| Best Sugar Cookie Recipe?
There is nothing like a great sugar cookie recipe. Don't buy the roll of Pillsbury Dough, you can make a superb cookie that will remind you of the days when Grandma made them. |
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Grandma used to sit by the fire and drink her tea and Grandpa used to sip his coffee made from his French Press, before it was trendy. I loved seeing them sit there enjoying the day. When we walked in the house there were smells coming from the kitchen you just couldn't imagine. The sweet smell of warm sugar cookies invaded your senses. You knew today was going to be a treat. It was a tradition that we enjoyed every year. The kitchen was filled with flour storms and the counters were sticky from Buttercream frosting. We had tin cookie cutters spread all over the table. I liked the boot best, my sister liked the angel. Grandma had a special way with those cookies and she handed down the recipe to me. I was to teach my kids how to make these wonderful holiday sweets. It wouldn't be Christmas time without this recipe of Yummy cookies.
Grandma's Favorite Sugar Cookie 1 cup white sugar 1 cup powdered sugar 1 cup butter 2 eggs beaten 1 tsp cream of tarter 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp vanilla 4 cups flour ½ cup corn oil Cream the sugars and butter together. Mix the beaten eggs, vanilla and corn oil, in. Add the dry ingredients .Mix all the ingredients well and chill overnight.
We used to make the funniest colors to decorate the cookies, most of them looked inedible. They tasted heavenly, though. We figured if we made them look gross enough, the adults would leave them alone. We were wrong. Everyone knew they were Grandma's famous sugar cookies from her handed down recipe book. This page was splattered with all sorts of colors. I have that book now. I love making these cookies with my kids. Grandma's Favorite Frosting (don't forget the food coloring) 2 cups of powdered sugar ½ cup butter melted 1 ½ T Milk 1 tsp vanilla Cream sugar, butter and vanilla. Add a small amount of milk (1 to 2 tablespoons). Beat until fluffy. If frosting is too sweet add a little more milk. Try it this season. Enjoy your family and brew some wonderful tea or coffee and relax. Take the time to make memories with your family or neighbors or friends. Best Sugar Cookie Recipe? Related articles: |
Friday, January 13, 2012
Best Sugar Cookie Recipe?
Monday, January 2, 2012
Favorite Cookie Baking Tools and Equipment
| Favorite Cookie Baking Tools and Equipment
Baking homemade cookies is a lot more enjoyable when you have the right tools and equipment. Here's a list of items that will help insure cookie baking success. |
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Baking Pans and Cookie Sheets: Come in a wide variety of styles and materials. Dark metal pans absorb heat and will cause cookies and brownies to brown more quickly. Shiny metal pans reflect heat making them perfect for more delicate baked treats. Air-cushioned sheets provide extra protection from burning but make it difficult to obtain golden brown cookies. Glass pans carry heat more effectively so your oven temperature needs to be adjusted down 25 degrees when using them. I prefer dull, light colored heavy duty aluminum baking pans. Basic pan sizes you'll want in your collection include:
Wooden Spoons: Great for stirring brownies batter Measuring Spoons: One or two sets of graduated spoons designed specifically for measuring Measuring Cups: A 2-cup glass or plastic one for liquids that has a spout and a set of dry graduated measuring cups Spatulas: One thin metal spatula for removing cookies from the pan and a couple of plastic spatulas for scraping cookie dough and brownie batter from bowls into baking pans Whisks: One or two medium to large whisks for mixing both dry and wet ingredients Ice Cream Scoops: Small ice cream scoops make easy, speedy work of dropping cookie dough onto pans. They're one of my favorite inexpensive cookie making tools Microplane: A wonderful tool for zesting and grating zest from citrus fruit and chocolate Silicone baking pan liners: Make clean-up a breeze and are available in a wide variety of sizes. With a silicone liner you are able to forgo greasing cookie sheets too. Just be sure to not cut them. Parchment Paper: An indispensable aid for quick and easy baking. Available in both rolls and sheets, I bake all my cookies on parchment lined sheets for the easiest clean-up Wire Racks: For cooing your cookies and brownies Electric Mixer: I love my KitchenAid mixers, both hand-held and standing versions, for making brownies and cookies. If you only bake occasionally or have limited space, start with one or the other. If you bake a lot, you will eventually want both. Food Processor: I am a fan of Cuisinart food processors. They can really speed up the process for many kitchen tasks like chopping, grating, shredding, and pureeing. Get one that has at least a 6-cup capacity. Favorite Cookie Baking Tools and Equipment |
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Cookie Mix Party Bags, A Great Party Bag Alternative
| Cookie Mix Party Bags, A Great Party Bag Alternative
If you are fed up with the typical party bag filled with pocket money toys and sweets, then try something completely different, such as a cookie mix party bag. |
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Well what is it? Basically it's a party bag that is filled with a dry cookie mixture, ready for children to bake at home. Ready prepared cake and cookie mixes are very popular, especially amongst parents with younger children as they are so quick and easy to make. It's also a fun way to get the kids interesting in cooking and baking. You can buy cookie mix party bags that are ready prepared from selected stores and online retailers and some bags and boxes can be personalised too which adds a special touch. If you are feeling brave though, try making them yourself, here's how: Find a simple cookie recipe that is tried and tested and makes up to a dozen cookies. Chocolate Chip and Shortbread tend to work well. Measure out all the dry ingredients and place in a cellophane or clear food bag and tie or seal it to avoid any of the ingredients from escaping. Then place the bag with the mixture into either a paper bag, a card box or even a small jar. Each box or bag can be decorated or personalised with a child's name or a message which says something like 'thank you for coming to my party'. For each cookie mix bag, you will also need to either write out or print a label with simple baking instructions, which you can extract from the cookie recipe. Whoever bakes the cookies will need to add the wet ingredients such as eggs, butter, oil or water. For an extra special touch, you could include some cookie toppings such as Smarties, sprinkles and sweets so that the children can decorate their cookies once they have been baked. There you have it, a wonderful cookie mix party bag that makes a great gift that will not only be fun to make but will taste delicious too. There really is no end to what edible mix you could make. You could try a muffin mix, fairy cake mix or a chocolate brownie mix, all of which would go down a treat with kids. The important thing to remember is that the recipe has to be simple to make and it's probably best to avoid recipes that use any form of nuts. Cookie Mix Party Bags, A Great Party Bag Alternative |
Thursday, December 29, 2011
How to Make Sugar Free Cookie Recipes
| How to Make Sugar Free Cookie Recipes
Having some sugar free cookie recipes in your baking arsenal is very handy when someone enters your life who can't handle the sugar content in regular cookies. With the guidance in this article, you should be able to make the transition to sugar free cookies easily. Let's get started...
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| How to Make Sugar Free Cookie Recipes |
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Walnut Chocolate Circles Cookie Recipe
| Walnut Chocolate Circles Cookie Recipe
The walnut chocolate circles cookie recipe has a great rich flavor that is great for dunking in a tall glass of milk or hot cup of coffee! |
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Ingredients 2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon vanilla extract pinch of salt 1 cup walnuts, toasted and finely ground 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour Vanilla Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1-2 tablespoons milk Hardware Large bowl Small bowl Cookie sheets Plastic wrap Mixer Step 1: In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer set on medium-high for 30 seconds. Step 2: Add sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Beat until combined. Step 3: Beat in ground nuts. Step 4: Beat in as much flour as you can with the electric mixer, then stir in remaining flour with spoon. Step 5: Shape dough into a 2-inch-diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4-24 hours or until firm enough to slice. Step 6: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Step 7: Lightly grease cookie sheets. Step 8: Cut log into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets. Step 9: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookies look dry. Transfer cookies to cooling surface. Vanilla Icing: Step 1: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and enough milk (1-2 tablespoons) to make drizzling consistency. Step 2: Drizzle each cookie with icing, let dry. Makes 40 cookies. For more information on baking procedures and hardware used in this recipe see our Baking Tips section. Important: Feel free to republish this article on your website. However, you are not allowed to modify any part of its content and all links should be kept active. Walnut Chocolate Circles Cookie Recipe |
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Cookie Press Cookies - The Perennial Christmas Cookie
| Cookie Press Cookies - The Perennial Christmas Cookie
Cookie Press Cookies, or Spritz cookies as they are sometimes called, have been a Christmas cookie treat since the 1600's. They are called "cookie press" because a press is used to form the cookies. |
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The word "spritz" comes from the German word "spritzen" which means "to squirt or spray". The word describes the action of the cookie press, which "squirts" the dough through a die giving the cookie its shape. If you've tried making spritz cookies without success in the past or if you're new to them the following information will guide you to making these delicious Christmas treats. Cookie Press Recipes Most bakers that have had problems with their cookie press cookies are probably not at fault at all. More than likely it's the recipe they were using. Spritz cookie dough has to have some unique qualities. First of all the dough has to be soft enough that it will go through the press with no problems. The fact that it has to be soft could present the second problem. It must hold it's shape in the oven or it will lose its design. On top of these two problems is that it has to taste good! That eliminates some of the tricks some bakers' use for shape holding like using shortening for the fat. For great cookie flavor butter should be the fat in Cookie Press Cookies! This is a good basic recipe that will produce beautiful Christmas spritz cookies. Basic Spritz Cookie Recipe Ingredients 1 large egg yolk
Instructions Adjust your oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, beat yolk, cream, and vanilla with fork until combined; set aside. In stand mixer cream the butter, sugar, and salt at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. With the mixer running at medium speed, add the yolk and cream mixture and beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer running at low speed gradually beat in the flour a little at a time until combined. Scrape down the bowl and give a final stir with a rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain. Load up your cookie press and press out the cookies spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies are light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet until just warm, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cookies from the sheet with a metal spatula and transfer to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Some words of caution! This cookie recipe works perfectly fine. However there are some variables that can't be solved by a recipe. Those variables are in your own kitchen. Oven thermostats are notoriously inaccurate! The temperature of your oven must be 375 degrees for the cookies to setup before the melting butter makes them spread. If your cookies spread too much check your oven with an oven thermometer. In addition to oven temperature the cookies will spread too much if you have whipped too much air into the dough. When you are creaming the butter and sugar be sure and not over whip. Also combine the dry ingredients with the wet just until mixed thoroughly. A warm cookie sheet will cause your cookies to spread excessively. Be sure your sheet is completely cooled before you do a second batch. You can pop it in the fridge for a few minutes if necessary. Expand Your Cookie Press Cookies Repertoire Once you have the basic procedure for spritz cookies down pat you can expand your repertoire. The flavors and decorations possibilities for these cookies are almost unlimited. And with good recipes you can make Christmas Cookie Baking go like a flash. Cookie Press Cookies - The Perennial Christmas Cookie |
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas Cookies - Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe
| Christmas Cookies - Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe
Sugar cookies are the basics of any holiday. They are versatile and wonderfully delicious. You can do just about anything with sugar cookies including flavoring and a wide variety of decorations that it can take. They can also be sweet or done without the extra sweetness expected of them. The choice of course is up to what you and your family enjoys. |
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Basic sugar cookie recipes can be found anywhere, in just about every cookbook and can even be found online with relative ease. Because the sugar cookie is such a versatile cookie you can find a number of variations. Children can help out with a number of aspects as well with these. When using a regular sugar cookie recipe the cookies are usually rolled in sugar before placing them on the cookie tray or sugar is sprinkled over them before baking. This is a wonderful place for children to be able to help out. It is important however to warn children to stay away from the cookies until they cool. Sugar can get very hot, hotter than most substances and children can be easily burned by the sugar coating on these cookies. Here is a simple basic sugar cookie recipe to start with variations can be found online or make your own to your families taste. Experimentation can be fun with these for adults and children alike. Ingredients 1 1/2 c butter Instructions Soften the butter so that it is room temperature and easily to manipulate but do not melt it. Use the Thaw feature on the microwave if necessary but usually leaving it on the counter for a few hours or over night will take care of it for you. Take a large bowl and combine the sugar and butter until it make a smooth and creamy mixture. Next add in the eggs and the extract, in this case Vanilla. You can add more vanilla if you want depending on taste. Stir in the flour, the salt and the baking powder. Then cover the dough and chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. While chilling the dough preheat your over to 400 degrees F. pull the dough from the refrigerator and roll out onto a floured surface. You will want the cookies to be between 1/4 to 1/2" thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter and place on an ungreased sheet about 1" apart or you can form dough balls roll them sugar and flatten. Cooking time increases with cookies more than 1/4 to 1/2" so adjust accordingly. Bake the cookies for about 6-8 minutes. Longer if cookies are thicker or bigger let cookies cool completely and enjoy. You can also use this basic recipe to make a wide variety of different types of cookies. Add food coloring to make colored Christmas cookies or different flavorings to make different flavored cookies. Flavorings can easily be found in the baking aisle of your store. Christmas Cookies - Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe |
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Cookie method - Italian Butter Cookies
Italian butter cookies are very appetizing cookies. It is one of the favourite cookie formula that everyone likes. Each formula are prepared differently by distinct persons. But i made this cookie very precisely because i love this cookie very much and i love to eat it. Kids enjoy and love to dip this cookies into chocolate and sprinkles.
The assorted items that are required to put in order this Italian Butter Cookies are:
Cookie For Kids
Flour - 4 cups Sugar - 1 cup Orange rind - two and a half tea spoon Rum Egg Yolks beaten - 4 Unsalted Butter cut into pieces - 1 1/2 cups Egg White Beaten - 1
The assorted steps for making ready the butter cookie are:
Step 1:
Mix flour, sugar and orange rind together.
Step 2:
Add egg yolks and rum together in the former composition and mix it fully after adding each item.
Step 3:
Now cut the butter into flour mix and then add the pastry blender. Now get the crumbly and then knead into a dough.
Step 4:
Now roll the dough on the board. The board should be 1/4 inch thick. Then cut the dough into shapes. Now keep the dough on cookie sheet. Fill it with egg white and then the cookies should be baked. The cookies should be baked at 350F for a time of colse to 15 to 20 minutes.
After it is cooled, the cookie should be dipped in melted chocolate and sprinkles. Now the tasty italian butter cookie is ready to eat.
Cookie method - Italian Butter CookiesBasic Chocolate Chip Cookie formula - How Each Ingredient Works
You will often hear, "My chocolate chip cookies did not turn out." Inevitably it is then fast blamed on the recipe used, and then the quest for a new recipe ensues. The odds are that the recipe used was just fine, but how the cookie ingredients were measured and mixed probably had more to do with the poor outcome.
There are so many recipes to choose from, it can be confusing. Each recipe will produce a similar tasting product, but depending on how the ingredients were used, each recipe will produce a cookie with its own set of textural characteristics and traits.
Cookie Recipes
Butter: This is the fat that makes a cookie rich and palatable. Unsalted butter is the best to use as you can better operate the salt number in your recipe. White and brown sugar: These sugars sweeten the cookie while also adding textural qualities. More brown sugar will make a soft chewy cookie while large amounts of white sugar will make a drier crispy cookie. Eggs: Eggs are emulsifiers. This means that they help keep fats evenly distributed throughout the cookie development it thick and stable. Extracts: Flavoring that give pastries a subtle underlying flavor. The most common extracts for a chocolate chip cookie are vanilla and almond. All-Purpose flour: This is the most common flour found in the household kitchen, and the most recommended for baking cookies. The more flour used, the more dense the cookie. Self rising flour is not recommended. Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda are the two most common gas producing agents that are used to make the cookie rise in the oven. Soda will produce a cookie that spreads more, as a duplicate acting baking powder will make a fluffier cookie. Salt: Salt easily enhances the sweetness and all the other flavors in the cookie. Sea salt is the best because it is a pure fine salt without additives. Chocolate Chips: Semi-sweet chocolate chunks were in the first ever chocolate chip cookie, however, any flavor can be put into this excellent cookie recipe. Nuts: Nuts are elective in any cookie recipe, but add a crunchy texture and added layer of flavor. Walnuts and pecans are the most excellent choice.
No matter which way you like your chocolate chip cookie, this is the most common set of ingredients that go into a basic recipe. Since the first cookie was made in 1933 there have been many alterations to the former recipe, but few recipes stray far from the tried and true excellent list of ingredients.
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie formula - How Each Ingredient WorksSaturday, December 10, 2011
The Best Homemade Chocolate Chips Cookie recipe
My big family loves chocolate chip cookie so much that we make batches of if on most weekends and extra occasions. Every person naturally loves them that they disappear very fast while family events. We have our own extra formula which has come to be a tradition we all cherish, and I call this the best chocolate cookie formula ever. This makes more than 5 dozens of chocolate chip cookies.
You will have fun with this formula which you can pick to modify to your personal taste. So, to get started, you need to put in order all the ingredients.
Cookie Recipes
You will need:
1 cup pure butter 3/4 cup brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour or your popular cake mix 2 cups semi-sweetened chocolate chips 1teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Dissolve butter. Add the granulated and brown sugar.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat all ingredients until completely combined.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat just adequate to integrate all ingredients.
5. In a isolate bowl, integrate all-purpose flour, salt and baking soda.
6. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating with a mixer.
7. Add in chocolate chips Gradually stirring with a spoon until composition is evenly mixed throughout the batter.
8. Drop in rounded tablespoonfuls, on a cookie sheet,or baking pan.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes until the edges turn golden brown.
10. Watch your cookies closely, do not overcook.
These phenomenal cookies are ideal for roughly any occasion. Its goodness makes it excellent for dessert and snacks. Now you have just discovered my family's popular chocolate cookie recipe. One top underground is the type of flour you use. I love the yellow boxed cake mix, of course, you still could use any of your popular brands. Just learn by heart that using the best cake flour will deliver your cookie a miniature more body than any lowly unbleached flour.
If you are doing smaller cookies, remember that baking time also goes down. Many ovens furnish heat from the bottom, and so as not to burn the bottom of the cookies, I naturally double pan them before baking.
Spend time experimenting dissimilar mixes, it is the only way to fetch the ideal chocolate chip cookie you desire. As soon as you get hold of the best combinations, you too will enjoy the appetizing treat of chocolatey goodness you and your family will be delighted as well.
The Best Homemade Chocolate Chips Cookie recipeCookie Monster Costume for Kids
Sesame street is one show that you can definitely communicate to with your kids since you grew up with it, too. It won't come as a surprise if you can still name the characters of this popular children's educational show by heart. From Jim Henson's Ernie and Bert, Count Dracula, Big Bird, Elmo, and Oscar the Grouch, to name a few, you can't actually wrong. Choosing a character from the show will be fun especially for your toddlers who still hopefully enjoy watching it regularly. And probably one of the most lovable characters among them is the Cookie Monster. So, a Cookie Monster costume for kids is actually a popular selection to dress your child up with this Halloween season.
A Cookie Monster costume for kids is a great idea, not only because it's cute, but also because it can also be the best way to dress up your child warmly in areas where the weather is actually cold. If you find the right materials and if you have loads of time, you can do the costume yourself. Its simple invent can actually be easy to make for yourself. But, not all moms have the luxury of doing everything by hand. Buying one would be the best option. But, if you feel like this would be cheating the fun out of Halloween, here are some costume ideas that you can add to the basic costume to make the look more extra for your exiguous one.
Cookie For Kids
Since the Cookie Monster costume for kids is actually simple, you won't have much to work on. What you can do instead, is work on the props to go along with the costume. You can get a lightweight plastic cookie jar that he or she could carry nearby to put the treats in. Or you can fashion an old cookie jar that you can carry for your exiguous cookie monster yourself. All you have to do is personalize the cookie jar by sticking on it a "Cookie Monster's Cookie Jar" label that you can print out on a blue poster paper. Or better yet, you can write one out yourself in how you dream Cookie Monster would be writing it. You can also fashion a small blue tote bag or carry all with the label as an selection to the jar.
Another cool idea that you can do if you have an additional one toddler, is to dress the other kid as a cookie jar or as a cookie to go hand in hand with your Cookie Monster. There are other ways that you can do to spice up your ready-made Cookie Monster costume for kids and make it extra special.
There actually is no limit to how you can make your Cookie Monster costume for kids unique and impressive. As with any other costume ideas, the most important thing is that your kid will have as much fun wearing it as you did in putting the costume together. So go ahead and be adventurous this Halloween.
Cookie Monster Costume for KidsTuesday, December 6, 2011
Different Types of Cookie Sheets Yield Different Tasting Cookies
Anybody who takes the time to make cookies from scratch obviously wants them to come out perfectly and taste delicious. Mixing ingredients is almost unheard of these days with just about everything being available in pre-mixed or pre-made packages. Most people simply buy a roll of cookie dough, slice it, and stick it in the oven for 15-18 minutes. However, for the individuals out there who still take the time to make their own cookie dough, it's important to know the differences between all the types of sheets available in stores today. There are a multitude of them, and believe it or not, they all yield different results.
Insulated Non-stick Sheet
Cookie Recipes
Most insulated sheets are made to be non-stick, and because insulated sheets are sometimes on the more expensive side, they tend to resist scratches, chipping, and peeling. Insulated cookie sheets are basically two sheets that have been connected around the edges, which creates a small pocket of air that cannot escape. The air inside of the pocket heats to the set temperature of the oven when the sheet is placed inside.
Insulated cookie sheets are very reliable for evenly baked cookies. Because the air inside the sheet heats to the temperature of the oven, it allows all the cookies on the sheet to cook and brown at the same rate. The evenly heated air prevents the sheet from being hotter in certain spots, which is a common occurrence with regular sheets. In addition to yummy cookies, most insulated sheets are easy to clean because of their non-stick surfaces.
Aluminum
Aluminum cookie sheets are very commonly used. Aluminum conducts heat well which is why cookie sheets made of this material usually produce an evenly baked cookie. The only down side to aluminum is that it sometimes prevents cookies from reaching the perfect shade of brown.
Cookie sheets made of aluminum are very sturdy and they won't rust even if they have to be soaked in water for and extended period of time. Heavy aluminum baking sheets are better to use than the thin types that are available for less money. Thin aluminum sheets can bend and/or warp in a hot oven which can cause cookies to cook unevenly.
Non-Stick Cookie Sheets
When non-stick cookie sheets were invented, a whole new world of baking emerged. The ease of cleaning a cookie sheet with a non-stick surface is amazing, and it practically eliminates the need to butter the sheet before cooking. Washing a non-stick sheet is a breeze and hardly requires anything but a quick scrub.
Non-stick sheets have a surface coating that makes them easy to clean, yet they are still able to produce delicious cookies. Keep in mind that the darker the non-stick surface, the quicker the cookies will brown. Therefore, it's important to read the instructions that come with the sheet to find out if the manufacturer recommends that the oven's cooking temperature be lowered to compensate. It may be necessary to lower the temperature of the oven by about 25 degrees.
In conclusion, cookie sheets can be made of a number of different types of materials, or even a combination of materials. Every sheet will yield a different end result for the same exact cookie recipe. The darker the sheet, the faster the cookies will brown because a dark sheet absorbs heat more readily and transfers the heat directly to the cookies. Aluminum cookie sheets are good conductors of heat but are not good for ensuring that the cookies will brown. Insulated cookie sheets will ensure evenly baked cookies no matter how they are spaced on the sheet. For best results, try out a cookie recipe on all three types of sheets and determine which yields the desired results.
Different Types of Cookie Sheets Yield Different Tasting Cookies
This article has been provided by Debbie Dragon with ReliableWriters.com. Reliable Writers has a team of ebook writers that can write quality ebooks on virtually any topic.
Monday, December 5, 2011
Easy Cookie Recipe for 4-Ingredient Cookies
Cookies are a vital part of a balanced diet and one of the four food groups. Most people don't recognise this, and consequently they save cookies for special occasions such as weddings, bar Mitzvahs and tax deadline day. However, this can lead to unnecessary hunger, weakness, anaemia, loss of hearing and, in certain extreme cases, prolonged and grisly death.
Therefore, having some easy cookie recipes with few ingredients is tremendously important, since otherwise you will be forced to go out and buy some from the store, which is an unnecessary expenditure of energy and money. This recipe can be put together from basic household ingredients and cooked in an oven, an appliance many homes have but few use on a regular basis.
Cookie For Kids
For these easy chocolate cookies you will need:
Flour, Butter or margarine, Cocoa powder; Sugar
You can also add a splash of vanilla essence, coffee essence or Absinthe, to taste, if you like.
Mix together a cup of melted butter (use a microwave) and a cup of sugar. Then start adding flour slowly to the mix. Throw in 2 or 3 tablespoons of cocao along the way. After you've added a bit more than a cup of flour, you will have a stiff dough mix.
Roll out the dough on a counter, using more flour to stop it sticking. Use a bottle or jar if you don't have a rolling pin. Then use a cookie cutter to cut out cookie shapes, and put them on a baking sheet.
Put the baking sheet in an oven that has been pre-heated to 325 degrees. Leave them in there for 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how soft you like your cookies and how hungry you are.
Then take them out and eat them, allowing them to cool first to avoid burns to your mouth and lawsuits for people who are kind enough to give you recipes for free.
These cookies are best served warm with a glass of cold milk, ideally semi-skimmed. They will also go exceptionally well with a cup of coffee, because the chocolate contains theobromine which perfectly complements the caffeine in the coffee (the two molecules being very similar). However, don't even think about using instant. You're going to need to find some proper, roasted coffee - ideally an African coffee, like Ethiopian Yirgacheffe or Kenya Peaberry - in bean form, so that you can grind it for maximum freshness. Make it in a cafetiere to be sure, and drink it fresh, soon after you've made it, to offset that cookie really well.
Easy Cookie Recipe for 4-Ingredient Cookies
Try http://www.easycookierecipeswithfewingredients.com for more easy cookie recipes that involve very few ingredients. Yes, it's that kind of site.
There's even a recipe that has only 3 ingredients there: http://www.easycookierecipeswithfewingredients.com/p/cookies-without-butter.html
Brilliant.
Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes - Chocolate Drizzled Cherry Bars
These impressive looking cookies will make a splash at any gathering.
2 cups all purpose flour
Cookie Recipes
2 cups quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups butter, softened
1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon shortening
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, sugar and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 1/2 cups for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
In another bowl, combine the pie filling and extract; carefully spread over the crust. Sprinkle with the reserved crumb mixture.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges of the topping are lightly browned.
In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over warm bars. Cool completely. Cut into bars.
Makes 36 bar cookies.
=> Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes: Heavenly Caramel Cookies
A delicious cookie featuring spices, nuts, coconut and marshmallows.
12 graham crackers
2 cups miniature marshmallows
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup flaked coconut
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with foil.
Place graham crackers inside the pan; cover with marshmallows.
In a saucepan, cook and stir butter, brown sugar and cinnamon over medium heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; stir in the vanilla. Spoon over the marshmallows.
Sprinkle with almonds and coconut. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until browned. Cool completely. Cut into 2-inch squares, then cut each square in half to form triangles.
Makes 72 cookies.
=> Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes: Minty Meringue Drop Cookies
These light as air cookies are perfect for the holidays.
2 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 6 drops green food coloring, optional
1 pkg. mint chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat 250 degrees.
Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper; set aside.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar, beating until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until stiff peaks form. Beat in the vanilla and food coloring. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until dry to the touch. Cool.
Makes 30 cookies.
Note: If you cannot find mint chocolate chips, place 2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips and 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract inside a plastic bag. Seal the bag and toss chips until coated. Let chips sit for 24 to 48 hours before using.
Most Popular Christmas Cookie Recipes - Chocolate Drizzled Cherry Bars
Clueless about what gift to give that special person? Stop on by and browse our great gift ideas selection for some suggestions. [http://www.1MinuteSolutions.com]
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe - How to Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
Cream of tartar is an age old ingredient, found in just about any Snickerdoodle recipe. The common household baker rarely knows what cream of tartar is, let alone has this acidic based salt in their spice cupboard. Suffice it to say you can still enjoy delicious Snickerdoodles even though you may not have any on hand. You may even find you like the end results better with a simple common substitution.
Cream of tartar is commonly used in conjunction with baking soda when making Snickerdoodle cookies. Baking soda is the leavening agent while cream of tartar has no leavening qualities at all. It is the acidic counterpart that allows the baking soda to react and not leave a bitter taste in the cookie after it is baked. Baking soda must always be used with an acid based food such as buttermilk, yogurt, fruits, and cream of tartar. A Snickerdoodle recipe usually calls for two parts cream of tartar to one part baking soda. However, in the absence of cream of tartar you can replace this two to one formula with baking powder.
Cookie Recipes For Kids
Baking powder is also a leavening agent. It produces a gas during the baking process that raises the baked good in the oven. Baking powder makes a good substitution in this recipe because it is conveniently made of baking soda, cornstarch, and cream of tartar. If you have baking powder in your cupboard, then you have the cream of tartar necessary to make Snickerdoodles. However, although you can substitute baking powder in your Snickerdoodle recipe, you may arrive at a different finished result. It will taste every bit as good as you want it too, you will find that it is a thicker cookie that has spread less in the oven during the baking period. Since most people find this favorable in a cookie then it should not be a problem. If you have always enjoyed thinner, crispier Snickerdoodles, then stick with the original formula that uses cream of tartar. Whether you are using the baking soda cream of tartar combination or the baking powder alone, you will make a crackled, spicy, sweet treat enjoyed by all.
Try these Snickerdoodle cookie recipes: one with cream of tartar and one without to see which one you prefer the most.
Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe - How to Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar
Try these Snickerdoodle cookie recipes: one with cream of tartar and one without to see which one you prefer the most.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Quick Christmas Cookie Recipes - Easy Fruitcake Bar Cookies
Instead of a big, heavy fruitcake, serve these delicious cookies.
3/4 cup butter, softened
Cookie Recipes
1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups candied pineapple, coarsely chopped
1 3/4 cups red and green cherries, halved
2 cups pitted dates, halved
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Prepare a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Lightly sprinkle pan with flour.
In a bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour and walnuts; mix well.
Spread mixture evenly into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle walnuts, pineapple, cherries and dates on top; press lightly into dough.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.
Makes 96 bar cookies.
=> Quick Christmas Cookie Recipes: Quick Holiday Cookies
Whip up these fun cookies anytime you need to make cookies in a hurry.
1 (9 oz.) pkg. yellow cake mix
2/3 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup red and green holiday M&Ms, or butterscotch chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl, combine the cake mix, oats, butter and egg; beat well. Stir in the M&Ms or chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until browned. Remove from pan immediately and let cool completely.
Makes 24 cookies.
=> Quick Christmas Cookie Recipes: Easy Peppermint Cookies
These tasty cookies are sprinkled with peppermint candy.
2/3 cup butter flavored shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup peppermint candies, crushed
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.
In a bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar; beat in the egg.
In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Fold in peppermint candy.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until cookie edges begin to brown. Remove from pan and let cool completely.
Makes 36 cookies.
Quick Christmas Cookie Recipes - Easy Fruitcake Bar Cookies
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Sunday, November 13, 2011
A Cookie Decorating Book - Most Rewarding Tool For Your Cookie Creation
Cookies are luscious little goodies bringing a lovely treat any time of the day. Everyone likes eating cookies, especially children. If you are a cookie lover, why not try creating your own delicious goodies than simply eating store-made cookies? It may be easier said than done, but with the different types of cookie decorating books today, you can prepare your own fancier and tastier cookies anytime. You will learn not only lip-smacking recipes but also unique ways of decorating your cookie.
No matter what your recipe is, there's something just wonderful about the blend of sweetness and buttery dough that has made cookies a long-time classic. With a Cookie Decorating Book, you will get magnificent cookie designs for your tea party, birthday celebration, picnic sprees, lunchboxes, church gathering pick-me-ups, or kid's sit-down favorites.
Cookie Recipes
A Cookie Decorating Book is a very useful tool to get practical tips in cookie designing. It provides easy step by step instructions from making cookie sticks to bouquets, piping to run-on icings, and stenciling to coloring dough. It also contains sweet photos of cookies that look like it must be every sugar baker's must-have book.
Not only is this book helpful for decorating cookies and ideas for wedding reception favors, you can use it the whole time you're making cookies. It's a merrymaking design book as well as a how-to book for your celebration cookie ideas. Even though it can give you the best of the world's cookies, this book is available at a very reasonable and affordable price.
You may have tried various Cake Decorating books, or some other Decoration Books, but trying a Cookie Decorating Book can give your homemade-flavored cookies with homemade-touch designs. Don't be surprised when you overwhelm your guests or customers and they start to ask you the secret of your masterpiece. Truly, the possibility of a wide cookie collection in a Cookie Decoration Book can make your purchase very favorable.
If you are a professional cookie maker and you want to turn your beautiful decorated cookies into amazing bouquet, or other arrangement, extract greater benefits from the book and develop your professional skill. If you like to adorn your finest bakes just like your grandma use to decorate, or how you want to add a polished top to your cookies without using icing and glaze, it's time you get your own copy of a Cookie Decorating Book.
There's one more thing you should know, on one occasion you give a few of these attractive flavorsome cookies as gifts, people who see them the first time will start asking you for more. Don't you think this is another perfect sweet idea for the coming holidays?
A Cookie Decorating Book - Most Rewarding Tool For Your Cookie Creation
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
Best Raw Cookie Recipe - Free Raw Recipe
I have tried many raw cookie recipes over the years but haven't found many that were good. Usually the cookies were tart, never really sweet enough. Certainly not like I ate growing up when we used sugar and fats.
I did some experimenting and found the cookie base was the problem. I experimented with various fruits, nuts and seeds and came up with a combination that worked and will hold together. When I serve these cookies, no one knows they are not cooked. They are raw, alive, healthy, and easy to make. With all the enzymes, nutrients, vitamins and minerals, etc. No harmful, fats or sugars. Nothing but goodness.
Cookie For Kids
For this easy free raw recipe, you'll need a dehydrator. Usually the Excalibur brand is used by raw food chefs however there are others. Dehydrators with the fan in back are best, but any will work, just keep the temperature very low.
Equipment: A dehydrator and you'll need a food processor.
Now for the raw fruit cookie recipe:
Ingredients, soaked sunflower seeds, Jonagold apples, bananas, Medjool dates, walnuts, raisins, vanilla and cinnamon
You'll need to soak 2 cups of sunflower seeds overnight, drain and rinse. Set aside for a while to sprout - up to 2 hours or so. Seeds get bitter if soaked a long time.
Best Raw Cookie Recipe
2 cups sunflower seeds, soaked
2 Jonagold apples or other sweet apples, but Jonagold work best
2 ripe organic bananas
4 Medjool dates, pitted
1 cup walnuts
1 cup raisins
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
Place the walnuts in the food processor and process and pulse until you have partly very small chunks and partly very fine granular pieces. Empty food processor and set aside.
Place in the food processor: the cored Jonagold apples with peel on, bananas, pitted dates, raisins. Mix together, but not too long. Then add the walnuts and lightly mix. Then slowly add the soaked, rinsed and drained sunflower seeds along with the vanilla and cinnamon. Mix together until mixed but not too long.
Using a spring-action ice cream scoop place the cookie mixture on teflex sheets and press down lightly until about 1/2 inch thick or so. You'll need 2-3 teflex sheets depending on the size of your cookie.
Place in the dehydrator at about 95 to 105 degrees or so for about 6 hours and then turn over by using another teflex sheet and tray on top and flipping over. Pull sheet back. Dehydrate for several more hours - at least 8 hours or so. I like them a little soft. If too soft, then dehydrate longer. Store in airtight jar in the refrigerator. Ummmm- eat!
This is the best raw cookie recipe - healthy, alive and loaded with good nutrition. Great for the kids. They are not the kind of cookies that cause you to gain weight. These are so good for snacks and to take with you when you leave home instead of taking along expensive food bars. You can save lots of money on bars by making these cookies. Filling too. A truly healthy raw recipe.
Best Raw Cookie Recipe - Free Raw Recipe
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Thursday, November 3, 2011
The Best Easy Cookie Recipes
Rookie cooks are often scared to get beyond opening pouches and mixing milk with cheese powder to make macaroni and cheese. The idea of taking raw ingredients and mixing them together to produce a finished end product scares them more than spiders and snakes. The sad thing is how many people go their entire cooking lives like that. Sometimes, all it takes is making a few easy cookie recipes to get their comfort level up and get them cooking on their own.
For all of these, it's perfectly fine to start off using a boxed mix. That will get you accustomed to the baking process and to the routine of dishing the batter onto the cookie sheets and then pulling the finished products off to cool.
Cookie For Kids
Eventually, though, it's time to leave the prepackaged mix nest and spread your wings to fly into the world of real cookie baking. Here are the four main types of easy cookie recipes:
Peanut butter cookies: For the kid whose favorite lunch was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, this is the king. There's no cookie easier to make, and they deliver on flavor.
Oatmeal cookies: These are the ones made by the kids whose moms wanted them to have cookies, but wanted something at least a little bit healthy. For the fiber-conscious sweet hound, they're great, and they're one of the greatest blank slates for add-ins from raisins to chocolate chips.
Chocolate chip cookies: From the classic Toll House to the vast world beyond, every recipe collection has at least one chocolate chip recipe. They are a universal favorite, and a good step to more complex baking as they are usually the most complex of the easy cookie recipes.
Sugar cookies: The holiday favorite, this will get you some great practice with a rolling pin and with producing cookies in volume and decorating them.
Whichever easy cookie recipe you choose, you're sure to have fun eating the results!
The Best Easy Cookie Recipes
Ann Marie Krause has been making cookies for over 30 years, at persent I am retired, for over 23 years I owned a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner.You can visit my site at http://www.annsgoodies.com
NOTE: You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end).
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Healthy Cookie Recipes - Vegan and Gluten Free
Vegan cookies, gluten-free cookies, wheat-free cookies...healthy cookie recipes are easy to make if you are willing to experiment with a few alternative quality ingredients. Agave nectar is the perfect sweetener for such baked treats. Not only because of its superiority to refined sugars, but also for its moisture-retaining qualities.
Healthy Cookie Recipes Can Be Made Without Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Or Milk!
Cookie Recipes
Let's start with a solid base of ground nuts. We can use whatever fits best our personal preferences and budget. Pecans tend to be a bit more expensive than almonds and hazelnuts (filberts), walnuts are often on sale or available at a less expensive regular price. Always buy bulk, and halves and pieces are just fine. No need to get whole nuts since we ground them up anyway.
A good cookie recipe should include some fat. As we want to keep this healthy, nutritious, and acceptable for vegans, let's forget about the butter and choose instead almond, cashew, or peanut butter, or a combination thereof. If you don't like the flavor or price of nut butters, substitute with organic canola oil.
Great, but what about the flour if we want to make gluten-free cookies? The answer is: organic brown rice flour! Works like a charm and is much healthier than white flour.
Next up: which sweetener? As stated above, agave nectar is a great sweetener for baked goods. Similar to honey, it helps retain the moisture in cookies and cakes. It also blends quickly and easily with all other ingredients for a well-mixed batter.
To add flavor to this basic healthy cookie mix, use some vanilla or almond extract, ground cinnamon, crushed anise seeds, and a pinch of salt, of course.
And to add even more nutritional value, consider lightly toasted rolled oats, raisins, sesame seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. My goodness...what to do with all that energy?
Why This Is An Easy Healthy Cookie Recipe For Vegan Cookies And Gluten-Free Cookies
We don't really need a recipe for these incredible power morsels of nutrition. It all depends on what we have on hand, or what we like to eat, or what we want to buy. Here is a simple recipe template utilizing the ingredients discussed above:
4 cups ground nuts
1 cup nut butter or 1/2 cup organic canola oil
1 cup organic brown rice flour
3/4 cups agave nectar
1 Tablespoon vanilla or almond extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon crushed anise seeds, cardamom, or other spices
1 teaspoon salt
Optional: 1/2 cup each raisins or toasted oats or seeds
The individual ingredient quantities don't really matter that much. The template is just a general guide line. Our goal is to mix a batter that holds its shape when divided into cookie-size balls. We might have to add a little water if the mix is too dry and crumbly. Or, we might have to add more brown rice flour to a wet and sloppy batter.
This is the best part: As we are not using raw eggs, we can taste our cookie batter before we bake it off! Add more agave nectar if you like it sweeter, more spices or seeds, until you are happy!
Important points for the baking process!
Place 2-inch balls on a parchment-lined cookie pan and flatten lightly with a fork (similar to making peanut butter cookies, dip the fork in cold water before pressing it on the cookie portions)
Use a fairly low oven temperature: 8-10 minutes at 300-325 degrees; agave nectar browns a little faster than sugar, so keep an eye on your cookies and don't let them get too dark on the bottom!
Remember, there are no raw eggs in our batter; we won't have to bake it completely through. A lightly "under-baked" interior is wonderful!
So, be adventurous and experiment with a variety of nuts, seeds, dried fruits, spices, and whatever you love in your gourmet vegan cookie. As long as you don't burn them black, they will always be good eating. And because they are so healthy and nutritious, they'll be good for you, too!
Achim Thiemermann shares his unique recipes, funny chef stories and entertaining cooking videos through his culinary blog: http://kitchen.chefkeem.com After many years of experimenting and cooking with agave nectar, Achim Thiemermann aka Chef Keem invites you to visit his new specialty website: http://buyagavenectar.com for recipes, agave info and myths debunked, and his expert recommendations for the purest organic agave nectar online shopping deals.