Cookie Weather

It was in the low 60's yesterday so I decided it was the perfect day to make cookies. One of my favorite cookies is a good sugar cookie. Unfortunately, I haven't found a recipe that equals the chewy goodness of the Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix that comes in a pouch. I rarely make cookies from a packaged mix or that are the "Break and Bake" refrigerated type. If I'm going to have a cookie, I want one that's homemade.

My friend passed the following recipe on to me stating it's one of the best sugar cookie recipes she's come across so I decided to give it a try. I'm sharing it with her permission below. Let me know what you think.

Sugar Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar plus a bit more to be used later
2 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into small pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set it aside.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and cream cheese. Add the warm, melted butter and oil until well mixed. Stir in the milk, egg, and vanilla until the batter is smooth. Add the flour mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.

Pinch off a bit of dough (about the size of 2 tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Roll the ball into the granulated sugar that you set aside earlier and place on a baking sheet. Repeat the process until there are 12 balls on the baking sheet. Using the bottom of a greased glass, press each ball until each one is about 3 inches in diameter. Sprinkle a bit more of the loose sugar over each cookie.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are beginning to brown. Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 24 cookies.

Holiday Baking

Within the next couple of weeks, my mom will start her holiday cookie baking. She makes at least 6 different kinds of cookies and at least 10 dozen of each kind. All these cookies are given away with gifts or as gifts with just a few cookies left for us as a family to eat. Maybe about 2 to 3 dozen total out of all the cookies she makes.

I always contribute at least two to three different kinds of cookies as well. This year I wanted to try some new recipes and stumbled on a copy of Better Homes and Gardens Homemade Cookies Cook Book in a used bookstore. It was published in 1975. There are some recipes I'm looking forward to trying and some I will never attempt - Fruit Cocktail Bars anyone? Just the thought of fruit cocktail in a cookie makes me shiver, much less eating one.

I did find a recipe for Velvet Pistachio Squares that I'm looking forward to trying. It seems relatively easy to make, butter or margarine, flour, sugar, an egg, vanilla extract, milk, baking powder, flaked coconut, and chopped pistachios. After you make the squares/bars, you frost them with vanilla frosting.

I'll let you know how they turn out.

It's Always Time For A Cookie

I went to a friend's home this past weekend. While I was there she served amazing chocolate mint filled cookies. I of course begged for the recipe. She jotted it down for me and I thought I'd share it with you. (I did get permission from her to post the recipe.)

Chocolate Mint Filled Cookies

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
*49 chocolate sandwich mints (She used Andes Candies.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat at low speed until a soft dough forms.

Divide dough in half. On a well floured surface, roll half of dough into a 13-by-9-inch rectangle. Arrange the mints evenly on dough, forming seven rows with seven mints across. Roll the remaining dough set aside earlier between two sheets of wax paper into a 13-by-9-inch rectangle. Discard the top sheet of wax paper. Carefully turn the dough over and place the rectangle over the bottom layer of dough with the mints on it lining up the edges as best as possible. Remove remaining sheet of wax paper.

Using a sharp knife (my friend prefers to use a serrated bread knife), cut the sandwiched dough evenly between the mints. Gently press all of the edges of each square/rectangle to seal. Place cookies 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown. Cool cookies completely before placing in a storage container.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

*I think the Andes Candies Cherry Jubilee or Toffee Crunch thins would work really well in this recipe too. I'll have to try the variations and let you know.