Cookies
Homemade cookies are the staple of any Grandmother's kitchen! Here are some great recipes to try:
Applesauce Cookies
3/4 cup soft shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce + 2 Tbsp
1 tsp vanilla
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
Mix shortening, sugar, egg and vanilla. Stir in applesauce. Combine dry ingredients and blend into shortening mixture. Stir in raisins and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
Makes about 4 dozen.
Butter Cookies
1 Cup butter, softened
1 Cup sugar
1 egg
2 ½ Cups flour
2 Tablespoons Orange juice
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon baking powder
Combine the butter, sugar, and egg in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low, adding flour, orange juice, vanilla and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.
Divide dough into thirds, wrap each in plastic food wrap and refrigerate until firm (2 hours or overnight).
Heat oven to 400º F. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one third at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8 to /14 inch thickness. Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 6 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool Completely. Makes 3 dozen.
Frosting:
3 Cups powdered sugar
1/3 Cup butter, softened
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2-3 Tablespoons milk
Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 Cup butter, and one teaspoon vanilla in small bowl. Beat at low speed, gradually adding milk for desired spreading consistency. Frost and decorate cooled cookies.
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
1 1/4 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room- temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg
Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.
Using an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. On low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue mixing until dough comes together.
Take rounded teaspoons of batter [For oversized ones, I used a 1/8 cup scoop] and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
EggNog Cookies
2 ¼ Cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 ¼ cups white sugar
¾ Cups salted butter, softened
½ Cup eggnog
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 large egg yolks
1 Tbsp ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 300º. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside. Cream sugar and butter with electric mixer until forms a grainy paste. Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks and beat at medium speed until smooth. Add flour mixture and beat at low speed just until combined—do not over mix! Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets—1" apart. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown - transfer to cool, flat surface immediately.
Mexican Wedding Cookies
½ Cup Confectioners Sugar
¼ teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Butter – unsalted, room temperature
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 ¼ Cups Flour
½ Cup Pecans–chopped (or any other nut)
Extra 1 ½ cups of confectioners sugar for coating
Cream sugar, salt and butter together with an electric mixer.
Add vanilla to the creamed mixture. Stir in flour and pecans gradually till blended.
Cover and chill dough for up to an hour, to make forming the mixture into balls easier.
Preheat oven to 400º Fahrenheit.
Form dough into balls by rolling about 1 tsp of cookie dough at a time into a ball between floured palms. Place balls on a non-stick cookie sheet an inch apart.
Bake at 400º Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes.
In 2 shallow dishes place ¾ cup of confectioner’s sugar into each dish. While balls are still warm roll in sugar in the first dish and coat completely. Place onto a sheet and allow to cool slightly on wire racks. Once cooled, re-roll balls in the second dish of confectioner’s sugar. Use fresh sugar for the second rolling as the first dish of sugar will become lumpy from the first rolling of hot cookies.
This recipe makes approx 5 dozen cookies.
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Granny's Special Cookie Baking Hints are on the next page....
Easy Sliced Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Icing
Quick Tip:
Tip: To chill dough quickly, place in freezer for 30 minutes.
Instructions:
In large bowl, mix sugar and butter. Beat in egg and vanilla until light and fluffy. Mix in flour and baking soda. Divide dough into halves. Shape each half into roll about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap and refrigerate 1 hour until chilled.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cut rolls into 1/4-inch slices. Place on cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool on wire rack. Frost cookies with Icing and add sprinkles.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.
Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
½ light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
½ cup soft butter
1 cup smooth peanut butter
½ teaspoon soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon vanilla
In a large bowl, cream the sugars and egg. Add butter and peanut butter, incorporate thoroughly.
Sift flour, add soda and salt. Mix into creamed mixture until smooth. Add vanilla.
Chill dough for about half an hour. Then roll into walnut-sized balls. Press down with a fork, criss cross. Placed on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about 13 minutes, in center oven rack. Remove from cookie sheet and place on paper towels or rack to cool.
Granny's Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.
