Cookie Baking Day

It’s that time of year again…time to start baking! As soon as the weather starts getting chilly, I fire up the oven and start cranking out baked goods. It’s just a small way I can bless my family and friends as the holidays approach.

Every year I get together with a friend and we spend the day baking. In past years, we’ve only planned a week or so in advance and just gathered what we could at the last minute. This year is going to be different. Oh, I’m sure we’ll still decide on some last minute additions, but for the most part we’ll be more prepared for the day.

To make the day even more fun, I’ll be blogging about it as I have time and then at the end of the day. We haven’t picked a date yet, but it will most likely be the second week in December. To help you get ready, here is our recipe list, shopping list and our game plan. Have fun and if you have a blog…leave a link to your baking day in the comments. I’d love to see how much fun you all have!

*all documents are in Google Documents and are printable.

HERE is the Shopping List.  Since I always go on the idea that, when baking, it’s better to have more than enough…all the ingredients are rounded up to the nearest pound or package size. you can alway save the rest for another baking day!

HERE  are the Recipes. NOTE: The shopping list is for a double batch of each. If you are doing this alone, you’ll want to half all of the amounts on the shopping list. You will have double the recipes as you go.

HERE  is our Game Plan. Feel free to add your own details or arrange things to fit your schedule. We’ll have a 3 year old and 6 year old with us for the day and have older children that will need picked up after school.

This is a time to build your friendship and bless your family. Don’t stress over details! Another important detail is to TAKE PICTURES! You will have so much fun every year looking back through the pictures and remembering all the fun you had.

Chocolate Dipped Butter Cookies

Here’s a recipe that will be included in the Christmas Cookie Baking Day post scheduled for next week.  YUMMY!

Ingredients:

• 1 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. confectioner sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 c. flour
• 1 c. chocolate chips
• 1 t. shortening
• 1/2 c. sprinkles or nuts

Directions:

1. Cream butter & sugar in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add vanilla and mix well
3. Add flour and mix well
4. Cover & Chill for 1 hour
5. Shape into 1T.  (2.5 x .5 in. sticks) Place on cookie sheet.
6. Flatten 3/4 of each end lengthwise with a fork
7. Bake & cool completely on wire rack
8. Melt chips & shortening together. Dip cookies and then add sprinkles or nuts. Cool completely and store in air tight container.

Gingerbread Cookies

These are great for Gingerbread People cutouts! The kids have a blast decorating these little people…

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/3 c. shortening
• 1 1/2 c. dark molasses
• 2/3 c. cold water
• 7 c. self-rising flour
• 2 t. ground ginger
• 1 t. ground allspice
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. ground cloves

Directions:

• Mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses and water in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet with shortening.
• Roll dough 1/4 in. thick on floured surface. Cut out with floured cutter. Place 2 in. apart on cookie sheet
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched. Remove from sheet, cool on wire rack.

Peppermint Meltaways

This a new recipe for me this year. They sound delicious! Just to give credit, where credit it due…I found the recipe in the Nov/Dec. Issue of Simple & Delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• FROSTING:
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
• 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
In a small mixing bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, extract and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth. Spread over cooled cookies; sprinkle with crushed candies. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3-1/2 dozen.

Mini Pecan Tarts

These little tarts are perfect to serve with coffee after dinner. Just enough sweetness to satisfy your dessert craving!

Mini Pecan Tarts

Ingredients for Cookie:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup flour

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 Tables. butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

1. Beat butter & cream cheese until smooth. Mix in flour and shape into 1 in. balls ; press into mini muffin tin with a tart press (or your thumb)
2. Mix egg, butter, brown sugar and pecans together for filling
3. Fill each tart with 1 Tables. of filling ; bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until pastry is lightly golden and puffy. Cool in pan for a few minutes, the remove them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Soft Sugar Cookies

We like our Sugar Cookie Cutouts nice and soft…how about you? Here is my recipe that we use for all our Sugar Cookie needs. Enjoy!

Soft Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup butter, softened (real butter)
• 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 teasp. vanilla extract
• 1 teasp. cream of tartar
• 1 teasp. almond extract
• 1 teasp. baking soda
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour (measure after sifting)

Directions

1. Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg and extracts
2. Mix together flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Stir into creamed mixture. Chill 2-3 hours or overnight.
3. Roll out on a lightly powdered board until dough is 1/2 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with colored sugar or other decorations.
4. Bake 7-9 minutes at 350. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes ; move to wire rack to finish cooling.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Ingredients:

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
* 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries, drained, reserve juice
* 1 (6-ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and soda, blending well; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together butter or margarine and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; beat until smooth and well blended. With hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls; place on ungreased baking sheet. Press down center of dough with thumb. Drain Maraschino cherries well, reserving juice. Place a cherry in the center indention of each cookie.

In small saucepan combine chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk; heat over low heat until chocolate is melted. Stir in 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of the reserved cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the topping over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. If frosting seems too thick, thin with a little more cherry juice. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes, or until done. Remove to wire rack to cool.