The Great Cookie Exchange!

There's only one more week until Christmas is upon us!  I can't wait!!!  There is so much to do, but the little girl inside of me still loves the magical feeling of Christmas and can't wait to watch my kiddles tear into their gifts...while I sip on some coffee and munch on a few cookies.  (Cookies are Christmas breakfast fare, right?)

 

Since there is only a week left and I still have TONS of cookies to bake and create, in the spirit of those of us who just can't have too many cookie options in our cookie jars, I decided that a blogger cookie recipe exchange would be fun.  Plus, I love getting new recipes that are tried-and-true to bake with my girls.

 

So, gather up your favorite cookie recipe and LET THE COOKIE EXCHANGE BEGIN!

 

An InLinkz Link-up

Personalized Valentine Fortune Cookies

What am I up to today?  Well, I'm teaching my girls to make fortune cookies of course!

 

Not those weird ones in the "Fortune Cookie Maker" that my daughter wanted so bad at Christmas.  These fortune cookies are YUMMY!!!

 

If you have never made these before, you've got to give it a try.  Really, they are ridiculously easy to do and so much fun to pass out to family & friends.

 

Here's the recipe I found in 2008 in WOMAN'S WORLD and am still in love with today.  They are addictively tasty and so much fun to decorate. 

My girls LOVE making these when Valentine's Day & Easter come along. (yes, we decorate in spring time flair too)

 

Valentine Fortune Cookies

Kitchen Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8 cookies (large cookies)

Calories: 170

 

Ingredients:

2/3 c Flour, all-purpose

1/2 c. Sugar

1 Tbsp. Cornstarch

3 Egg Whites

6 Tbsp. Butter, melted and cooled

1/2 tsp. Almond Extract

Instructions:

For each fortune, with a food-safe marker, write sentiment on strip of paper.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

 

Generously coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cornstarch, egg whites, butter and almond extract. 

 

Making two cookies at a time, drop batter onto baking sheet, about 7 " apart.  Using a small spatula or back of teaspoon, spread batter in a circular motion, into 5" rounds.  Bake 9-10 minutes until edges are just lightly browned.

 

Cover palm of hand folded kitchen towel. With large spatula, flip hot cookie over onto towel.  Working quickly, place fortune in center of cookie and fold cookie in half.  If cookies cool and become too firm to shape, pop them back into the oven for a minute or two just until they soften.

 

Immediately bend in corners to form fortune cookie shape.  Place into cup of muffin pan to cool.  Repeat with remaining cookies while warm.  Decorate as desired.

 

Dip:

Melt 3/4 cup chocolate chips or candy melts; stir in 2 tsp. canola oil until smooth.  Dip one side or end of cookie into chocolate; place on wax paper.

 

If desired, immediately decorate with sprinkles, candy decorations and/or drizzled chocolate.

Snickerdoodles ~ Charming's Favorite Cookie

Snickerdoodles are by far my husband's favorite cookies.  He loves others, but these are the ones that he's always asking me to bake.  And now our youngest, Rose, is a snickerdoodle addict. 

 

The day that I baked these she repeatedly attempted to convince me that these could be eaten for breakfast, snack, lunch, 2nd snack and dinner. 

 

Needless to say that despite her extraordinary reasoning skills, she just couldn't convince Mommy that there was enough nutrition in them to cut-it.  But I'll give her an "A" for effort. 

 

We both enjoyed baking these together so much that I've agreed to make it a monthly thing...unless it starts reflecting negatively on the scale.

 

These are really a great cookie to bake with little kiddles.  They get to help roll the dough and coat it without too much worry of accidental messes.  And, if you choose to, they get to lightly smoosh it...that was her favorite part. It was perfect for me and my little baker to make a memory.

Snickerdoodles
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Bake Time: 12-15 Minutes
Level: Easy
 
Ingredients
2 3/4 c Flour, all-purpose
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt (use 1/4 tsp. if using salted butter)
1 c (2 sticks) Butter, softened
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 Eggs, extra large
 
Coating
3 Tbsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon, ground
 
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.
 
In a medium bowl add flour, baking powder and salt. Gently whisk to combine ingredients, then set aside.
 
In a large mixing bowl add butter and sugar.  Mix at medium speed until butter becomes pale in color and is fluffy. (about 3 minutes)
 
Mix in eggs.
 
Gradually add flour mixture, mixing at low speed.
 
In a small bowl combine coating ingredients: sugar & cinnamon.
 
Shape dough into approx. 1-inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar. Be sure to coat the entire ball.
 
In a lined baking sheet (parchment paper or silpat) arrange balls 3-inches apart.  

Optional: Lightly press each ball with the palm of your hand to slightly flatten them, keeping the thickness consistent.  About 1/2-inch thick. This allows an even baking time.

Bake cookies for 12 - 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Rotate the baking sheet half way through the baking process.


Remove and let cool on wire racks.

Exceptional Chocolate Chip Cookies

My mother had a tradition of baking chocolate chip cookies whenever it rained. So many days I would run home from the bus stop because I knew that there would be warm cookies there welcoming me home. 

Those were sweet memories...and now I am making it a point to create similar memories with my girls on rainy days.  My husband welcomes rainy days and insists that it need not be raining to do a little baking.

Here is the recipe that we have used for over 30 years...and sometimes we are lucky enough to have our favorite mouse show up on the cookie sheet. If you're wanting to see this guy when you pull your cookie sheet out of the oven, just allow a little bit of over crowding to take place. (works every time)

Of course you have to have a glass of milk there to keep a cookie company, right? Doesn't this cookie just look ridiculously tempting?  It beckons your sweet tooth, "Come, just a little nibble."  And then you're hooked!

I hope that you and your family enjoy them as much as my family has all these years.

Exceptional Chocolate Chip Cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 10-13 minutes
Yield: Approx. 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups Flour, all-purpose 
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Light-Brown Sugar, packed
1 tsp. Salt (cut in half if salted butter is used)
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract (2 tsp. if opting out of the almond extract)
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract (optional)
2 Eggs, extra large
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips or 60% cacao chips
Tip: Add 1 Tbsp. honey for a chewier cookie & add 2 Tbsp. Flour

Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda. Set aside.  High Altitude: Add 2 Tbsp. additional flour

In a large bowl, add butter and sugars.  Mix together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. 

Reduce speed to low. Add salt, vanilla, almond extract and eggs. (if choosing to do so, add honey at this point)  Mix until well combined.

Mix in  flour mixture.  Once incorporated, stir in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silpat/non-stick baking sheets. Space dough two-inches apart.

Bake for 12-15 minutes.  Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes. Move cookies onto wire cooling racks.  Allow cookies to cool completely. Or enjoy warm.

Baked Goods & Desserts

For those times when you need something a little sweet or something extremely decadent, enjoy some of the recipes that have soothed my family's sweet tooth. 

Be sure to make adjustments to all Baked Goods recipes if you live in a high elevation (see my posting High Altitude Baking)

Banana Nutty Bread ~ One of my favorite breads to make
Cheesy Garlic Monkey Bread ~ A change from the garlic bread norm
Cheesy Pub Beer Bread ~ So ridiculously good & simple to make. Ultimate comfort food! 
Cherry "Valentine Love" Pies ~ Extremely easy to make hand pies! Great for kiddle bakers too! 
Chocolate Flecked Coconut Bark (Cocada con Chocolate) ~ It's like having a warm Mounds bar 
Dark Chocolate Kahlua Mocha Cake (a.k.a. Blackout Cake) ~  Ridiculously decadent for dark chocolate & coffee lovers (with a little quick cheat along the way)
Fyrstekake ~ Norwegian Almond Coffee Cake (Royalty Cake) ~ A wonderful Norwegian coffee cake packed with almonds** 
Grandma Stella's Cornbread ~ My Grammy's cornbread recipe (traditional or sweet) The Keys' Key Lime Scones ~ Buttery scones with a little key lime "zing" 
Kransekake ~ Norwegian Crown Cake or “Viking” Wedding Cake ~ Almond "cake" ringed tower**
PB & J Freezes ~ Be a kid again...frozen graham cracker PB & J sandwiches
Personal Spiced Pineapple Upside Down Cakes ~ A small twist on the classic pineapple upside down cake 
Princess Cupcakes ~ A fun twist to plain cupcakes 
Spiced Monkey Bread ~ This monkey bread is the hit of any breakfast, brunch or dessert **
Sweet Potato Banana Crumble Casserole ~ If you like sweet potatoes, you will love this recipe...if you don't like them, then you will love this casserole. Perfect as a side or dessert dish! ** ** No high altitude changes necessary

Black & White Cranberry Almond Cookies

COOKIES    
Black & White Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ Simple semi sweet chocolate chips meet white chocolate chips
Black & White Cranberry Almond Cookies ~ Semi sweet & white chocolate chips combined with cranberries and almonds
Cheat-N-Eat Candy Cane Cookies ~ Perfect way to dress-up sugar cookies for the holiday season
Cranberry Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies ~ A wonderful combination of cranberries, almonds & chocolate
Exceptional Chocolate Chip Cookies  ~ My favorite (and simple) chocolate chip cookies
Fortune Cookies - Almond ~ A very simple recipe that I found in Woman's World 2008 

SCONES 
Scrumptious Citrus Chocolate Chip Scones ~ The marriage of orange & chocolate in a scone!**
Cranberry Orange Scones ~ A classic scone, but a little less dense than store-bought**
The Keys' Key Lime Scones ~ Tart and sweet combine in perfect harmony

FROSTINGS
Chocolate Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting ~ Fluffy & chocolatey  
Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting ~ Light, sweet & creamy
Chocolate Mocha Ganache ~ A chocolate & coffee lover's dream

PUDDINGS
Baileys Irish Cream & Chocolate Tapioca Pudding ~ Such a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Easter Pudding Baskets ~ A creative (& easy) kiddle recipe for Easter

Magic Cookie Bars

A little piece of childhood has been calling out to me for some time now...therefore it was time to give-in to a bit of nostalgia that my girls had not experienced yet.  Can you believe they haven't had  Magic Cookie Bars?!

My solution to my family's pickiness...make a batch with the alternative choices holding their own position in each third of the pan. (pre-bake)  This way everyone gets to grab a bar that they love!

Magic Cookie Bars
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 25-30 minutes
Yield: 18-24 bars

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups (12 ounces) semi sweet chocolate chips or 60% cocao chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass dish).
In a small bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and butter.  Mix well.
Firmly press crumb mixture onto the bottom of a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture.
Layer evenly with remaining ingredients and press down firmly with a fork.

Bake 25-30 minutes or lightly browned.
Cool. Chill before serving if desired.
Cut into little bars.
Store covered at room temperature.

Alternatives:
White chocolate morsels alone or combined with chocolate morsels.
Peanut butter chips or Reese's Pieces

Full of Love Fortune Cookies

Having something that is just a little bit unexpected is always nice…and when I came across this recipe in 2008 I knew that it would be used for special occassions. So a big “THANK YOU!” goes out to WOMAN’S WORLD for their Chinese New Year & Valentine’s Day publication in 2008.

These fortune cookies are not quite the same as those you can order pre-decorated...but they definately do not lack in flavor. And quite honestly, they are incredibly easy to make. (servings: 10-16 cookies depending on the size of your tablespoons)
So here's how I did it....

View complete posting: Full of Love Fortune Cookies