C – O – O – K – I – E – S !!!!!!!!!
Okay, folks, it’s time for you to declare — Not whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, an Obama fan or a McCain supporter. It is time for you to declare your cookie allegiance.
I’ll go first: oatmeal raisin. Hands down. If forced to pick a second and third choice, it would probably be preacher cookies and white chocolate-macadamia nut cookies.
October is National Cookie Month. But if ever there was a food that could support an entire year of tributes, it is the versatile and delightful cookie. Three hundred and sixty-five different cookies could easily be named for every day of this proposed National Cookie Year. And then some.
In fact, if I started naming cookie types now, it would probably take me about as long as it took Forrest Gump’s pal, Bubba, to name all the shrimp concoctions he knew.
Cookies are, in my opinion, the ultimate dessert. If you can restrict yourself to just one (and few of us can), it is the perfect individually-sized treat. Cookies can take on fall flavors of cinnamon and raisins and apples, warm-weather flavors like lemons or fresh berries and winter flavors like peppermint and amaretto. They exist in just about every culture, in some form, and can take on an array of shapes and sizes.
They can be had for dessert at restaurants all over town — Heavenly Ham, Zak’s Cafe, On the Rise, Subway and Macado’s are just a few. But who has the best cookies? Perhaps the best ones come out of your own oven.
For this huge, important National event, I urge all of you to dig through your cookbooks and scrap books and come up with your very favorite cookie recipe. Then post it on this blog and we’ll share them with the world.
I’ll kick things off with this recipe:
Golden Raisin Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 4 dozen
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. grated orange peel
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2/3 cup golden raisins
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, orange peel, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the raisins. Dough will be stiff.
2. Drop by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book
October 8, 2008 - 10:54 AM
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I’m going old school and declare that chocolate chip is my favorite! Right after my son was born in late July, my husband got on a cookie kick, but we cheated and purchased the premade dough (hey we had a newborn!). Of course, now I’m trying to lose the baby weight and cookies have been banished from the house! Perhaps I’ll try to make a less calorific chocolate chip cookie!
I’m with you on Oatmeal Raisin, but add walnuts to them!! I adore chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips in them — recipe on the back of the peanut butter chip package. Also like “Mexican tea biscuits” which have every name in the world. A light round cookie with pecans rolled in powdered sugar when they come out of the oven. My kids call ‘em “sandballs”. Every holiday season, my mother would FILL the dining room table with baked cookies to put together as presents for friends and relatives. I wish I had that kind of time!!! I sure don’t need the calories!!
I’m with you on Oatmeal Raisin, but add walnuts to them!! I adore chocolate cookies with peanut butter chips in them — recipe on the back of the peanut butter chip package. Also like “Mexican tea biscuits” which have every name in the world. A light round cookie with pecans rolled in powdered sugar when they come out of the oven. My kids call ‘em “sandballs”. Every holiday season, my mother would FILL the dining room table with baked cookies to put together as presents for friends and relatives. I wish I had that kind of time!!! I sure don’t need the calories!!
I make a killer oatmeal date cookie. I have to toot my own horn but if I can get kids to willingly eat oatmeal then they must be pretty good. And they are gone in a day, always. Maybe I’ll make you some Lindsey!
Soft, chewy peanut butter cookies!!! YUMMMMMMM!!!
Those Mexican tea cookies sound a lot like Mexican wedding cookies or Danish wedding cookies.
Aha! According to my Food Lover’s Companion: “Mexican wedding cake: a buttery, melt-in-your-mouth cookie that’s usually ball-shaped and generally contains finely chopped almonds, pecans or hazelnuts. It’s usually rolled in confectioner’s sugar while still hot, then again after the cookie has cooled. Many countries have their own rendition of this rich cookie. Two versions are Russian tea cakes and Spain’s polvorones.”
See, you learn something new every day. I love those cookies!
Ken, my mom used to be in a sorority and every Christmas they had a cookie and ornament exchange. Similar to your idea. Another fun idea is a cookie decorating party. You make a bunch of sugar cookies and everyone decorates them and takes some home. It makes a mess of the kitchen, though.
When I was growing up in western Massachusetts, we shopped at a store called Jennifer House. They had the MOST amazing molasses raisin and walnut cookies. After years of begging, my Mom finally secured the recipe. Unfortunately, the recipe was lost years ago when my mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; she didn’t remember the secret ingredient any more (maybe fresh ground nutmeg??) These were absolutely fantastic cookies, cake-like and warm from the oven, nothing could beat them. While still a fan of the good old Toll House chocolate chip cookies, I will always have fond memories of waiting for the molasses cookies to be ready on a cold, snowy New England winter day…
I’ve had the cookie exchange parties AND cookie decorating parties. The first is very hands-off and relaxing and the second is very hands-on. Both are tons of fun!!
I wonder what would happen if you combined the Chinese gift exchange idea with… cookies?
BTW: My favorite cookie in the entire world has to be oatmeal chocolate chip. I hate raisins.
Jennifer
twinkylady@yahoo.com | 68.106.89.98
Yep, my mama called those cookies Sand Tarts. They’re a nice change from the other super-sweet Christmas goodies…even though they’re coated in sugar they are not as sweet as all the candies and chocolate dipped stuff. She only makes them at Christmas and they’re wonderful. Ours use pecans and she only rolls them in sugar once so it’s a light coating.
Oatmeal Raisin are my favorite too. I had a Martha Stewart recipe for them, which has dried cherries instead of raisins, and chunks of dark chocolate and toffee bits. I lost the recipe, so I just use the one on the Quaker Oats box and add the cherries, choc and toffee, 1/2 to 3/4 cup of each.
Can I get a shout out for snickerdoodle! Also my mom make these cookies called lace cookies. Lace cookies are so thin you can see through some of them hence the name I guess.
i love too many cookies to pick just 1 but when i have to make them for an event like my son’s school or church i stick to this super easy peanut butter recipe.
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup peanut butter
mix , roll out and cook at 350 for about 10 min ( till golden brown) and then you can add hershey kisses if you want.
Warm chocolate chip cookies, warm peanut butter cookies, Mexican wedding cookies – this blog has me in heaven!!
I also love a cookie that is sweet and delicious but I have no idea what it is called. I know they are a pain in the rear to make because you have to keep the dough cold while you’re making them. Basically, they are like a buttery sugar cookie that you roll in sugar before baking and then put them on cookie sheets in little quarter-sized sections. Once they are baked, you put some frosting on them and make a little sandwich cookie. They absolutely melt in your mouth!!
Greg – I’ll give you a shout out for the beloved snickerdoodle!! Probably one of my top 3 faves… Kim, you may be thinking of shortbread sandwiches; I have seen the recipe in my Mastering French Cooking by Julia Child (excellent cookbook, BTW). There is also a thin, buttery cookie found in most Moravian cookbooks that really only works if you make them on a chilled marble slab. If the butter in them gets warm enough to separate from the dough (they are rolled cookies, not mixed) they are too tough. Same with Croissants if you make them from scratch (an absolute labor of love, but worth every mouthful); if the dough gets too warm, they will not turn out flaky. I have a marble rolling pin and marble slab just for such projects!
I used to make snickerdoodles all the time, it was one of the first cookies I learned to bake in Home Ec in high school. My uncle smelled them all the way upstairs and came down to see what I was baking, and went back upstairs with a plate full. Mmmmmm, might have to remember to bake some this winter, really good with a hot cup of cocoa..
Lindsey,
My husband’s absolute favorite cookies that I make are actually my gluten free version of Chocolate Chip Cookies! They even won an award for being the best gluten free cookie!! Here’s the post with that announcement:
http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/2008/07/grand-prize-recipe-those-seriously-good.html
Here’s the recipe:
The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Before or After going Gluten-Free!)
* *1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco (or butter)
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup tapioca flour
* 1/2 cup sorghum flour
* 1/4 cup brown rice flour
* 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
* 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
* 1 tsp. baking powder
* 1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 6 oz. GF chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl: cream butter with sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together flours, salt, xanthan gum (opt.), baking powder, and baking soda. Slowly add flour mixture to butter and sugar mixture. Last, mix in chocolate chips. Place golf-ball sized dough portions 2 inches apart on an UNGREASED cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes or JUST UNTIL edges are light brown.
(The cookies WILL NOT look completely cooked when you pull them out of the oven! That’s what you want! That’s part of the secret to these awesome cookies! DO NOT overbake them!)
Let cookies cool on a wire baking rack or the cookie sheet for 5-10 minutes. This will allow cookies to retain their shape for eating!
This recipe doubles easily.
Also, xanthan gum is completely optional in this recipe, but I think adding just a tiny bit makes for a chewier gluten-free cookie!
These are 2 recipes I love
Coconut-Cranberry Macaroons (From the Food Network)
2/3 cup sugar
2 lg egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried cranberries, finely chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups (about 8 oz) finely shredded unsweetened coconut
Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
Whisk the sugar, egg whites, cranberries, orange zest, vanilla and salt in a large bowl. Toss the coconut with the egg mixture until completely coated. Moisten your fingertips with water and form about 1 heaping Tbsp of the batter on the prepared pans. (The recipe says to shape into pyramids, but I just form balls) Space about 1 inch apart. Bake until the edges are golden brown and the entire macaroon is dry, 16 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool Store in a tightly sealed container for up to a week.
Lemon Meltaways
Cookies
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter softened
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
Frosting
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter softened
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
For cookies, in large mixer bowl, combine all cookies ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping often, until wee mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. Shape into two 8×1 inch rolls. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350. Cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices and place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until set, cookies will not brown. Remove immediately and cool completely.
For frosting, in small mixer bowl, combine all frosting ingredients. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, unti light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Spread on cooled cookies
For the lemon cookies, that’s supposed to be well mixed, not wee mixed
Oh heck yeah, Debbie, those both look AWESOME!! My dad will be all over those lemon cookies. He loves anything lemony. I must’ve gotten that from him.
I do too!