Kiss Cookies

Here is a recipe for chocolate  kiss cookies (makes approximately 2 dozen cookies):

-  1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

-  1/3 cup butter (softened)

-  1/3 cup vegetable shortening

-  3/4 cup white sugar

-  1 egg

-  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-  1/4 teaspoon salt

-  1 teaspoon baking powder

-  24 kiss candies removed from wrappers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl (flour, salt, baking powder).  Cream together softened butter and shortening.  Add in sugar and mix again.  Then, add in egg and vanilla extract and mix again.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt mixture and mix thoroughly until dough it formed.  Roll into balls and place onto a non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool on wire rack and place chocolate kiss candies into each cookie while warm.  Enjoy!

Sugar Cookies (for the holidays)

Here is a recipe for cut out sugar cookies (makes approximately 36 cut out cookies):

Cookie dough:

-  1 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon all purpose flour

-  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-  1/2 teaspoon baking powder

-  1/2 cup butter, softened

-  3/4 cup granulated sugar

-  1 egg

-  3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

-  1 tablespoon butter, soften

-  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-  2 1/4 cup powdered sugar

-  4 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon milk (you might use more or less)

-  food coloring (optional)

-  sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.  Add in egg and vanilla extract and combine.  Mix in dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder) until dough ball is formed.  Place dough on a floured cutting board and roll out until approximately 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick.  Rub some flour on the dough and rolling pin to prevent sticking.  Cut with your favorite cookie shapes with a cookie cutter(s).  Place on a 9 x 13 inch, non-stick cookie sheet, and bake for approximately 8 to 9 minutes (cookies will lightly brown).  Let cool.

While cookies are cooling, you can make the frosting.  Combine butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar together in a medium bowl and mix or beat together.  Add in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth.  Spread over cookies.  You can mix in food coloring for different colors of frosting if you choose. Just use separate bowls for each color!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here is a recipe for chocolate chip cookies (makes approximately 3 dozen):

-  2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

-  1 teaspoon baking soda

-  1 cup butter, softened

-  2/3 cup packed brown sugar

-  1/4 cup granulated sugar

-  1 pack (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding pack

-  2 eggs

-  3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

-  1 3/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

-  1 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour and baking soda in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a medium bowl.  Beat or mix in vanilla pudding.  Stir in eggs and vanilla extract.  Blend in flour and baking soda mixture.  Stir in semi-sweet chocolate chips and walnuts (optional).  Place cookie dough on cookie sheet(s) by the spoonful and bake for approximately 10 to 12 minutes until edges are golden brown.  Cool and serve.  Enjoy!

Gingerbread Cookies

Here is a recipe for gingerbread cookies (approximately 42 cookies):

Cookie:

-  1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

-  1/4 cup and 2 teaspoons packed light brown sugar

-  1 3/4 cup and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-  1/4 teaspoon (pinch) of salt

-  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-  1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-  1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

-  1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-  1/3 cup and 2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses

-  2 tablespoons and 1 1/4 teaspoon water (may need more if dough is still too crumbly)

Base (glossy) frosting:

-  2 cups powdered sugar

-  3 tablespoons milk

-  1 tablespoon light corn syrup

-  1/4 teaspoon almond extract

-  food coloring

Piping (decorative) frosting:

-  2 teaspoons softened butter

-  1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

-  1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

-  3 to 4 tablespoons milk

-  food coloring

In a small bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground nutmeg.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together vegetable shortening and light brown sugar.  Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with molasses and water until well blended and dough is formed.  If dough is still too crumbly, add more water gradually, until dough ball is formed.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Once the dough has refrigerated, preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease cookie sheet(s).  Roll out dough on a lightly flour surface, until approximately 1/4 inch thick, and cut out into gingerbread men or any other shapes you desire.  Place onto cookie sheet(s) and bake for approximately 7 to 9 minutes.  Make sure not to over cook, as the gingerbread will harden once cool.

Now, it is time to do the base (glossy) frosting.  Mix or beat powdered sugar and milk together until smooth.  Add in light corn syrup and almond extract and blend until glossy.  Mix in food coloring of your choice.  Spread over cookies.  *If the frosting is not smooth enough, add milk, a little at a time for the right consistency.

Now, it is time for the piping (decorative) frosting.  Mix together butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extra.  Add in milk 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting becomes smooth and the right consistency in which you desire.  Add food coloring of your choice.  Place color(s) into piping bag and choose your tip design.  Pipe onto cookies to decorate.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Spice Ball Cookies

Here is a recipe for chocolate spice ball cookies (makes approximately 25 - 30):

Cookie dough:

-  3/4 cup softened butter

-  3/4 cup granulated sugar

-  1 large egg

-  1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-  1/4 cup strong coffee (can be decaf)

-  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

-  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-  2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

-  1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

-  1 teaspoon baking powder

-  1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Frosting:

-  1/2 cup powdered sugar

-  6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

-  strong coffee as needed (I used 5 tablespoons)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream softened butter and sugar together in a medium size bowl.  Add egg, vanilla extract, and coffee (1/4 cup) and stir.  Combine flour, cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa powder, cloves, baking powder, and chopped walnuts in a small bowl.  Mix dry ingredients into the wet mixture.  At this point, you will need to use your hand to incorporate all the ingredients together.  Form dough into round balls and place on a non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake in preheat oven for 10 to 12 minutes.  Remove and let cool on a wire rack.

While the cookies are baking you can make the frosting.  Mix together the 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, and 5 tablespoons strong coffee.  Once cookies are cool, spread the frosting on each one using a knife or small spatula.  Serve and enjoy!  If you have any left over or are baking them for a later date, you can store the cookies in an air tight container at room temperature.

Pizzelle

Here is a recipe for homemade pizzelles. They are a thin, traditional Italian cookie that is typically served through the holidays. This recipe makes approximately 16 to 18 cookies:

-  2 large eggs

-  1/2 cup granulated sugar

-  1/3 cup melted butter

-  1 teaspoon anise extract

-  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-  1 cup and 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

-  1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

-  powdered sugar (optional decorative dusting)

In a medium bowl, beat or whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.  Stir in melted (and cooled) butter, vanilla extract, and anise extract.  In a separate, small bowl, mix together flour and baking powder.  Combine flour mixture into the wet mixture.  The dough will be sticky and that's ok.

Preheat pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Set your darkness on the iron to your liking (if you have this option).  Scoop batter onto the iron by the spoonful into the center of the cookie imprint and close.  Cook until light on iron indicates that it's done.  If you don't have the light indicator, cook for approximately 1 minute or until steam stops coming out.  Remove from iron and let cool and then sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Don't worry If batter runs outside of imprint, it can be trimmed once you remove the cookie from the iron.  Serve and enjoy!  Maga, manga!  

Store leftover cookies in an air tight container at room temperature.  

*Double or triple the recipe if you want to make more.

**If you want to make cannoli's, wrap each cookie with a slender wooden dowel while warm and let cool. Stuff with softened ice cream or a ricotta sweet blend.

Sugar Cookies

Here is a recipe for sugar cookies that I got from allrecipes.com.  They are really light and very good!  Makes about 3 dozen cookie cut outs.  I made leaves/acorns for fall.

-  1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

-  1/3 cup butter (softened)

-  1/3 cup vegetable shortening

-  3/4 cup white sugar

-  1 egg

-  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-  1/4 teaspoon salt

-  1 teaspoon baking powder

Mix dry ingredients in a medium size bowl (flour, salt, baking powder).  Cream together softened butter and shortening.  Add in sugar and mix again.  Then, add in egg and vanilla extract and mix again.  Mix in flour, baking powder, and salt mixture and mix again thoroughly until dough it formed.  Place onto lightly floured cutting board and roll out dough.  Roll out until dough is about 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.  *the dough might not come together on your first roll out, but just knead, work with the dough and it will come together nicely....trust me!  Place onto non-stick baking sheets and bake in you preheated oven at 350 degrees for approximately 10 minutes.  I added sprinkles to mine before I baked them to add color and fun for the kids.  Let cool on baking sheet or wire rack.  Enjoy!