:: The Cookie Recipe Blog ::

2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp Water
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour
1/3 cup Unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine shortening, light brown sugar, water and vanilla in mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat the eggs into creamed mixture. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed until just blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 F for 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are just set. Let cool before serving or storing.

1 cup butter or margarine — softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground pecans
1 cup lemon curd

Tart Lemon Glaze –
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Beat butter, sugar, lemon peel, salt and egg in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour and pecans. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Heat oven to 350º. Roll half of dough at a time about 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured surface. Cut into 2-inch rounds. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until edges are starting to brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Spread 1 rounded teaspoonful lemon curd between bottoms of pairs of cookies. Brush tops with Tart Lemon Glaze.

TO MAKE TART LEMON GLAZE: Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable.

3 10 oz. bags Nestle Mint Chocolate Morsels
6 Tablespoons shortening
108 chocolate wafers

1. Combine mint chocolate chips with shortening in a large microwave safe glass or ceramic bowl. Heat on 50% power for 2 minutes, stir (with a plastic or wooden spoon), then heat for an additional minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30 second intervals until smooth.
2. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excess chocolate runs off, and then place the cookies side-by-side on a wax paper lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm. Makes 108 cookies.

8 oz Semisweet chocolate
3 tb Butter
1/4 c All-purpose flour
1/4 ts Baking powder
1/8 ts Salt
2 Eggs
3/4 c Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
1 c Semisweet chocolate morsels
2 1/4 c Pecans, chopped roughly

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F. Melt the semisweet chocolate and the butter over low heat or in the microwave. Stir until smooth. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed until well combined. Slowly beat in the cooled chocolate, then the dry ingredients until just blended but smooth. Stir in the chocolate morsels and the nuts. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 1 inch apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Bake 10-to-12 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool on a rack. May be made ahead or frozen.

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon grated lime peel
1 cup finely chopped pistachios

Lime Icing:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon grated lime peel

Directions:

Cookies:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg. Stir in flour and lime peel; mix in pistachios.

Refrigerate dough 1 hour. Roll out dough 1/4-inch thick; cut shapes with shamrock-shaped cookie cutter (see hints below).

Place cookies on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned; cool completely.

Pipe lime icing to outline cookies.

Lime Icing:

Combine butter, powdered sugar, milk and lime peel in a medium bowl. Mix until smooth. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Hint: If shamrock-shaped cookie cutter is not available, cut out shamrock pattern from a piece of heavy paper and cut cookie dough using pattern and sharp knife. Or cut with 2 to 2-1/2-inch round cookie cutter and pipe icing in shamrock shape on cookies after baking.

Another Hint: Use green food coloring if you would like the icing to be deep green.

1/2 cup unsalted butter (plus extra)
4 tablespoons flour (plus extra)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 baking sheets. Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla; stir in flour, milk, and rolled oats. Drop batter by the tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets; allow room for cookies to spread to about 3 inches in diameter. Each baking sheet will hold about 6 cookies. Bake until cookies flatten and look dry (10 minutes). Let cookies cool for 4 to 5 minutes on baking sheets. Lift from baking sheet with a metal spatula and cool completely.

1 1/4 c Quick cooking oats
1 1/2 c Flour
1 ts Baking powder
1 ts Baking soda
3/4 ts Salt
1 c Margarine; softened
1 c Brown sugar
1/2 c Sugar
1 lg Egg
1/4 c Irish cream liqueur
1 ts Vanilla extract
12 oz Mint flavored chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Have baking sheets ready. Place oats in a blender. Cover and blend until like flour. Mix oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat margarine, brown sugar and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in egg, liqueur, and vanilla. On low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. (Chill 15 to 20 minutes if very soft.) Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2inches apartonto baking sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until cookies look dry on top and edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes 48.

1 c Butter or margarine – Softened
1 1/2 c Sugar; confectioner’s
1 Egg; lightly beaten
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 ts Almond extract
2 1/2 c Flour; all purpose
Red decorators sugar ( opt.)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts. Stir in flour; mix well. Chill for several hours. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2 or 3 inch heart shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased baking sheets; sprinkle with red sugar, if desired. Bake at 375F for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cookies:
1 c Sugar
1 c Butter; softened
1/4 c Milk
1 ts Almond extract
1 Egg
2 3/4 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Unsweetened cocoa
3/4 ts Baking powder
1/4 ts Baking soda
Frosting:
2 c Powdered sugar
1/2 c Butter; softened
Red food coloring
2 tb Milk; (2 to 3)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For cookies: Beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add milk, almond extract and egg. Blend well. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour. On floured surface, roll out 1/3 of dough at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Keep remaining dough chilled until ready to use. Cut dough with heart-shaped cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch apart. Cut a smaller, 1 inch heart from center of half the hearts. Repeat until all dough is used. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets and cool completely. For frosting: Mix together powdered sugar, butter and a few drops food coloring and blend well. Add just enough milk to make spreading consistency. Spread frosting on whole heart cookies and top with cut-out hearts.

3/4 lb Butter; softened
3/4 c Honey
1 ts Vanilla
2/3 c Almonds; finely ground
1 3/4 c Whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c All-purpose flour
Jam or preserve for filling

Cream butter, honey and vanilla with mixer. Add almonds and flour. Knead on flour board until well blended. Refrigerate 1 hour. Roll out to 1/8″ on lightly floured board. Cut into shapes. (Use a Heart-shaped cookie cutter). If filling with jam or preserves, make a thumbprint in center of each cookie. Place on cookie sheet, then spoon a dab of your favorite jam or preserves into a thumbprint. Bake 7 to 12 minutes at 325~. Edges should be light brown. Cool on rack.