Easy Cookie Tips and Recipes Tips Line cookie sheets with parchment paper for cookies that might stick. Parchment paper is reuseable and can be found in supermarkets with the foils and wraps. Sprinkle work surface with confectioners sugar instead of flour when rolling out cookie dough for cutout cookies. Too much flour will make cookies tough; rerolled scraps will be tender if you use sugar. For simple piped decorations, use quart- or pint-sized heavy-duty resealable plastic bags, fill with frosting and snip off a bottom corner. These bags work especially well with melted chocolate since the chocolate can be heated in the microwave in the bag and kneaded until melted before the corner is snipped. Cool brownies and bar cookies quickly by setting the pan on a rack over a chill pack or gallon-size resealable bag filled with ice cubes. Glaze Other than canned frosting, this is the easiest way to frost a cookie. 1½ cups confectioners (powdered) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract ½ tablespoon butter, optional 4 to 5 teaspoons very hot water In a medium bowl, briskly stir ingredients until smooth and well-combined.(butter gives the glaze a richer flavor.) Cookies can be glazed while still warm (glaze will look clear) or completely cooled (glaze will be opaque). I use a pastry brush to spread glaze because it s fast. Sprinkle on any decorations immediately after glazing. Dipping Chocolate The easiest way to make dipping chocolate is to simply purchase chocolate or white candy coatings available on the baking displays in supermarkets or craft stores such as Jo Anne. Ghiradelli is the best. To make your own: Combine 2 cups chocolate chips with ½ tablespoon shortening or one 1-inch square paraffin. Melt in a double boiler over low heat or in the microwave oven. To keep microwaved chocolate hot, place it over a bowl of very hot water. Do not let any water get into the melted chocolate; the chocolate will seize (become clumpy and yukky). When dipping, be sure to shake or tap off excess chocolate so it doesn t puddle under what you ve dipped. Dippers: Oreos, Nutter Butter Cookies, pretzels, sugar cookies, vanilla wafers. Sprinkle with holiday sprinkles.
Refrigerated Cookie Dough Sugar If you don t have time to make cut-out cookies, take refrigerated sugar cookie dough and roll into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and flatten with cookie stamps, the decorative bottom of a drinking glass, a potato masher or anything you have that would make a pretty design. Glaze or frost and sprinkle with holiday sugars and decorations. Make sand dollars by pressing 5 slivered almonds in a sand dollar pattern into each unbaked cookie. Sprinkle with white, coarse decorating sugar. Glaze cookies and let dry. Using an artist s tiny paint brush, paint a simple pine bough on each cookie with green liquid food coloring. Add a few red berries with red food coloring. This is really fast and looks impressive. Chocolate Chip 1 (18- to 20-ounce) package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough About 48 miniature Reese s Peanut butter cups, unwrapped Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cups of miniature muffin tins with paper liners. Using a teaspoon, fill each cup of miniature muffin tins at least ½ full of dough. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately gently press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie. Cool in the pan for 1 to 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Peanut Butter Roll peanut butter cookie dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Bake according to package directions. Remove from oven and immediately gently press a Hershey s Kiss into the center of each cookie. Cool on the sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. Tip: If you want it to look like a kiss, press in point-side up. If you want it to look like a button, point-side down. Over-21 Brownies Makes 36 brownies Brownie Mix 1 (family-size; 13x9-inch pan) brownie mix ¾ cup chopped nuts, optional ¼ cup Bailey s Irish Cream, Kahlua or bourbon Butter icing or canned vanilla frosting Chocolate glaze
Prepare brownie mix according to package directions, stirring in nuts, if desired. Bake brownies according to package directions. Using a pastry brush, gently brush Bailey s over hot-from-the oven brownies. Cool Frost with butter icing then spread or drizzle with Chocolate Glaze. Cut into squares. Store at room temperature in tightly covered container. Butter Icing ½ cup butter, softened ½ tablespoon either Bailey s or Kahlua (whichever one you used on brownies) or 1 teaspoon bourbon 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups confectioners sugar In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients until creamy. If using canned frosting, just stir liquor and ½ teaspoon vanilla into 1 cup frosting. Tip: Any time you want to make canned vanilla frosting taste homemade, stir in ½ to 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract to counteract the imitation vanilla flavor. Chocolate Glaze 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips In a small saucepan, over low heat, or in the microwave oven, melt butter and chocolate together. Peppermint Bark Brownies Makes 36 brownies 1 (family-size; 13x9-inch pan) brownie mix 1½ cups good-quality white chocolate chips (Ghiradelli or Guittard) ½ cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candy (You can find it already crushed at the Wilton displays at Jo Anne and Michaels Craft Stores.) Make brownies according to package directions. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with white chocolate chips. Let stand to melt. (If they aren t melting well, return to hot, TURNED-OFF oven to soften for about 1 minute.) Spread gently over brownies. Sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy.
Chocolate Kiss Cookies Makes about 4 dozen 1 cup butter (no substitutes) 1½ cups sugar 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ cup baking cocoa ½ teaspoon salt Additional sugar Hershey Kisses, any flavor (use candy-cane striped white kisses for Christmas Cookies) 1. In a large bowl, beat butter 1½ cups sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to butter mixture beating until well blended. Refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, roll in additional sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheets. 4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from oven. Place a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie pressing lightly. Remove cookies from sheet to wire rack to cool completely. Tip: Unwrap kisses and place in a bowl. Put the bowl in the freezer. The superchilled kisses are less likely to lose their shape when placed on the cookies.
This is a basic butter cookie that can be made in many variations. Glazed Sugar Cookies From Land O Lakes Makes about 2½ dozen cookies 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened room temperature* ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups all-purpose flour ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt Glaze: 1½ cups confectioners sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 to 5 teaspoons hot water 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract, flour, baking powder and salt until well combined. 3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls or roll into 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten to a ¼-inch thickness with the bottom of a buttered drinking glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for 3
minutes; remove to cooling racks. Cool completely. In a small bowl, combine confectioners sugar, vanilla extract and water. Spread glaze on cooled cookies and decorate as desired. *If you don t have time to soften butter, cut into tablespoons and beat for 30 seconds or until paste-like before adding sugar. 4. Variations: Substitute almond extract for the vanilla extract in both the cookie dough and the glaze and decorate with sliced almonds Substitute mint extract for the vanilla extract in the glaze only and sprinkle with crushed peppermint candy. For a softer, chewier cookie with a nuttier flavor, add one tablespoon light brown sugar when beating sugar and butter together. Add one large egg and beat well before adding dry ingredients. For a spice flavor, stir in 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie or apple pie spice with dry ingredients. Drizzle unglazed cookies with melted white, semi-sweet or milk chocolate. Decorate glazed cookies with chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips or decorator sugars and sprinkles. To make Santa faces, spread glaze on cookie. Sprinkle top third of cookie with red sugar in a half moon shape to make Santa s hat. Press half of a miniature marshmallow at one end of the sugar hat for the tassel. Use mini chocolate chips for eyes and a red miniature M&M or red hot for a nose. Press shredded coconut on the bottom of the cookie for Santa s beard. Complete each cookie before glazing and decorating another cookie. To make snowman faces, use any color sugar to make the hat. Press half of a miniature marshmallow at one end of the sugar hat for the tassel. Use two mini chocolate chips for eyes, an orange miniature M&M for the nose and 5 mini chocolate chips for the coal mouth. Frost with Creamy Cookie Frosting instead of glaze.
This frosting tastes like Cheryl s Creamy Cookie Frosting Makes about 2 cups 1 cup shortening 2 teaspoons vanilla extract* 4½ cups confectioners sugar, divided 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, divided Desired food coloring 1. Beat shortening and vanilla on medium speed for 30 seconds. Slowly add half of the sugar, beating well. Add 2 tablespoons milk. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and enough milk to make spreading or piping consistency. 2. Divide frosting into three or four portions. Stir in desired food colorings. Be sure cookies are completely cool before frosting. Spread frosting on cookies or use a decorating bag and tips to pipe frosting on cookies. Or, decorate with sugar and sprinkles. 3. Let frosted cookies stand on a rack until frosting is firm. Store cookies in a single layer in a cool, dry place. 4. Store unused frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. *Note: You can reduce vanilla extract to 1½ teaspoons and add ½ teaspoon almond extract, peppermint extract or maple extract.
Basic Sugar Cookie Cut-out Dough 3 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup cornstarch 1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes) 3 ounces cream cheese, softened ¾ cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch; set the mixture aside. 2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder and salt, beating until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in the remaining flour mixture with a wooden spoon. 3. Divide dough in half. Wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour. (Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen up to 1 month.) 4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 5. On a surface sprinkled with confectioners sugar or flour, roll dough to 1/8- to ¼ -inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place shapes 1½ inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. 6. Bake 6 to 7 minutes or until bottoms are light brown. Cool on sheets 1 minute. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Frost and decorate as desired.
This is a really simple cut-out cookie for people who like thick cookies. The best part is that you don t have to refrigerate the dough before rolling. Shortbread Cutouts Makes about 2 dozen 3-inch cookies or 3 dozen 2-inch cookies 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened ½ cup sugar 2½ cups all-purpose flour Colored sugar, optional 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 2. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar until well blended. Gradually stir in flour. Divide dough into 2 portions 3. On a lightly floured (or powdered sugared) surface, roll out each portion to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased or parchment-lined cookies sheets.* Sprinkle with colored sugar, if desired. 4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to finish cooling. *Do not use insulated cookie sheets for shortbread. The cookies dry out before they turn brown. Tip: I use this recipe to make Christmas Confetti Cookies. After adding the flour, I stir in 2 to 2½ tablespoons round Christmas sprinkles (nonpareils) until they are well distributed throughout the dough. After I ve baked the cutouts, I let them cool on the wire racks 2 to 3 minutes, then use a pastry brush to lightly coat them with sugar glaze. It dries shiny and lets the sprinkles show. ###