Lucy's Ginger Snap Cookies

These cookies are DELICIOUS! I made them the other day, and they are almost all gone. I did not roll them in sugar, but instead made an icing of confectioners sugar and milk to top each cookie with like the ones you buy at the grocery store.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Cream butter, 1 cup sugar, egg and molasses until well blended. Stir in flour, ginger, baking soda and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1 1/2" balls.
   Roll balls in sugar. Place balls on un-greased cookie sheet (I put parchment paper down to prevent burning on the bottoms). Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and still puffed. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes; remove to plate with wax paper to finish cooling.
2. IF YOU WANT THEM CRUNCHY: Store on a plate covered with aluminum foil.
3. TO KEEP THEM CHEWY: After ten minutes of cooling, put them in a tupperware/gladware container lined with wax paper and keep the lid on. After a couple of days, if they get hard, put a piece of bread in with them. The cookies will retain the moisture from the bread and stay chewy.

Cinnamon Stars

It is the holidays after all, so here's another cookie recipe I hope you'll try. This was probably the favorite of people who received assorted cookies from me this year. Actually, Cilla chose this recipe and I'm so glad she did!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.


2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a 2-1/2-in. star-shaped cookie cutter dipped in flour. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.


3. Bake at 350° for 15-18 minutes or until edges are firm and bottom of cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 5 dozen.

From Taste Of Home Cookie & Candies Cookbook.

Strawberry Dreams

I made these as part of my Christmas gifts this year. The top to a small container of spices makes the perfect cookie cutter! Since this recipe yields 9 dozen, I only made a half batch without any problems.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 drop lemon juice
5-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

FILLING:
1 jar (12 ounces) strawberry jam

ICING:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 drop lemon juice
1 drop red food coloring, optional
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.


2. Divide dough into three portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each portion to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a 1 1/2 inch round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.


3. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.


4. Spread the bottom half of the cookies with strawberry jam; top with remaining cookies. For icing, combine the sugar, lemon juice, food coloring if desired and enough milk to achieve a drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cookies.

Yields 9 dozen.

From Taste of Home Cookies & Candies Cookbook.

Chocolate Pinwheel Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or peppermint if you have it)
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 squares (1 ounce each) unsweetened chocolate, melted

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, milk and extract; mix well. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Add chocolate to one portion; mix well.
2. Roll each portion between waxed paper into a 16-in. x 7-in. rectangle, about 1/4-in. thick. Remove top sheet of waxed paper; place plain dough over chocolate dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm.
3. Unwrap dough and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Yield: 4 dozen.

From Taste of Home Cookies & Candies Cookbook.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw a recipe for these the other day and I just had to try them out. They are very good, but someone suggested white chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet chocolate and I think they are spot on. Also, the next time I make these I will be making them with macadamia nuts as well.

Cooks Note: Make sure you label your flours. It was quite comical to see giant cookie puffs last night in the oven and realize I'd used self-rising flour instead of all-purpose.

INGREDIENTS

2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips or chunks

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and beat until just blended. Mix in the dry ingredients, starting on slow and moving up to medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl once during mixing (turn the mixer off first) to ensure complete blending.
4. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and use a rubber spatula to gently stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoon full onto the baking sheets, with 1 inch spacing between them. Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes or until lightly browned. If necessary, rotate the sheets halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes on the sheets before moving them to wire cooling racks to finish cooling completely.