Cookie recipes

By Compiled by Times staff
© St. Petersburg Times,
published December 12, 2001

Christmas cookies: The social circle Baking cookies is a passion for one group of women who for 17 years have met each December for a holiday cookie swap. How to organize a cookie exchange It may be too late to organize a Christmas cookie swap before Christmas this year, but there's always next year. Selma Robinson-Ayers, a 17-year cookie exchange veteran, offers these tips for planning the event: The best cookie cookbooks out there There are many cookie cookbooks on the market that are equally as helpful for their recipes and tips as they are for their photographic inspiration.

Pecan Tassies

[Times photos: Bill Serne]

• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large egg
• 2/3 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl with mixer at high speed, beat cream cheese with 7 tablespoons butter until creamy. Reduce speed to low, add flour and beat well. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Gently press balls evenly onto bottoms and up sides of ungreased miniature tart or muffin pans. Place tart pans on cookie sheets for easier handling.

Prepare pecan filling: In medium bowl with fork or wire whisk, mix brown sugar, vanilla, salt, egg and remaining tablespoon butter until well blended. Place half of pecans in pastry-lined pans. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon filling into tart shells. Sprinkle tops with remaining pecans.

Bake about 20 minutes or until filling is set and edges of crust are lightly golden. Gently loosen cookies from pans and place on wire racks to cool completely.

Store in airtight containers. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Source: Selma Robinson-Ayers.

Cocoa Puffs

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• Granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. With mixer at medium speed, beat butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, then cocoa. Add dry ingredients; blend well. Chill dough, then roll dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the granulated sugar.

Bake 8 minutes or until the top of the cookie begins to crack. Makes 4 1/2 dozen, 55 calories each.

Source: Yvonne Alsup.

Date Nut Balls

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 2 cups flaky coconut
• 2 cups Rice Krispies
• 2 cups chopped pecans
• Confectioners' sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add sugar, vanilla extract and chopped dates. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in coconut, Rice Krispies and chopped pecans. Let mixture cool completely.

Form mixture into 1-inch balls, using rounded teaspoonfuls. Roll balls in confectioners' sugar and store in airtight containers. Makes 4 dozen nut balls.

Source: Selma Robinson-Ayers.

Chocolate Mint Meringues

• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate mint chips
• Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In small mixer bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in mint chips. Bake 20 minutes on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Turn oven off; let stand in oven 30 minutes with door ajar.

Cool; peel cookies off parchment paper. Store in airtight container. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Source: Yvonne Alsup.

Chocolate Mint Cutouts

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup mint-flavored semisweet chocolate chips

Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar in large mixing bowl at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add flour and soda; mix well. Makes 3 cups dough.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add 1/2 teaspoon mint extract and few drops green food coloring to dough; mix well. Chill 30 minutes.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness; cut with assorted 3-inch cookie cutters. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on wire rack.

Melt 1/4 cup mint-flavored semisweet chocolate chips in small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Source: Yvonne Alsup.

Chocolate Snowballs

• 4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Nuts (optional)

Melt unsweetened baking chocolate in bowl. Add vegetable oil and 2 cups sugar. Beat in 4 eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder, salt and nuts, if used.

Chill several hours or overnight. Roll into balls. Dip generously in powdered sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Balls will burst open and should be soft when cooled. Work quickly with dough; it softens with handling. Makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Source: Yvonne Alsup.

Gingerbread Cookies

• 6 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon finely ground pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup unsulfured molasses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy. Mix in spices and salt, then eggs and molasses. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and combine. Divide dough in half and shape into flattened disks; wrap in plastic. Chill at least 1 hour.

Have ready baking sheets lined with parchment paper, a long offset spatula, a wide, dry brush and cookie cutters. Remove dough from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Place a large piece of parchment paper on a clean surface and dust generously with flour using a pastry brush.

Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thickness, stopping every few tuns to release the dough from the paper by running the offset spatula under the dough. Add more flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking. Transfer parchment paper and dough to the freezer to chill until very firm, about 15 minutes.

Remove dough from the freezer; working quickly, cut into desired shapes. If your dough begins to warm up and soften, return to the freezer a few minutes. Using a wide spatula, transfer to baking sheets; freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until crisp but not darkened, rotating halfway through. Let cookie cool on wire racks, then decorate as desired.

Source: Yolanda Hudson.

White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup Baker's white chocolate chunks
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts (see note)

(See note to make Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix together with flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Stir in chocolate chunks and macadamia nuts. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10-13 minutes until cookies are set. Cool 1 minute and remove from cookie sheets. Cool completely on wire racks. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.

Note: For Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies, use 1 cup Baker's dark chocolate chunks and add 1 package (8 squares) melted semi-sweet baking chocolate, increase flour to 2 1/2 cups and substitute walnuts for macadamia nuts.

Source: Selma Robinson-Ayers.

Nut Macaroons

• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups finely chopped pecans

Beat egg whites, cream of tartar and vanilla in medium mixing bowl with electric mixer till soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, four and pecans, beating at high speed until stiff peaks form. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1-2 minutes on wire rack. Makes 3 dozen.

Source: Trinette Cole.

Lemon Squares

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8- by 8-inch square pan.

In large bowl, mix butter, cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until fluffy. Stir in 1 cup of flour. Mix until dough comes together. Using floured fingers, place dough into pan and pat evenly flat into the pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

In medium-size bowl, beat eggs lightly, stir in granulated sugar, zest of lemon, remaining flour, baking powder and lemon juice. Pour over crust and bake until filling is set, about 20 minutes. Do not overbake.

Cut into squares. Optional: Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

Source: Valerie Williams.

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