Pomegranate Pistachio Thumbprints

For this cookie, you can make your own pomegranate jelly with the recipe that follows or use store bought.

Pomegranate Pistachio Thumbprints

2/3 cup pomegranate jelly * recipe follows

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup finely chopped pistachio nuts

If you are making the jelly, make it well in advance so it has time to cool and set before you use it

Preheat oven to 350, line baking sheets with parchment

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside

In the mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. 

On low speed, add the flour, mix until well combined

Place the pistachios in a dish. Use the medium scoop to scoop out dough balls, roll in pistachio nuts. Place 1 to 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Use your thumb to make an impression in the cookie. Add about 1/4 teaspoon prepared jelly  into each impression. 

Bake for 10 to 14 minutes or until the are  golden brown around the edges. 

Cool cookies on baking sheet for a few minutes then transfer to wire racks to cool. 

Pomegranate Jelly

2 cups pomegranate juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice (I only had a lime and it worked just fine)

1 packet liquid fruit pectin

4 cups sugar

This will make way more than you need!  It makes 4 to 5 half pints.

In a large dutch oven, combine pomegranate juice, lemon (lime) juice and fruit pectin.  Bring to a boil over high heat. 

Stir in sugar all at once. Stirring constantly bring to a full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute longer. Remove from heat, skim foam and place into hot sterilized jars.  Seal according to directions from manufacturer.  

Cool to room temperature, then place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before using in cookies. 

Cottage Cheese Cookies

I made some Ricotta cookies last year, they were good, but not worthy of Christmas. I experimented with the recipe, and these are wonderful!

Cottage Cheese Cookies

4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon nutmeg

zest of one medium orange

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon orange extract

15 ounces small curd cottage cheese, drained if wet

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons orange juice

1 teaspoon almond extract

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, orange peel, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl, set aside. 

Cream butter, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time, add the extracts (you can skip the almond if you have flor di scilia -just use 2 or 3 drops of that)  and cottage cheese. Add flour and beat until well combined. At this point you will still see some lumps of cottage cheese, but soon you won't. 

Cover and refrigerate over night.  At least 8 hours. 

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment

Using the medium cookie scoop drop cookies on prepared sheets, about an inch apart

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes

Cool completely before glazing

To make glaze:

Sift powdered sugar into a bowl. Mix orange juice and almond extract. Whisk into powdered sugar. It should be a fairly thin glaze. Dip the cookies into glaze, then top with sprinkles.  Let stand until glaze has hardened. 

These freeze wonderfully. 

Makes about 3 dozen

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

12 ounces white chocolate chips (1 bag)

3 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter, (16 tablespoons), room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

5 ounces Andres Peppermint chips (1/2 a bag)

8 teaspoons heavy cream

Crushed peppermint candies

Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheets with parchment

Melt 4 ounces of the white chocolate, I do this in the microwave, 30 seconds, then stir, repeat till it is all creamy.  Set aside to cool slightly

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt, set aside

Cream butter at medium speed in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add sugar, beat until light and fluffy .At least 2 minutes.  Add the melted chocolate, blend till smooth. Add eggs and vanilla.  

Add the flour in batches at low speed. (or you will get flour flying all over the kitchen) 

Add the peppermint chips and 4 ounces of the white chocolate chips ( you should have 4 ounces left for the glaze)

Using the medium scoop, drop onto prepared pans about 2 inches apart. 

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until lightly browned

Let them cool for a few minutes on the pan, the put them on a wire rack to cool completely. 

Let cool completely.

Make the ganache

Take the last four ounces of white chocolate and melt it in the microwave. 

Add  heavy cream. Beat to blend well. 

Dip the cookies in the ganache. Top down. Then dip into crushed peppermint candies. The white chocolate mixture (the ganache) will thicken up, so don't dawdle. If it does thicken up, you can warm it up for a few seconds in the microwave. 

Let the cookies set on the wire racks about an hour. 

Makes 36

Hello Magic Layer Bars

These cookies come with many many different names. Hello Dolly, Magic Cookie Bars, 7 layer bars, etc. There maybe more that I do not know, but they are yummy, easy and FAST

Hello Magic Layer Bars

1 cup butter

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 cup chocolate chips (this time I used Christmas chips, red, green and chocolate)

1 cup butterscotch chips

1 cup coconut

1 cut walnuts

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350

Melt butter, add graham cracker crumbs. Mix well. Pat into the bottom of a 11x8 inch pan.

Sprinkle on chips, then butterscotch chips, coconut and finish up with the walnuts

Pour the sweetened condensed milk over all. 

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes

Cool, cut into bars. 

YUMMY

Cranberry Bread Cookies

Cranberry Bread Cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

2 1/2 cups sugar, divided

2 large eggs

3 1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoons grated orange peel

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tarter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries

1/4 cup orange juice

Cream shortening and butter until light. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, continue to cream until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cream of tarter and cinnamon.  

Add flour to creamed mixture. Beat in cranberries, walnuts and orange juice.

Cover and chill overnight (at least 8 hours)

ready to chill!

Preheat the oven to 375, line baking sheets with parchment (this time it really is important! The cranberries were sticking to the parchment!)

Put the rest of the sugar into a small bowl. Use the medium scoop, drop balls of dough into the bowl of sugar.  Roll to cover completely. The dough is still sort of sticky, so I dipped the scoop into the sugar to make it not stick.  Place the sugar covered dough balls onto parchment lined baking sheets

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are browned. 

Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. 

Makes about 3 dozen

India Flowers

Happy Diwali!

India Flowers

2 cups cake flour

4 teaspoons ground cardamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup room temperature butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup finely chopped pistachios

Decoration

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon

Preheat oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment

Combine powdered sugar and cardamon for the decoration step. Set aside

Combine flour, cardamon and salt in a small bowl, set aside

Cream butter, add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. 

Beat in flour and add the nuts

The mixture will seem very very dry, keep beating and it will come together. 

Use the medium scoop, and scoop out a ball of dough. Roll in your hands to 

make it smooth. Then roll them in the powdered sugar/cardamon mixture. 

Place those on the parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in the powdered sugar 

mix

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Cool on the sheets for a few minutes, then move to wire racks to cool completely. 

Makes 1 1/2 dozen. 

Pumpkin no prints

This cookies was supposed to be a thumbprint kind of cookie, but I just did not want that much icing. If you want to do a thumbprint, you can!

PUMPKIN NO PRINTS

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup pumpkin puree

1 large egg, separated

1 teaspoon water

1 cup pecans finely chopped (more or less)

Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon softened butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 teaspoons milk

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. 

In the bowl of the mixer combine butter and brown sugar. Beat at medium speed till well mixed, about 2 minutes. 

Add pumpkin, egg yolk  and continue beating till well combined

Reduce speed to low, add the flour mixture. Beat one minute, or until well blended. 

Cover, refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or overnight. 

Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheets with parchment

Whisk egg white and water till egg white is frothy. Place pecans in another small bowl. 

Using the medium scoop, make 1 inch balls. Dip the tops of the balls in the egg white, then roll in the pecans and place on prepared baking sheets.  You can either flatten them slightly or make a thumbprint in the middle. If you make a thumbprint you will have to push it down again while the cookies are warm out of the oven

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until they are set and the bottoms are slightly browned. 

Just out of the oven

FROSTING

Mix butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl and add to butter/sugar mixture.  The frosting should be thin, you want it to be drizzled on top. 

Makes 1 1/2 dozen

Cherry Ripe Cookies

I have been wanting a Cherry Ripe. They are in Australia and I am here.  So this is the next best thing

Cherry Ripe Cookies

2 cups flour

2/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cherry flavoring

1 large eggs

16 ounces of candied cherries, chopped and mixed with a little of the flour

1 1/2 cups coconut

Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheets with parchment

In a medium bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, do this for about 3 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and cherry flavor. The cherry flavor will turn the dough pink, but that is not a problem, it will be covered by the dark cocoa 

Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. 

Chop the candied cherries into halves and quarters, mix with a little flour so they won't be one large lump of cherry.  Add to cookie dough along with the flour

Use the medium cookie scoop and drop onto prepared pans

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until set. You can not tell if these are browned

Cool on wire racks

Makes 3 1/2 dozen

Red Velvet Cookies

I found several red velvet cookie recipes on line.  I mushed a few together and this is what I came up with!

RED VELVET COOKIES! 

1 3/4 cup flour

2 tablespoons cocoa (high fat)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons buttermilk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon red dye

1 cup chopped white chocolate chips

FROSTING!

4 ounces cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

finely chopped pecans for garnish

Preheat oven to 375

Line baking sheets with parchment. This dough is fairly sticky

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Set aside

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, at least 4 minutes! Add eggs one at a time until well blended

In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, cider vinegar, vanilla and red dye. 

Add alternately with the dry ingredients. Begin and end with flour mixture. 

Add chopped chips. Mix in well. 

Use the medium scoop, drop onto prepared pans.  I was going to see if I could make these thumbprints, but it did not work out so well, so that is why you will see an indent in the cookies. Ignore that.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. It will be really hard to tell that they are browned since the are very red! Mine took 11 minutes in the oven. 

When they are cool frost!

FROSTING!

In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the whip and  beat butter until soft, add cream cheese and beat until well blended! 

Add vanilla and powdered sugar, mix well. 

 When the cookies are completely cool, frost and then sprinkle with finely chopped pecans. 

These are cake-y and oh so good! 

Pumpkin Cookies

It is Fall! Time for Everything Pumpkin!

Pumpkin Cookies

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons Penzey's Cake Spice (or just cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice)

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups shortening

2 cups sugar

1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (or two cups home made pumpkin puree)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups craisins (or raisins)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheets with parchment

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. 

Beat shortening and butter till blended, add sugar and mix for 30 more seconds. 

Add pumpkin, eggs and vanilla.  Beat until well combined

Add craisins and walnuts. 

Drop by medium scoop onto prepared baking sheets

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until browned on the edges

Makes about 6 dozen

Spiced Apple Cranberry Cookies

Since it is Fall

Spiced Apple Cranberry Cookies

1/3 cup butter

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon apple pie spice

2 cups shredded apples

1 cup dried cranberries 

1 cup optional walnuts

Preheat oven to 350

Line baking sheets with parchment paper

Cream butter and shortening till well blended. Add sugars, eggs and vanilla. Mix till well blended

In another bowl, mix flour, salt, baking soda, apple pie spice. Gradually add to creamed mixture

Add in shredded apples. I did not peel the apples, I shredded them on a mandoline, then cut them into smaller strips. about an inch long.  

Then add in cranberries and optional nuts

Drop by medium scoop on lined baking sheets

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Let rest on cookie sheet for a couple minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Makes about 4 dozen.