:: The Cookie Recipe Blog ::

2 packages refrigerator sugar cookie dough rolls
Flour for board and rolling pin
heavy card-type paper or cardboard
Various icings in tubes from supermarket
Various candies for decorating cookies

Cut each sugar cookie dough roll in half. Form each into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate about 45 minutes until firm. Draw and cut out hand shapes of family members to use as guides for making cookies. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (check temperature on cookie dough package.) Working with one dough ball at a time on floured board, roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. Use enough flour so dough isnt sticky and can be easily removed to cookie sheet. Place paper hand cut-out on dough and trace with a sharp knife, making cookie hands. Place on cookie sheets & bake until light golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on rack completely before decorating. Repeat with all cookie dough. Decorate using icings and candies. You can even write family members names on each. This is the fun part to do with kids!

1/2 c shortening
1/2 c butter
1 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Beat shortening, butter, sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine dry ingredients, blend into mixture. Chill dough for easy handling, then roll out on lightly floured surface. Cut out easter basket shapes with cookie cutter. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees F for 6 - 8 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool before removing from sheet.

Frosting Recipe

2 c confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp hot water
Candy decorations

Combine ingredients in bowl. Beat until smooth. Divide into 4 bowls, then tint with the food coloring. Spread frosting on cookies and decorate.

1 1/4 c Firmly-packed brown sugar
3/4 c Golden crisco shortening
2 tb Milk
1 tb Vanilla
1 Egg
1 3/4 c All-purpose flour
1 ts Salt
3/4 ts Baking soda
1 1/2 c Pastel-coloured candy coated chocolate pieces

1. Pre-heat oven to 375F (190C). Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
2. Combine brown sugar, shortening, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Beat egg into creamed mixture.
3. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in candy-coated pieces or vanilla chips.
4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (15 mL) of dough 3 inches (7 cm) apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
5. Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375F (190C) for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.

1/2 c Butter or margarine;-softened
1 c Sugar
2 Eggs
2 c All-purpose flour
1/2 c Hershey’s cocoa
1 ts Baking powder
1/2 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
Valentine frosting:
1 1/2 c Powdered sugar
2 tb Butter or margarine Or shortening
2 tb Milk
1/2 ts Vanilla extract
2 dr Red food color; (2 to 3)

1. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs on medium speed of electric mixer until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to butter mixture beating until well blended. Cover; refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.
2. Heat oven to 350 F. On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness; cut with heart-shaped cookie cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until no imprint remains when touched lightly in center. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost with VALENTINE FROSTING; decorate as desired. About 4 dozen cookies.

VALENTINE FROSTING:
In bowl, beat powdered sugar, shortening, milk, vanilla and food color, if desired, until smooth and of spreading consistency. About 3/4 cup frosting. VARIATION: CHOCOLATE VALENTINE FROSTING: Stir 3 tablespoons HERSHEY’S Cocoa into powdered sugar. Omit food color. Proceed as directed above, increasing milk to 3 tablespoons.JMHershey’s is a registered trademark of Hershey Foods Corporation. Recipe may be reprinted courtesy of the Hershey Kitchens.

1 c Butter or margarine;-softened
3/4 c Brown sugar, packed
3 c All-purpose flour
1/4 ts Salt
Red sugar crystals; optional

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter; gradually add the sugar, beating with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Sift together the flour and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to thoroughly combine. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured board to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out with heart-shaped cookie cutters. Place on an ungreased or parchment-lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with red sugar crystals, if desired. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until lightly browned. Store in airtight containers with waxed paper between the layers of cookies. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.

1 1/3 c Flour
1 c Almonds, ground; toasted
2 ts Cinnamon
1/3 ts Salt
3/4 c Butter; softened
1 ts Vanilla
1/4 c Orange peel candied; minced
1 Egg white beaten w/2 tsp
Water for glaze
Colored icings; colored
Sugar for decorating

Beat together butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in flour, almonds, cinnamon and salt, blend well. Stir in orange peel. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 2 hours. Preheat oven to 375. Roll out dough 1/4″ thick and cut shapes with Christmas cookie cutters. If not using icing, decorate with colored sugar or gragees before baking. Bake 9-12 minutes or until golden brown. Decorate with icing, colored sugars, dragees, etc. Store airtight at room temp one week, freeze longer.

1/2 c Butter
1 c Brown sugar (not packed)
1/4 c Molasses
1 lg Egg
2 1/4 c Flour
1/2 ts Cinnamon
2 ts Powdered ginger
2 pn Ground cloves
1 pn Cayenne pepper

Cream butter and brown sugar together. Stir in molasses, then egg. In seperate bowl, mix flour with spices. Stir in butter/sugar mix. If dough is too moist, add 2 T of flour. Knead dough lightly, then chill for 40 minutes. Shape dough. Bake 350 degrees 10-12 minutes.

1 1/4 c Butter, softened
1 c Packed brown sugar
1/2 c Dairy sour cream
1 Egg
2 ts Vanilla
1 1/2 c All-purpose flour
1 t Baking soda
1 t Salt
1 1/2 c Old fashioned or quick oats,-uncooked
1 pk Vanilla milk chips (10 oz)
1 c Flaked coconut
1 can Macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped (3 1/2 oz)

Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Blend in sour cream, egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add to butter mixture; mix well. Stir in oats, vanilla milk chips, coconut and nuts. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough, 2″ apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375′F. for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Remove to cooling rack; cool completely.

3/4 c Butter-softened
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 Egg
2 ts Vanilla
3 c Flour-sifted
2 1/2 ts Baking powder

In a large mixer bowl at medium speed, beat butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix flour and baking powder and stir into butter mixture. Divide dough into thirds; shpae into balls and flatten slightly; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Roll into 1/8″ thickness and cut. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes or almost lightly browned. Cool and decorate with Xmas Icing.

3/4 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Butter or margarine — soften
1/4 cup Orange juice
1/2 cup Dark corn syrup
1/2 cup Dark molasses
4 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons Ground ginger
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Ground allspice

In a mixing bowl, cream sugar and butter. Blend in orange juice, corn syrup and molasses. Combine flours, giner, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg and allspice. Add to creamed mixture; mix well. Chill 3-4 hours or overnight. Roll a portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes. Place 2-inches apart on greased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake 350~ for 12-14 minutes. Cookies will be soft and chewy if bakes 12 minutes–crunch if baked longer. Yield 6-7 dozen.