Chocolate Chip Cookies

REALLY GOOD CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baking, bar cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup margarine
  • 2/3 cup golden brown sugar
  • 1 1/3 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 extra-large eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 12 ounces/1 bag of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Chips
  • 1 cup mini-M&M’s or 2 cups chopped walnuts optional

Instructions

  • Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper (brown paper bags cut to size will do as well)
  • Cream margarine with sugars until light. Beat in the vanilla and eggs until smooth.
  • Mix together the flour, soda salt but do not sift; beat into batter.
  • Add the chocolate chips and mini-M&M’s or chopped nuts and stir until thoroughly mixed.
  • Drop dough onto lined baking sheet, using an ice cream scoop or a heaping tablespoon.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes turning the baking sheets, end for end, and trading oven racks (top to bottom) at halfway point.
  • Remove from oven and slide parchment off sheets (with cookies) and leave until cookies are barely cool enough to handle, then transfer to racks to cool.

Notes

Makes 60 cookies
Preheat oven to 325° F

Surprise Meringues

Surprise Meringues

These are one of Grandma Jackie’s sinful surprises.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Keyword: cookies, desserts

Ingredients

  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¾ cup of sugar
  • 1 6- ounce package semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ chopped walnuts

Instructions

  • Beat egg whites, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla until soft peaks form.
  • Add sugar gradually, beating till peaks are stiff.
  • Fold in chocolate bits and nuts.
  • Cover cookie sheet with plain paper.
  • Drop rounded teaspoons of mixture on cookie sheet.
  • Bake in 300-degree oven about 25 minutes.

Notes

Makes 2 dozen
Preheat oven at 300 degrees

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

This recipe is from Grandma Jackie – it was Uncle Michael Kudler’s favorite!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baking, cookies, desserts

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 ½ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 ¾ cups sifted flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons Cream of Tartar
  • ¼ teaspoons salt
  • TOPPING:
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 Teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  • Cream together butter, sugar, and eggs
  • Sift together flour, baking soda, Cream of tartar, and salt
  • Mix dry ingredients with butter/sugar/eggs
  • Mix topping ingredients together
  • Roll dough into a small walnut size
  • Roll dough balls in topping
  • Place covered dough balls 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
  • Bake for 8 – 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven or until lightly browned

Notes

Note from Grandma: Cookies puff up at first and then flatten out
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread Cookies

From The Little Guides to Cookies. Given to Sasha and Julia by Grandma Mo at Christmas She inscribed the book with a note: “For the Kudler girls To bake and make sweets for me to take! Grandma Mo – “You can hardly go anywhere in Great Britain without running into the grand staple. It is legendary in its traditional form, but we decided to come up with some variations, too, for adventurous shortbread lovers.”
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: English
Keyword: cookies, desserts

Ingredients

  • 1 cup/4 oz/125 g all-purpose plain flour
  • 1/3 cup/3 oz/90 g granulated sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup/4 oz/125 g cold butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Nonstick cooking spray or vegetable oil
  • Sifted confectioners’ sugar

PECAN:

  • Stir ¼ cup/1oz/30 g ground toasted pecans or walnuts into flour mixture

LEMON OR ORANGE:

  • Add 2 teaspoons finely shredded lemon or orange peel to the flour mixture; omit the vanilla and add one quarter teaspoon lemon or orange extract

MOCHA:

  • Stir 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules into the flour mixture.

Instructions

  • In a medium mixing bowl stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.
  • Cut in butter until mixture resembles a fine crumbs.
  • Sprinkle with vanilla.
  • Form the mixture into a ball I need until smooth.
  • Spray a shortbread mold with nonstick cooking spray or brush with oil.
  • Firmly pressed the dough into the mold.
  • Invert the mould over a lightly greased baking sheet and tap the mold lightly to release the dough onto the baking sheet.
  • If necessary use a knife to pry the dough out of the mold.
  • Or, pat the dough into an 8-inch circle on a lightly greased baking sheet.
  • With a fork, prick dough deeply to make eight or 16 wedges.
  • Bake in a preheated 325° oven for about 25 minutes or till center of shortbread is set.
  • While still warm, cut molded shortbreads into wedges.
  • Remove shortbread from baking sheet and cool completely on rack.
  • If desired, sprinkle wedges with confectioners sugar

Notes

PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
BAKING TIME: 25 minutes
MAKES: 8 or 16 wedges
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees

Almond Macaroons

Almond Macaroons

Grandma Jackie’s famous Passover cookies!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Jewish
Keyword: cookies, desserts, holidays

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces almond paste see note
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 3 egg whites from large eggs
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • A pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Prepare cookie sheet by cutting pieces of brown paper (from a groceries bag) to fit. Do not grease cookie sheet or brown paper.
  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Cut almond paste into ½ inch pieces
  • Put into container of food processor fitted with a steal blade and cut up finely turning the motor on and off for several seconds
  • The almond paste should resemble course brown sugar
  • Add sugar to the almond paste and mix together well, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the container with a spatula
  • Add the almond extract and salt and two egg whites
  • Mix until white are incorporated and no lumps of almond paste remain
  • The mixture should not be stiff but should hold a mass on the spatula
  • Break up the third egg white with a fork and add about half of it to the mixture blending well.
  • Drop small tablespoons sized dollops of batter onto the paper-lined sheets about 1 ½ inch apart. Bake in preheated 325-degree oven about 15 minutes. When cool, macaroons should peel right off parchment paper—wait until they loosen easily. (Dampen back of brown paper before peeling). Keeps well in airtight tin.

Notes

Makes 24 2-inch macaroons

Print Recipe Basic Cookie Dough Recipe

Basic Cookie Dough Recipe

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baking, cookies, desserts

Ingredients

  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting if needed
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 8 ounces 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup lightly packed light-brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups desired add-ins

Instructions

  • Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.
  • Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about three minutes.
  • Add eggs one at a time; mix until combined.
  • Mix in vanilla.
  • Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
  • Mixed in add-ins if using the dough immediately.
  • Divide to dough into two or three pieces.
  • Pat into large discs.
  • Wrap each disc in plastic wrap, and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.
  • If dough is frozen, fall completely in refrigerator.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 350°degrees, with racks in upper and lower third.
  • Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  • Drop batter one heaping tablespoon for each cookie, 2 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
  • Bake, switching positions about halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Transfer parchment paper with cookies to a wire rack, and let cool completely.

Notes

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies

Chewy Chocolate-Gingerbread Cookies

A delicious holiday dessert
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: bar cookies, desserts, fruit

Ingredients

  • 7 ounces best quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar packed
  • ¼ cup unsulfured molasses
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ teaspoons boiling water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.
  • In bowl of mix master, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes.
  • Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.
  • In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.
  • Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 ½ inch balls; place, two inches apart, on baking sheet. Bake until the surface cracks slightly, 13 to 15 minutes; let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Kolacky Del Babbo Classico (Polish Cookies)

Kolacky Del Babbo Classico

In fifth grade, Sasha made these cookies for some sort of cultural day where she and Heather Rose had to make Polish food. I think Heather’s mother provided this recipe.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Jewish, Polish
Keyword: baking, cookies, desserts

Ingredients

  • 2 8- ounce packages of cream cheese room temperature
  • 2 – 3 tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pound butter room temperature
  • 3 cups flour
  • Confectionery sugar to liberally dust cookies

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Grease a cookie sheet
  • Cream Cheese Filling:
  • Combine 4 ounces of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla.
  • Set aside.
  • Add dried fruit or nuts if desired.
  • Cookies:
  • Beat together 12 ounces cream cheese with 1 pound of butter.
  • Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes.
  • Add flour, one cup at a time.
  • Combine well.
  • Divide dough into 3 equal parts.
  • Refrigerate for 4 hours.
  • Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness.
  • Cut into 1 ½ inch shape.
  • Fill.
  • Fold together.
  • Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 10 – 12 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Transfer to brown paper bag to cool.
  • Dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Notes

Makes 60 cookies

PECAN SNOWBALL COOKIES (GLUTEN FREE)

PECAN SNOWBALL COOKIES (GLUTEN FREE)

These easy & scrumptious cookies are a favorite in our house and with our customers at the shops. Whip up a batch this weekend with the kiddos to share with your colleagues, neighbors, and friends next week. Tip: they also freeze great. Fully bake and store in zip-top bags. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: baking, cookies, desserts, gluten free

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Brown Rice Flour
  • 1/2 cup White Rice Flour
  • 1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
  • 2 cups Pecans
  • 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
  • 2 sticks Unsalted Butter room temperature
  • 1 cup Powdered Sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • 1- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
  • 2- In a food processor, grind the flours, pecans, sugar, salt, & xanthan gum together until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and no pecan chunks remain.
  • 3- Add soft butter a bit at a time and pulse until mixture comes together and a dough forms. The dough will be quite soft.
  • 4- Using your hands, form the dough into a wide, flat disk, picking up any loose pieces along the way to re-incorporate them.
  • 5- Wrap disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  • 6- Remove dough from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Roll the dough into balls between your palms, about the size of 1 tablespoon. Place on lined baking sheet, spaced 1″ apart.
  • 7- Bake cookies 10-12 minutes until center is just set and edges are very light golden brown. The cookies will firm up as they cool.
  • 8-Allow cookies to cool completely before covering in powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Notes

Yields @ 40 cookies