Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

A favorite of our father!  Easy, and memory invoking if you're a Porter. :)

4 C flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 C shortening (remember to add 2 T water if you use Crisco instead of butter!)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 C canned milk (you can substitute canned coconut milk for a non dairy cookie)
1 T lemon juice
cinnamon and sugar mixed up

Mix it all up (I am a traditionalist when it comes to baking cookies so I still do the flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl and then add them to the mixed wet ingredients).

Drop the cookies by the spoonful onto a cooking sheet (greasing it wouldn't hurt, but isn't totally necessary).  Sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar and bake at 350 degrees F for close to 15 minutes. Between 10 and 15.  Edges will start to firm and may slightly brown.

Makes about 4 1/2 dozen medium sized cookies.

Cowboy cookies

These hail from my days working at Mark's Baked Goods and Sandwich Shop.  I made them so often while working there that when I went off to college I was able to write down the recipe from memory.  I don't sell them so I figure it's safe to share the recipe?  Linda didn't make anyone sign any non disclosure forms until after I'd already gotten married and didn't work there anymore.  You like that justification on my part?  Yes, I married an attorney.  Have to cover all my liability bases here.

Cowboy Cookies  makes about 3 to 3 1/2 doz depending on the size of your cookies

1 cup butter (room temp/softened)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour
2 cups oats (old fashioned)
1 cup coconut
1/2 bag chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugars.  Add eggs one at a time and then add vanilla.  In a separate bowl mix together the salt, soda, flour and oats.  Add that dry mixture to the creamy butter mixture.  Add in the coconut and the chips until just combined.

Spoon large portions of the dough onto un greased cookie sheets.  I managed 12 cookies per sheet at the size I made them.  Remember, these are cowboy cookies, not bite size cookies!  :)

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.  The key is to not over cook them.  Bake until just golden at the edges.  Let cool on the sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.  Just a couple minutes.  If you over bake them they won't be chewy and delicious, they'll just be crispy and not so great.

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is an incredibly delicious recipe shared with me by a good friend. Wow. I do use the 1/3 less fat cream cheese and they turned out just fine. There are no eggs in this recipe so I was content to eat some batter too. :)

Cream Cheese Chocolate Chip Cookies

from melskitchencafe.com

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies

6 ounces cream cheese, softened

12 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups plus 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, melted butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix until mostly incorporated but a few dry streaks remain. Add the chocolate chips and mix until combined and no dry streaks remain.

Roll the dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand (just barely press, you don't need to flatten it all the way). Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until the edges are just barely golden brown. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Sugar Cookie Bars

I echo the sentiment of the person who posted this on their blog. It's my new favorite blog to look at. http://sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com/

Click here for the recipe that I want to share with you today! It's so yummy. And so easy. I don't enjoy cutting out sugar cookies and the whole process it takes to make them so this recipe is for me. Try it out! You won't regret it...

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I sent some of this to Julie, and she wanted me to post the recipe. Note: wasn't sure if she liked cranberries, so I left those out; also couldn't find hazelnuts ANYWHERE, so I substituted slivered almonds, and it was yummy! This ones for you girl:

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1/3 C butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/4 C flour
1/2 C toasted chopped hazelnuts (or slivered almonds)
1/2 C cranberries
2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Make cookie dough blending cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, hazelnuts, cranberries and 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips until stiff dough forms. Roll half of dough at a time into 8 X 2 1/2 inch rectangle. Bake @ 350 for 20-25 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Cool 15 minutes.

Cut each rectangle crosswise into 3/4-inch slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, turning once, until crisp. Cool, place biscotti on cooling racks, cool completely.

Microwave chocolate chips on high for 30 seconds, stir until smooth. Drizzle chocolate over one side of each biscotti. Let stand until chocolate is set.

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

These are great for using over ripe bananas...which I always seem to have on hand. :-) These are especially good if you put in some chocolate chips too.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1-1/4 cups peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 md. overripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. baking powder

Directions:
Preheat Oven to 325°F.In a large mixing bowl, cream together the margarine, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Peal the bananas and drop into the mixture; mix well (some small banana chunks are okay). Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Combine the flour, baking soda, and baking powder; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Use a cookie scoop or drop by the spoonful onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 13 to 16 minutes - they will not be completely golden brown unless you use butter when removed from oven. As they set they will turn slightly firm. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for two to three minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Covered Peanut Clusters

2 (12oz.) pkgs. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. creamy peanut butter

16 oz. pkg. mini marshmallows

2 1/2 c. milk chocolate covered peanuts

Powdered Sugar

Melt chocolate chips with peanut butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallows and chocolate covered peanuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Chill until firm; sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Makes about 4 dozen. Keep chilled.