Kentucky Butter Cookie

 

1 stick, butter softened
1/3 cup white sugar
2 Tbs brown sugar
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1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
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1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
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Butter Sauce
2 Tbs butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp water

Cream together, softened butter, and sugars.  Add egg and vanilla continue mixing.  Add dry ingredients and mix only until combined.  Do not over mix.

Use cookie scoop of desired size (she uses 2 tbs...I like them smaller)and pat down so the are shaped like hockey pucks. 

Bake at 350 for 10 to 11 minutes, they just need to be slightly brown, don't overcook.

While cookies are baking, prepare butter sauce.  Melt butter, add in powdered sugar, water and vanilla stiring constantly.  Stir until powdered sugar is dissolved.  Do not bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and let it set for 5 minutes

When cookies come out of the oven, let cool slightly and top with butter sauce.  Once they have cooled completely, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Background: I found this recipe on TikTok (user Brook Miller).  She got the recipe from (LifestyleOfAFoodie).  I made this once for my family, then made a craft retreat.  People loved them!  I like them because I basically have all the ingredients on hand at any given time.  They are also not super sweet.  Would make a great cookie for Santa!  :D

Holiday Danish Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
14 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered (confectioner's) sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs milk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of salt
Colored holiday sugar sprinkles

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In large bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Mix in the egg, vanilla and milk.  Stir till evenly incorporated (might not look entirely mixed until next step).

Add the flour and salt  and stir until the dough comes together.  It shouldn't be sticky or too wet.  If it is, just add a bit more flour until the dough is soft and only somewhat moist.  If it's too dry and doesn't come together, add a splash of milk.

Place dough into a cookie press and press out onto prepared baking sheet.  You  might find it difficult for the dough to stick to the parchment paper.  I found it really hard, so I pressed out the cookies ontl a dry, room temperature baking sheet without parchment paper (counter works too) and then transferred them to the prepared baking sheets with a metal spatula.  Sprinkle the top of the cookies with the sprinkles.

Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes until lightly brown around the edges.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.  Store cookies in a tin at room temperature.  Will keep for up to a week.

Yields about 50 delicious mini cookies.

Tip:
I didn't have a cookie press, so I put dough into a gallon baggie and cut the corner and pressed out into round cookies and some circle shaped cookies.  Make sure you press them down just a little bit if you do it this way.  The sugar sprinkles don't stick well to rounded surfaces...plus they back a little better when they are flatter and all similar in size.  NEXT YEAR...I WILL own a cookie press.

Source:
http://www.thecandidappetite.com/2014/12/19/holiday-danish-butter-cookies/

Chewy (not cakey) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
12 Tbs pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (save some for top of cookies)

Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, and sugars together until no brown sugar lumps remain.  Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth.  Set aside.

2.  In a large bowl, toss together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together with a large sppoon or rubber spatula.  The dough will be very soft.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  They may not tick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to have them evenly dispersed in the dough.  Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 days.  Chilling is mandatory.

3.  Take the dough out of the refrigerator.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

4.  Use cookie scoop or roll dough into balls about 1.5 Tbs each.  Slightly flatten the dough balls because the cookies will only slightly  spread in the oven.  Put a couple chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough balls (makes them really pretty when they are done.

5.  Bake the cookes for 8 to 10 minutes.  The cookies will look very soft and under baked.  Keeping them in the oven for longer may dry them out.

6.  Allow the cookies to cool for about 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack.  The longer the cookies cool, the chewier they will be.  Let them sit out for at least an hour before serving.  Their chewiness and pumpkin flavor are even better on day 2.

Additional Notes:
If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can use:
     1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
     1/4 tsp ground cloves
     1/4 tsp allspice

Make ahead tips:
Cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week.

You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the regrigerator for up to 3 days.  Allow to come to room temperature before baking.

Baked cookeis freeze well up to 3 months

Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well up to 3 months.  Either bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute (without thawing), or allow to come to room temperature before baking.

Source (The recipe above is a doubled version of the one found online.  I changed it just slightly, but not much because her recipe was just SO PERFECT!!)
http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2013/09/04/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/

Fruitcake Cookies

1/2 cup butter or margarine, soft (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups candied cherries, chopped (1 lrg container)
1 cup candied pineapple (or a little more, 1 sm container)
2 cups candied pitted dates, chopped (buy whole and chop)
1 1/2 cups raisins (optional, Michelle and Diane don't like raisins)
3 cups pecans, chopped

Combine butter and sugar and cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs and buttermilk and cream again. Mix all dry ingredients in a separate bowl and stir into wet ingredients.

Stir in remaining ingredients (fruits and nuts).

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets.

Bake at 300 degrees F for 20 minutes. I like them chewy. They don't rise much. If you like a chewy consistency cook a couple minutes less.

Makes 7 dozen cookies.

Tips: Use a HUGE BOWL!!!
_______________________________

This recipe comes from Michelle S. and Diane H. They make these cookies each year for the holidays and it's become one of my favorites. It calls for alot of ingredients...but it's well worth it!

No-Bake Fruitcake Balls

Easy no-bake fruitcake balls, made with candied fruits, spices, graham cracker crumbs, and chopped pecans.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey
1 cup finely chopped mixed candied fruits
1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
1/2 cup candied pineapple, chopped
1/2 cup chopped candied cherries
1 cup chopped pecans
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash ground cloves
3 1/2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs


PREPARATION:
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter until light; beat in honey until fluffy. Add fruits and nuts, orange peel, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix to blend thoroughly. Let stand for several hours to let flavors blend.

Add crumbs and mix in until well blended. Shape into small balls. If desired, drizzle with a confectioners' sugar icing or roll in finely chopped nuts or confectioners' sugar. Storee in tightly covered container in refrigerator, separating layers with waxed paper.Makes about 4 to 5 dozen 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch balls.

No-Bake Fruitcake BallsFrom Diana Rattray,
Your Guide to Southern Food

Treasure Cookies

1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter softened
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
12 oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (more if desired) chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a large mixer bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and margarine until smooth. Add graham cracker crumb mixture; mix well. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Yield: about 3 dozen

Quick Almond Brittle

2 sticks Sweet Cream Butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup Brown sugar
8 oz. Slivered Almonds
(12 to 18) Graham Crackers

Place plain grahams on a foil lined cookie sheet.

Boil the butter and sugar until butter is melted and sugar dissolved, stir in almonds. Cook another two minutes.

Immediately spoon over the grahams. Bake in a 350° oven for 8 minutes. Let cool for 1 hour, then break apart.

Source: Stampin' Up Club (August '05) - Laura L

***STORY: This should be nominated as the official dessert of the Woodlands, Texas Stamp Club. It seems like we have this almost every month. :) It's good though. I might even put it under the candy category too...very YUMMY!

Gingerbread

1/2 cup Oil
1 Egg
2/3 cup Molasses
2 3/4 cups Flour
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Cloves
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ginger
3 tsp Baking powder
1/3 cup Brown sugar

Frosting:
3 Egg whites
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
3 1/2 cups Powdered sugar

1 Mix the dry ingredients and mix the wet ingredients separately. Mix the 2 slowly to create the dough. Roll out into desired shape and cook. If making gingerbread houses roll the dough evenly onto one cookie sheet. After cooked, cut shapes out of the dough while it is still warm.

2 This frosting is the "glue" for the gingerbread houses. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until thick and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and beat for 5 minutes on medium speed. Put into icing bags and pipe where needed.

I have the patterns for the gingerbread houses too...will try and remember to figure out a way to post them with this recipe soon. Will also try and find some good links to go with this too.

***STORY: I don't remember exactly when this became a family tradition...but sometime after we moved to Texas. All I know is that this THE tradition that I think I miss most now that I don't live in the same state as my Mom. Every year we got together to put our houses together. She would slave away a couple days before to make sure that we each got our OWN house to decorate.

You have to understand...at this point, it wasn't just us 6 kids, it was our spouses and more recently, our own kids. I think she must have spent the entire year looking for different candies...there were bowls and bowls of different candy. She definitely didn't want to stiffle our creativity! :D This is something that I want to try and find time to do in the near future with my own family and close friends.

They are always fun to look back at and give away to good friends each year. If you are family and you have any pics from past years...please email them!

Treasure Cookies

1 1/2 cups Graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unsifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter softened
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
12 oz pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup (more if desired) chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a large mixer bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk and margarine until smooth. Add graham cracker crumb mixture; mix well. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Yield: about 3 dozen

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies (with Butter Cream Frosting)

Dough:
4 cups sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:
2/3 cup Crisco
1 lb powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1 dash salt

1 In small bowl, sift flour with baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In large mixer bowl beat butter sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream and vanilla at low speed. Gradually add flour mixture. Use rubber scraper to form dough into a ball. Wrap in wax paper or foil and place in refrigerator for several hours. Divide dough into four parts. Continue to refrigerate until ready to use.

2 Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets. On well-floured counter roll dough ¼ inch thick. With floured cutter cut dough and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

3 To make frosting, beat the frosting ingredients for 5 minutes. Add coloring if desired. Frost only after cooled.

Cooking Tips
Other Cookie Ideas: Watermelon cookies. Red cookie dough with tiny chocolate chips for seeds and dipped in green frosting for the rind, also remember the Christmas tree made of various sized stars iced with green icing.

***COMMENT: These are the cookies we used to make and decorate each year for Santa. They are SO yummy and it is by far my favorite sugar cookie recipe. It seems strange to put sour cream in a cookie batter...but believe me...they are WONDERFUL! ...and SANTA LOVES THEM!

Recipe Source: Sherie K (my Mom)

Classic Spritz Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Colored Sugar or sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Beat butter until creamy. Add sugar, egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour, 1 cup at a time, mix well. Dough will be soft. Do not refrigerate. Fill cookie press and put on ungreased pan 1 inch apart. Decorate with colored sugar or sprinkles if desired. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until firm but not brown. Cool 2 minutes on pan and then transfer to a cooling rack. Yeild: 6 to 7 dozen cookies.

TIP: Use this recipe with a cookie press
NOTE: if you wait too long to transfer them they become brittle and break easily.

Recipe Source: Pampered Chef Pamphlet

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (more if desired) chocolate chips or plain M&M candies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Cream ingredients in order. Put 2/3 of the M&M's or chocolate chips in the dough and the rest on top of the cookies before baking. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden on top.

Yield: about 3 dozen

***COMMENT: These are the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever. You know the funny thing about it though...there's only one change from the recipe that you see on the back of the Nestle's bag...there's more brown sugar in them. These are best when you cook them JUST long enough...don't over cook them and they are SO good chewy.

***TIP: If your cookies turn out a little crunchier than you'd like...store them in your cookie jar (or bag or whatever) with a piece of bread. Your cookies will pull the moisture out of the bread and become softer.

Recipe Source: Allison B (an old friend)