Stir and Drop Sugar Cookies

This is the very first cookie recipe I remember making as a young girl and I have made them on a regular basis ever since. I love how easy they are, no mixer required, and they still taste wonderful. I can have fresh from the oven cookies ready to serve in a matter of minutes. They have a wonderful hint of lemon but if you don't like lemon just leave the extract out, they will still be wonderful. The recipe makes a small number of cookies, I usually get between 24 and 30 per batch. The only down side I see to them is they do get stale a bit quicker than some of the other cookies I make but since they are so good they seldom hang around long enough for that to be a problem.

If you have never made cookies before these are a fantastic recipe to try as your first exploration of baking. Also if you have a young child that wants to bake cookies this is a good place to start. Adult supervision is necessary for getting the cookies in and out of the hot oven but other than that these are very kid friendly.

If you want to really make them special substitute some decorator sugar in a festive color for the sugar that you dip the glass in to flatten your cookies before putting them in the oven.

Stir and Drop Sugar Cookies

2 eggs

2/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp lemon extract

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

more sugar to use while flattening the cookies

Pumpkin Cookies

Okay, I have to admit these are one of my favorite things to make in the fall!! I love these and they are pretty easy to make. They have all the wonderful spices you would normally find in a pumpkin pie. So good and since I only make them in the fall they remain special. I usually make a batch sometime in the month of September or October and that is it. If you missed them you have to wait for next year (well, if you asked really nice I might make another batch)

These also freeze really well so some years I divide the dough up and use fall cookie cutters for part of it and Halloween for the rest and then freeze the Halloween ones for a few weeks.

Because there are no eggs or dairy products in these they are vegan so if you need to come up with a good cookie that is either vegan or dairy free these are wonderful. The combination of the pumpkin and the shortening along with the brown sugar and molasses gives these cookies a wonderfully chewy (almost cake like) texture.

You will want to roll the dough out to be ¼” thick before cutting with your favorite fall cookie cutters. Have you ever been unsure about how thick you are rolling the dough? I have a little trick that will help with that. Just go to the craft store and buy a basswood strip that is ¼” x ¼” and cut it into 2 pieces and you can lay them on each side of your dough. When your rolling pin reaches the level of the strips of wood it won't go any further and your dough is the perfect thickness. I have several sizes so I can easily roll dough to any thickness I want. I store them with my wooden spoons so they are easy to find when I need them. Just as easy and much cheaper than those rubber rings they make to put on your rolling pin.

Pumpkin Cookies

¼ cup vegetable shortening (I only use Crisco for this)

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

½ cup mashed cooked pumpkin

¾ cup molasses

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon grated nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground allspice

Colored decorating sugars and/or fall sprinkles if desired.

Cream the sugar and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Add the pumpkin and molasses and stir to combine well.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and spices and blend into the cookie mixture.

Wrap in plastic and chill for 3 or 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

On a well floured board roll dough to ¼” thick and cut with a well floured cookie cutter

Carefully transfer to a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with decorator sugar and/or sprinkles if desired. Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack.

You should get around 2 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutter.

Cookie Dough Brownies

Back when my older boys were growing up they were involved in scouts  and there were potluck dinners to be attended both there and with other places, I was asked to bring these brownies to a lot of those potlucks. They are fantastic and very rich and because you start with your favorite brownie mix (a plain fudge one please) they are easy to put together. And who doesn't love cookie dough? Which is what the topping tastes like but with no worries about raw eggs like with real cookie dough.

The brownie layer of these brownies calls for 1 cup of chocolate chips and then there is another 1 cup of chocolate chips in the glaze. You will need a regular 12 oz package of semi-sweet chocolate chips to make this recipe (using half in each place)

Cookie Dough Brownies

Brownie layer:

1 box (about 19 to 20 oz size) fudge brownie mix

the ingredients called for on the box of brownie mix

1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Filling layer

½ (1 stick) softened butter

½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

Glaze

1 cup (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

½ cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (or temperature specified on your brownie mix) Grease the bottom of a 13”x9” baking dish and set aside.

Combine the brownie mix and ingredients called for on the box in a bowl and comine as directed on the box. After the ingredients are combined add the 1 cup of chocolate chips and stir just to distribute evenly. Pour batter in prepared pan and spread evenly.

Bake according to directions on your brownie mix box.

Be careful not to over-bake!

In a large bowl beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the milk and vanilla and blend well. Add flour and mix until well combined.

Spread this filling evenly over the cooled brownies.

In a small microwave safe bowl combine the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips and oil and melt in the microwave on medium for 1 to 2 minutes just until melted. Stir until smooth.

Carefully spread the chocolate mixture over the filling on the brownies and spread to cover. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over the top and press down lightly.

Allow to cool completely, cut into bars (36)

Store in refrigerator

Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies

Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies

I have heard these little cookies referred to by many names, usually Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies or Russian Tea Cookies. I think probably by other names that I can’t think of off the top of my head, I have no idea what the history of them and I don’t really care where they came from. All that is important is that they are so tasty. There are very few cookies that are simpler either in ingredients or preparation but few are at the same moment so good either.

Growing up I am pretty sure these were at every event that the moms had to bring cookies to, but different moms brought them to each event. They all tasted about the same even when they had a different name. I doubt there were ever any to carry home because I think they were always the first to disappear from the table.

Mexican Wedding Cake Cookies

1 cup butter

2 cups all purpose flour

½ cup powdered sugar

2 cups chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon vanilla

extra powdered sugar for rolling completed cookies in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine all the ingredients (except the extra powdered sugar) in a mixing bowl until well combined.

Roll dough into small balls (about 1" in diameter)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes

Cool on rack

When completely cooled, roll in the extra powdered sugar

Enjoy!

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Take 5 (Spice that is) Oatmeal Cookies

Never one to believe that rules are really rules, especially in the kitchen I had the thought that if Chinese 5-Spice is good with chicken and other savory dishes, why not put it in oatmeal cookies? Well, I did and it is (really, really good as a matter of fact) The magical taste mixture of spices really comes alive in sweet dishes and I am debating if the product might actually be better suited to that calling. For those of you not familiar with 5-Spice it is a combination of 5 spices, each brand varies a little bit but they are very similar. My jar says it has Fennel, anise, ginger, licorice roots, cinnamon and cloves, other brands may contain pepper or other ingredients. Don't worry about the getting the exact version I have any brand will work in this recipe and in any recipe calling for 5 Spice. Once you open the jar and take in the aroma you will be in love.

Don't worry, I will post some other recipes for the 5 Spice in the future so you won't have to use it just in these cookies (but I think it is worth the purchase price just to make the cookies)

Take 5 (Spice that is) Oatmeal Cookies

2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 vegetable shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese 5 Spice 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts


Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Cream the sugars with the butter and shortening until well combined then add the 5 Spice, baking soda, vanilla, baking powder, salt and eggs. Beat to combine on medium speed or with a spoon. 
Stir in oats, flour and walnuts.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light brown and starting to set in the middle.
Allow to set up on cookie sheet for about 1 minute then remove to cooling rack.
About 4 dozen cookies

Old Fashioned Molasses Crinkle Cookies

These are my absolutely favorite cookies in the entire world and the big surprise to everyone is that there is no chocolate in sight! I know, shocking to all those who know me, I am a chocolate lover but these spicy, sweet, crunchy and yet soft cookies are by far my favorite. Because we roll the cookie dough in to balls then coat them in sugar then drip some water onto the top they have this marvelous crisp exterior with a soft, chewy interior. The only real trick with them is to make sure you don’t over bake them. Watch the first pan closely to get the timing for your oven figured out; start checking a little before the time given, you want them to be just barely set in the middle. The worst thing with these cookies is to over bake them and make them hard.

Old Fashioned Molasses Crinkle Cookies

¾ cup all vegetable shortening

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

¼ cup molasses

2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

2 ¼ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons baking soda

sugar and water

Using a mixer combine the shortening, brown sugar, egg and molasses beating until thoroughly combined.

Stir together the flour, spice and baking soda and add to mixture just until combined.

Form dough into a disc shape, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Form chilled dough into balls the size of a large walnut.

Roll the balls of dough in sugar to coat and place on an un-greased baking sheet.

Moisten the top of the dough balls with a tiny bit of cold water. I dip my finger into cold water and just barely touch the top of each cookie (you want to give each cookie a drop or two of water) this is what creates the wonderful crackles on the surface.

Bake in the preheated oven 8 to 12 minutes until the centers are just set but not hard.

Cool on a rack and enjoy

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies

Mocha Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I had promised  my youngest son that I would make some cookies today and I had planned to my make my normal chocolate chip cookies, always a favorite choice. I woke up last night in the middle of the night with an idea for a way to change them up a bit. I have to say the changes I made are fantastic and the kids both agree so  I am happy to share them here with you.

Mocha Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup butter (room temperature)
1 Tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
Using a mixer on medium speed cream the sugars with the butter until light and creamy. Add the instant coffee, vanilla and the egg and continue to mix on medium speed until well combined.  Add the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts and combine.

Using either 2 spoons or a cookie scoop drop the dough (about a heaping Tablespoon per cookie) onto un-greased cookie sheets.  Be sure to leave at least 2" between cookies.

Bake at 375 for 7 to 9 minutes until cooked, the centers will still be soft (these burn easily so watch them to find out the cooking time in your oven) Cool about 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move  to a wire rack to finish cooling.


makes about 4 dozen cookies

These cookies have a wonderful rich chocolate taste with a hint of coffee that perfectly accents the chocolate. Perfect with either a cup of coffee or a big glass of milk.

Enjoy!