Cookies

Recipe: buttered rum cookies with butter rum cream filling

Buttered Rum Cookies with Butter Rum Cream Filling Cookie Base 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/3 cup blanched sliced almonds 1 cup unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract 2 teaspoons light rum 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt

Soften the butter. Grate the almonds finely. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, grated nuts, and salt.

In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the almond extract and rum until well blended. Scrape the sides of the bowl. On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until incorporated. Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Working with a small amount of the dough at a time, briefly knead it until it is malleable but still well chilled, and roll it on the floured cloth to a 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out the cookies, using a small metal spatula to transfer them to the cookie sheets, 1 inch apart. Re-roll the scraps, chilling the dough as necessary. For a decorative effect, if desired, use the pastry tube to cut out 1/2-inch holes in the center of half the cookies. The cookies with holes in the center will serve as the top portions of the sandwich cookies.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees F, or until just beginning to become golden. Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Butter Rum Cream Filling 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 3/4 teaspoon light rum 2 teaspoons heavy cream

Soften the butter. In a mixing bowl, with the mixer at low speed, cream the butter and sugar until well mixed. Still at low speed, beat in the rum and heavy cream.

To fill the cookies, use a small metal spatula to spread a rounded 1/2 measuring teaspoon of the butter cream on the underside of 1 of the whole cookie bottoms. Place a second cookie (if desired, one with a hole in it), bottom side against the butter cream, and press the 2 cookies together.

Recipe: peanut butter spritz cookies

Peanut Butter Spritz Cookies (T&T)

There is one rule which I live by when making spritz cookies. It is a tried and true method of achieving consistency every time.

1) Don’t grease cookie sheets. 2) Add flour gradually. 3) Check for dough consistency before adding all of the flour. 4) If dough is too dry, add 1 egg yolk. 5) If dough is too soft, chill 30 to 60 minutes.

Makes approximately 60 cookies.

These are my son’s favorite. I sometimes take the honey roasted peanuts and finely chop them and sprinkle on top of the cookies before baking. When I really want to surprise him, I melt some bittersweet chocolate and drizzle over the tops of the cookies ( with or without the chopped nuts).

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco shortening 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 egg 1/3 cup peanut butter 1 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift flour first, then measure) 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon hot water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cream shortening until light. Gradually add sugar and brown sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg and mix, then add peanut butter and hot water, beating well.

Sift flour and baking soda together and gradually add dry ingredients to creamed mixture.

Fill press and form cookies to desired shapes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges.

Recipe: leprechaun cookies ‘n’ mint cake

Leprechaun Cookies ‘n’ Mint Cake 1 (7 ounce) Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Mint Chocolate bar, broken into pieces Few drops green food color (optional) 1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix (with pudding in the mix) Cookies ‘n’ Mint Glaze (recipe follows - optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan.

Using food processor, chop candy bar pieces very finely; set aside in small bowl.

Prepare cake mix batter as directed on package, using water, vegetable oil and whole eggs. In small bowl, reserve 1 1/2 cups batter; stir into reserved chopped candy bar.

Into remaining vanilla batter, stir in food color, if desired. Pour into prepared pan. Drop chocolate batter by spoonfuls into center of batter, about 1-inch in from each side of tube.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan, inverting onto wire rack. Cool completely. Top with Cookies ‘n’ Mint Glaze, if desired.

Cookies ‘n’ Mint Glaze n small microwave-safe bowl, unwrap and break 1 (7 ounce) Hershey’s Cookies ‘n’ Mint Chocolate Bar into pieces; add 1 teaspoon shortening (not butter, margarine or oil). Microwave at HIGH (100%) 45 seconds. If necessary, microwave at HIGH an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chocolate is melted when stirred.

Hershey’s is a registered trademark of Hershey Foods Corporation. Recipe may be reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

Review I made the Leprechaun Cookies ‘n’ Mint cake for our St. Patty’s day party at work and oh my it was delicious. Everyone loved it. I had to go buy more candy bars to make another one, I bought them because I was not sure if I would ever find them again. ~ Pat Thelen, Michigan

Recipe: honey cookies (traditional greek christmas cookies)

Honey Cookies (Traditional Greek Christmas Cookies) 1 1/4 cups light olive oil 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1 cup orange juice 3 to 4 cups flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 cups semolina 1 grated lemon rind 1 grated orange rind 1 teaspoon cloves 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Syrup 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup honey

Topping 1 cup walnuts, coarsely ground 2 teaspoons ground cloves

Beat olive oil with sugar. Add orange juice. Mix 2 cups of flower with baking powder and add to oil and orange mixture. Beat in brandy, semolina, orange and lemon peel, cloves, and cinnamon. Knead dough on floured surface, adding more flour as needed for strong elastic dough. Let stand covered for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Shape dough into oval cookies about 2 1/2 inches long. Bake on oiled cookie sheet for 25 minutes. Let cool.

In saucepan bring sugar, honey and water to a boil. Simmer 10 minutes and remove from heat. Mix walnuts with cloves and sprinkle over cookies. Cool before serving.

Recipe: Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies (T&T)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon each salt, baking soda and baking powder 2/3 cup granulated sugar 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon each vanilla extract AND almond extract 1 cup slightly cooled MELTED butter, or combination of butter and margarine 2 (10 ounce) packages semisweet or milk chocolate chips, (I use one package of each) 2 cups coarsely chopped toasted almonds (toasting intensifies the almond flavor - be sure nuts are completely cooled before stirring into the dough, or they’ll melt the chips)!

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Set out two large nonstick cookie sheets. (Do NOT grease).

Mix the first four ingredients together.

In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the sugars, eggs, flavorings and melted butter. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, blending well. Then stir in the chips and almonds. Use a 1/3 cup capacity ice cream scoop to drop dough (or drop by heaping tablespoonsful) onto cookie sheets, allowing room for cookies to spread slightly. Bake, placing a single cookie sheet in the center of the preheated oven, for 15 to 18 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned and “just” set around the edges. (Cookies should still be somewhat soft in the middle - better to UNDER-BAKE slightly for soft, chewy cookies.)

Yield: 2 to 3 dozen large “bakery-shoppe” type cookies.

Recipe: stained glass cookies

Stained Glass Cookies 3/4 cup shortening (part butter or margarine 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt Cookie cutters of 2 sizes (the smaller cutters should be 1/4 to 1/2 inch smaller than the larger) 8 packages Lifesavers? (red, green, butter rum and orange show up well)

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and flavoring. Blend in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill at least one hour.

Roll dough 1/8 inch thick and cut out cookies with larger cutters. Place cookies on baking sheet that has been covered with foil. Then use small cutters to cut out a section from the cookie (small bell shape within larger bell, etc.).

Crush candy into small pieces and fill in cut-out areas, making sure there is enough crushed candy to spread into corners. (When first making this recipe, try just a few cookies first to find the right amount of crushed candy to use. Too much will bleed over onto dough.) Make hole in top of each cookie with plastic straw. Bake at 375 degrees F for 7 to 9 minutes or until dough is light brown and candy has melted. (If candy does not completely cover center of cookie, spread candy out quickly while still soft with a metal spatula.) Cool completely on baking sheet and remove gently. String with ribbon for hanging. Makes about 70 cookies.

When hanging on Christmas tree, place cookie in front of lights for a stained-glass effect. Different colored candies can be mixed together or only one color used for different effects. Cookies also look festive on dowel tree for kitchen decoration. Heart-shaped cookies make cute Valentines.

The Importance Behind the Selling of Girl Scout Cookies

Has your daughter recently decided that she would like to join the Girl Scouts? If so, your child will likely join a local Troop. This group will all depend on your child?s age. For instance, girls between the ages of five and six are Daisy Scouts. Brownie Scouts are those between the ages of six and eight. Junior Girl Scouts are between the ages of eight and eleven. Girl Scouts are between the ages of eleven and seventeen. While the group your child is able to join may vary, one thing will not and that is the selling of Girl Scout Cookies.

Even if this is your first child, you likely already know much about the Girl Scouts, as well as the cookies that they sell. The Girls Scouts of the U.S.A. is a well known and well established organization that aims to instill important goals and values in young girls. These goals and values are designed to help all Girl Scout members become mature, respectable adults. As for the Girl Scout Cookies, you are likely also familiar with these fundraising tools. In fact, you have may have purchased Girl Scout Cookies for yourself over the years.

One of the many reasons why the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. uses Girl Scout Cookies to their advantage is because it has, in a way, become a staple of our communities. When it comes time for Girl Scouts to sell their cookies, many community members expect to receive a knock on the door or expect to have them stationed outside of popular retailers. It is also important to note that Girl Scout Cookies are successful, as people love the taste and many varieties. Of course, it is also important to mention that all proceeds go to benefit local Girl Scout Troops.

Although the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. relies on cookie sales to raise much needed money; money which will be used for Girl Scout activities, crafts, and events, fundraising isn?t the only goal. One of the many reasons why the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. relies on the selling of Girl Scout Cookies is because of the work. While Girl Scout Cookies can, literally, sell themselves in certain situations, most Girl Scouts are required to do a little bit of work and marketing. Many are encouraged to set goals for themselves, like selling one hundred Girl Scout Cookie boxes. These goals can help your child understand the importance of following through with all goals, as well as the rewards of meeting those goals.

It is also important to focus on the skills that your child and other girls will learn from selling Girl Scout Cookies. As previously stated, girls who wish the raise the most money for the Girls Scouts of the U.S.A. are encouraged to take additional steps, aside from just selling to family members. This may involve having your child go door to door, post advertisements in local newspapers or around the community, asking a popular retailer to set up a booth in front of their store, and so forth. As a reminder, it is important that you offer your child assistance and know where they are. The Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. recognizes girls who go out of their way to increase their cookie sales, but they also want all members to stay safe.

While you may not necessarily think about it at the time, the selling of Girl Scout Cookies can also help your child develop a path for their future. For instance, some Girl Scouts appear as if they are natural born sellers or marketers. If your child can sell Girl Scout Cookies year after year and with ease, you may want to encourage them to look into a business, sales, or marketing related career.

As outlined above, the selling of Girl Scout Cookies is more than just raising money. There is so much that these cookies can do for your daughter, their Girl Scout Troop, and the community in general.

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Recipe: chocolate chip pecan balls

Chocolate Chip Pecan Balls Yield: About 4 dozen cookies

3/4 cup pecans 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut up, softened (no substitutions) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup semisweet-chocolate mini-chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In food processor, with knife blade attached, pulse pecans and 1/4 cup sugar until pecans are finely ground. Add butter and vanilla extract; pulse until butter is incorporated. Add flour and salt, and pulse until evenly moistened. Transfer dough to medium bowl; stir in chocolate chips. With floured hands, shape dough by heaping teaspoons into 1-inch balls. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake cookies 20 to 22 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool slightly.

Place remaining 1 cup confectioners’ sugar in medium bowl. While still warm, gently roll cookies, one at a time, in sugar to coat. Place cookies on wire rack to cool completely. When cool, gently roll cookies in sugar again. Repeat with remaining dough and sugar. Store cookies in tightly covered container up to 3 weeks.

Each cookie: About 85 calories, 1 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 6 g total fat (3 g saturated), 0 g fiber, 11 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium

Recipe: Almond Raspberry Sandwich Cookies

Almond Raspberry Sandwich Cookies 1 box Duncan Hines Golden Sugar Cookie Mix 1 egg 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 3/4 cup sliced natural almonds, broken Seedless red raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine cookie mix, buttery flavor packet from mix, egg, water and almond extract in large bowl. Stir until thoroughly blended. Drop half of dough by level measuring teaspoonsful 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets (dough will spread while baking).

Place almonds on wax paper. Drop other half of dough by level measuring teaspoonsful onto nuts. Place almond side up 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

Bake both plain and almond cookies at 375 degrees F for 6 minutes until set but not browned. Cool l minute on cookie sheets. Remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.

Spread bottoms of plain cookies with jam; top with almond cookies, almond side up. Press together to make sandwiches. Store in airtight container.

Makes 4 1/2 to 5 dozen cookies.

Recipe: banana-peanut butter sandwich cookies

Banana-Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies Makes 3 dozen.

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine 1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening 1 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 large ripe bananas, pureed or mashed (1 cup) 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat together butter, shortening, 1 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in bananas, eggs and vanilla extract.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt until blended. Stir mixture into banana mixture until well blended.

Drop mixture by heaping rounded teaspoonsful onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Stir together remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture over cookies. Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass. Bake 9 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are set and light brown around the edges (cookie tops will not brown). Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool.

Spread bottoms of half the cookies with peanut butter; top with a second cookie (bottoms together). Store cookies in a tightly covered container.

Per Serving: 174 calories, 10g fat (4g sat. 4g mono.), 21mg cholesterol, 117mg sodium, 20g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g protein