Sugar Cookie - Keeping its shape

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. butter, at room temperature

2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

seeds from 1 vanilla bean OR 3 tsp. vanilla

5 c. flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

Recipe:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer on low to medium speed, use the paddle attachment. Mix until thoroughly incorporated - for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula and mix again for a few seconds more. (Over mixing the butter and sugar in this step will cause too much air to be incorporated into the dough. If you'd like a light and fluffy cookie, that's ideal, however the dough will spread more during baking: not ideal if you'd like the cookie to hold its shape.

2. Add eggs slowly and mix. Scrape down the bowl with your spatula at least once and mix again.

3. Cut open your vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out. Add to mixing bowl. Alternatively, add liquid vanilla extract. Stir briefly.

4. Sift your dry ingredients together. 

5. Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. When the dough clumps around the paddle it's ready. It's also important at this stage not to over mix the dough.

6. Roll the dough out between 2 large pieces of parchment paper. Place on a baking sheet and into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.

7. Roll out the dough further if you need to, and cut out cookie shapes. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat.

8. Put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for 10 minutes to 1 hour to chill again. They will hold their shape better when baked.

9. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

10. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown. The baking time will depend on the size of your cookie.

11. Let cookies cool to room temperature and decorate!

Rating: 4 of 5

These cookies were great. I really liked the flavor - don't ask how many I ate. And they really do hold their shape pretty well! Ally and I had a blast decorating these for one of her friend's birthday. As much as I like this recipe, I do have a love-hate relationship with sugar cookies because of the in-and-out-of-the-fridge  process that happens.

Source: Sweetopia, Sugar Cookies

The New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies

I never did end up getting a picture of these cookies. I would only bake 8 at a time and they would just disappear!

Ingredients:

2 c. minus 2 T. cake flour

1 2/3 c. bread flour

1 1/4 t. baking soda

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1 1/2 t. coarse salt

1 1/4 c. unsalted butter

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar

1 c. plus 2 T. granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 1/4 lbs. chocolate chips*

* 1 lb chocolate chips = 2 2/3 c. -- I used what I had which was normal semisweet, white chocolate, and mini chocolate chips

Recipe:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

2. Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.

3. Add eggs. Stir in vanilla. Reduce to low speed and slowly add dry ingredients until just combined.

4. Fold in chocolate chips. Refrigerate dough for 24-36 hours.

5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 F. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Rating: 5 of 5

I have low self-esteem when it comes to making chocolate chip cookies. Just chocolate chip cookies. Why? Well, because it doesn't matter what I do, they never turn out! But, this recipe actually works for me. I don't know why, but I didn't have a single bad batch, or cookie for that matter, over the 3 days that it took me to bake all the dough. To get a good soft cookie after it cools though, you need to drop enough dough to almost make a golf ball (which is my guess since I'm really not that familiar with golf balls....so let's say a ping pong ball since I do know those). These cookies are just so good! Oh yeah, I definitely don't think you need to refrig for 24-36 hours. I made my first batch after a 4 hour stint in the fridge and they turned out just the same as the dough that stayed in for the allotted time.

Source: I Am Baker, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Orange Vanilla Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. flour, sifted

1 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

1 c. butter, room temp

1/2 c. baker's sugar (or sub with normal sugar and add a few extra tsp.)

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1/4 c. orange zest, fresh (about 3 medium oranges)

juice from one orange, about 1/4 c.

1/4 c. shredded coconut, sweetened

1 c. white chocolate chips

1/2 t. coconut extract

1/2 t. vanilla extract

Recipe:

1. Sift flour, salt, baking soda together. Set aside.

2. In separate bowl, cream butter and sugars with electric mixer.

3. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and coconut extracts. (don't over beat) *

4. Gradually add the combined dry mix.

5. Add shredded coconut, orange zest, orange juice and combine.

6. Stir in white chocolate chips.

7. Place dough in glass or metal mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 45 minutes, till very firm/frozen. (Dough can stay in freezer if you want to bake another day, but bake dough frozen.)

8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

9. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

10. Bake batches of cookies on parchment-lined sheet, making about a tablespoon-sized, small round. (smaller cookies work better for this recipe.)

11. Bake about 10-12 minute, till only lightly browned on edges. Check at 8 minutes.

12. When ready, remove from oven and cool on parchment on a cookie rack.

*At this point, I actually did steps 3, 5, and 6 (without the individual mixings) and combined them at once. I then went back and did step 4.

Rating: 3 of 5

Since I loved the Lemon Crinkle cookies, I thought that these orange ones would be pretty good too. I didn't like the texture of even the taste that much. I was expecting a much stronger orange taste I guess. But, LaDon and Ally liked them a lot, so I can't rate it too low.

Source: The Dinnervine, Orange Vanilla Cookies

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. granulated sugar

1/2 t. vanilla extract

1 whole egg

1 t. lemon zest

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. baking powder

1/8 t. baking soda

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 c. powdered sugar

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light color baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray (or use parchment paper) and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Scrape sides and mix again.

4. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly.

5. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate.

6. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

7. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte (not melty or shiny).

8. Remove from oven and cool cooking on pan for about 3 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack. *

*I actually add an extra step of sprinkling the cookies with a bit more powdered sugar when they had come out of the oven.....yes, in addition to the sugar you already roll it in.

Rating: 4.75 of 5

These are light and refreshing. The lemon is sooooo delicious. To quote my friend: "Joy and laughter and baby tears and goodness and happiness. These cookies are the bomb." And that is all we have to say about them.

Source: LDSliving.com, Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Easy No Bake Cookies

Ingredients:

2 c. sugar

2 T. butter or shortening

2 T. cocoa

1/2 c. milk

1/4 t. salt

1/2 t. vanilla

3/4 c. peanut butter

2 c. quick uncooked oatmeal *

*I actually thought mine needed 2 1/2, so that's what I did.

Recipe:

1. Mix sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk. Bring to a boil.

2. Remove cocoa mixture from head and add salt, vanilla, and peanut butter.

3. Mix well until peanut butter is dissolved. Add in oatmeal and mix.

4. Drop from spoon onto wax or foil paper. Let cool before eating.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

I'm a sucker for no bakes. They're "gorilla poop" in my mind and they remind me of my cousin Becca. Not sure why....maybe she introduced me to them? Or maybe it's because we would laugh too hard over a silly cookie name.....or maybe because we ate a lot at a time. I dunno. So delicious. A good balance of chocolate and peanut butter. 

Source: Six Sisters' Stuff, Easy No Bake Cookies

Root Beer Float Cookies

Ingredients:

1 c. unsalted butter at room temperature

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

1 T. + 2 t. root beer concentrate *

3 1/2 c. flour

1 t. cream of tartar

1 t. baking soda

1/8 t. salt

1 1/2 c. white chocolate chips

* So, I didn't have any root beer concentrate on hand. Instead, I just did 2 t. vanilla (in addition to the 1 t. vanilla already called for) and 1 T. root beer)

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place butter and sugars in large bowl. Using electric mixer at medium speed, cream. Beat in egg. Continue to beat until mixture is fluffy.

2. beat in oil, milk, vanilla, and root beer concentrate.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined.

4. Fold in white chocolate chips.

5. Drop a ball of 2 T. of dough at a time onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes.

6. Let cool five minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack.

Rating: 4 of 5

So, with my lack of root beer concentrate they sure did not taste like root beer. Not in the slightest. However, they made really good vanilla cookies! Seriously! Put strawberry cheesecake ice cream between two cookies and you've made the ice cream sandwiches they eat in paradise. Anyways....gonna have to try this recipe again with the concentrate.

Source: Heat Oven to 350, Root Beer Float Cookies

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

Ingredients:

Wafer:

1 15.25-oz package fudge cake mix *

2 1/2 T. shortening, melted

1/2 c. cake flour, measured then sifted

1 egg

2 1/2 T. water

nonstick cooking spray, for cookie sheet

Chocolate coating:

3 10-oz bags semi-sweet chocolate chips

5/8 t. peppermint extract

5 T. shortening

*I used Betty Crocker's Chocolate Fudge cake mix. Thought about the triple chocolate fudge though.

Recipe:

1. Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms.*

2. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick.

5. To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2-inch diameter. **

6. Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating of non-stick spray. ***

7. Bake for 10 minutes.

8. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.

9. To make the coating, combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave-safe glass or ceramic bowl. ****

10. Heat on 50% power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an additional minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30-second intervals until smooth.

11. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excess chocolate runs off and then place the cookies side by side on a wax paper lined baking sheet.

12. Refrigerate until firm.

*You'll be tempted to add more water, but don't! The dough will be a dry and clumpy dough when everything has been mixed through. Form into a ball before covering and chilling.

** Really, it doesn't matter how small or big the diameter is. The 1 1/2-inch diameter is to replicate the Girl Scout look. If you go with the 1 1/2-inch, then you will come out with about 90 cookies. My cookies had about 2-2.5-inch diameter and I came out with about 45ish (and some of them were definitely thicker than 1/16-inch).

*** I just lay down parchment paper instead of using the cooking spray.

**** I have a terribly hard time getting my chocolate to the right consistency in the microwave, so I just do it on the stove top. If you don't have a double boiler, no fret, just make sure you watch the chocolate and don't burn or overheat it. I melt the shortening first, add the peppermint extract, and then stir handfuls of chips at a time until everything is melted and smooth.

Rating: 5 of 5

Seriously, how bad can a thin mint be? This recipe pretty much nails the Girl Scout cookie. That's a great thing and a bad thing....if you know what I mean. Don't let dipping the cookies scare you. It's not that hard. This is, really, a pretty easy recipe. And, hey!, it's a cookie that I made and didn't burn! Success!

Source: Food.com, Girl Scout Thin Mints

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1/4 t. baking soda

1/4 t. cream of tartar

1 egg

1/2 t. vanilla

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 T. sugar

1 t. ground cinnamon

Recipe:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.

2. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

3. Cover and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

4. Combine the 2 T. sugar and the cinnamon.

5. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar-cinnamon mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

6. Bake in a 375 oven for 10-11 minutes or until edges are golden. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Rating: 5 of 5

Snickerdoodles aren't everyone's cookie, but it is mine. I LOVE these and this recipe is pretty amazing! Soft, sweet, and easy. Love them!

Source: Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book, pg. 216

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

3 3/4 c. powdered sugar, sifted in lumpy

1 to 2 large egg whites, or substitute 4 t. packaged egg whites and 1/4 c. water

1 t. almond extract, vanilla, or lemon juice

Recipe:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together using an electric hand mixer, until the icing is smooth and thing enough to be pressed through a pastry bag with a writing tip. Add more lemon juice, etc., if necessary.

Rating: 4 of 5

I didn't taste it. Raw eggs...not my thing. Maybe it's not supposed to be eaten. I don't know. But, it is fantastic glue! Used it with our gingerbread Nativity stable. Holds together really well.

Source: Foodnetwork.com, Royal Icing

Cheesecake Cookie Bar

Ingredients:

2 18-oz. packages of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough

2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 13x9-inch baking pan. Let both packages of dough stand at room temperature about 15 minutes.

2. Reserve 3/4 of one package of dough. Press remaining 1 and 1/4 packages of dough evenly onto bottom of prepared pan.

3. Combine cream cheese, sugar, and eggs in large bowl; beat until well blended and smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over dough in pan. Break reserved dough into small pieces; sprinkle over cream cheese mixture.

4. Bake 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Rating: 4 of 5

Of course, LaDon would not like this one. He doesn't like cheesecake. But, I really like it. Not too sweet for a dessert. You can taste the cheesecake flavor, but it's not over powering. The cookie presence is good, but it doesn't taste like cookie. This cookie bar really is a nice blend of flavors. Definitely like this one!

Source: Cheesecake Cookie Bars

BJ's Chocolate Chunk Pizookie Copycat

Ingredients(for Chocolate Chunk):

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 tablespoon beaten egg

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F.

2. Combine all ingredients for cookie of your choice up to, but not including, the flour, in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until smooth. Add flour and baking soda (plus oats and cinnamon if making the oatmeal raisin walnut cookie) and stir well by hand. Stir in remaining ingredients then press the dough into a small buttered pie pan, cake pan or 6-inch deep-dish pizza pan.

3. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes or until cookie begins to brown. Cool for a minute or so, add 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream, and serve.

Rating: 4.5 of 5

This recipe is pretty close to the pizookie that we love at BJ's. Lots of chocolate, not too sweet, and soft. So delicious. I don't have any ice cream in the house, but it's still so good without it!

Source: http://www.recipesecrets.net/forums/recipe-exchange/20316-bjs-restaurant-brewhouse-famous-pizookie.html (Also has recipes for other type of pizookie flavors if chocolate chunk isn't your thing)

Banana Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 egg, room temperature *
1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of flour
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives) **

* I didn't let the egg sit until room temperature.

** I definitely used chocolate chips.

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2. In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.
3. Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.
4. Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

These cookies are pretty good. I really liked the chocolate chips. One thing I didn't like about this cookie recipe is that the cookies turn out more like muffin texture. They aren't the easiest to get off the cookie sheet and can't be dunked in milk. But, that being said, the spices are great and the banana taste isn't overpowering.

Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_cookies/

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Ingredients:

2/3 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. granulated sugar

1 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

1 egg

1 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

2 c. all-purpose flour

Recipe:

1 In large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until conbined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. If necessary, cover and chill dough 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll half the dough at a time until 1/8 in. thick. Using a 2 1/2 in. cookie cutter, cut dough into desired shape. Place 1 in. apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake in 375 degree oven for 7-8 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. If desired, frost with icing.

Rating: 3.5 of 5

I like these sugar cookies because they aren't super sweet and perfect with frosting. I made these tonight to play around with what cookies I want to make for our ward Pioneer Day activity on Saturday. I think I'll stick with trying to make them look like wagon wheels. I like this recipe. Although, if the cookies are too big they aren't as soft.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book, pg. 223