Tag Archives: cookies

Making Cookies Lighter

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The holidays are just around the corner. This time of year makes it hard to stick to a healthy diet.  Cookies, cakes, cheese balls galore!!   On the Taste of Home website I found an article on how to make your cookies lighter.   I hope these suggestions help with your holiday eating.

There are simple ways to make your favorite cookies, brownies and bars healthier.

Lighter Cookies Are Delicious

 

 

Here are some tips:

  • Adding an extra egg white gives crunch to a low-fat cookie. In recipes that call for several eggs, substitute two egg whites for one of the eggs.
  • Light cookies do not brown like their higher-sugar counterparts. Adding a little baking soda (in addition to any other leavening in the recipe) will promote browning.
  • A little corn syrup will produce a browner cookie…with a crisp surface and soft interior. Substitute the corn syrup for the same amount of sugar called for in the recipe.
  • Use cocoa instead of melted or grated chocolate to help reduce fat. Three tablespoons cocoa plus 1 tablespoon water or other liquid equals 1 square or 1 ounce of melted baking chocolate. Mix the cocoa with the dry ingredients and the liquid with the wet or creamed ingredients.
  •  using butter or a high-fat content margarine. Reduced-fat butters or margarines contain water and air and will not produce a quality cookie.

For the compete article click on the link: Lighter Cookies Are Delicious

Halloween Cat Cookies

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What do candy corn and red hots have in common?

Well, when you strategically placed them on a brown cookie they become a scary Halloween cat cookie!

Black Cat Cookies Recipe

Halloween Cat Cookie

Spooky Goodness

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup baking cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 24 wooden craft or Popsicle sticks
  • 48 candy corn candies
  • 24 red-hot candies

Directions

  • In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Roll dough into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place 3 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
  • Insert a wooden stick into each cookie. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Pinch top of cookie to form ears. For whiskers, press a fork twice into each cookie. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove from the oven; immediately press on candy corn for eyes and red-hots for noses. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2 dozen.

ENJOY!

 

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Apricots and White Chocolate

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My mom stopped by the library today and brought the staff a surprise batch of cookies!

We found this recipe in the back cover of a Martha Stewart Living Magazine several years ago (I looked it it, it was March 2009), and it’s been a family favorite ever since. A classier take on the traditional oatmeal raisin cookie, the apricots and white chocolate give these cookies a much lighter, delicate taste. Our magazines are a great place to find recipes and you can check out back issues to bake all you want at home.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
  • 7 ounces dried apricots, preferably California, chopped (1 1/2 cups)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, oatmeal, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add salt, vanilla, and eggs, and beat until well combined, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture gradually, beating until just combined. Stir in chocolate and apricots. Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes.
  2. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

If your interested in some of the other amazing baked goods that the amazing Ms. Stewart has to offer, try checking out Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook or Martha Stewart’s Cookies.

Mason Jar Cookie Cookbook

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mason jar cookie cookbookAre you looking for a great gift from your kitchen?  Why not try some Mason jar cookies.  With a little time and effort you can create wonderful gifts for all the cookie lovers on your list.  To get you started, check out the book, The Mason Jar Cookie Cookbook by Lonnette Parks.  Have fun!

Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1  2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup sugar

¾ teaspoon baking soda

Wash and dry a 1 quart wide mouth canning jar. Layer  the ingredients into a canning jar as they are listed above , pressing firmly with a flat bottomed object after each addition.  Try to make your layers as level as possible. Secure the lid.  Tie a bow around it all and you have an instant gift.  It would also be helpful to type out the additional ingredients and instruction to give along with the jar.

To make the cookies you will need these additional ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.       Preheat the oven to 375°F                     

2.       Place all of the jar ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and stir until  well combined. Set aside.

3.       Place the butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl, and cream with an electric mixer set on low or mix with a fork.

4.       Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, and mix with a spoon until well combined.

5.       Drop the dough by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.

6.       Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until light brown in color.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet.  Then transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

7.       Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Yields : 2 ½  Dozen cookies

 

Cinnamon Cookies

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Mixing up these ingredients will result in a very sticky dough.  Don’t let that worry you!  The end result will be a tasty, crumbly cookie.

2½ cups of flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup sugar

¾ cup oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Slowly mix in sugar and oil, add eggs, then vanilla.  Add flour mixture all at once and beat well.  Shape in to ½” balls, roll in sugar and bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes.

Sugar Cookie Cutouts

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2/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

4 teaspoons milk

2 cups sifted flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla.  Add egg; beat until light and fluffy.  Stir in milk.  Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture.  Divide dough in half.  Chill 1 hour.  On a lightly floured surface, roll to 1/8” thickness.  Cut in desired shapes with cutters.  Bake on greased cookie sheet at 375F for 6-8 minutes.  Cool slightly; remove from pan.

Makes 2 dozen.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

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cookiesThis tasty cookie had been a hit with family, friends, and coworkers alike.

1 cup butter or margarine
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 package (4.67 oz) chocolate sandwich mints, coarsely chopped
1 cup vanilla baking chips

Heat oven to 375F. In large mixing bowl, combine butter, sugars, egg and
vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour, cocoa,
baking soda and salt. Beat at low speed until soft dough forms. Stir in
mints and chips.

Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie
sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool completely before sorting.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Want to make more cookies? Check out some of our cookie-specific cookbooks.