professional food color gels

    • Meringue powder (to give the frosting a hard shell)

    Take a plain cookie and make it a fancy and festive thumbprint cookie with a filling. Choose your flavors and fillings. Drizzle them with a little chocolate. You’ll be surprised at how many variations you can make.

    1. Start with a plain cookie: Choose a cookie mix or recipe with a higher pro-file to accommodate a thumbprint. A cake-like applesauce cookie or oatmeal cookie will work. We love quick and easy coconut macaroon mixes in both vanilla and chocolate for wonderful thumbprint cookies.

    2. Choose a filling: Here’s where it gets fun. There are so many fillings that you can choose from: white or dark choco-late, jams and jellies, pastry fillings, or maraschino cherries. Mix the cookie dough according to directions and place mounds on the cookie sheet. Tradi-tionally, depressions are pressed in the dough with a thumb but we like nice round depressions. For 2-inch cookies, we use the round handle of a whisk to press 3/4-inch holes part way through the cookies. The holes are deep enough to accommodate about a teaspoon of fill-ing but not pressed all the way through the cookies. (The batter tends to stick

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    Cookie Troubleshooting Guide

    If your cookies are too tough . . .

    You may have used too much flour or a flour with too high of a protein content. Unless you want a chewy cookie, do not use bread flour. Check your measurements--the cookies may not have enough fat or the amount of sugar may be wrong.

    If your cookies are too crumbly . . .

    They may have too much sugar, shorten-ing, or leavening or may not be thoroughly mixed. Try adding more eggs.

    If your cookies are too hard . . .

    They may have been baked too long or at a temperature that was too low. Too much flour or not enough shortening or liquid will make them hard also.

    If your cookies are too dry . . .

    The same elements that make cookies too hard, may make them too dry. Try baking them at a higher temperature for a shorter period. Substitute brown sugar (with its higher moisture content) for part of the granulated sugar.

    If your cookies are too brown . . .

    The cookies were most likely baked too long or at too high of a temperature. Too much sugar may make a cookie brown too readily.

    If your cookies are not browned enough . . .

    The baking temperature was too low, they were not baked long enough, or there was too little sugar.

    If your cookies spread too much . . .

    The baking temperature may be too low. Too much sugar, shortening, or leavening will cause spread. If pans are greased with too much shortening, spread may occur. Add a little more flour or chill your dough before forming the cookies.

    If your cookies don’t spread enough . . .

    The opposite conditions that create too much spread may cause your cookies not to spread enough. There may not be enough sugar, shortening, or leavening, or the temperature is too high. Try adding more grease to the pan and baking at a lower temperature.

    If the edges or crust turns out sugary . . .

    The cookies probably have too much sugar or the dough may have been inadequately mixed.

    If your cookies have a poor flavor . . .

    Make sure all the flavoring ingredients were added. Old or low quality ingredients may not impart strong enough flavors. Improp-erly washed baking pans will sometimes cause a cookie to taste bad.

    If your cookies stick to the pans . . .

    The pans probably weren’t greased ade-quately. Too much sugar will make cookies stick. Cookies are usually easier to remove from their pans immediately after coming from the oven.

  • 13

    Jubilee JumblesJumbles are old-time cookies typically made cake-like. These jumbles, frosted and gar-nished with fruit or nuts, make attractive and very good holiday cookies.

    Ingredients1/2 cup shortening1 cup brown sugar1/2 cup granulated sugar2 large eggs2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon cinnamon2/3 cup heavy cream2/3 cup walnut pieces or chopped pecans

    Part II: Drop CookiesThe Icing

    2 cups powdered sugar2 tablespoons butter1/2 teaspoon vanillacream (enough to reach spreading con-

    sistency)Pecans, maraschino cherries, or other

    fruit or nuts for garnish

    DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees.

    1. Cream together the shortening and sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Beat until light and fluffy.

    2. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, bak-ing soda, baking powder, salt, and cin-namon together.

    3. Add the dry ingredients and the cream, one third at a time, alternating and starting with the dry ingredients. Add the nuts.

    4. Drop the batter by mounded spoonfuls on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 9 or 10 minutes or until done. Cool on a wire rack.

    5. To make the frosting, cream the but-ter until light. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating. Add the cream while beating, a little cream at a time, until the mixture is smooth and of spreading consistency. Frost the cookies once cooled. Garnish with nuts or fruit.

  • Chapter 1 Chapter Title

    14

    Frosted Brown Sugar CookiesThis is another cake-like, moist cookie. This one has sour cream, butter, and eggs to make it moist. The flavoring is all brown sugar and butter—a great combination; there are no spices or extract.

    Ingredients3 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1 cup butter2 cups brown sugar1/4 teaspoon salt3 large eggs1 cup sour cream

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder to-gether.

    2. In another bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar and salt. Add the eggs, one at time, beating after each.

    3. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream, starting and end-ing with the dry ingredients. Beat after each addition.

    4. Drop the dough by spoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the edges are browned. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Frost after they have cooled com-pletely using the following recipe.

    Sour Cream Frosting1/4 cup sour cream2 tablespoons butter1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups powdered sugarMilk (to spreading consistency)Food Coloring (optional)

    1. Cream the sour cream and butter. Add vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar, a little at time, adding just enough milk—a spoonful at a time—to bring the frost-ing to spreading consistency. Tint with food coloring if desired.

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    Cherry Chocolate CookiesThe wind had switched directions out of the north and the snow was starting to drift. The weather forecast was for thirty below. Why were we doing a Boy Scout camp out in a Minnesota winter? The kids didn’t mind the weather; they were busy playing “King of the Mountain”. They were going to go through lots of calories . . . but we had lots of cookies. By far, their favorite was a chocolate oat cookie with a cherry pressed into the top.

    We’ve made these cookies for a lot of years now. They are a scrumptious chocolate cookie but the oatmeal makes them substantial. We’ve never met a cookie lover that didn’t love these cookies.

    These make great holiday cookies, but don’t limit them to December only. We’ve made these many times throughout the years. Cher-ries and chocolate are always a favorite combi-nation which make these cookies a real hit no matter the season.

    Ingredients1 1/3 cups butter3/4 cup brown sugar2 large eggs1 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips,

    melted1 teaspoon vanilla2 cups quick or old-fashioned rolled oats1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon baking powder

    about one jar of maraschino cherries, drained

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    1. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes), scraping the sides once. Add the vanilla and 1 cup of the melted chocolate.

    2. Add the rolled oats. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix until combined.

    3. Drop spoonfuls of dough on an un-greased baking sheet. Press a cherry deep into the dough for each. Bake for 11 or 12 minutes or until done. Remove immediately to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, drizzle the cookies with the leftover chocolate (3/4 cups).

    Baker’s notes: Chocolate can be melted eas-ily in the microwave. Place the chocolate in a small bowl and microwave in thirty second intervals, stirring after each until smooth. For drizzling the chocolate, place the chocolate chips in a heavy duty, zipper-type plastic bag. Once melted, snip a tiny corner from the bag and squeeze the choco-late through the snipped corner to drizzle on the cookies.

  • 16

    Cherry Pineapple CookiesCherries and pineapple just seem to go to-gether, and these soft, cake-like drop cookies are quick and easy to make and great for the holidays.

    Ingredients1/2 cup brown sugar1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup shortening1 large egg1/2 cup drained, crushed pineapple 1/2 cup chopped walnuts1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 cups flour1/4 teaspoons salt1/4 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon baking powder1 jar maraschino cherries for topping

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    1. Cream the sugars and shortening togeth-er. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy.

    2. Add the pineapple, nuts, and extract and mix well.

    3. Combine the remaining dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture.

    4. Place the dough a tablespoon at a time on a greased baking sheet. Press either a half cherry or a whole cherry onto the cookie dough for each cookie.

    5. Bake for 10 minutes or until done. Cool on wire racks.

    Macadamia and Raspberry Chocolate Chip CookiesThese are scrumptious, crunchy little cook-ies. Any cookie with macadamia nuts is a good cookie but adding rich chocolate and raspberry jam makes a wonderful trio.

    Ingredients1/3 cup butter1/3 cup brown sugar1/3 cup granulated sugar1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract2/3 cup raspberry jam1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup chopped macadamia nuts1 1/2 cups pure dark chocolate (semisweet)

    baking chips

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    1. Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and raspberry jam.

    2. In another bowl, stir the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until well combined.

    3. Add the nuts and chocolate chips. Spoon the dough in walnut-sized mounds onto ungreased cookie sheets.

    4. Bake for about 9 minutes or until the cookies are light brown. Remove them to a wire rack to cool.

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/pure-dark-chocolate-chips-semi-sweet-chocolate-chips.aspxhttps://www.preparedpantry.com/pure-dark-chocolate-chips-semi-sweet-chocolate-chips.aspx

  • 17

    17

    Pink Peppermint Chocolate CookiesChocolate and peppermint is such a nice com-bination. These are a nice rich chocolate cookie with pink peppermint frosting—great for holi-days or special occasions.

    We half-dipped our cookies in frosting but you could also frost the whole cookie or drizzle peppermint icing across the top.

    Ingredients1 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup butter1 teaspoon vanilla1 large egg2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate,

    melted1 1/4 cup all-purpose floursugar

    Part III: Hand Form CookiesThe Glaze

    2 cups powdered sugara few drops of peppermint oil or extract, to

    tastea couple drops of red food coloringmilk (to reach desired consistency)

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    1. Cream the 1 cup sugar, salt, and but-ter together. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until light and airy. Fold in the melted chocolate. Beat in the flour.

    2. Form little round balls about 3/4-inch in diameter. If the dough is too soft to form with your hands, refrigerate the dough for an hour. Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass in sugar and use it to flatten the cookies to about 1/4 inch thick.

    3. Bake for eight minutes or until set. Re-move to a wire rack to cool.

    4. Make the glaze by mixing all ingredients together adding just enough milk to reach the desired consistency. Frost after the cookies have cooled.

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/marsden-amp-bathe-peppermint-flavor-2-ounces

  • 18

    Mint Dipped CookiesFor this recipe, we took our Pink Peppermint Chocolate Cookies (on the previous page) and modified the recipe by using rich choco-late mint chips and mint extract in the cookie dough.

    Ingredients1 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup butter1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 teaspoon mint extract1 large egg2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate,

    melted1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

    The Glaze12 ounces mint chocolate chips2 tablespoons shortening

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    1. Cream the sugar, salt, and butter togeth-er. Add the vanilla, mint extract, and egg and beat until light and airy. Fold in the melted chocolate. Beat in the flour.

    2. Form little round balls about 3/4-inch in diameter. If the dough is too soft to form with your hands, refrigerate the dough for an hour. Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass in oil and use it to flatten the cookies to about 1/4 inch thick.

    3. Bake for eight minutes or until set. Re-move to a wire rack to cool.

    4. Make the glaze by melting the mint chips with the shortening. Dip the cookies halfway into the melted chocolate. You could spread or drizzle the glaze on top of the cookies also if you’d prefer. Serve when cooled.

  • 19

    Making Cookies with Multi-Colored DoughYou can tell that we had fun with these cook-ies. We made Neapolitan cookies with one part chocolate, one part almond, and one part cherry. Think of it as a method more than a recipe. By changing flavors and colors, you can make any combination you desire. Use your imagination. Make circles, stripes, swirls, or squares and make a variety of shapes, colors, and flavors with this basic recipe.

    These make great kids cookies, holiday cook-ies, and party cookies.

    Ingredients3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup butter1 1/3 cups sugar2 large eggs2 ounces unsweetened chocolate (optional)flavors and extracts (your choice)food colors (your choice)

    Directions

    1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, bak-ing powder, and salt together.

    2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients in two parts, mixing after each. Mix just until combined.

    3. Divide the dough into two, three, or four parts depending on how many different doughs you choose to make.

    The Chocolate DoughFor one half of the dough, melt two ounces of chocolate. For one fourth of the dough, melt one ounce of chocolate. While still warm, work the chocolate into the dough until uniform.

    Flavored and Colored DoughAdd four or five drops of food coloring in each part. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, almond, cherry, strawberry or other extracts of your choice to the dough and mix in. If you use a peppermint extract, only use 1/4 teaspoon as it is a very strong and overwhelming extract.

    Form the dough into cylinders, squares, or layers—a separate color or flavor for each. Re-frigerate until firm.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    Cut the dough into 1/4-inch thick slices. To form a cloverleaf shape, cut each colored cylinder separately but gently press the differ-ent colored discs together on the cookie sheet. Bake on ungreased cookies sheets for ten to twelve minutes or until the cookies are nearly firmed and very lightly browned. Do not over bake. Cool on wire racks.

    Baker’s note: Nuts or fruit can be added to these cookies. Maraschino cherry pieces could be added to the pink dough and almond bits to the almond dough.

    It’s easy to shape refrigerator cookies with waxed paper. To make true checkerboard cookies, you need four layers—not three. Make a rectangle with four layers. Then cut the rectangle longitudinally into four new layers. Layer them back together so that the colors alternate and cut slices across the rectangle. (It’s easier to do than to describe.)

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/flavors-extracts.aspx

  • 20

    Best Snickerdoodle RecipeThis is a classic snickerdoodle recipe. Be-cause it is made with butter, we think you will find it better than most recipes.

    Ingredients1 1/3 cups sugar1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter 2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla 2 1/3 cups flour1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar3/4 teaspoon baking soda 2 tablespoons sugar2 teaspoons cinnamon

    DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees.

    1. Cream together the sugar, salt, and butter. Beat in the eggs one at time. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy, at least four minutes. Add the vanilla.

    2. Add the flour, cream of tartar, and bak-ing soda and mix until combined. Chill the dough for one hour.

    3. With your hands, form the dough into one-inch (or slightly larger) balls. Mix the remaining sugar and cinnamon to-gether. Roll the balls in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

    4. Place the balls on an ungreased baking sheet about 1-1/2 to 2 inches apart and bake for 11 minutes or until done. Do not over bake. Cool on wire racks.

    Bakers note: Spoon the flour lightly into the measuring cups. If you scoop the flour, you will pack the flour into the measure and have too much flour resulting in a drier cookie. Also, Do not beat the dough any more than necessary to combine the ingredients. Extra beating will make the cookies tough.

  • 21

    Snow Topped MountainsThese cookies are baked in the microwave but you cream the sugar and butter together just as if you were going to bake them in the oven.

    Ingredients1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1/2 cup cocoadash of salt3/4 cup butter3/4 cup brown sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla1 cup walnuts2-3 tablespoons waterpowdered sugar for dusting

    Directions

    1. Mix the flour, cocoa, and salt together in a medium bowl.

    2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together. Add the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients about one-third at a time. Add the nuts.

    3. Unless the butter has become too soft, the mixture will still be dry and granular. Add cold water one tablespoon at time beating after each addition, until the mixture begins to clump together. Do not add more water than needed. Form walnut-sized balls. As you form the balls, the dough should come together in a soft,

    clay-like consistency.

    4. Place the eight or ten balls on waxed pa-per placed on top of the carousel in the microwave. Bake at high heat for about three or four minutes or until firm. Re-move the waxed paper from the micro-wave to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool for four or five minutes and then remove them from the waxed paper. Dust the tops with powdered sugar.

    Baker’s note: Use a fine-mesh sieve to get a light, even dusting of powdered sugar on the cookies. Hold the sieve over the cookies and drop a spoonful of powdered sugar in the sieve. Shake or tap the sieve to create a fine flow of sugar.

  • 22

    Cinnamon Dutch Almond CookiesThis is an unusual refrigerator cookie that is easy to make and one of our favorites. We like it so much that several years ago, we deter-mined to make a mix based on this recipe. It was one of those projects that never made it out of the gate but in so doing, we felt like we perfected the cookie. We reverse engineered the mix to create this recipe.

    This is a hard, crisp cookie that is served in Europe with a beverage. It’s sort of like having biscotti at the corner café.

    Ingredients3 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon3/4 cup butter1 cup brown sugar1 cup granulated sugar1/3 cup milk or light cream1/2 teaspoon almond extract1 cup slivered almonds1/3 cup sugar1 teaspoon cinnamon

    Part IV: Refrigerator Cookies

    Directions

    1. Measure the flour by scooping some into a bowl and then spooning the flour into the measuring cup. (If you measure packed flour, you will have too much.) Add the baking soda and 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.

    2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar, the 1 cup granulated sugar and milk. Reheat the mixture until hot and bubbly and stir until the sugars are well dissolved but do not overcook. Remove from the heat. Stir in the al-mond extract.

    3. With a spatula, fold the almonds and flour mixture into the saucepan, stirring until combined.

    4. Divide the dough into three parts. Place each on sheets of waxed paper and form the dough in the waxed paper into rec-tangular logs. Refrigerate the logs for at least two hours or until firm.

    5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon together. Remove one log from the refrigerator and cut it into slices a bit thicker than 1/4 inch. Put the slices on an ungreased baking sheet with room for expansion. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake for 13 to 14 minutes. Do not under bake. Slide the cookies onto racks to cool. The cook-ies will become crisp as they cool.

  • 23

    Coconut Cranberry Refrigerator CookiesWhere many refrigerator cookies are crisp, these are tender cookies. Two cups of flaked coconut and dried cranberries add chewiness. Because the coconut and fruit provide much of the sweetness in these cookies, they don’t seem so rich and the cranberries in the light dough make for very interesting, attractive cookies.

    Ingredients2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1/8 teaspoon salt1 cup butter3/4 cup sugar1/2 teaspoon almond extract2 large eggs2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, firmly

    packed1 1/4 cups dried cranberriesOptional colored sugar crystals, decorating

    candies, or nuts

    Directions

    1. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.

    2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the almond extract and one egg and beat until combined. Add the second egg and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

    3. Add the flour mixture and the coconut and beat until combined. Add the cran-berries.

    4. Divide the dough in half and form logs of each half first by squeezing the dough into the approximate shape and then by rolling the dough on the counter while wrapped in waxed paper until the logs are smooth. The logs should be about an inch and one-half in diameter. Refriger-ate the logs wrapped in the waxed paper.

    5. If you choose to decorate the edges, roll the logs in the decorating sugar or nuts before baking and use the waxed paper to press the decorations into the dough.

    6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use ungreased baking sheets with a nonstick surface or parch-ment paper.

    7. Slice the logs with a sharp, serrated knife (to make a clean cut through the nuts and fruit) into 1/4-inch or a little thicker slices and place the slices on the cookie sheets. Keep the slices of uniform thick-ness so that they are uniformly baked. Bake the cookies for 10-11 minutes or until done. Immediately remove them to a wire rack to cool.

    Baker’s notes: For uniformly round cookies, make sure that the log is chilled and firm and rotate the log on the cutting board between each slice. Any cookies that are out-of-round can be shaped by placing the cookie between the thumb and forefinger and pressing the edges to make the cookie round.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/Almond-extract.aspxhttp://www.preparedpantry.com/search.aspx%3Ffind%3Ddecorating%2Bsugarshttp://www.preparedpantry.com/search.aspx%3Ffind%3Ddecorating%2Bsugars

  • 24

    Festive Fruit and Oat Refrigerator Cookies

    Directions

    1. Mix the flour, oats, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.

    2. Cream the butter and granulated sugar together. Add the confectioners’ sugar, the vanilla extract, and egg and beat until combined. Continue beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.

    3. Add the flour mixture and the fruit and beat until combined. Do not over mix.

    4. Divide the dough in half and form logs of each half first by squeezing the dough into the approximate shape and then by rolling the dough on the counter while wrapped in waxed paper until the logs are smooth. The logs should be about an inch and one-half in diameter. Refriger-ate the logs wrapped in the waxed paper.

    5. If you choose to decorate the edges, be-fore baking roll the logs in the decorating sugar or nuts and use the waxed paper to press the decorations into the dough.

    6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use ungreased baking sheets with a nonstick surface or parch-ment paper.

    7. Slice the logs with a sharp, serrated knife (to make a clean cut through the almonds) into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices on the cookie sheets. Keep the slices of uniform thickness so that they are uniformly baked. Bake the cookies for ten or eleven minutes or until done. Immediately remove them to a wire rack to cool.

    Baker’s notes: For uniformly round cookies, make sure that the log is chilled and firm and rotate the log on the cutting board between each slice. Any cookies that are out-of-round can be shaped by placing the cookie between the thumb and forefinger and pressing the edges to make the cookie round

    We wanted a cookie that wouldn’t spread too much so that we could decorate the edges of the cookies. We used oatmeal and powdered sugar for that. (We love oats in cookies any-way and the cornstarch in the powdered sugar reduces spread.) The granulated sugar allows for aeration of the butter and the fruit coupled with oats makes this cookie perfect. Choose whatever fruit you like, from cranberries to dates. This cookie is a winner and we know you’ll like it.

    Ingredients1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 cup quick oats1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup butter1/2 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup powdered sugar1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 large egg1 cup dried fruit, dicedOptional sugars, decorations, or nuts for

    coating the edges

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/search.aspx%3Ffind%3Ddried%2Bfruithttp://www.preparedpantry.com/search.aspx%3Ffind%3Ddecorating%2Bsugarshttp://www.preparedpantry.com/search.aspx%3Ffind%3Ddried%2Bfruit

  • 25

    Almond Nut WafersWhile the Frosted Chocolate Malt Cookie was thoroughly kid tested, this is more of an adult cookie. These are unusual little cookies--but-tery, yet crisp and studded with almond bits. We thought they were great.

    These are great cookies to make for company and they won’t take much time out of your busy day. These are refrigerator cookies that mix up quickly. Let the dough chill for a couple hours and stick slices in the oven.

    Ingredients2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup cold butter1 cup slivered almonds1/2 cup whipping cream3/4 teaspoon almond extract

    Directions

    1. In the large bowl of your stand-type mixer, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.

    2. Use a pastry knife to cut the butter into the dry ingredients and continue cutting until the mixture is coarse and uniform. Add the almonds, then the cream and extract.

    3. With the mixer’s paddle attachment, stir the ingredients until they come together into a single dough mass.

    4. Roll the dough into two logs, 1-3/4 to 2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in waxed paper and refrigerate them for a couple hours or for as long as one week.

    5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. With a serrated knife, slice the logs into 1/4 to 3/8-inch round slices. By gently press-ing the sides of the slices, you can form evenly round slices. Place them on an ungreased baking sheet leaving about 1/2 inch for the cookies to expand.

    6. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies just barely start to brown. Immediately remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

    Bakers note: You can make these cookies without a stand-type mixer. After adding the cream and extract, stir the dough with a fork until it starts to lump together. Remove the dough to the counter and knead it until you have a single mass. Continue as instructed.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/premium-slivered-almonds.aspxhttp://www.preparedpantry.com/Almond-extract.aspx

  • 26

    Double Chocolate Sandwich CookiesWe love ganache and these chocolate cookies pair perfectly with this rich, smooth chocolate. Be sure and use a good quality chocolate.

    Ingredients1/2 cup butter1/2 cup granulated sugar1/2 cup brown sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract3/4 cup pure dark chocolate chips or semi-

    sweet chips1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour3 tablespoons cocoa powder1 teaspoon baking soda

    Directions

    1. Cream the butter and sugars together with the paddle attachment of your mixer. Add the salt, egg, and vanilla and beat until smooth.

    2. Add the flour, cocoa, and baking soda and beat until combined.

    3. Refrigerate the dough for 20 minutes to

    firm up slightly.

    4. Divide the dough into two portions. Us-ing wax paper, roll each portion into logs 1-1/4-inches in diameter. Refrigerate for two hours or until firm.

    5. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Cut cookies into slices just thicker than 1/4 inch. Place them on a greased baking sheet and bake 11 minutes or until the cookies are done. Cool on a wire rack.

    The Filling1/4 cup whipping cream1 tbsp. butter2 tbsp. light corn syrup6 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, chopped

    into pieces-OR-6 oz. Imported Gourmet Bittersweet

    Chocolate Wafers or Imported Gour-met Dark Chocolate Wafers

    1. Mix the whipping cream, butter, and light corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Heat until it simmers. Remove the pan from the heat and immediately add the 6 oz. of chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted into a smooth sauce. The filling will thicken as it cools.

    Baker’s note: Six ounces of wafers is just over a cup; fill a one-cup measure to 1/2 inch above the rim.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/imported-dark-chocolate-melting-wafers.aspxhttp://www.preparedpantry.com/imported-dark-chocolate-melting-wafers.aspx

  • 27

    Frosted Malt Chocolate CookiesSometimes you want a crisp chocolate cookie and sometimes you want a gooey, chewy cookie. This is a crisp cookie, a cookie that was meant for a glass of milk.

    This is a tender, crisp, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that the kids will love. The cookie is not overly sweet and has a nice balance with the frosting. The malted milk powder gives it just a touch of unusual malt flavor.

    No wonder this is a great kids’ cookie—a smooth chocolate cookie with frosting. Since it is a rolled cookie, you can cut it in any shape you choose. Better yet, let the kids help you cut them out and frost them.

    The Cookies2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt1/3 cup malted milk powder3 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate1 cup brown sugar1/2 cup (1 stick) butter3 tablespoons cream1 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Directions

    1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well dispersed.

    2. Melt the chocolate and set it aside.

    3. Cream the brown sugar and butter to-gether. Add the egg and beat until light and creamy. Add the cream, egg, and extract and beat for about five minutes.

    Part V: Rolled and Cut-out Cookies4. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed

    ingredients, mixing until combined. Refrigerate the dough for one hour or until it is firm.

    5. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into shapes and place on ungreased baking sheets.

    6. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until the cookies just start to look dry and firm. Immediately remove them to wire racks to cool. Once cool, frost them using the frosting recipe below.

    The Frosting3 tablespoons butter1/4 cup brown sugar2 tablespoons cream1/4 cup malted milk powder1/2 teaspoon vanilla1 3/4 cups powdered sugar2 tablespoons meringue powder (op-

    tional)more milk or cream as needed

    Directions

    1. In a saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, and cream, stirring as needed to dissolve the sugar crystals. Once the sugar crystals are dissolved and the mixture is hot, remove the pan from the heat.

    2. Stir in the malted milk powder and va-nilla. Add the powdered sugar. Add the optional meringue powder. Add more milk or cream as needed to get the right consistency for frosting.

    Bakers note: The meringue powder will give the frosting a hard shell that will make the cookies more durable, tough enough to stack them without marring or pack in a lunch box. Adjust the amount of meringue powder per the producer’s instructions.

  • 28

    Marionberry Cream Cheese TartsThese are delectable little cookies. They are sugar cookies built on a cream cheese base recipe. The almond and powdered sugar will remind you of wedding cookies or almond crescents. Though this is a fancy cookie recipe, the dough goes together simply and quickly.

    This recipe calls for marionberry jam and the combination of marionberry jam, cream cheese, and almond is delightful but any smooth, spreadable jam or jelly will do.

    Ingredients3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter 1 eight-ounce package of cream cheese1 cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon almond extract 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda powdered sugar for dusting About 4 ounces of a smooth marionberry

    (or flavor of choice) jam or jelly for filling

    Directions

    1. Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the extract.

    2. In another bowl, mix the flour and bak-ing soda together. In two or three ad-ditions, mix the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or more.

    3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a floured counter, roll the dough to about 3/16-inch thick. Cut with three inch cookie cutters into the shapes of your choice. In half of the cookies, cut one hole in the center. Bake for nine to ten minutes on greased sheets. The edges should no more than just barely start to turn brown. Cool on wire racks.

    4. After the cookies have cooled, dust the cookies with the holes in the centers with powdered sugar. Use a fine mesh sieve to get an even, attractive dusting.

    5. Match up cookies, ones without holes for the bottom halves and ones with holes for the top halves. Invert the cookies and place a half teaspoon of jam or jelly in the center of the bottom cookies so that when pressed together, the cookies are back to back. Smear the jam around the center of the cookie and press the two halves together. It will not take much jam to finish the cookies and too much jam will squish out the sides.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/seedless-marionberry-jam-1.aspx

  • 29

    Chocolate Raspberry Sandwich CookiesChocolate and raspberry are wonderful togeth-er and in this cookie, the combination makes a scrumptious filling to sandwich between two rich sugar cookies with just a bit of almond fla-vor. The filling is simply a ganache made with chocolate, raspberry jam, and cream.

    This is a very nice recipe to add to your collec-tion. You can make the sugar cookies alone, without the filling. You can make plain, round sandwich cookies as we have, or dress them up for special occasions and holidays. Be creative and cut the cookies into all kinds of shapes like heart shapes for Valentine’s Day, egg and bunny shapes for Easter, ghost and pumpkin shapes for Halloween and stars, gingerbread man and snowman shapes for Christmas and then decorate them with candies or colored sugar.

    Cookie Ingredients1 cup butter1 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt2 large egg1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon almond extract3 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking powder3 tablespoons whipping cream

    Frosting Ingredients1/4 cup whipping cream1 tablespoon light corn syrup3 ounces semisweet baking chocolate,

    chopped into pieces½ cup raspberry jam

    DirectionsMake the filling first and refrigerate it to keep it thick. In order to do this, mix the 1/4 cup whipping cream and light corn syrup in a heavy saucepan. Heat until it simmers. Re-move the pan from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate. Stir until melted into a smooth sauce. Add raspberry jam and stir until smooth. The filling will thicken as it cools.

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    1. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt to-gether with the paddle attachment of your mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Beat for five or six minutes or until the mixture is light and lemon-colored. Add the extracts.

    2. Mix the flour and baking powder to-gether in another bowl. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture along with the whipping cream. Mix until combined. Do not over mix. Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.

    3. Roll the dough to a thickness of 1/4-inch on a lightly floured countertop. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Sprinkle with decorative sugars if desired.

    4. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for about 12 minutes or until done. (The edges will be very lightly browned.) Let the cookies cool on a wire rack.

    5. Match up the cookies back-to-back in pairs. Spoon filling between the cookies to make sandwiches. Ganache is flavor-ful and a thin layer is sufficient. Store the cookies in a cool place.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/search.aspx%3Ffind%3Draspberry%2Bjam

  • 30

    Aunt Katie’s Oatmeal Molasses CookiesThese are fine summertime cookies. They taste great, they are tough enough to take a little abuse, and they are wholesome, filling cook-ies. You can hand them out to the kids without creating an overwhelming sugar high. Stick a few in your daypack when you head up the trail and they’ll make a great snack half way to the lake.

    These are hearty cookies with nuts and raisins. We love them and they are nutritious cookies but probably not the first choice of younger kids.

    We modified this recipe from an old Farmer’s Home Journal Recipe that we have used for 20 years. It has stood the test of time. We updated the recipe by modifying it so that it could be made in your stand-type mixer and reduced the sodium and ginger. We also added turbi-nado sugar because we like working with that so much.

    Ingredients4 cups all-purpose flour1 tablespoon baking soda1 teaspoon salt1 cup shortening4 cups quick cooking rolled oats1 1/4 cup granulated sugar1 teaspoon ground ginger1 cup molasses2 large eggs1 1/2 cups raisins 1 cup chopped walnuts1/4 cup hot waterTurbinado sugar for decorating

    DirectionsPreheat oven to 375 degrees.

    1. Mix the flour, baking soda, and salt to-gether in a medium bowl. Set aside. Melt the shortening in the microwave and set aside.

    2. In the mixing bowl of your stand-type mixer with the paddle attachment, com-bine the rolled oats, granulated sugar, ginger, molasses, eggs, raisins, walnuts, melted shortening, and hot water togeth-er. Add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing after each until you have a dough suitable for rolling. (If the dough is too wet, add a couple tablespoons of flour.)

    3. Divide the dough into three parts and roll each to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into shapes and place the cut cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet. (If the sheet is non-stick, it does not have to be greased.)

    4. With a pastry brush, very lightly brush the cookies with water. Sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar.

    5. Bake for about 8 minutes or until done. Cool on wire racks.

    Baker’s note: With dark pans, eight minutes baking time was just right. Lighter pans will take longer.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/search.aspx%3Ffind%3Dturbinado%2Bsugar

  • 31

    Gingerbread MenThis is a recipe for gingerbread men but you can use it for gingerbread houses by alter-ing the baking time. (Baking time does vary depending on the size of the cookies and pan used.)

    This is an unusual recipe; it is made in a pan on the stovetop rather than in a bowl, but it is easy to make.

    Ingredients3 cups all-purpose flour1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon ground ginger1/4 teaspoon ground cloves1/2 cup cold butter1/2 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup molasses2 teaspoons vinegar1 large eggRaisins or candies for decorations

    Directions

    1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

    2. In a heavy saucepan, mix the butter, sugar, salt, molasses, and vinegar. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool until it is lukewarm.

    3. Stir in the egg and the flour mixture. It will be stiff but as you continue to mix, it will become more pliable. Divide the dough into three or four pieces. Make disks of the pieces and refrigerate for two hours or until it is pliable and ready to handle.

    4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Roll the cookie dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out the cookies and place them on a greased baking sheet.

    5. Bake for 4-8 minutes or until the edges are firm. Cool on wire racks.

  • 32

    Chocolate Toffee BarsIf you like the combination of chocolate, honey and oats, you’ll like these hearty bar cookies. They are made without flour but plenty of oats. The recipe calls for milk chocolate chips but if you prefer a dark, richer chocolate, use semi-sweet chocolate chips. (Be sure and grease your pan well with shortening. If you don’t, the honey base will stick like glue.)

    Ingredients3/4 cup melted butter4 cups quick rolled oats1 cup brown sugar1/3 cup honey 2 teaspoons vanilla1/2 teaspoon salt1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips1/2 cup chopped nuts

    Part VI: Bar CookiesDirectionsPreheat the oven to 400 degrees.

    1. Melt the butter in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl in the microwave. Add the rolled oats and stir. Add the brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and salt. Mix well.

    2. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of a very well-greased 8 1/2 x 13-inch baking pan.

    3. Bake for about 14 minutes or until the mixture turns a golden brown and is bubbly. Remove from the oven and cool for five minutes.

    4. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top of the hot cookies. Place the cook-ies back in the still-warm oven for a few minutes. When the chips start to melt and look “wet”, spread the chips across the top as you would frosting. Immedi-ately sprinkle with nuts.

    5. Let cool at room temperature until the chocolate is firm. Cut into bars with a sharp knife.

  • 33

    Cranberry Coconut BarsCranberry Coconut Bars, are more of a big kid cookie—they have too much fruit and too many nuts to suit most youngsters, but they are so scrumptious and easy, we had to include it.

    This is a microwave cookie that can be mixed right in the baking pan. How’s that for con-venience?

    If you are not fond of dried cranberries, con-sider substituting dates, raisins, or chopped apricot pieces in this recipe.

    Ingredients1/2 cup butter1/2 cup brown sugar1 1/2 cup quick rolled oats1/4 cup light corn syrup1/2 cup dried cranberries1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut1/2 cup walnut pieces

    Directions

    1. Place butter in an 8-inch square, micro-wave-safe baking dish. Microwave until the butter is melted.

    2. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Press the mixture firmly into the dish.

    3. Microwave for three to five minutes or until lightly browned. If your microwave does not have a rotating carousel, rotate the dish twice during cooking.

    4. Let the cookies cool and then cut them into bars with a sharp knife. Wrap them individually to pack in a lunch.

    Yield: This recipe will make sixteen 2 x 2-inch squares.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/northwoods-cranberries.aspx

  • 34

    Chocolate Shortbread Bars RecipeIf you like chocolate and you like shortbread, you’ll love this tender, melt-in-your-mouth recipe. With only five ingredients, this is very simple recipe. Be sure and let the cookies cool completely before cutting them and removing them from the pan.

    Ingredients1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips1 1/2 cup (3 cubes) butter1/2 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt2 cups all-purpose flour

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 325 degrees

    1. Melt the chips in a bowl in the micro-wave, stirring twice as they melt. Set the melted chocolate aside to cool.

    2. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt togeth-er. Beat until very light and fluffy. Add the melted chocolate and keep beating.

    3. Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup. (If you scoop the flour from the bag, it will be packed and you will have too much flour.) Add the flour to the creamed mixture, beating until combined.

    4. Remove the dough from the bowl to an 8-1/2 by 13-inch baking pan that has been lightly greased with shortening or butter. With the palm of your hand, pat and press the dough to evenly distribute it. To get an even finish, pat the top with a spatula. With the tines of a fork, prick through the dough every 1/2-inch or so.

    5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top starts to look dry and puffy. Remove the pan to cool on a wire rack. Let the cook-ies cool completely before cutting. Use a ruler to measure the cuts uniformly and a sharp, serrated knife to cut the cookies.

  • 35

    Pecan SquaresWe started out with Pumpkin Pie Squares and wanted to tweak the recipe to make Pecan Pie Squares. We didn’t end up there. These Pecan Squares are not pie-like at all; they are much more confection-like, almost like a candy bar. They are very good though and we wouldn’t change a thing about them. We’ll save the pie squares for another day.

    The Crust1/2 cup quick oats1/2 cup brown sugar1 cup all-purpose flour1/2 cup butter

    The Filling1/2 cup butter1 cup brown sugar1/3 cup light corn syrup3 tablespoons whipping cream2 cups pecans

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    1. For the crust, cut the butter into the sugar, oats, and flour until crumbly. Press the ingredients into an ungreased 9 x 13-inch baking pan, across the bottom and up the sides about 1/2 inch. Bake the crust for 15 minutes.

    2. For the filling, melt the butter in a sauce-pan. Add the sugar, syrup, and cream and bring to a simmer, stirring as need-ed. Cook for one more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans.

    3. Pour the filling over the crust and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until bubbly. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container.

    Baker’s note: Do not overcook. Overcooking will create a harder than desired product. (The sugar cooks to hard-ball stage instead of soft-ball.) At the soft-ball stage, the topping will be caramel-like. These cookies keep and ship well.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/premium-pecan-pieces.aspx

  • 36

    Chocolate Mint Chip BrowniesBrownies can be cake-like or they can be chewy, gooey, and fudgy. These chocolate mint chip brownies are the chewy, gooey kind. They are very good brownies with a nice mint flavor and nuts. It’s an easy-to-make recipe made in one bowl and a great brownie for the holidays.

    Ingredients2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, cut into

    pieces3/4 cup mint chocolate chips1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 3 large eggs1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt1 cup walnut pieces 3/4 cup mint chocolate chips

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 x 9-inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.

    1. Melt the butter, chocolate, and first 3/4 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave.

    2. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Add the eggs, flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat with a spatula until smooth. Add the nuts and remaining 3/4 cup of chips.

    3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is set. Cool the brownies in the pan on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

    Yield: About three dozen brownies.

    Brown Sugar BrowniesMost often, we think of brownies as choco-late bar cookies, usually dense but sometimes cake-like. They don’t have to be though. These brownies are dense like most brownies but are made with butter and brown sugar. They contain no chocolate but are chewy and cara-mel-flavored. They are absolutely scrumptious and you’ll want to use this recipe over and over again.

    Ingredients2/3 cup (10 2/3 tablespoons) butter1 1/3 cup brown sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon vanilla extract3 large eggs 1 2/3 cup all-purpose or bread flour1 teaspoon baking powder

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan. Line it with parch-ment paper or dust it with flour.

    1. Melt the butter in the microwave. Stir in the brown sugar and salt.

    2. Add the vanilla and eggs to the brown sugar mixture. Stir until combined.

    3. Add the flour and baking powder. Stir until combined again. Beat for two min-utes.

    4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 minutes or until the brownies test done by sticking a tooth-pick or knife into the center of the pan. The brownies will be done when moist crumbs cling to the toothpick or knife. Let cool completely before cutting.

  • 37

    Mix-in-a-Jar: Mint Fudge CookiesFor this recipe, we modified an existing choco-late cookie Mix-in-a-Jar recipe. It was a choco-late walnut cookie and we wanted a mint fudge cookie.

    For a Mix-in-a-Jar, not only do you have to be concerned about how the cookies turn out but how well the mix fits the jar. As we exam-ined this recipe, we concluded that we wanted way more cocoa in our recipe (we doubled it). Since we didn’t want the nuts, we felt the extra cocoa could use the space of the nuts.

    The original recipe called for chilling the dough; we didn’t want to have to wait. With a little extra flour in a recipe, often you can avoid chilling the dough since the dough is less moist.

    The extra cocoa in the recipe (we did not reduce the flour as you normally would when adding more cocoa to a recipe), made the dough stiffer so that we did not have to refrig-erate the dough before forming the batter.

    Lastly, since we wanted a fudgy cookie, not dry, we reduced the baking time.

    Dry Ingredients to go in the Jar:

    1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoons baking powder

    Part VII: Other Cookies1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup dark cocoa powder1/2 cup granulated sugar3/4 cup fine turbinado sugar (not large

    crystals)1 cup chocolate mint chips

    1. Mix the flour, baking soda, baking pow-der, and salt together in a bowl. Add this mixture to a one-quart, wide-mouth canning jar. Pack the flour down with kitchen tool, spice bottle, or small condi-ment jar.

    2. Add the cocoa in a layer.

    3. Add the granulated sugar in a layer.

    4. Add the turbinado sugar in a layer.

    5. Add the chocolate mint chips to the top. Place the lid on the jar and decorate the jar as you desire.

    To Make the Cookies (Put this recipe on a card or label for the mix.)

    3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled3 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 jar cookie mix

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    1. In a large bowl, combine the melted but-ter, eggs, and vanilla.

    2. Stir in the cookie mix until just com-bined.

    3. With a medium cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, drop 12 balls of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. The balls should be about the size of walnuts.

    4. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes on a dark pan; longer on a light pan. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/ramstadt-breda-Dutch-processed-cocoa-powder.aspxhttp://www.preparedpantry.com/natural-turbinado-sugar-crystals-1.aspx

  • 38

    Cherry Spritz CookiesThese make pretty, pink, pressed cookies. You’ll need some cherry flavor and maybe some maraschino cherries for decoration. These are fun cookies to make.

    Ingredients3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

    1 teaspoon baking powder

    1-1/2 cups butter

    1 cup granulated sugar

    1 large egg

    2 tablespoons milk or cream

    2 teaspoons cherry flavor

    1/2 teaspoon almond extract

    2 drops red food coloring

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and bak-ing powder together to disperse the bak-ing powder. Set aside.

    2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg, milk or cream, the cherry flavor, vanilla extract, and almond ex-tract. Continue beating until well com-bined.

    3. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in three parts, beating after each. Add enough red food coloring to make pink dough. Load the dough into a cookie press and press cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet leaving at least 1/2 inch between cookies. Decorate with candies, maraschino cherries, or sprin-kles.

    4. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the cook-ies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove the cookies from the pan to cool on wire racks.

    Vanilla Spritz CookiesThese are the classic pressed cookies. Make them in dozens of pretty shapes. Sprinkle them with decorations. Have a ball with your kids and grandkids.

    Ingredients3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder1-1/2 cups butter1 cup granulated sugar1 large egg2 tablespoons milk or cream1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/2 teaspoon almond extract

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 375 degrees.

    1. In a large bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder together to disperse the baking powder. Set aside.

    2. Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the egg, milk or cream, the vanilla extract, and almond extract. Continue beating until well-combined.

    3. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture in three parts, beating after each. Load the dough into a cookie press and press cookies onto an ungreased baking sheet leaving at least 1/2 inch between cookies. Decorate with candies or sprinkles.

    4. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the cookies are lightly browned around the edges. Remove the cookies from the pan to cool on wire racks.

    http://www.preparedpantry.com/cherry-flavor.aspxhttp://www.preparedpantry.com/Almond-extract.aspxhttp://www.preparedpantry.com/Almond-extract.aspx

  • 39

    Coconut Macaroon ThumbprintsWe made batch after batch of coconut maca-roon thumbprint cookies and served them to customers in our store.

    • We started with vanilla coconut maca-roons and added chocolate wafers. Two wafers per cookie were perfect. Add them before you bake and you’ll have a pool of melted chocolate atop each cookie.

    • We then made a batch with maraschino cherries. A large cherry was too much for our two-inch macaroons. A jar of smaller cherries was perfect—or cut larger ones in half.

    • For a later batch of coconut macaroons with maraschino cherries, we added a teaspoon of amaretto flavor for a very nice touch. One teaspoon of flavor for 30 cookies was just right.

    • We made chocolate coconut macaroons. We put white chocolate wafers in part and dark chocolate wafers in the rest. The customers seemed to prefer the white chocolate but we thought both were very good.

    • We made cookies with pastry fillings—the same fillings that bake shops use to make filled pastries and donuts. Before baking we made depressions in the cook-ies and filled them with cherry, raspber-ry, blueberry, and lemon fillings.

  • 40

    Chocolate Pecan Thumbprint CookiesThese are great cookies—good enough that you don’t have to add a filling. They are a simple drop cookie but you can press a center and add a filling of your choice and make them thumb-print cookies.

    When we designed this cookie, we wanted a very fudgy cookie but one that we could make into a thumbprint cookie. We used a dark cocoa. The cookies were fudgy but the texture wasn’t right. We added a generous 3/4 cup of baker’s chop (about 1/4-inch cut) pecans and it was perfect.

    This cookie lends itself well to maraschino cherries pressed in the centers. Our favorite centers were made with raspberry pastry fill-ing. Chocolate wafers and Bavarian cream fill-ing also work well. We even made some with cream cheese filling but these were a little too rich for us.

    Ingredients 1 cup butter1 1/4 cup granulated sugar2 large eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon salt2 cups all-purpose flour2/3 cup dark cocoa1 teaspoon baking soda3/4 cup pecans, 1/4-inch chop

    DirectionsPreheat the oven to 350 degrees.

    1. Cream the butter and the sugar together. Add the eggs and beat until light. Add the vanilla.

    2. Measure the flour by spooning it into the measuring cup. Add the flour, baking soda, and cocoa to the wet mixture. Beat until well combined. Add the nuts.

    3. Scoop mounds the size of walnuts onto a lightly greased baking sheet. (A medium one-inch ice cream scoop works per-fectly.)

    4. Make a depression in the center of each of the cookies 1/2 to 3/4-inch across. Fill the depressions with the filling of your choice or use maraschino cherries or chocolate wafers.

    5. Bake for 8-1/2 minutes or until done. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

    Yield: 40 3-1/2-inch cookies.

    https://www.preparedpantry.com/dessert-fillings.aspx