Almond Joy Cookies

These cookies were a big hit all around.  Who doesn't love an almond joy?  I made them for one of my husband's co-workers who is going through radiation and chemo.  She absolutely loves cookies so I thought why not bake something for her. She especially liked these.  My family enjoyed them as well.  I am adding a photo I took of the dough before I baked them but I can't be sure if the photo of the baked cookies is the Mrs. Wakefield's Chocolate Chips or these cookies.

Almond Joy Cookies

Yield: 60 cookies

-1 cup unsalted butter, softened
-1 ½ cups white sugar
-2 eggs
-2 ¼ cups flour
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp salt
-2 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut
-1 ½ bags chocolate chips (3 cups)
-2 cups peeled, slivered almonds

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and prepare two sheet pans with parchment or silpats.

2) In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until creamy.

3) Add the eggs and beat until creamy

4) Meanwhile mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

5) Add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir until you have thick cookie dough.

6) Add the coconut, chocolate chips and almonds and mix until well combined.

7) Scoop the cookies onto the sheet pans and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. (when you take the cookies out they should still be a bit doughy looking in the middle- they will stiffen up).

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Crispy Cinnamon Coins

These are icebox cookies that I made back in December for my cookie exchange.  The recipe comes from Sweet Pea's Kitchen.  I had asked her for permission to post this recipe and it took her a while to get back to me.  I then promptly forgot to post the recipe.  She got the recipe from a cookbook called Cuisine Cookies for the Holidays.  The cookies were very delicious.  I would recommend buying your cinnamon chips around the holidays or try The Prepared Pantry's website.  They carry just about anything you might want or need for baking purposes.    

Crispy Cinnamon Coins

Ingredients:

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Minced zest of ½ lemon

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cinnamon chips, coarsely chopped

Turbinado sugar, for rolling

Directions:

1.       In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until creamy.  Add the granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in the egg, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and zest.  Add flour and mix until just combined.  Fold in cinnamon chips.  Divide the dough in half.

2.      

     Generously sprinkle a work surface with Turbinado sugar.  Shape each half of dough into an 18-to 20-inch long rope and roll in the sugar, adding more sugar as needed to prevent sticking.  Wrap each piece in a large sheet of plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.  (The colder the dough, the easier it will be to slice).

3.     

           Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Unwrap 1 piece of dough and slice into ½ inch thick slices, spacing 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining pieces of cookie dough.  Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden.  Let cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Yields:  80 (1-inch) cookies

Prep. Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (including chilling)

From Sweet Pea’s Kitchen

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Cherry Ice Box Cookies

Here is another recipe for slice and bake cookies.  I tried them early this time so I could decide if I want to make them for my Cookie Exchange in December.  I liked these cookies but next time I would use dried cherries rather than maraschino cherries. I thought that the cookies were too soft and crumbly with the maraschino cherries.  This recipe comes from the Mr. Food website.

Cherry Ice Box Cookies
Makes 48 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (16 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped (dried cherries)
1 cup finely chopped nuts
1/4 cup red decorator sugar (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well.  Add egg and vanilla, beating well.

2.  Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating well.  Pat cherries between paper towels to remove excess moisture.  Stir cherries and nuts into dough; cover dough, and chill 2 hours.

3.  Shape dough into 2 (1-1/2 inch by 8-inch) logs.  Roll in decorator sugar, if desired.  Wrap logs in wax paper and freeze 2 hours or until firm.  (Store in freezer up to 6 months, if desired.)

4.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Unwrap frozen dough and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices, using a sharp knife.  Place on lightly greased cookie sheets.  (Do not let thaw.)

5.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.  Let cool 1 minute on cookie sheets.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Italian Pignoli Cookies

My father is having his 92nd birthday next Tuesday.  It has been really hard to figure out what to get him for his birthday for the last several years.  After much thought, I decided to bake him his favorite sweet treat for his birthday.  It just so happens that he absolutely loves Italian Pignoli Cookies.  I never tried baking them before but it's difficult to find a good (or any) Italian bakery in Maryland that sells Pignoli cookies.  I know there is at least one (Vaccaro's) in Baltimore City but I don't enjoy driving down there unless I absolutely have to.  Since I just got a brand new oven, I decided to seek out a recipe for the cookies.  One of my favorite bloggers, Susan Russo of FoodBlogga did not disappoint me.  She has a recipe on her blog that I have used here.  The only tiny changes that I made are that I used an 8 ounce can of Almond Paste because I couldn't find a 7-ounce tube of the stuff.  She also recommends dusting the cookies with powdered sugar.  I knew that my dad wouldn't want me to do that, so I didn't.  I made my cookies a tiny bit too big which is typical of me which is why I only got 25 cookies instead of 30. Here is something that I will do next time I make them:  I will only put pine nuts on the top of the cookies.  My dad says he doesn't remember the entire cookie being coated in nuts so that will save me from using so many nuts.  I didn't use the entire 2-1/2 cups of nuts for this recipe which is why I'm thinking you could get away with only 2 cups or even a bit less than that.  Pine nuts are quite expensive.  I paid $8.49 for each 5 ounce bag.  I bought 3 packages of them for this project.  The almond paste was around $5.00 for the can of 8 ounces.  I also found a recipe for making your own almond paste but I didn't go to that extreme.  I posted it here just in case you feel inclined to make your own almond paste.  These cookies came out really delicious according to the expert (my dad).  I'm pretty darn sure that my Italian grandmothers would be proud to know that their granddaughter made these cookies and didn't just run to a bakery to buy them at $20.00 a pound.  Of course, my dad is worth his weight in gold but I feel that making the cookies myself shows my love even more than just buying them would.  I also made him another of his favorites (Pecan Coffee Cake). I'll post that recipe tomorrow.  

Italian Pignoli (Pine Nut) Cookies

By Susan Russo from http://Food Blogga.blogspot.com

2-1/2 cups pine nuts

1 (7-ounce) tube of almond paste

¾ cup white sugar

2 egg whites

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar, optional

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Take ¼ cup of pine nuts and pulse in a food processor until coarsely ground.  Break the almond paste with your hands; add to the processor; process until just mixed.  Add the sugar; process until mixture is crumbly.  Add the egg whites and vanilla; process until the dough begins to come together.  Add the flour and salt; process until fully blended and smooth.

Pour the remaining pine nuts into a small bowl.  Using a teaspoon and slightly moistened hands, take about 1 teaspoon worth of batter and roll it into a ball.  Gently drop the ball in the pine nuts and turn until completely coated.  Place the cookies 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

Cool on racks.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.  Cookies should be stored in an airtight container.  Makes approximately 30 cookies. 

Almond Paste

3 cups Sicilian Almonds, blanched
3 cups Superfine Sugar
2 tbsp. Orange Blossom Honey (no substitutes)
2 egg whites
2 tbsp. Amaretto Di Saronno (Lazzaroni or Di Saronno)

1- Grind Almonds to a fine flour.
2- Add sugar and Amaretto.
3- Add egg whites and honey.
4- Mix until it comes together in a ball.
5- Let stand in the refrigerator overnight.

Makes approximately 2 lbs.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Lemon Butter Cookies

These cookies were a big hit at my house.  I am in favor of making "icebox" or "refrigerator" cookies for the simple reason that making them seems like less work.  You make the batter on one day and the next day or even several days later (if you freeze the dough) you bake them.  It is such a great plan.  I made three different kinds of cookies and it hardly seemed like any work at all.  The lemon butter flavor doesn't seem very Christmasy but they can add a unique dimension to your holiday cookie tray. I did not make any changes to this recipe.  It was perfect.  Just be careful about cutting them exactly 1/4 inches thick to get enough cookies, if you are making them for a cookie exchange.

Lemon Butter Cookies

These lemon cookies are icebox or refrigerator cookies. INGREDIENTS: * 3 cups all-purpose flour * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda * dash of salt * 1 1/2 cups sugar * 3/4 cup (6 ounces) butter, room temperature * 1 large egg * 1/4 cup lemon juice * 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel PREPARATION: In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together 1 cup of the sugar with the butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, lemon juice and zest, then gradually blend in the flour mixture. Form the dough into 2 rolls about 2 inches wide and 7 inches long. Wrap the rolls in waxed paper and refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Preheat the oven to 375°. Unwrap the cookie dough and cut into slices about 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle slices lightly with remaining sugar and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on a rack and store in an airtight container. Makes about 5 to 6 dozen lemon icebox cookies. Enjoy!

Salted Triple Chocolate Cookies

This is a difficult blog post for me to write.  I have a problem with these cookies but I can't figure out how to fix it.  I got this recipe from one of D's cooking classes.  The kids made the cookies for dessert in class.  The cookie I tried that day tasted great.  I thought they would be nice "brownieish" cookie for D to bring to a bonfire that he was invited to on Friday night.  I baked a double batch. The first batch of cookies went flat.  As soon as I took them out of the oven and they began to cool, they spread and got that weird consistency that I hate.  I did a little research and wracked my brain trying to remember any tips I had been given to resolve this problem.  I found something on the internet that said you should freeze the batter before baking it.  So, that is what I did. I put all the cookies on the cookie sheet (atop parchment paper) as the recipe suggested then I put the entire cookie sheet into my freezer for about 1 hour.  I then popped the tray into the oven for the 15 minutes at 325 degrees.  Again, the cookies spread.  I can't be sure if this is due to my oven which has never really been at the correct temperature or if I am doing something to the dough that I shouldn't.  Against my better judgement, I sent the cookies with D.  Nearly all of them came back.  The odd thing is that D said he liked them and ate a few  himself.  I am not sure if the cookies were the problem or the flake salt I put on top of them.  D asked me to leave off the flake salt next time I bake them.   Maybe by then, I'll have figured out my "spreading" problem.  I can only hope.  Try making these cookies and let me know if you have better luck than I did.

Salted Triple Chocolate Cookies

Servings: 36

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened (Dutch processed)

½ teaspoon salt, sea or flake

4 ounces chocolate, semi sweet

4 ounces butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces chocolate chips (2 oz milk chocolate; 2 oz dark chocolate or 4 oz semisweet)

Additional Flake Salt to sprinkle on top of cookies (optional) 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler, while stirring gently.  After the butter and chocolate have combined, blend (off heat) with the sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in parts until it is mixed well, but do not over-mix.  Stop when everything is blended.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Using a cookie scoop (about 3-4 tablespoons), scoop cookies onto parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Sprinkle with flake salt (optional).  Bake for 15 minutes.

Remove cookies from oven and let cool on the baking sheet.

Adapted from HonestCooking.com.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Eggnog Cookies with Eggnog Frosting

Unbaked Cookies

Baked Eggnog Cookies

This recipe comes from www.cakecentral.com.  I did change it a little bit.  The reviews gave me some tips that I decided to use.  They are tasty cookies. I like this recipe because it is almost like a sugar cookie but is a bit different.  I think they should be cookies that can be enjoyed by almost everyone.

Eggnog Cookies with Eggnog Frosting


Ingredients:

for Cookies:

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup commercial eggnog
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

for Icing:

3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup commercial eggnog

Instructions:


for cookies:

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggnog, baking soda and nutmeg.  Mix well.  Gradually add flour.  Mix well.  Divide dough in half, wrap well and refrigerate overnight.

Roll half of dough to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut with floured cookie cutters.   Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool, ice and decorate, if desired.

For Icing:

In a small mixing bowl, beat confectioner's sugar and butter until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth.

The poster on www.cakecentral.com says that she did not use cookie cutters.  Instead she rolled the dough into small balls and pressed her powdered sugar dipped finger into the center.  Then she baked as directed.

For icing, she placed all the ingredients into a bowl and beat for about 15 minutes until it was fluffy.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Cranberry Noel Cookies

These are the 2 logs before I cut them.

These are the cookies before baking.

Cranberry Noel Cookies after baking

I saw Martha Stewart making these Cranberry Noel Cookies on her show.  They looked really good.  It seemed like she got the recipe from someone else but I'm not sure.  I also read on a website that this recipe is in one of her cookbooks.  I am here to tell you that these are worth making and eating! Thanks Martha.

CRANBERRY NOEL COOKIES

Yield: 5 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1 teaspoon rum extract

½ teaspoon salt

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup dried cranberries

½ cup chopped pecans

¾ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Directions:

1.       Beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes

2.       Add milk, vanilla and salt

3.       Beat until just combined

4.       Gradually add flour, cranberries and pecans

5.       Mix on low speed until fully combined

6.       Divide dough in half

7.       Shape each half into an 8-inch log, about 2 inches in diameter

8.       Roll logs in coconut, pressing lightly to coat the outside of logs

9.       Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours

10.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

11.   Using a sharp knife, cut logs into ¼ inch thick slices

12.   Transfer to ungreased baking sheets, about 1-1/2 inches apart

13.   Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes

14.   Transfer to wire rack to cool

Store  for up to 2 weeks in an airtight 

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Lemon Ricotta Cookies without Glaze

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Giada's Glaze

Lemon Cookie with the plain Lemon Glaze

I made these cookies this morning.  They are a very soft and melt in your mouth kind of cookies.  The original glaze that Giada provides is very sour because of the lemon zest so I wound up scraping it off and making a very simple glaze with only powdered sugar and lemon juice.  I also added a touch of yellow food coloring to punch up the color.  They are a different choice for holiday cookies.  Since my son likes lemon, this is my first holiday cookie offering.  These cookies are very lemony so if you love lemon flavor then give these a try!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Makes 44 Cookies

Ingredients


Cookies:

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Glaze:

1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cookies:

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the large bowl, combine the butter and the sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until incorporated. Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Spoon the dough (about 2 tablespoons for each cookie) onto the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Glaze:

Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Spoon about 1/2 – teaspoon onto each cookie and use the back of the spoon to gently spread. Let the glaze harden for 2 hours. Pack the cookies into a decorative container.



Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Chocolate Shortbread Hearts

I almost forgot to tell you about the delicious Chocolate Shortbread Hearts that I made right before Valentine's Day. The only adjustments I made were that I didn't have Dutch processed cocoa powder so I did a substitute for that and I never buy salted butter so I had to substitute for that, too. I did some reading and found out that you can add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to substitute for the Dutch processed cocoa powder and add half a teaspoon of salt for each cup of butter to account for the extra salt in the salted butter. I also melted some white chocolate chips and dipped the hearts halfway into the white chocolate. The kids and adults loved these cookies!

Chocolate Shortbread Hearts

Ingredients:

2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup salted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups dark brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Stir with a whisk until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add eggs and vanilla. Mix, scrape down bowl and mix again.

Add flour mixture and mix until combined.

Remove dough from the bowl and divide into 2 portions. Wrap each piece in clear film, forming a disk shape.

Refrigerate 2 or more hours.

Remove one disk from the refrigerator. (If dough is too hard, let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare 3 sheet pans with silpat or parchment paper.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured board to 1/4 inch thick, you do not want to use tons of flour and leave the beautiful dark dough whitish looking. The cookies also work if you like them rolled thinner.

Using a 3-inch heart cutter, cut as many hearts as you can from the dough, placing each on a prepared sheet pan.

Bake for 15 minutes. Cool cookies right on the tray, or after 15 minutes, remove cookies to a wire rack.

I melted a cup of white chocolate chips in the microwave and dipped the cookies halfway in the white chocolate.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Rosemary Butter Cookies

This is the time for cookies. Everybody makes cookies at Christmas. I decided to make these just because they were different. Putting Rosemary and other types of spices into cookies is very Victorian. The taste gets mellower. These are very aromatic cookies. If you don't like really sweet cookies, use cornmeal instead of sugar to coat the cookies. You'll get the same "crunch."


Rosemary Butter Cookies

Makes 5 dozen cookies (60 cookies)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3/4 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup fine sanding sugar

Cream butter and sugar and add whole egg and vanilla. Add flour, rosemary, and salt. Mix until combined. Shape dough into 2 logs about 1 1/2 inches wide. Roll in parchment paper. Freeze until firm, about an hour. Brush each log with egg white and roll in sanding sugar. Cut into 1/4 inch rounds. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper in a 350 oven for about 15 to 18 minutes until edges are barely brown. Cool on sheets on wire racks. Store in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Cookies - Coconut Macaroons

I am not usually one to use artificial sweeteners but I know that there are plenty of people out there who are watching their carbs and/or their sugar intake. My sister sent me these recipes which came from the Splenda website. She says they are really good and easy to make. Please let me know if you make any of them. I would be more likely to make them with regular sugar (*my bad*).

Chocolate Chip Macaroons

Submitted by: Maker of SPLENDA® Sweetener Products

Servings: 24 servings

Ingredients:

3 large egg whites
¼ cup SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend
¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) package sweetened flaked coconut
½ cup mini chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together egg whites, SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend, almond extract and salt until frothy. Add coconut and mini chocolate chips, mixing until the chocolate chips are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.

3. Scoop batter using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, placing batter 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

4. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Rotate sheet half way through the baking process for more even browning.

5. Transfer warm chocolate coquitos to a cooling rack and let sit until completely cooled. Store coquitos in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Sugar-Free Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

* 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
* 4 egg whites from large eggs (should be about ½ cup)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup sugar substitute (I like liquid forms of Splenda, with zero carbs)
* about 2 Tablespoons water

Preparation:

1) Heat oven to 375 F. Line baking sheet with either parchment paper on a silicone mat.

2) Measure egg whites. If they aren't quite ½ cup, add a little water to reach that level. Then add the vanilla, liquid sweetener if using, and water so that sweetener and water together equal 2 Tablespoons.

3) If using powdered sweetener, mix in with unsweetened coconut.

4) Mix dry and wet ingredients together. The mixture should just hold together. Let set a minute or two and you'll be able to mold them better.

5) Roll into balls a little bigger than an inch in diameter. Slightly flatten and put on baking sheet (whatever shape you put them in is how they will stay, so this is your chance). Put at least half an inch apart.

6) Turn down the oven to 325 F, and bake for about 15 minutes, but start checking them a couple of minutes before. You want them golden brown on the bottom, and just barely starting to brown on top (though if you like them a little crispier, bake a couple of minutes longer).

Makes about 14 cookies, but yield will vary based on size of the cookies.

Nutritional Information: Each cookie has 1 gram effective carbohydrate plus 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, and 76 calories.

Rum Balls

I may have mentioned (in fact, I'm sure I did) that I attended a cookie exchange last year right before Christmas at a friend's house. I was actually invited to two exchanges but I couldn't do both. I made the Chocolate Ribbon Cookies and brought 3 dozen of them with me. I received in return a bunch of awesome cookies. We ate them all at our December 26 get together. The ones that everyone made a particularly big fuss over were the Rum Balls. I asked my friend to give me the recipe. I am planning to make them this week to take to a Wining Women event on Friday night. I also promised D that I would make half of them non-alcoholic so he could try them. I doubt that there is very much of a chance he will like them but I will try. I also have to leave out the walnuts because of his nut allergy. I don't think he is going to have a reaction to the walnuts but he really doesn't like them and I don't want to take a chance.

RUM BALLS

2-1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup rum (any type is fine)
2-3 tablespoons dark corn syrup

Mix all ingredients, roll or scoop into balls about 1/2 inch, roll balls in more confectioners' sugar. Let set for 4 to 5 hours. I am not sure how many Rum Balls this recipe will make but I'll find out soon enough. I guess it really depends on how big I make them. Enjoy!

For the non-alcoholic ones I am either going to use a tablespoon or two of rum flavoring and the rest water to make up the 1/3 cup rum or orange juice and orange zest. I saw recipes using both to make rum balls non-alcoholic. I have been told that if I use orange juice I should keep the "Rum Balls" in the refrigerator; otherwise they can stay out of the fridge in an airtight container. I will also need to increase the amount of vanilla wafers to make up for the missing walnuts in the non-alcoholic portion. I am thinking about using almonds instead of walnuts in the other half. I will post something later in the week to let you know how this works out.

The Creative Cook

Gingerbread Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies are perhaps the most traditional of all Christmas cookies except for maybe sugar cookies. Everyone has a recipe for gingerbread cookies. Everyone loves a gingerbread boy. Well, everyone except for my dad. He has a long and deep-seated dislike for any type of ginger cookie. It goes back to when his youngest brother was being born in their house. Dad was shoved out the front door and told to go to school. He was only given a box of gingersnaps for his lunch! He never ate ginger snaps or any other type of ginger or spice cookie again. That was over 80 years ago as my dad is now 88 years of age and his brother just turned 82! My dad still won't touch a ginger cookie, not even my homemade yummy gingerbread ones.

No matter, the rest of my family loves my gingerbread cookies. In fact, I could probably say without fear of retribution that my gingerbread cookies are my sister's favorite cookies of all time. She told me that recently so I can say it with confidence!

I have been making these cookies since I was about 10 or 11 years old. I ripped the recipe out of a Christmas issue of Ladies Home Journal, McCall's or Woman's Day. I have no idea what magazine it was but it sure turned out to be a tried and true recipe. I can't say that I haven't had any problems with it because I have definitely had some batches get tossed in the trash. I am fairly sure that it was because I didn't follow the recipe to the letter those times. I didn't really blend the flour in well enough after each addition of flour to the batter. I will also suggest that you let the eggs come to room temperature before you use them in this recipe. I'm not sure if that makes a difference but I don't want to take a chance. When I first started making these cookies, I would make a batch royal icing and decorated the cookies. I no longer bother with the icing because my family doesn't care for it. You can easily find a royal icing recipe on the Internet if you want to decorate these cookies. They taste great either way.

A few more thoughts before I post the recipe: (1) try baking a small batch to make sure that 8 minutes isn't too long to bake the cookies. My first batch got a bit overcooked; (2) I'm not sure what the sifting does for the batter but I ALWAYS sift the flour and spices just to be on the safe side; (3) I really can't tell you how many cookies this batch makes because I use so many different sized cookie cutters; (4) please make sure that your baking soda and spices are fresh for this recipe! and (5) my family prefers these cookies to be thick and soft rather than thin and crunchy (your preference).

Gingerbread Cookies

5-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup vegetable shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Sift flour, baking soda, salt and spices onto wax paper.

2. Beat vegetable shortening with sugar until fluffy-light in a large bowl; beat in molasses, egg and vanilla.

3. Stir in flour mixture, a third at a time, blending very well after each addition, to make a soft dough. Wrap dough in foil and chill 4 hours or overnight.

4. Roll out dough, one quarter at a time, to a 1/8 inch thickness on a lightly floured pastry board. Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters.

5. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

6. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) 8 minutes or until cookies are firm but not too dark. Remove to wire racks with spatula; cool. Decorate if desired.

Merry Christmas!

The Creative Cook

Chocolate Ribbon Cookies

Yes, I'm back! I have been away too long. My excuses are many. I won't bore you with them all but I was sick again with strep throat. Between being sick so much and all the preparations for Christmas, I just couldn't find the time to post here. I am sorry. But I am here to tell you that these Chocolate Ribbon Cookies are absolutely awesome. I made a double batch for a cookie exchange on Monday. Having never made them before, I was a bit nervous about making them. I had no reason to fear. I am so glad that there were some extras that Bill and I could taste-test. They didn't come out as perfectly striped as the one in the photo on the Better Homes and Gardens website which is where I got the recipe, of course! But, no matter, they taste wonderful. I can't wait to bring them to the cookie exchange and I can't wait to bring them to our Christmas get-together with my family.

Just a few thoughts on the baking process: I had to bake the cookies longer than 10 minutes. I would say that I baked the cookies at least 14 minutes so you may want to experiment with how your oven works. Shaping and cutting the cookies was easier than I expected it to be. The directions say to cut the dough crosswise into thirds and then cut into 1/4 inch thick slices but I think they neglected to mention that you need to cut each 1/3 in half again otherwise you won't get nearly the 54 cookies that the recipe promises to deliver. With my two batches of cookies, I wound up with 105 cookies which isn't too bad. I chose this recipe because it makes a LARGE batch of cookies rather than several small ones. I was just dumb luck that I found this recipe and tried it for the cookie exchange.

Here is the recipe that I want to share with you:

Chocolate Ribbon Cookies

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 10 min.

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces, melted and cooled
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 teaspoon rum flavoring

Directions

In a mixing bowl beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking soda, and salt; beat until combined. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour.

Divide dough in half. Knead the melted chocolate and nuts into half of the dough. Knead the miniature chocolate pieces and rum flavoring into the other half of dough. Divide each portion of dough in half.


To shape dough, line the bottom and sides of a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with waxed paper or clear plastic wrap. Press half of the chocolate dough evenly in pan. Top with half of the vanilla dough, the remaining chocolate dough, and the remaining vanilla dough, pressing each layer firmly and evenly over the preceding layer.


Invert pan to remove dough. Peel off waxed paper or plastic wrap. Cut dough crosswise into thirds. Slice each third crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.


Bake cookies in a 375 degree F. oven about 10 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes about 54 cookies.

Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare and shape dough; Transfer to plastic freezer bag; seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month. Let dough thaw at room temperature for 2 hours; slice and bake as above. Or bake cookies; cool. Transfer to freezer container; seal, label, and freeze up to 1 month.


The Creative Cook

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Bake Sale Chocolate Chips

This year, as always, all the parents are asked to bake something for our kids’ elementary school’s Spring Fair. I usually bake the Oatmeal Chocolate Chips that I have already posted but this year I decided that I needed a new recipe. Our favorite realtor, Linda Betts, has us on the mailing list for her promotional magazine called American Lifestyle. This magazine usually has a few interesting recipes. The January issue had an entire article on Chocolate Chip cookies. I’ve always loved Chocolate Chips. Doesn’t everyone? The article explained how chocolate chips were born at the Toll House Restaurant in Massachusetts as a bit of a mistake when Mrs. Wakefield ran out of nuts for her butter cookies and used a chopped up Nestle Semi-Sweet chocolate bar instead. A happy mistake, I call it. The recipe I chose to make is called The Orchards’ Chocolate Chip Cookies. According to the article, these cookies originated at a bed and breakfast called The Orchards in Massachusetts. The Orchards offered their guests fresh-baked cookies and milk by their beds each night. The recipe came from a nationwide contest that the Inn had sponsored in 1987. It sounds like a winning recipe to me. I baked up a batch, packed them two to a bag and tied the bags up with festive ribbons. I hope they sell well at the Fair!

The Orchards’ Chocolate Chip Cookies

6 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon salt
3 cups butter (6 sticks)
2-1/2 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, and set the mixture aside.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with a large wooden spoon. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue creaming until they are well blended. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients, using your hands to blend them well. Gently stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake for about 8 minutes. Do not overcook. Place the baking sheet on a rack so that air can circulate under the cookies as they cool or slide parchment paper, with the cookies still in place, onto racks to cool. When they’re completely cool, store them tightly covered.

Yield: 9 to 9-1/2 dozen

Enjoy!

The Creative Cook

Grandma's Cookies Win $1 Million

That is the kind of story I like to hear!! Go grandma. Hey, if you think about it I could be a grandmother myself. But that isn't what this story is all about. I just read about a 59 year old Gaithersburg, Maryland grandmother who won the 53rd Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off this year. That is amazing. She is quoted as saying that her Double Delight Peanut Butter Cookies are crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. She said her grown sons aged 30 and 33 both told her she had a winning recipe. What clinched it for her was that their dog couldn't get enough of them. If D wasn't allergic to peanuts, I would bake a batch right now. I love peanut butter and so does my hubby. I really want some peanut butter cookies now. I have another great peanut butter cookie recipe that was given to my by my sister's niece Melissa. She tells me she came up with this recipe on her own. She adapted it from many different recipes over the years. She should have entered the Pillsbury Bake-Off with it. Wow~ a million bucks. We could all use that kind of cash. I had no idea that a recipe could be worth $1 million bucks. Anyway, thank you Melissa. Here is her recipe:

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

1/4 lb. butter
1 egg
1 cup creamy peanut butter (She only uses JIF)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease some cookie sheets. Cream butter and peanut butter together. Beat in the two sugars, then add the egg, the vanilla and mix well. Mix together the salt, baking soda, and flour and add to the first mixture, combining thoroughly. Arrange by teaspoonfuls on the cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. Press each one flat with the back of a floured teaspoon. Bake about 7 minutes or until firm.

Hope you enjoy them!

Melissa

Note: You can also change them up a little taking each teaspoonful and rolling it in sugar then adding a Hershey's kiss right in the middle. I like using the cherry chocolate kisses but any kiss will do. :o]

Amazing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my "go to" recipe for chocolate chip cookies. Everyone loves them. I got the recipe over 10 years ago in an Urban Legend email forwarded to me from a friend. It was one of those recipes that said someone was spreading it around because she had asked for the cookie recipe at Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus and was charged $250 for it. Well, that email turned out to be a hoax but this recipe turned me into the best oatmeal chocolate chip cookie baker in my little corner of Maryland. Okay, I improved on the original recipe a bit but not much. I know you'll love them even if you don't like oatmeal chocolate chips. I say that because people have been telling me how good they are ever since I made the first batch of these babies over 10 years ago. The secret is in putting the oatmeal in the blender and blending it into a fine powder. The recipe makes a HUGE batch of cookies but this has never been a problem. They go fast!

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIPS

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
5 cups blended oatmeal**
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
24 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

**Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder.
Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add chocolate chips. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies! (really)

You can also add your choice of chopped nuts or a grated 8 oz Hershey bar if you desire. In my opinion, adding anything else would be overkill. Make sure your baking powder hasn't expired. I used expired baking powder in this recipe once and the cookies came out flat. That was the only time this recipe let me down. It was my own fault for not checking the expiration date on my baking powder, though.

The Creative Cook