Category: Cookies and Bars

Cookies and Bars · Family

Golden Carrot Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

My Mother gave me the Betty Crocker Cooky Book for Christmas 1967, when I was 14 years old. I have used this book for a ‘few years’ and for the first time I noticed how Cooky was spelled. I have always spelled these delights as cookie but Merriam Webster says it can be cooky or cookie.

Golden Carrot Cookies are like a carrot cake in a cookie with a delightful orange glaze on top. While some of the children and grandchildren were hesitant to try carrot cookys, they all agreed they were good. 

If you ever see this Cooky Book at a garage sale or Goodwill, it’s worth adding to your collection!

Golden Carrot Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup shortening (part butter or margarine)
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup mashed cooked carrots
  • 2 cups Gold Medal flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 3/4 cup shredded coconut
  • Orange Butter Icing:
    • 2 tbsp. soft butter
    • 1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
    • 1 1/2 tbsp. orange juice
    • 2 tsp. grated orange rind
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and carrots.
  3. Measure flour by dipping method or by sifting. Blend flour, baking powder, and salt into shortening mixture. Mix in coconut.
  4. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2″ apart on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until no imprint remains when touched lightly. Frost cooled cookies with Icing. Makes 4 dozen.

Recipe from Betty Crocker’s COOKY BOOK Copyright 1963

Cookies and Bars · Family Favorites

Clementine Butter Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Clementine Butter cookies are amazing, or as one family member said, ‘these are addictive’. I didn’t even use the orange liquer! I decided to roll the rough into balls then flatten them (vs. rolling them out and using a cookie cutter). Either way, these cookies are worth making. They were gone in a couple of days with kids, grandkids, etc.

Clementine Butter Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons grated clementine zest (about 3)
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
  • For the glaze:
    • 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
    • small pinch table salt
    • 1 tablespoons orange liqueur (I used more clementine juice)
    • 1 tablespoon half and half
    • 1–2 tablespoons juice from clementine
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon; set aside.
  2. In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the sugar butter and zest on medium speed until well blended, about two minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until well blended after each addition. Add vanilla extract and orange extract and mix until well blended. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until little moist clumps form, about one minute.
  3. Divide dough into two equal piles and form dough into smooth balls. Using your hands, knead dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to three days ahead.
  4. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper or silicone baking sheet.
  5. Working with one disk at a time, roll the dough on a well floured surface to about 1/4-inch thick. Using cookie cutter of your choice (I used a 2-inch circle), cut out shapes. Arrange them about 1-inch apart on the cookie sheets. Re-roll and cut out dough scraps until you’ve used all the dough.
  6. Bake the cookies in preheated oven about 10 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Let the cookies cool on the sheet about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.
  7. While cookies are cooling, prepare glaze by combining powdered sugar, salt, orange liqueur, half and half and 1 tablespoon of clementine juice. Add more clementine juice, if necessary, to make a nice spreading consistency.
  8. Top each cookie with about 1 teaspoon of the glaze, using the bottom of a spoon to spread the glaze to sides of cookies. Let cookies sit at room temperature for at least an hour until glaze is set. Serve cookies immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 or 4 days.

Recipe from MountainMommaCooks

Breakfast · Cookies and Bars

Banana Breakfast Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

There is nothing easier for breakfast that an oatmeal breakfast cake (like Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars or Breakfast Cake) or these Banana Breakfast Cookies. The recipe made 9 cookies. I froze 4, refrigerated 4 and, of course, ate one just to be sure they were delicious!

Banana Breakfast Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 2 over ripe bananas
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional +2T. for topping)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl combine oats, mashed bananas, peanut butter, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with rubber spatula and add ½ cup chocolate chips. Mix again.
  3. Divide the dough into seven cookies and place them in the parchment paper pan. Press down on the cookies to make a cookie shape and about ½ inch thick. Top cookies with extra chocolate chips if desired.
  4. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe from Kitchenfunwithmythreesons

Cookies and Bars

5-Ingredient Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

These delicious cheesecake thumbprint cookies are so delicious. Daughter, Megan, found this recipe and used apricot vs. the suggested raspberry jam. Any jam would work and for the chocolate lover, a few of those as well. One last bit of sugar before the New Year diets begin!

5-Ingredient Cheesecake Thumbprint Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 8 tablespoons salted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 cup + 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1/4 cup preserves (raspberry, strawberry, apricot or bits of chocolate)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. In the body of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed.
  2. Add the sugar and beat well.
  3. Add in flour, a small bit at a time, beating in on low speed, just until incorporated.
  4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes and up to two hours.
  5. 30 minutes prior to baking, preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
  6. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out 1 tablespoon sized balls of dough, roll them into rounds, and place on the cookie sheet. Lightly press your thumb in the center of each round. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
  8. Place pan in the oven to bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until just golden at the edges. They will still be very soft when you remove them from the oven–that’s a good thing!
  9. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 full minutes, then very carefully transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Recipe from bakerbynature

Cookies and Bars · Holidays

Easy Sugar Cookies & Sugar Cookie Frosting

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Everyone loves a frosted sugar cookie for the holidays. Daughter, Megan, made several batches for her daughter’s December birthday party and to give to neighbors. They rolled out and cut beautifully. They are perfect for Santa’s visit on Christmas Eve. Yummo!

Easy Sugar Cookies & Sugar Cookie Frosting

INGREDIENTS:
  • Sugar Cookies
    • 1 cup unsalted butter softened (226g)
    • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract (see note)
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (Plain flour) (315g)
    • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
    • ¾ teaspoon table salt
  • Sugar Cookie Frosting
    • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted (375g) (weigh before sifting)
    • 3-4 Tablespoons milk (I use whole milk, but any kind will work)
    • 2 Tablespoons light corn syrup (see note)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • Gel food coloring optional
    • Additional candies and sprinkles for decorating optional
DIRECTIONS:

Sugar Cookies

  1. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and use an electric hand mixer) and beat until creamy and well-combined.
  2. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until completely combined.
  3. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Gradually stir dry ingredients into wet until dough is smooth and completely combined.
  5. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and transfer approximately half of the dough onto the wrap (dough will be quite sticky at this point, that’s OK!).
  6. Cover dough with clear wrap or wax paper and mold into a flat disk. Wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining cookie dough in another piece of clear wrap. Transfer dough to refrigerator and chill for at least 2-3 hours and up to 5 days.
  7. Once dough has finished chilling, preheat oven to 350F (175C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (alternatively bake cookies directly on an ungreased baking sheet). Set aside.
  8. Generously dust a clean surface with flour and place one chilled cookie dough disk onto the surface. Lightly flour the dough and roll out to ⅛” (for thinner, crispier cookies) or ¼” (for thicker, softer cookies). Add additional flour as needed both on top of and beneath the dough so that it doesn’t stick. Note: if dough is cracking as you roll it, let it sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften before attempting again.
  9. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes and use a spatula to transfer shapes to prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1″ apart. If you are not intending to decorate your cookies with icing, you can decorate them with sanding sugar at this point before you bake them. 
  10. Bake on 350F (175C) for 8-10 minutes (this is for cookies that are approximately 3″ [7.6cm]; note that smaller cookies will need less time and larger cookies will need more), or until edges just begin to turn lightly golden brown.
  11. Allow cookies to cool completely on cookie sheet before decorating.
  12. Easy Sugar Cookie Icing; Combine powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium-sized bowl and stir until combined. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, about a teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is thick but pipeable. If you accidentally add too much milk, add powdered sugar until desired texture is reached.  
    • If coloring the frosting, divide into bowls and color as desired at this point.
    • Transfer frosting to a piping bag with a piping tip (I used Wilton 5), or place in a Ziploc bag and snip a small piece of the corner off (not as neat, but this will still work, just take care that the frosting isn’t so thick that it breaks open the seam of the bag when you are squeezing).  
    • Pipe frosting on cookies and decorate with decorative candies, if desired.
    • Allow frosting to harden before enjoying, stacking, or storing (this took several hours for me and may vary for you depending on the consistency of your frosting).

Recipe from SugarSpunRun

Cookies and Bars

Crave’s Rockstar Cookie Recipe

cathysmahaLeave a comment

These cookies are amazing! I’m not familiar with Crave’s cookies, but this recipe was intriguing with the addition of crushed pretzels. I’ve never made cookies this big but follow the recipe for the best results. I baked for the full 15 minutes and would stop at 13 minutes next time. They do continue to book on the sheet and you don’t want them to cook too long and dry out. Make sure you let them rest for the full 20 minutes to set up. Then grab a glass of milk or a cup of coffee and enjoy!

Crave’s Rockstar Cookie Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks
  • 3/4 cup crushed pretzels
  • 3/4 cup toffee bits
  • 1 cup salted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • sea salt for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Measure out the milk chocolate chips, semi sweet chunks, pretzels and toffee bits into a bowl. Set aside.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth, light in color and fluffy. This will take a few mintues.
  4. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix in the egg add vanilla.
  5. Once completely combined, stop the mixer and add in the flour, baking soda and salt.
  6. Start mixing slowly, once the flour mixture is about half way incorporated into the dough, pour the chocolate chips, pretzels and toffee bits into the mixer and allow everything to mix together.
  7. Stop the mixer as soon as the flour is completely incorporated. Avoid over mixing.
  8. Measure out the dough into generous 1/3 cup portions or weigh out 6 oz of cookie dough for each cookie. Loosely gather the dough together in a tall ‘ball’ leaving the top jagged, for texture. Avoid packing the dough together tightly.
  9. Repeat this with all of the cookie dough.
  10. Bake at 350° for 13-15 minutes, or until the cookie dough has spread and the edges are turning golden brown.
  11. Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, use the back of a metal spoon and push the edges of the cookie towards the center, creating a perfect circle.
  12. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 20 minutes.*
  13. Serve warm.

*The cookies will continue to bake on the hot pan, so it is okay if the center of the cookies still look slightly underbaked when you take them out of the oven.

Recipe from CookingwithKarli

Cookies and Bars

Cookies n Creme Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Daughter, Megan, made the Cookies n Creme Cookies for our June garage as well as the Chocolate Chip Cookies on Steroids that I posted last week. These were also out of this world and sold well, of course who wouldn’t buy from 4 adorable grandchildren who were yelling on the street corner to buy cookies and lemonade!

Cookies n Creme Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup COLD butter
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 package Oreo Cookies and Cream pudding mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 10-15 Oreo cookies, crushed to consistency of crumbs and chunks
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
  2. Place cold butter and sugars in mixer and beat until smooth.
  3. Add eggs, vanilla and Oreo Cookies and Cream Pudding Mix. Beat until fluffy.
  4. In a separate bowl combine flour, white chocolate chips, baking soda, and Oreo cookies.
  5. Slow mixer and slowly add flour mixture until just combined.
  6. Bake until slightly brown on the top. Let them cool to reach their max potential.
  7. Optional: top with additional crushed Oreo cookies

Recipe from Emily

Cookies and Bars

Chocolate Chip Cookies (on Steroids)

cathysmahaLeave a comment

What’s more American than Chocolate Chip Cookies! Chocolate Chip Cookies doesn’t accurately describe these cookies, so I like to add ‘on Steroids’. They are, by far, the best Chocolate Chip Cookies I have ever had. My older daughter, Megan, made these cookies as well as another cookie, for our June garage sale. My grandkids sold them along with lemonade and they were a big hit.

If you don’t use cold butter, the instructions say to refrigerate the dough prior to baking. Try them…you will not be disappointed!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (on Steroids)

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup COLD butter
  • 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs (room temp is best)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp corn starch
  • 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
  • Optional: a little instant coffee to enhance the choclate flavor, about 1 tsp
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 380 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Combine butter and sugars and beat until smooth. (Note: Kitchen Aid mixture works best)
  3. Add eggs and beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Slow mixture down and add vanilla.
  4. In a separate bowl, add flour, soda, salt and corn starch. Whisk together.
  5. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour mixture, reserving a bit of the flour mixture to add to the chocolate chips in a separate bowl to coat.
  6. Add chocolate chips to the flour mixture and, with mixture on low, combine with the dough.
  7. Scoop onto silicone baking sheets (or greased cookie sheet) and bake for 9 minutes for a crispy edge and soft middle. If you like them crispier, bake a little longer. If you like them even do a lower temperature for a longer time.
  8. Let them cool until you can’t stand it any more!

Recipe by Emily

Breakfast · Cookies and Bars · Gluten Free

Banana Breakfast Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Very ripe bananas were on hand and this recipe was on my list. I chose to double the recipe (based on 4 ripe bananas) and chose to make the cookies smaller. I pressed the dough down before I baked them with a spatula. I found that a longer baking time was needed to assure that the cookies browned on the bottom and weren’t gooey.

They were delicious and the grandsons gave a ‘thumbs up’ to these cookies. Don’t tell them they are fairly healthy!

Banana Breakfast Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 1/2 cup oats
  • ½ cup peanut butter
  • 2 over ripe mashed bananas
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup chocolate chips optional, + 2 tablespoons for topping
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla, optional
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper, and set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl combine oats, mashed bananas, peanut butter, cinnamon, and salt. Mix together with rubber spatula and add ½ cup chocolate chips. Mix again.
  3. Divide the dough into seven cookies and place them in the parchment paper pan. Press down on the cookies to make a cookie shape and about ½ inch thick. Top cookies with extra chocolate chips if desired.
  4. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool before serving. Enjoy!
  5. Note: You can store the cookies in the fridge for up to 3 days in a tight container or you can freeze them for up to 2 months.

Recipe from kitchenfunwithmy3sons.com

Cookies and Bars

Chocolate Cookies

cathysmahaLeave a comment

Chocolate Cookies…yummy, soft and crispy on the edges. While this recipe is delicious, I chose to skip the espresso powder and cardamon. Lord knows, my grandkids don’t need to have caffeine/energy. I only wish I could bottle and use the incredible amount of energy they have. Needless to say, the sugar rush was enough for all of us. Delicious!

Chocolate Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 1/2 cups brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 1/4 all-purpose flour (470 grams)
  • 1 cup dark cocoa powder (100 grams – I like this best with dark cocoa powder, but regular cocoa powder will work, too)
  • 1–2 tablespoons espresso powder (optional, but recommended if you’re using regular cocoa powder to give the flavor more depth)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • extra cane or granulated sugar for rolling
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 350. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Add eggs and vanilla, mixing gently until just combined.
  2. Add flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined into a soft dough.
  3. Form into balls (about ¼ cup per cookie / ball). Roll each ball in the extra sugar (mixed with cardamom, if you want). Bake for 10-12 minutes (I recommend 6-8 at a time on the baking sheet, so you’ll need to bake in batches). Remove from oven and let them rest – you want the cookies settle down a bit and give you crisped edges with thicker, soft-baked centers.

Recipe from PinchofYum