Gingerbread People
about 25 gingerbread people
Prep: 30 minutes
Chill: 3 hours
Bake: 5 minutes per batch
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup grated fresh ginger
Royal Icing
Assorted colors of paste food coloring
Directions
1. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ground cloves; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter for 30 seconds with an electric mixer. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla; beat until combined. Beat in ginger and as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Cover; chill dough about 3 hours, or overnight, or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degree F. On a lightly floured surface roll dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut dough using 5-inch gingerbread people cookie cutters. Arrange the cutouts about 1 inch apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 5 to 6 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are light brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Pipe designs on cookies with tinted Royal Icing. Makes about 25 gingerbread people.
To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store piped cookies at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw, and if desired, pipe with icing.
Royal Icing: In a small bowl combine 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 4 teaspoons meringue powder, and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar. Stir in 1/4 cup warm water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, then on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional warm water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until of glazing consistency. To tint, divide the glaze into small portions. Add enough paste food coloring or liquid food coloring to each portion to make desired color.
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Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 3 hours
Bake: 10 minutes per batch
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon extract
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk
Granulated sugar, fine sanding sugar, coarse sugar, or colored decorating sugar
Directions
1. Beat shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; beat until combined. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract till combined. Alternately add flour and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating until combined. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill at least 3 hours or until easy to handle.
2. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Roll dough on a floured surface until 1/2 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a 2-1/2-inch cookie cutter. Place rounds 2-1/2 inches part on an ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake about 10 minutes or until set and edges just begin to brown. Transfer to wire racks and cool. Makes 32.
3. To store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
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Spritz are a butter sugar cookie usually made using a cookie press to get many different shapes.
Spritz Blossoms
about 7 dozen cookies
Prep: 40 minutes
Bake: 7 minutes/batch
Ingredients
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing
Coarse sugar; silver dragees
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F. In large bowl beat butter on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking powder; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in egg, vanilla, and extract until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can; stir in remaining flour.
2. Push dough through cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to
9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to wire rack to cool.
3. Brush with Powdered Sugar Icing; sprinkle with sugar. Place a dragee in center. Dry 30 minutes on waxed paper. Makes 80.
4. Store in airtight container in single layer at room temperature up to 3 days. Freeze up to 3 months.
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Molasses Ginger Cookies
Prep: 30 minutes
Chill: 3 hours
Bake: 9 minutes per batch
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 egg
1/2 cup coarse raw sugar or granulated sugar
Directions
1. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the 3�4 cup granulated sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in molasses and egg until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the 1�2 cup raw sugar. Place balls on parchment-lined cookie sheet or on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm and tops are puffed; do not overbake. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks. Cool. Makes 4 dozen cookies.
Test Kitchen Tip: To store, arrange in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Tender Sugar Cookies
about 60 Prep: 40 min.
Chill: 30 min.
Bake: 15 min. per batch
Ingredients
1 cup butter, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Directions
1. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 300F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated about 15 minutes or until tops are slightly crackled and sides are set (do not let edges brown). Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool. Makes about 60 cookies.
3. Tip: For a colorful platter of cookies, roll the dough balls in different colored sugars instead of the white granulated sugar.
4. To store: Place cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen, before serving.
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COCONUT OATMEAL COOKIES DIPPED IN CHOCOLATE
1 cup Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
¾ cup Butter – softened
1 2/3 cup Sugar
2 Eggs – large or bigger (I prefer to use Jumbo)
1 ½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2 ½ cup Quick Oats
1 cup Flaked Coconut
16 oz Milk Chocolate - Melted (I prefer Droste a Milk Chocolate candy bar from Holland)
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy (and I know how you gals like 'fluffy'). Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in flour mixture, vanilla and oats. Add coconut. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned at the edges. Cool on a wire rack. One cool dip half of each cookie in the melted chocolate and let harden. Makes about 60 cookies. Cookies will spread when baking.
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Irish Crème Fudge
I also use other liqueurs in place of the Irish Creme such as Kahlua, bandy, Kirsch, spiced/flavored rum and the new flavors of Kahlua mixing and matching nuts, coconut and dried fruits to match the liqueurs.
3 sticks of butter (3/4 pound)
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 7-ounce jar Kraft marshmallow crème
12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bottle (airline size or nip) or 1 shot Irish Crème
2 cups walnuts or pecans - optional
2 8-inch square pans sprayed with non-stick spray
In a heavy 3 quart sauce pan - I prefer an enameled cast iron -melt butter, sugar and evaporated milk. Bring to a boil, turn down heat to a low boil and cook for 5 minutes.
Turn off heat and mix in marshmallow crème. Once that is incorporated, mix in the chocolate chips until mixture is an even chocolate color then add the Irish crème and nuts, mixing thoroughly.
Pour mixture into pans and cool thoroughly before cutting into squares and serving.
