Peanut Butter Blossoms

I love to bake cookies.  Peanut butter cookies are favorite in this house and with friends.  And! peanut butter cookies with chocolate...woohoo!

This is an easy and yummy recipe:

All ingredients need to be at room temperature.  Preheat oven 350˚ fahrenheit.

Cream together until fluffy:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

Add to butter mixture and mix until combined:

1/2 cup smooth peanut butter

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

Add to mixture beat until soft dough forms:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

Roll tablespoon of dough in your hands until a ball forms.  Roll dough in sugar.  Place on greased cookie sheets about an 1 inch apart (or use silpat sheets).  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Let cookies cool for 5 minutes to press a chocolate kiss on to each cookie.

Enjoy

Spritz Cookies

These are wonderful little butter cookies!

RECIPE 
1 Cup Butter (2 sticks)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 Egg Yolks
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 1/4 Cups Flour
Food coloring (optional)
Chocolate chips, lemon curd, sprinkles (optional)
Cookie Press

Preheat oven 350ºf degrees.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add vanilla and egg yolks (and food coloring).  Mix together.  Sift flour and salt and add to butter mixture.  Mix thoroughly (start slowly or you will have a cloud of flour!)

Dough is sticky.  Place in cookie press.  Squeeze shapes onto Silpat baking mat and cookie sheet.  Add sprinkles or chocolate chips.  If using lemon curd, making an indentation in middle of cookie.  Add a small dollop of lemon curd.

Bake cookies on middle rack for 10-12 minutes until edges are lightly golden.

Now, try to only eat 1!

Pecan Puffs

I love baking Christmas cookies.  I go through at least 15lbs of butter by the end of December...

The first cookies I ever learned to bake are Pecan Puffs. Yes, they may look like Mexican wedding cookies, but they are far more delicate and just so yummy to eat!

 

 Recipe

1 Stick Butter
2 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Cup Flour
1 Cup Pecans (ground after measuring)
Sifted Powdered Sugar (in a separate large bowl)

Preheat oven to 300ºf degrees. 

Cream butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add flour and pecans.  Mix thoroughly.
 
Place dough in fridge until firm.   Roll dough into 1" balls. I use a Silpat baking mat on a cookie sheet, but if you don't have one, use parchment paper.  Place dough balls about 1/2" apart.  Place cookie sheet on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Cool cookies.  Place small batches of cookies in the bowl of powdered sugar.  Roll cookies until completely coated.

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Cookies

These cookies are luscious!

Red Velvet Cookie Recipe

Cookies:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 stick of softened butter
• 1 beaten eg
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk
• Red food coloring
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 squares (1 oz. each) of melted unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

Frosting:

• 4 oz (1/2 pkg) softened cream cheese
• 1/2 stick of softened butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• dash of salt
• 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• red sprinkles (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Cookies:

• Preheat oven to 375F degrees.
• Cream together butter and brown sugar.
• Add egg and blend well.
• Put evaporated milk into a small bowl and stir in food color until a deep shade of red.
• Add dry ingredients, alternating with the red evaporated milk.  (I used a mixer at this point to fully incorporate the red)
• After batter is well combined, add the vanilla and melted chocolate and blend on low speed until completely combined.
• Cover cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat sheet and use a large tablespoon to spoon dough on sheets.
• Bake at 375F degrees for 10 minutes, turning the sheet 180 degrees half way through baking.
• Slide cookies off cookie sheet and allow them to cool completely.

Frosting:

• On medium speed, beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt until creamy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth and slightly fluffy.  Can add an additional 1/4 cup more powdered sugar (to taste) for a thicker frosting. (taste as you add)
• Place in a fitted with a decorating tip and pipe frosting on top of cooled cookies. Or use a ziplock back and snip the corner to frost.