Cookie Swap

Last week I had a few friends over for a cookie swap. It was tons of fun and there were some very yummy cookies. Here are the recipes!

Chocolate Crackled Cookies

serves 3 dozen

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 stick Crisco shortening or 1 cup Crisco baking sticks

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

6 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

2/3 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat brown sugar, shortening and vanilla in a large blowl at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa salt and baking soda. Add to shortening mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill 3 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar then in powdered sugar to completely coat. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cookies are set. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet then move to wire rack to cool completely.

cinnamon-sugar roll cookies

ingredients

• Basic Cookie Dough

• 1/2 cup salted and roasted mixed nuts, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter

• Vanilla Glaze
• Chopped salted and roasted mixed nuts (optional)

directions

1. Prepare Basic Cookie Dough. Between sheets of lightly floured waxed paper, roll dough into a 16x9-inch rectangle. In a medium bowl, combine 1/2 cup mixed nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture clings together. Sprinkle mixture evenly over dough. Starting from a long side, roll up dough tightly. Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper. Freeze about 2 hours or until dough is firm enough to slice.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Cut roll into 1/4-inch slices. Place slices 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven about 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Drizzle cookies with Vanilla Glaze. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped mixed nuts. Makes about 60 cookies.

To Store: Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Vanilla Glaze: In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough milk (3 to 4 teaspoons) to make a glaze of drizzling consistency.

Basic Cookie Dough Recipe: In a large bowl, combine 1/4 c. butter (softened), 1/4 c. shortening, and 2 ounces cream cheese (softened). Beat with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 c. brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in 1 egg and 2 tsp. vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the 2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Makes about 2-3/4 cups dough.

Vanilla Pizzelles

6 eggs

3 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. cool melted butter

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. anise extract

Preheat pizzelle griddle. Beat eggs, add sugar gradually and beat well. Add butter and anise. Sift flour and baking powder and add to creamed mixture. Dough will be very sticky. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto pizzelle griddle sprayed with Pam. Cook until steam stops and cookies are a rich golden color. Cool on wire racks and store in air-tight container. Makes five dozen.

Chocolate Turtles
1/2 cup raw almond butter1/2 cup raw cocao powder1/4 cup agave nectar

16 small pecans or halves

Put almond butter, cocao, and agave in a large bowl and slowly stir until sticky, stiff dough forms
line the bottom of a 8 inch square pan with parchment or wax paper
pinch off dough and roll into balls about 1 1/4 inch in diameter. You may have to rinse and dry your hands through out. They will get sticky. Set the balls into the pan so they are not touching
Press the pecan halves on top.
Refrigerate 4 hours before consuming
Can be stored in the fridge for 3 weeks or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Makes about 16
gluten free, casein free, peanut free, soy free (depending on the almond butter)
We all have friends with dietary issues or are just picky. These are suitable with those with celiac disease or vegan.

Cranberry White Chocolate Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white chocolate morsels
• 1 (6-ounce) package sweetened dried cranberries

Preparation

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; set aside.

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.

Add flour mixture to butter mixture gradually, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in white chocolate morsels and cranberries.

Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Craisins for sweetened dried cranberries.

Italian Christmas Cookies

• COOKIES

• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups butter, melted and cooled (about 10 minutes)
• 5 cups flour
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon orange or lemon extract

• ICING

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
• A drop of anise extract (optional)
• Sprinkles

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. Add the melted butter and whisk to blend. Set the bowl aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and baking powder. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture, the vanilla, and the orange or lemon extract. Knead the dough (or mix it with a wooden spoon) until shiny, about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl with waxed paper and let the dough stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
3. Heat the oven to 350F. Form the dough into tablespoon-size balls and set them on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake on the center oven rack until golden brown around the edges, about 12 minutes (or 15 minutes for crispier cookies). Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
4. For the icing: In a small bowl, combine the sugar, milk, and anise extract, if using. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. When the cookies are completely cool, brush the tops with icing and immediately apply the sprinkles before the icing sets. When the icing is dry, stack the cookies on a tray to make a towering tree.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.

Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.