Here are more cookie recipes for last minute baking.
The best chocolate chip cookies
2 C minus 2 TBS cake flour
1-⅔ C bread flour
1-¼ tsp. baking soda
1-½ tsp. baking powder
1-½ tsp. coarse salt
2-½ sticks unsalted butter
1-¼ C light brown sugar
1 C plus 2 TBS granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. natural vanilla extract
1-¼ lbs. bittersweet chocolate disks, at least 60 percent cacao content
sea salt
Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours. Drop by tablespoon size and bake about 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
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Chocolate mint cookies
1/2 C butter softened to room temperature
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
green food coloring (I used 16 drops)
1-1/2 C white whole-wheat flour 6.4 oz.
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 C mint chocolate chip Brownie brittle crushed (plus additional for topping, if desired)
1/4 C plus 2 TBS mini chocolate chips
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until it’s light and fluffy. Then add egg, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and food coloring. Beat until fluffy and well mixed.
In a separate, medium-sized bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and cornstarch. Slowly stir flour mixture into butter mixture, until dough forms a ball. Then stir in crushed Brownie brittle and chocolate chips. Drop dough onto prepared cookie sheet, in tablespoon-size balls, only pressing down slightly. You want balls to be taller than they are wide. If you want extra-pretty cookies, press a few extra pieces of Brownie brittle into tops of each cookie. Place cookies in freezer for at least 2 hours.
Once frozen, bake cookies in a 350-degree oven until they are just set, and edges just begin to harden, about 10-11 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to completely cool.
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Christmas shortbread cookie
Cookie:
1 C butter, softened
3/4 C icing sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 C flour
Toppings:
10 oz. milk chocolate chips, melted
5 candy canes, crushed
Cream butter and icing sugar together. Add vanilla. Slowly add flour. Divide dough in half and form a square out of each ball of dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 min. to a few hours. If too hard, let them warm up slightly on the counter.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Flour counter surface and rolling pin. Roll dough out to ¼-in. thickness and into a rectangle. Trim all sides to have flat edges. Cut cookies ¾ inches wide and 2 inches long. Place on a cookie sheet with a silpat liner. Bake for 15-18 min. or until edges are just starting to brown. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 min., then remove to a cooling rack.
When ready to decorate, melt chocolate in microwave for 30-second intervals stirring between. Line two baking sheets with wax paper. Dip cookies half way into chocolate and sprinkle on crushed candy canes. Let dry on wax paper lined sheets. When tray is full, let them set in fridge. Once set, move to a cookie container. Freezes well also for one month covered well.
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She said, “It’s not that I’m bossy, it’s just that I am sure I know what you should be doing!”
If you would like to share a recipe with me, just send it to the J-T or email it to me.
(Melanie Behrens – melb@marysvillejt.com)