Cookie recipes...

Cookies count for Monday's Meal, don't they? Who doesn't love freshly-baked cookies? I like them best when they're just cool enough to not fall apart, but still warm enough to make you close your eyes & sigh with contentment. Yum.

I have a few tried-and-true recipes that I've used over the years - and they're always a big hit. I'm a cookie baker who likes her cookies to be chewy in the center and just slightly crunchier at the edges. No hard, crunchy cookies in this kitchen!! The one exception is my Mexican wedding cakes, but even those aren't really crunchy.

This is a tray of cookies that I made for Gus to take to work at Christmastime:

I thought I'd share my cookies recipes with you - starting with the Mexican wedding cakes. Lulu loves these - and even though I'm not a fan of this type of cookie, I think they're pretty tasty, too.

Mexican Wedding Cakes
(makes 36-42 cookies)

1 c. butter (or butter-flavored Crisco)
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 c. chopped pecans

Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in bowl. Add vanilla and flour; mix well. Add pecans; mix well. Roll dough into balls about the size of a walnut. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then roll in powdered sugar. It's messy rolling them in sugar while they're still warm, but it melts the sugar slightly - then you can roll them in sugar a second time to get a nice even coating.

These cookies are best stored in tins. They can also be frozen.

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This spritz cookie recipe came from Gus's grandmother. According to him, no one bakes cookies like Grandma A. - and if he says something I made is "almost as good as Grandma A's", then I have almost achieved perfection and there is no greater compliment. Someday, I hope to hear my grandchildren saying that "no one bakes cookies like GiGi (or Grammy or whatever they decide to call me)".

Spritz Cookies
(makes about 5 dozen)

1 c. butter (or butter-flavored Crisco)
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. almond or vanilla extract (I use almond)
1 egg
dash of salt
2 1/4 c. flour

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream butter and sugar together in bowl. Add egg and almond/vanilla extract; mix well. In separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder - then add to other ingredients. Fill cookie press with dough - press cookies onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

If you're decorating the cookies with colored sugar, nonpareils, or sprinkles, you can add these before baking. You can also ice the cookies after baking/cooling. You can also tint the cookie dough with food coloring or gel coloring before adding it to the cookie press.

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The last recipe I'm posting today is the one for chocolate chip cookies. This is a recipe that I have used since I started baking cookies around age 12. Everyone always loved these cookies - but for some reason, when other people try the recipe, the cookies never turn out exactly like mine. And no, I don't have a secret ingredient! LOL! These are definitely chewy cookies - if you like yours firmer, I recommend substituting white sugar for the brown sugar.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes 48-60 cookies)

1 c. butter-flavored Crisco
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. water
2 eggs

2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 c. chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream Crisco and sugars together in bowl. Add vanilla, water, and eggs. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl, then add to first mixture. Finally, add the chocolate chips, mixing well. Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Tip: I like to use parchment paper under my cookies when I bake them!

More recipes soon!