Mother's Day cookies

I had a hard time deciding what to get my mom for Mother's Day this year. I've already done flowers and candy - and she's not really the type for jewelry or girly things. When I read Amanda's cookie suggestion on iambaker, I decided that was what I would do this year.

Since this was to be my first attempt at decorating cookies like this, I decided to go the basic route and not try to get too fancy. I made a simple flower-shaped cookie from Amanda's favorite sugar cookie recipe.
 

The dough was really easy to work with - and the cookies baked beautifully. I was really impressed with how pretty they looked fresh out of the oven.

I planned to ice them using Amanda's royal icing recipe and to write all of my mom's kids' and grandkids' names on them, as well as making ones that said "Mom", "Grandma", "Dad", and "Grandpa". I even included the two sons-in-law, LOL. I had a difficult time deciding whether or not to do make cookies with "Dad" and "Grandpa" on them because my dad passed away on Dec. 25, 2008. But there wouldn't be a family without him, so I decided that his cookies should be in the basket, too.

Don't be too critical - remember as you look at them that I have never made cookies like this before:

I need practice on writing with icing - but at least you can read the names, LOL! I also had a hard time trying to figure out the right consistency for the "writing" icing. At first I made it too thick and it was hard to get out of the tip. Then I made it a little too thin because once the writing was on the cookie, it would spread a little and the lines would run together. So getting that consistency right definitely takes some practice!

My mom lives about 2.5 hours from me, so I had to ship her cookies. I wrapped each cookie in a bag to help keep them fresh as well as offer a little protection.

I bought a basket at Hobby Lobby (they were 50% off!) and filled it with some pink crinkled paper shreds. Yes, I know - it sort of looks like an Easter basket. But I needed to pad the cookies!

Overall, I was pretty pleased with the results. The cookies were delicious!! The recipe is one that is going to get used again and again. I was able to get 70 cookies out of one batch (and yes, I decorated every single one of them!), so there were plenty left over for my family to eat. They all loved them. I was especially impressed with the royal icing. I have never, ever been able to make icing that completely hardened (much to Gus's dismay) - but this icing was perfect!!! I'll be using it in my thumbprints from now on.

My mom called yesterday morning to thank me for the cookies. She said she cried when she opened the gift and saw Dad's cookies on top. She said they were beautiful - and so thoughtful - and she loved them. She also said she didn't think she was going to eat them, LOL. I told her to take a picture to keep the memory and then eat those cookies. She compromised by saying she was going to take them to work with her on Monday to show the girls - and she wasn't going to eat the ones that represent her & Dad. Now I need to find out if there is something you can buy to preserve food you want to "keep", LOL! I think the gift was a success.

Cookie recipes, part 2

Last Monday, I posted recipes for three of my favorite cookies - chocolate chip, Mexican wedding cakes, and spritz.

Today, I'm going to give you the recipes for my oatmeal, snickerdoodle, and peanut butter cookies. I'm going to have to bake some cookies when I finish here - my mouth is watering!

Gus and Buddy really like my oatmeal cookies. My secret ingredient is a package of Quaker Cinnamon & Spice instant oatmeal. The spices are perfect for a cookie!

Oatmeal Cookies
(makes 30-36 cookies)

1/2 c. butter-flavored Crisco
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pkg. Quaker Cinnamon & Spice instant oatmeal
approx. 3/4 c. uncooked oatmeal (I use Quaker regular oatmeal)
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. walnuts (optional)
1/2 c. raisins (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, cream Crisco and sugars; add egg and vanilla; mix well. Pour the package of Cinnamon & Spice oatmeal into a 1 cup measuring cup, then continue filling to the top with the regular oatmeal. Place the oatmeal in another mixing bowl, then add the flour, baking soda, & salt; mix well. Add dry ingredients to first bowl, mix together well. Add nuts & raisins, if desired.

Drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees. If you want them to be really chewy, don't allow the edges to brown too much.

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Gus really likes my peanut butter cookies, too. The ones with the chocolate kisses in the center are usually a hit - but he likes his plain. My secrets for these cookies are: Jif peanut butter; don't press the cookie down too far; and sprinkle the tops lightly with granulated sugar.

Peanut Butter Cookies
(makes 36-40 cookies)

1/2 c. butter-flavored Crisco
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 c. Jif peanut butter
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
Hershey's kisses, unwrapped (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl, cream Crisco and sugars. Add egg, vanilla, and peanut butter; mix well. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients together, then add to first bowl; mix well. Roll dough into balls about 1.5 inches in diameter. Using a fork (it's best to dampen it with water), lightly press down on dough - then turn fork 90 degrees and press a second time - so that the fork marks criss-cross. Sprinkle tops lightly with granulated sugar. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Cookies edges should not be brown - if the edges brown darker than a golden color, the cookie is usually burnt on the bottom.

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The last cookie recipe is for snickerdoodles. This recipe came from my Grammy - and they are the best cookies ever! They are best served from the oven; only cooling them enough to keep them from breaking when you hold them. Mmmmmmm!!

Snickerdoodles
(makes about 60 cookies)

1 c. butter-flavored Crisco
1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cream of tartar
cinnamon & granulated sugar mix

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl, cream Crisco and sugar. Add vanilla and egg, mixing well. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar together; add to first bowl.; mix well. Shape dough into small balls (I use a heaping tsp. of dough to make a ball about 1 1/4 inch in diameter). Roll balls in cinnamon/sugar mix, then place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

I do not allow these cookies to brown at all - not even on the edges.

For the cinnamon/sugar mix: you can buy premixed bottles at the grocery store in the baking aisle, but I usually make my own. I don't really measure - I have a container that I use for mixing and it holds about 1/2 c. sugar. If I had to guess how much cinnamon I add, I would say it's 1-2 tsp. You can vary it according to your taste.

Enjoy!! If you try any of the recipes, let me know!

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!