Welcome to the Third Annual
Great Online Cookie Exchange Extravaganza!
(I should really call it
The Great Online Cookie (And MORE) Exchange Extravaganza, but I think I've already maxed out people's title-retention skills...)
I say it every year but I really enjoy doing this -- thanks to everyone who played along!
It's always such a kick to see people joining in together for a little holiday fun in BlogLand.
We took it a little easier on you this year in terms of the number of blogs for you to hop to, but no worries, from the peeks I've gotten, the recipes just keep getting better and better!
Enjoy your recipe hop-scotch.
Just remember, Dec. 6th goes all the way to the end of the day. :-)
Without any further ado, here are this year's offerings from mouse, selkie and me... (Be sure to visit their blogs, too. Mouse is still posting, she was just not sure she could do so today. And I am
certain that if we work together, we can coax selkie out of her hiatus!)
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mouse's Cookie Selection 2012
sugar cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough
Directions:
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
to decorate (because it's all really about the decorating) mouse seriously cheated this year.
Take a tub (or several) of your favorite white (non-whipped is best but the whipped variety is ok) frosting dump it into a mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer just whip it, while adding a touch of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg or whatever you wish...if you want to add an unexpected flavoring. A good friend uses a drop or two of peppermint extract. Or even coffee....Booze!!! A touch of rum....really it's endless....
Then divide into smaller dishes and add food coloring to each until you get the color consistency you'd like. Sandwich bags work super well for piping the mixture onto the cookies.
If you want to the tub frosting to harden on the cookie...take a small amount (already colored) heat in the microwave until it deflates and looks glossy and pours easily. Then dip or spread a tiny amount of the warmed frosting onto the cookie (the frosting will harden and give the finished cookie a glossy finish) the frosting will spread and cover the cookie.
It's wonderful to leave it white for a snow effect! Then add sprinkles if you want (mouse likes the ones little silver sprinkles on the white frosted snowflake cookie).
Another tip, if you're just using regular frosting, put the decorated cookies into the fridge to help the frosting harden. Then you can store them in an air-tight container without too much worry of destroying the designs.
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selkie's Cookie Selection 2012
white chocolate, walnut, cranberry cookie
1 cup (250 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (185 mL) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (185 mL) dark brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
2-1/4 cup (685 mL) all-purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
1 cup (250 mL) each chopped: walnuts, dried cranberries, white chocolate
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
In another bowl, combine flour and baking soda. Beat into sugar mixture, in several batches. Using wooden spoon, stir in walnuts, cranberries and chocolate.
Scoop dough by tablespoon onto parchment-lined baking sheet, about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Flatten with fork or palms into disks. Bake in preheated 350F (180C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
Makes about 60 cookies
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Jz's Cookie Selection 2012
My mom was a terrific cook but most of the time, she stuck to main dishes and pies and left the cookie-making up to Grandma. Christmas was a different matter, however. Then, she would roll up her sleeves and make a few of the special goodies that only appeared at Christmas.
This is one of them. It doesn't make a lot but boy, are they good! :-)
Date-Filled Cookies
Ingredients
Dough:
1 C sugar
1/2 C shortening
1 egg
1/4 C milk
1/4 t vanilla
2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking powder
Filling:
1 C chopped dates
1/2 C water
1/2 C sugar
1 t flour
In a large bowl, beat 1 C sugar and 1/2 C shortening until light and fluffy.
Add vanilla and eggs, beat well.
Stir in flour and salt and baking powder.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill AT LEAST 2 hours, preferably overnight. (Don't cheat on this step!)
In
a small saucepan, combine dates, water, sugar and flour. Bring to a
boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
On a
well-floured surface, working with
no more than a quarter of the dough
at a time
and keeping the rest in the fridge (trust me on this, this
stuff is stinkin' miserable to work with if it warms up,) roll out dough
to 1/8" thickness.
Cut with floured, 2 1/2" cookie cutter.
Cutting the bottoms first, place them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of date filling onto the middle of each round.
Roll
out and cut out the top rounds, cutting small hole, slits, or an "x"
into the middle of each round. Lay these over the date-topped bottoms
and press edges closed with your fingers or a fork.
Bake at 375 for 7-10 minutes or until light golden brown.
Makes about 18-20 cookies. (YMMV)
Please check out the other yummy contributions from:
Advizor54
selkie, (her recipe here, her blog here)
