Soft Gingerbread Cookies

{the essence of Christmas foods}
Sometimes when the outside world, looks like this:

  This is for real... probably shouldn't be taking pictures and driving at the same time in 6 inches of snow, but whatever... I lived.

... the first thing that comes to my mind is Christmas. And with Christmas, comes baking. Specifically gingerbread cookies. This was my first time making them from scratch. I was pretty impressed- me and cookies usually don't get along very well, but these were easy and relatively fool proof. Me likey! They were absolutely delish and super soft. My husby took them to work, and everyone requested more. I'll allow it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 1/2 cups flour

Directions: 

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. 

Beat in molasses, egg and vinegar [enter elementary school memories of your science fair volcano explosion here] [get it... baking soda and vinegar...] beat until combined and note the the bubbly-ness that occurs. Beat in as much of the flour as you can, and stir in the remainder until combined.

Cover and chill dough in the fridge for 3 hours or until firm and easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a cookie sheet, set aside.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time to 1/8 inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes and place on cookie sheet.

Bake for 5-6 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Cool on cookie sheet, then transfer to wire wrack. 

Here's the best part... DECORATING! Use basic powdered sugar icing to pipe and color (if desired) to decorate however you want! Go nuts!

A little Red Sox pride here... I couldn't help it!

Happy Holiday Baking!

  

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook 15th Edition

Raspberry Shortbread Dreams & Mother's Day Tribute

{a taste of raspberry heaven}
The one thing I hate about a casual work place, is that I check my email, and in my email I get about 5-10 recipe updates a day. I of course, have to open the emails and read them. All my will power then goes out the window and I can't help but browse the entire site. Without that lack of will power however, I wouldn't have found these little dreams of cookies. They are pretty dang easy, and super tasty. Feel free sit yourself down on the couch and eat the entire batch. No judgments here! 

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (vanilla would taste divine as well)
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 to 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam (or any kind of jam you fancy)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 to 3 tablespoons water or milk

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix in almond extract. Gradually add in flour and mix until a dough forms. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Shape dough into 1 inch balls, and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Take the end of a wooden spoon or your thumb, and make an indent in the center of each cookie. Fill with jam.
Bake for 14-18 minutes. Let cool.

Make your glaze, should be drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cookies and devour!

And because it's Mother's Day on Sunday, I'm giving my awesome mom a huge shout out! 

In September of 2010, my mom was diagnosed with Lung Cancer. She underwent chemotherapy along side a heavy dose of radiation treatment. In January of this year, we learned that it had spread and therefore, became terminal. This Mother's Day is especially hard for me to be away from home, because it may just be my mom's last Mother's Day.

Without my mom, I don't know that I would know how to cook. She taught me everything I know by example. She got me my first cookbook. She is truly an inspiration to me and I dedicate all my cooking endeavors to her. Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Thanks for reading!

Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookies

{i'm on a coconut kick}
I saw these and died. I have been on a coconut kick lately, and paired with chocolate...even better! I can't really talk these up anymore, but the original recipe was actually featured on Tasty Kitchen. So, basically they are amazing.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375F. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, and add to butter mixture. Fold in chocolate chips and coconut. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on to cookie sheets.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden. And enjoy!

Source: Vittles and Bits

Chocolate Temptations

{straight from grandma's cookbook}
I'm not quite sure why my grandma titled these 'chocolate temptations' because most of these little cookies are peanut butter. But, there ya have it. These will knock your socks off! Peanut butter cookies with peanut butter cups in the center and melted to perfection. My mouth is watering just thinking about them! I bet you can't have just one.

 Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
50 Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, beat peanut butter, butter, and shortening for 30 seconds. Add sugars, baking soda, and baking powder. Beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla and beat again until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer, stir in any remaining flour with your hands or a big spoon. Cover and chill for about 15-20 minutes or until easy to handle.
Preheat oven to 375F. Spray two mini muffin pans with cooking spray. Roll dough into 1/3 inch balls and place each ball of dough into each mini muffin slot. Bake for 7-8 minutes. While cookies are baking, unwrap as many peanut butter cups as you can. Immediately after you remove the cookies from the oven, take a peanut butter cup and push it down into the center of each cookie. Let sit for about 20 minutes so the chocolate melts and everything sets together. Pop them out of the mini muffin pans and, ta-da! Eat away!

 You will have lots of peanut butter cookie dough left over, so feel free to use it all up making these (you'll obviously need more peanut butter cups), or freeze it for later use. This dough also makes great peanut butter cookies. To make those, roll dough into balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten by making crisscross marks with a fork. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly brown. 

Source: Family recipe 

Homemade Oreo's

{oreo's only without the funky wax frosting}
Okay, that was kind of harsh- everyone loves Oreo's, it's just unfortunate that the frosting leaves a waxy film on the roof of your mouth. And if you knew what that frosting was made of, you might cry. The first time I had these was when I was 14- and I've never forgotten them! I could just sit and eat the entire batch in one sitting, and if I had no will power I probably would. Not only are they delish, they are mega easy and fast! And, pretty fool proof, if you are like me. I hope you enjoy them!

Ingredients:
1 Better Crocker Devil's Food Cake mix
2 eggs
3/4 cup butter, softened

Frosting:
1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Combine cake mix, eggs and butter together and mix until well combined and all the cake mix is incorporated. Dough will be thick, so using your hands isn't a bad idea. Chill for 20 minutes. Roll into small balls, and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes at 350F. Let cool.
For the frosting, begin by beating the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add powdered sugar and beat again until smooth. Then add vanilla and beat again. Once cookies are cool, spoon a small spoonful of frosting on the flat side of one cook and sandwich with another cookie. Makes about 16-20 cookies depending on size.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

{pumpkin pie has met its match}
I saw these when I was browsing... somewhere out there in cyberspace. And all it took was one look, and I was immediately head over heels and the site was saved in my bookmarks three seconds later. To say that I was excited to try this out, is an understatement. This definitely worked as a great test run for YW's In Excellence in two weeks- I'm in charge of treats, and I've been brainstorming ideas for the evening, and these I think are in my top 5. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon ginger
1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting:
1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 8oz package cream cheese, at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325F. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spices in a bowl, and whisk together. In another bowl, beat brown sugar and oil until combined, then add the pumpkin, and whisk together. Add vanilla and the egg, and mix again until combined. Fold in dry ingredients until incorporated. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Use a melon baller (or something that measures 2 tablespoons) to scoop the batter on to the cookie sheet- two inches apart. Bake for 9-10 minutes, OR until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cookies sit for 5 minutes before moving to a wire wrack to cool. 
To make the frosting, beat the butter until creamy, about 30 seconds, then add in the cream cheese. Beat on medium for about 1 minute until mixture is creamy and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat again until desired consistency. If too thick, add a couple teaspoons of milk and if too runny, add 1/2 cup powdered sugar. 

Once the cookies are cooled, and the frosting is all frosting-y, using a small spoon, scoop up some frosting and dollop it on the flat underside of one cookie, and sandwich it with another cookie, flat sides together. Repeat. If you wanted to get fancy, you could pipe the frosting.

Once they are all assembled, put them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving!

Just a tip: if the tops of your little cookies are a bit rigid from sticking to the utensil you used to scoop them onto the baking sheet- before baking, dip the tips of your fingers in water and smooth out the little peaks. 
Source: Teenie Cakes 

Chocolate Caramel Shortbread

{aka, Tressa O'Brien's home made Twix bars}
I could just eat these all day- but I wont. I must refrain. The force is strong with this one. You like my Star Wars reference there? 

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
7 oz (200 g) semisweet chocolate chips
Caramel:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup
14 oz (400 g) sweetened condensed milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F, grease the bottom of a 9 inch square cake pan. Place the butter, flour and sugar in a medium bowl and mix with a fork until the mixture starts to combine. Press into pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.
For the caramel, place the butter, sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a heavy bottom pan. Heat gently until the sugar melts. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and let simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring constantly (I learned the hard way) until very thick and the color has darkened. Pour over the shortbread and let chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until firm.
Melt the chocolate chips (I used the microwave) and spread over the caramel. Let chill again for another two hours (or to speed it up, stick it in the freezer for about 10 minutes). Makes 12.
recipe from my new cookbook:

 

Sugar Cookies

{soft, chewy, melt in your mouth delicious}
Sometimes I crave these because they are not only yummy but fun to make and give away to friends. I came across this perfect recipe by trial and error, believe it or not. 

Ingredients:
1/3 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt


Directions:
Beat butter and shortening with electric mixer on medium for 30 seconds. Add half of the flour, egg, sugar, vanilla, milk, baking powder and salt. Mix well, then add the remaining flour and mix (you may have to use a big wooden spoon or your hands to finish combining the flour.) Once it's all mixed together, lump it together, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can also freeze it and use it later. To thaw, just leave it out on the counter until you are able to roll it out with out breaking your rolling pin *wink*. 
Roll out and use cookie cutters to create shapes. Place on greased cookie sheet, bake at 350F for 7-9 minutes. 

And of course, don't forget to frost them! Here is a quick and easy icing:
1 cup powdered sugar (icing sugar if you are Canadian)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Lemon Juice (milk works well, too)
Mix together until drizzling consistency. Add food coloring, optional. 

  Tips: With making sugar cookies, or all cookie for that matter, I've come across some interesting facts. With sugar cookies, it's always best to chill them before you roll them out and especially if you plan on using cookie cutters. The firmness of the dough allows it to more easily be handled by warm hands- it also keeps the dough from, in a sense, melting! If the oven is too hot, the dough will run like crazy and your cookies will be crunchy and flat! Remember, cookies will keep baking once you take them out of the oven because of how hot the cookie sheet is- and always let them cool a bit before you transfer them.
 

All-American Chocolate Chip Cookies

{straight from Grandma's kitchen}

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar 
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
Beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.
Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on cookie sheets. 
*Note: For smaller cookies, preheat oven to 375 F. Preheat dough as directed; drop heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. 

 Yum!