Cookies!
I love to cook, especially for other people. So, I suppose it’s only natural that it occurred to me to make tasty treats to give out. Last night, my kitchen (and I) turned into a cookie making factory. It was a lot of fun to make them, all the while thinking of how much the folks who received them would enjoy them. (Yes, there is a little selfish element to this…)
Armed with recipes (and ideas for a little modification), I made (dozens of) three of my favorite kinds of cookies. They’re represented in the picture above. From left to right: Peanut Butter Blossoms, Fruit and Nut Oatmeal Cookies, and Jam Thumbprints. Click through for the recipes. And Happy Whatever Holiday(s) You’re Celebrating.
Peanut Butter Blossoms
From the Hershey’s Chocolate website
Ingredients:
48 Hershey’s Kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Extra granulated sugar
Directions:
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
- Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
- Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around the edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.
About 4 dozen cookies. (I actually got more like 3 dozen, so mine must have been a little big…)
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Jam Thumbprints
From Allrecipes.com
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter (stick and a half), softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fruit preserves or jam, any flavor**
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 – 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use your finger or an instrument of similar size to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of the preserves/jam.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
** Preserves come out less runny when the cookies are fresh out of the oven, and set quicker, since they’re thicker than jam. But I used blackberry jam and they turned out just fine. I usually use apricot preserves, but there are dried apricots in the recipe below, so I thought of my next favorite jam.
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Fruit and Nut Oatmeal Cookies
Adapted from the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe under the lid of the Quaker Oats carton
Ingredients:
1 stick plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups oats (quick or old-fashioned, uncooked)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Add oats, walnuts, and fruit; mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
Yields 4 dozen
