Cookies People Rave For?

[helene]

Hi,

I need your help.

We will be doing a cookie exchange soon.

I need recipes to impress my friends. Please give me your best cookies recipes that everyone RAVE for?

Thanks,

Hélène

[lindrusso]

I asked for people to share some cookie recipes a while back too. Here's the thread for that topic:
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/Forum1/HTML/000796.html


And, regardless of what you feel about Martha Stewart http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif, if you go to her bulletin board and check out the cookie swap, you'll find many more YUMMY recipes. She also has a recipe finder for additional recipes.

I plan to start mixing and freezing cookie dough this October to start preparing for all the holiday festivities.

[Gail]

This recipe, which I've had well over 20 years, was supposedly from The White House kitchens. It was always my dad's favorite:

LINZER COOKIES

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/3 cups very finely ground hazelnuts or almonds
3 1/3 cups unsifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 jar (12 ounces) raspberry jam
Confectioner's sugar (Here I differ. I've always dusted them with granulated. Prettier, I think...)

1. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer until light and fluggy; beat in egg, egg yolk, lemon rind and vanilla; sitr in nuts.
2. Stir in flour, baking powder and cinnamon, blending well to make a stiff dough; wrap in waxed paper; chill several hours, or overnight.
3. Cut dough in half. (Refrigerate other half.) Roll out dough between sheets of waxed paper to slightly less than 1/4 inch thickness. Removed top sheet of waxed paper. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter (I use a larger one with a fluted edge) cut out as many cirlces from thedough as you can. Carefully removed circles from bottom sheet of waxed paper; place cookies on ungreased cookie sheets. Refrigerate scraps of dough for second rolling.
4. Repeat with other half of the dough, cuttingout an equal number of 2-inch circles as from the first batch. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. With a 3/4 inch cookie cutter (or for that matter anything which you find around the house that might work) cut out center of each of the second batch of cookies. Use any scraps of dough for second rolling. Roll scraps of dough out for second rolling; cut out equal number of solid circles and circles with open centers.
5. Bake in a moderate oven (350º) for 12 minutes, or until edges of cookies are golden. Remove cookie sheets from oven; let stand 1 minute. Remove cookies with wide spatula to wire racks. Cool.
6. Heat raspberry jam in a small saucepan. Spread each of the solid cookies with a thin layer of hot preserves. Top each with cut-out cookie; press gently together to make a sandwich. Place on wire rack. Sprinkle tops of cookies with confectioner's sugar. Spoon dab of preserves in opening of each cookie; let preserves set slightly.

(From: Family Circle)

The second recipe, an absurdly simple cookie, has become a tradition around my home. Don't let the simplicity put you off, either. They are WONDERFUL, chewy, spicy things. I usually make these a bit ahead of time, as they get better and better with age.

GINGER

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup dark molasses
2 eggs
4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger

Cream together the sugar and shortening. Add molasses and unbeaten eggs. Mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients and stir in. Put 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Dip fingers into the sugar, then pinch off a ball of dough and roll it to the size and shape of a walnut. Dip the rolled ball into the bowl of sugar. Place balls on greased cookie sheet about three inches apart. Bake at 350º for 12 to 15 minutes. This recipe makes four dozen large soft cookies, twenty-four to a standard cookie sheet. The dough will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

(From: "Hot From the Oven," Old Sturbridge Village)

***With all due respect to Mamasue's recipe posted last month, for whatever reason, I didn't venture into last month's cookie thread, thus I wasn't aware of the obvious similarities between her recipe and mine until after I posted this one. (I always do my typing off-line, during which time Lindrusso apparently posted.) What can I say? Great minds think alike...


[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 09-24-2000).]

[Mamasue]

Gail...the Ginger ones sound great...I love ginger cookies and will try yours. Sturbridge Village is about an hours ride from where I live. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

Here is one of my favorite cookies that I bake at Christmas time.


* Exported from MasterCook *

CARDAMOM BALLS

Recipe By : Mamasue
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Cookies/Bars Holiday


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
6 cardamom seeds -- hulled and ground

Cream shorteing and sugar. Add molasses, vanilla and egg. Beat well.
Sift together flour, salt, soda and spices. Stir crushed cardamom
seeds into flour mixture. Add to shortening mixture, blending well. Form small balls. Bake on greased sheet at 375 F. about 10 minutes. Avoid overbrowning or cookies will be hard. Roll in confectioners' sugar

Yield:
"4 dozen"


NOTES : Wonderful spice cookie


[This message has been edited by Mamasue (edited 09-24-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Mamasue (edited 09-24-2000).]

[andreajackson]

Anyone out there have any good light cookie recipes? I love a good cookie, but I can't seem to find any light recipes that are as good! Thanks

[SandyM]

I have a recipe for Harvest Cookies - oatmeal, raisins, chopped apple, walnuts. I'd love to find someone to lighten it up, but in moderation, these cookies are awesome. Let me know if you want the recipe.

[Pat]

SandyM, CL invites everyone to send them recipes to lighten. Go to the home page and at the bottom is a link for that purpose. I look forward to that recipe lightened. Maybe it will appear in the magazine.

[cookrrr]

Originally posted by SandyM:
I have a recipe for Harvest Cookies - oatmeal, raisins, chopped apple, walnuts. I'd love to find someone to lighten it up, but in moderation, these cookies are awesome. Let me know if you want the recipe.

Sandy,
Could you please post this recipe. I would like to try the cookies in their original version and just practice moderation (or try to, anyway) http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif They sound kind of like Hermits! Thanks.


[This message has been edited by cookrrr (edited 09-25-2000).]

[Shelly]

Ditto for me Sandy!! Anything with apples and walnuts has gotta be good. Please post your recipe! Thanks http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[helene]

Thanks a lot,

Recipes sounds wonderful. I can't wait to try them.

Thanks Lindrusso for the info about the other cookie thread. And you bet that I will be visiting Martha Stewart Web site.

Thanks again,

Hélène

[SandyM]

Sorry for the late response, but here's the recipe for Harvest Cookies. I'm going to submit it to CL, asking if they can "reduce" it. I absolutely adore these cookies, and I hope you do too!!!

HARVEST COOKIES

3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1-1/2 cups Crisco
2 cups sugar **
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. water
2 cups diced apple
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts

Soak raisins in hot water while preparing the cookie dough.

Stir together flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, sugar, eggs and water. Slowly blend in flour mixture until completely incorporated. Stir in chopped apple, nuts, oatmeal, and drained raisins.

Place by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown.

** For crisp cookies, use all white sugar. For softer, moist cookies, use half white sugar, half brown sugar.

[cookrrr]

Thank you, Sandy!! These look so good. I think I'll make them today.