Cookies

Here are some more cookies for gift-giving. But make sure you save a few for yourself! Enjoy!

RED VELVET WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This comes from the Tablespoon newsletter. It starts off, “Red velvet goodness topped with white chocolate can be yours in just 25 minutes.”

To view this online, click here.

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 egg

2 teaspoons red gel or liquid food color (use 2 1/2 teaspoons if needed)

1 3/4 cups Original Bisquick™ mix

1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa

1 cup white vanilla baking chips (add 1/2 cup more if desired)

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with silicone baking mats or cooking parchment paper.

In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla, egg and food color. Add Bisquick mix and baking cocoa; beat on low speed until combined. Stir in chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes, but no longer than 10 minutes (mine were perfect at 8 minutes). The cookies will look underdone, but this is what you want. Cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This comes from Giada De Laurentiis of The Food Network's Everyday Italian. Total Time: 1 hr 45 min; Prep: 30 min; Inactive: 1 hr; Cook: 15 min; Yield: 4 dozen; Level: Easy

To view this online, go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/hazelnut-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe.print.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 ounces English toffee candy, finely chopped (recommended: Heath or Skor)

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and chopped

1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.

For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. (The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.)

FROSTED CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER REINDEER COOKIES

This comes from The Baker Chick. Check out her site!

To view this online, click here. Yield: About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

For the Frosting:

1 stick butter, softened

2-3 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Chips* M&Ms and Pretzels broken into antler-like pieces for decorating

Instructions

Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gently stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until just combined. (No streaks of flour should be visible but don't over-mix!)

Chill dough in the fridge for at least 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough into balls and then smush them into more of an triangle shape. Place on a parchment-lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. (Leave room for the antlers!)

Bake for about 9 minutes or until cookies begin to turn golden. Be careful not to over-bake! Right after removing from the oven press the pretzel antlers into the warm cookies to set.

For the Frosting:

Beat the butter with the powdered sugar (Mixture may be dry.) Add the vanilla and milk, gradually until frosting is smooth. Add the cocoa powder and mix until smooth.

Frost cookies using an offset spatula, and place the chocolate chips and M&Ms to make the reindeer's face!

Notes

*I used regular but mini chocolate chips may work even better!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED PINEAPPLE-COCONUT MACAROONS

This comes from The Food Network. It starts off, "Sweet, tart, chocolatey and chewy — all in one cookie! We love the combination of homemade pineapple jam and bittersweet chocolate in these gluten-free macaroon thumbprints. They're perfect for your next cookie swap!" Total Time: 1 hr 15 min; Prep: 10 min; Inactive: 20 min; Cook: 45 min; Yield: 2 dozen macaroons; Level: Easy

To read more, go to: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/chocolate-dipped-pineapple-coconut-macaroons.html?oc=linkback.

Ingredients

Pineapple Filling:

2 cups fresh pineapple chunks (about 12 ounces)

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

Macaroons:

Nonstick cooking spray

3 large egg whites

One 14-ounce bag sweetened and shredded coconut

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fine salt

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

For the pineapple filling: Puree the pineapple in a food processor and transfer to a medium skillet along with the sugar and 1/4 cup water. Heat over medium-low and bring to a low simmer. Use a rubber spatula to stir and move the mixture around as it reduces and thickens to the consistency of very thick jam, 18 to 20 minutes (you should have about a heaping 1/2 cup). Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Let cool completely in the skillet. The pineapple filling can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment and coat lightly with nonstick spray.

For the macaroons: Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Toss the coconut, sugar, vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt together with your hands in another large bowl. Add the coconut mixture to the egg whites and combine with your hands; the mixture should pack together tightly when squeezed. Divide the mixture into 24 slightly heaping tablespoons and roll each into a smooth ball (slightly wet hands can help with rolling). Hold a ball in the palm of your hand and use your thumb to make a slight indentation in the middle. Reshape the edges of the macaroon back into a round if it cracks. Arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, rotating the tray as needed for even browning, 20 to 24 minutes. Let cool completely on the tray.

Set up a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Combine the chocolate and butter in a small bowl and microwave for 30 seconds; stir. Repeat until all of the chocolate is melted and smooth. Dip the bottom of each macaroon into the chocolate and press into the chocolate about halfway up the macaroon. Use a fork to help lift it out of the chocolate. Transfer to the cooling rack and allow to sit at room temperature until the chocolate hardens and sets up, about 20 minutes.

Fill each macaroon with about 1 teaspoon of the pineapple filling. Store and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

MOLASSES COOKIES

This comes from Anne Burrell of Food Network's Secrets of a Restaurant Chef. Total Time: 20 min; Prep: 10 min; Cook: 10 min; Yield: 36 cookies; Level: Easy

To read more, go to: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/molasses-cookies-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Pinch kosher salt

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup brown sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup molasses

Turbinado sugar, for coating

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and then the molasses. In thirds, gently mix in the flour mixture until just combined.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough into 1-inch balls onto a sheet tray covered with turbinado sugar. Gently toss the dough balls in the sugar, covering them completely. Place the sugar-coated dough balls on another sheet tray and gently squish a little.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes. Remove the cookies to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

ANISE CUTOUTS

This is from a long-forgotten email list.

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp aniseed

In a bowl, cream the shortening and the sugar. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, and the salt. Add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the aniseed. Chill for 2 hours or until the dough is easy to handle. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut with a 2 1/2 inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 F for 7-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen