Brownie cookies

From the pioneer woman

Ingredients

• 2 ounces, weight Baking Chocolate (unsweetened Or Bittersweet) 
• 2 sticks Softened Butter 
• 2 cups Sugar 
• 3 whole Large Eggs 
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract 
• 2-1/4 cups Flour 
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder 
• 1 Tablespoon (additional) Cocoa Powder 
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt 
• Powdered Sugar, For Dusting 

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stir, and let it cool.

Mix the butter and sugar together until totally combined. With the mixer on low, slowly drizzle in the cooled chocolate. Scrape the bowl and mix again. Mix in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Scrape the bowl once more and mix.

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir it together, then add it in scoops to the mixing bowl with the mixer on low. Scrape the bowl once and mix one final time until all combined.

Scoop generous tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with a baking mat or parchment, then bake them for 11 minutes until poufy and set. Remove them from the oven, let them sit on the pan for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove them to a baking rack to cool completely. Once cool, sprinkle generously with powdered sugar.

Sugar cookies

1 Cup Butter, softened
¾ C Vegetable Oil
1¼ C Sugar (plus ¼ cup)
¾ C Powdered Sugar
2 T Water
2 Eggs
½ t Baking Soda
½ t Cream of Tarter
1 t Salt
5½ C Flour

Frosting:
½ cup butter, softened
¾ C Sour Cream
5 Cups powdered Sugar
1 t salt
¼ C Milk
Food Coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugar (1¼ C), powdered sugar, and water. Slowly add in flour mixture until combined. Roll the dough into golf sized balls and place onto a non stick cookie sheet. To give the cookies a rough edge, dip the bottom of a glass into the ¼ cup sugar and press onto the cookie ball to flatten the cookie. You still want the cookie to be thicker so don’t press them to thin.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is lightly brown. The cookies stay soft so do not over bake.

To make the frosting: Cream together butter, sour cream, and salt. Add the powdered sugar. Add in food coloring (a few drops of the color of your choice), and the milk to the desired consistency. Spread over cooled cookies and store in an airtight container.

Makes two dozen. 

Lemon Bars

These are from the Barefoot Contessa.


Crust:

1/2 pound butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

 2 cups flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

Filling:

6 extra-large eggs at room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

2 tablespoons grated lemon zest (4 to 6 lemons)

1 cup lemon juice (from the lemons above.  If you don't have enough from what you used for the zest, use bottled lemon juice for the rest.)

1 cup flour

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar until light in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Combine the flour and salt and, with the mixer on low, add to the butter until just mixed. Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough with floured hands and press it into a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking sheet, building up a 1/2-inch edge on all sides. Chill.

Bake the crust for 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned. Let cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.

Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Ginger Crinkles (Cookies)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 ½ sticks butter, slightly softened

¼ cup Molasses

1 large egg

Scant ¼ cup finely diced crystallized ginger

1 1/3 cup granulated vanilla sugar

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt in a small bowl.

2. Whip the butter and sugar until lightly and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl frequently.

3. Add the flour mixture and beat until just combined.  Fold the crystallized ginger into the cookie dough with a rubber spatula. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

4. Preheat the oven to 375˚F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.  Put the Bourbon Vanilla Sugar into a small shallow bowl. Shape dough by tablespoonfuls into balls and roll lightly in the vanilla sugar. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheets 2-inches apart and bake on the lower middle rack in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes. The cookies should be golden brown and still slightly soft in the center. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet set on a baking rack for 2 minutes then remove cookies to a baking rack to cool a few minutes longer.

Yields:  About 3 dozen 

Snickerdoodle Muffins

From Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.  Looked really good, so I wanted to post it here to try later.

• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp cream of tarter
• ¾ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 and ¼ cup sour cream
• 2 and ¼ cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar and 2 TBSP cinnamon mixed together for rolling

1.Cream the butter and sugar until soft about 3 to 5 minutes. Add in the vanilla. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix until each is incorporated.
2.In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder and cream of tarter.
3.Add the flour mixture and the sour cream alternately to the egg-butter mixture in the additions. Start with the flour and end with the flour. Scrape the bowl occasionally.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out  muffin batter one at a time and drop into a shallow bowl filled with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Roll the muffin around in the mixture until it is covered completely in cinnamon sugar.. Place muffin into a greased muffin tin.. Depending on the size of your tins, you should get about 12 to 14 muffins. Bake them for approx. 20-22 minutes in a 350F oven or until they are golden brown.

Cookie Bowls

Okay, I saw this picture and Sarah and I agree that this is an AMAZING idea... There were no instructions so you'd have to experiment but I suspect you'd cook these about as long as you'd cook any other large cookie.  Think how cute these would be filled with ice cream for a kid's party or filled with fresh fruit or a good fruit topping, with some whipped cream for a great dessert.  Use your favorite cookie recipe (though I think I'd steer clear of chocolate chips or anyting with chunks of candy in it because that would tend to melt off and leave holes.)  Form to the OUTSIDE of the greased muffin tin (cute muffin tins would make a cuter bowl but let's face it, once it's filled you'll only see so much of the "cuteness" factor anyway) and then bake.  Let cool partially before you remove from the muffin tin, then cool completely before you invert and fill.  (This is an educated guess.)

There's a bakery at the airport that serves oatmeal in the morning in a large oatmeal cookie.  Hmm...  The possibilities are endless.  You could always serve an oatmeal cookie with some applesauce in it or with a yogurt filling and serve it for breakfast too.  Pudding would also be a good filling.  Worms and dirt would work for a kids' party too. 

Drop Sugar Cookies

You can take the time to roll these out, but really, that's a pain in the rear so use a nice big scoop and make some delicious cookies (nice big soft ones) that aren't overly sweet but are sweet enough to satisfy your craving for soft sugar cookies.

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
(cream above together)

1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 cup minus 1 tb. milk and 1 tb. lemon juice)
1 tsp. baking soda
(stir together, set aside)

4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
(add to creamed mixture, alternating with buttermilk)

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, sprinkle with colored sugar and bake at 375 for 15 minutes for giant cookies.  You can frost these instead of sprinkling them with sugar if you prefer a sweeter cookie.  Use a thin frosting, almost an icing consistency.

Pumpkin Raisin Bars or Cake

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp.  baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optioal
1/2 cup raisins

Frosting:
1/3 cup butter (softened)
3 oz. cream cheese (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 350.  Grease 15 x 10 x 1 pan.  Combine all ingredients except nuts and raisins.  Beat at low speed till moistened.  Beat 2 more minutes, then stir in nuts and raisins.  Pour into greased pan.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes till toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely.   Combine all frosting ingredients in small bowl and beat till smooth.,  Frost cooled bars and cut.

To make pumpkin raisin cake, bake in 9 x 13 pan, bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts or chocolate chips (optional)
powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar till light, add vanilla, eggs, and cocoa.  Stir in dry ingredients, milk, and nuts/chocolate chips.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls (refrigerate dough to make it firmer, if necessary.)  Roll balls in powdered sugar and place on lightly greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 for 14 to 16 minutes, or until cookies are firm in the center.  Remove from cookie sheets and cool on rack.  Makes about 4 dozen.

Bridget's Pudding Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 package pudding

(mix above together.)

Add:
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
chocolate (or other flavor) chips

Oven @ 375
Bake 8 minutes (if you don't preheat the oven, bake the first batch 10 minutes.)

Bridget has made these using butterscotch pudding with butterscotch chips, vanilla pudding with chocolate chips, etc. I'm sure there's a lot of good combinations.  These are wonderful cookies, very soft.  And they never last long.

Ranger Cookies

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Cream above ingredients

2 cups flour

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

Sift together above ingredients, add creamed mixture.  Add following and mix well:

1 cup coconut

2 cups oats

2 cups rice crispies

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, bake 350 degrees 10-12 minutes.

Lemon Bars

2 cups flour

1 cup butter

1 cup powdered sugar

Cut all ingredients with pastry  blender or fork, spread into greased 9 x 13 pan, bake 300 degrees for 15 minutes.

4 eggs, beat slightly

4 tbs. lemon juice

grated rind (zest only) of 2 lemons

2 cups sugar

4 tbs. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

Combine all ingredients, pour over pre-baked “crust.”  Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar when done.

Shortbread

½ lb. butter (no substitutes)

½ cup powdered sugar

2 cups flour

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. baking powder

Cream butter and sugar, add salt and baking powder.  Mix well, add flour, mix till well blended.  Roll out and cut into desired shapes.  (Use cookie cutters or roll into circle and cut into wedges.)  Prick with fork and place on ungreased cookie sheet .  Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Hopscotch

1 pkg. (6 oz.) butterscotch chips

½ cup peanut butter

2 cups miniature marshmallows

4 cups chow mein noodles

Melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter in microwave till smooth, stir as needed.  Pour over chow mein noodles and marshmallows, stir till noodles and marshmallows are well covered.  Drop on waxed paper and let cool.  

Mrs. Fields Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 lb. butter (splurge, margarine will work but will affect the quality of the cookie)

1 ½ cup sugar

2 cups brown sugar

1 ½ tsp. salt

3 eggs

2 tbs. vanilla

6 cups flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

1 pkg. chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk)

Cream butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients, mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips to distribute evenly.   Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes.

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups applesauce

2 tsp. baking soda

1 cup shortening

4 eggs

1 ½ cup sugar

4 cups flour

1 tsp. each cloves, nutmeg, salt, and cinnamon.

1 pkg. chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

Mix applesauce and baking soda, set aside.  In large bowl cream shortening, eggs, and sugar.  Add applesauce mixture and spices/salt.  Add flour and mix well.  Add chocolate chips, stirring to distribute evenly.  Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, bake 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

You can substitute pumpkin for the applesauce for a different taste, but it's still a nice, soft chocolate chip cookie.

Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Cookies

I don’t know if these are REALLY from her recipe, but they are the best oatmeal cookies I’ve ever had.  If you don’t like coconut, do NOT use this recipe.  You can’t just leave it out.

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

1 lb. butter (splurge, margarine isn’t as reliable for these)

4 eggs

1 tbs. vanilla

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. each of baking powder, baking soda

4 cups flour

5 cups quick oats

3 cups raisins (optional)

4 cups coconut

Cream sugars and butter, add eggs and vanilla.  Add salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour.  Mix well, add oats, coconut, and raisins.  Stir till mixed evenly.  Drop on cookie sheet (greased) and bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes.