Cookies have always been a go-to for me. When we had kids in the house, they were easy to pack in lunch boxes, made a quick afterschool treat, and could quickly be thrown in a bag to take to the park or a game for a snack.
Now that it’s just two of us, they are still a staple. Lovely with an afternoon tea, not too decadent as we watch our health, and easy to freeze when it’s too much for two people. When a craving for something sweet hits, pull a few out of the freezer, or whip up a quick cook batch.
Grandma’s/Granny’sNo Bake CookiesMy husband and I both grew up on these, as did our kids. My mother was Grandma, his was Granny to them, so the name went back and forth. But my brother and I as silly kids called them cow pie cookies, because that’s what they looked like, and we thought it was hilarious.
■4 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
■2 cups granulated sugar
■4 tbsp cocoa powder
■½ cup milk
⅔ cup peanut butter
■1 tsp vanilla extract
■pinch of salt
■2½ cups quick or minute oats
Place butter, sugar, cocoa powder and milk in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, salt and oats. Mix well and drop by tablespoon full on waxed or parchment paper. Allow to cool. If you need them quickly, line a sheet pan with the paper and place them in the fridge to cool.
Mexican Wedding Cookies/Snowballs/Russian Tea CookiesThese seem to have a variety of names, but I know them as Mexican Wedding Cookies. I have no idea if that is at all accurate, but since we love any and all Mexican food that’s the name that’s stuck.
■½ cup pecan halves
■2½ cups confectioners’ sugar
■pinch of salt
■1 cup unsalted butter
■½ tsp vanilla extract
■1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
Put pecans, 1 cup of the sugar and salt in food processor and blend until nuts are ground fine. Cut the butter into tablespoon-size pieces and add it to nut mixture with processor running. Process until smooth. Add vanilla extract. Add flour and continue blending, using pulse mechanism of processor. Scrape dough into a bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Scoop dough with tablespoon and form 1-inch balls by rolling dough between palms (lightly flour hands, if necessary). Place balls 1½ inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 15 minutes or until the cookies barely begin to brown. Cool for 2 minutes. Use small spatula to lift cookies from sheets. Roll the cookies in the remaining sugar. Place on wire rack to cool completely.
Quadruple ChocolateCookiesThis is a new to me recipe from my neighbor Ann. “Instead of putting them in the refrigerator, I freeze them in a flat container with a lid and have kept them in the freezer for many weeks. Then I bake them frozen, only 4 at a time. They turn out fine and I can spread the calories out over a much longer time period.” – Ann
■¾ cup unsalted butter, softened (1½ sticks)
■¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
■¼ cup granulated sugar
■2 large eggs
■2 tsp vanilla extract
■1 packet instant chocolate pudding mix, about 3.7 to 3.9 ounces (not sugar-free and not “cook and serve”)
■¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
■2 cups all-purpose flour
■1 tsp baking soda
■pinch salt, optional and to taste
■1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
■5 ounces dark chocolate, chopped (I had dark chocolate chips in the freezer, so I used those)
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) combine the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and well combined, about 4 minutes. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the pudding mix, cocoa, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the flour, baking soda, optional salt, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the chocolate chips, chopped chocolate, and beat on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Roll into balls, place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and flatten each slightly. Cover each baking sheet with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. Do not bake unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Space cookies out at least 2 inches apart across multiple baking sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked and glossy in the center. Cookies firm up as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes before serving.
Lemon Sugar CookiesSometimes simple flavors are the best, so you must use fresh lemon juice, not the stuff in a jar. If you want a more intense lemon flavor, add more zest. To get more juice from your lemons, after zesting microwave the whole lemon for a few seconds then roll under your hand on the counter to soften the membranes and release the juice. Cut, then juice. You don’t need a juicer or reamer. Just remove the seeds, prick all over with a fork, then twist the fork in the flesh to squeeze out the juice.
■1 cup (two sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature.
■1½ cups granulated sugar
■3 tbsp lemon zest
■2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
■1 large egg
■3 cups all-purpose flour
(I also use gluten free)
■1 tsp baking soda
■¼ tsp salt
■¼ cup sugar for rolling (to make them more festive you can use colored sugar crystals)
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar, and lemon zest with an electric mixer for 1-2 minutes. Add in the lemon juice and egg, beat again to combine. Gradually add in the flour, baking soda, and salt, mixing by hand until combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30-60 minutes. Remove the dough from the fridge.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ¼-cup sugar in a bowl for rolling the cookies. Using a cookie scoop or measuring tablespoon to form balls, rolling each ball in the sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on silicone or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the edges have a faint golden color. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Put unused dough back in the fridge. And allow the baking sheet to cool completely between batches.
The Link Lonk
June 24, 2021 at 01:22AM
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Zest For Food: The deliciousness of cookies - Monadnock Ledger Transcript
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Butter Cookies
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