tasty tuesday - cowboy cookies

COWBOY COOKIES

ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups oatmeal

directions:
preheat oven to 350
cream together butter and white and brown sugar
beat in 2 eggs
mix flour with baking powder, baking soda and salt
add gradually to wet mixture
add oats

drop teaspoons full onto lightly greased or non-stick cookie sheets
bake about 9 minutes or until lightly browned

i made these on the weekend and i used margerine instead of butter and they turned out great. mine were a bit bigger than a teaspoonful and it made 4 dozen chewy delicious oatmeal cookies.
super delicious basic cookie that i plan on making regulary!

its tasty on friday too...

since it's the christmas season and there is just so much baking and cookie eating that needs to be done i thought i'd throw in a few extra recipes here and there...

this basic german cookie can be adapted in SO many ways. for the most part you can add whatever you want! spices, cocoa, flavor extracts... whatever you're feeling like when you make them.

Basic Spritz

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter (i sometimes use margerine if thats all i have in the fridge)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour


heat oven to 400F
in a large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, and vanilla.
beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often until mixture is light and fluffy (2-3 min)
add flour (if you want to add food coloring add it now)
beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2-3 min)
fill your cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheets about an inch apart.
decorate with colored sugar or sprinkles!
bake for 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

this recipe makes about 60 cookies give or take (depending on your cookie press - mine makes closer to 80 because it makes itty bitty dainty cookies).

these are delicious with almond extract instead of vanilla!

enjoy!

tasty tuesday - mint spritz

ok, i know its nowhere near time to get started on christmas baking, but i couldn't help but start thinking about it when i was shopping on the weekend and saw christmas displays popping up all over the place.
these are my favorite christmas cookies that i ALWAYS make.

Mint Spritz With Chocolate Centers

2/3 cup sugar


1 cup butter -- softened

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

green food coloring (optional - but i always add it... it's festive!)

mint chocolate chips - one per cookie

 
Heat oven to 400F. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter, egg, salt, vanilla, and mint extract. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in green food coloring, adding just enough to acheive the desired color. If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate until firm enough to form cookies, 30 to 45 minutes. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. I always make pointettas. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Immediately after removing cookies from oven place one mint chocolate chip upside down in the center of each cookie then let cool on a cooling rack until the chocolate is set.
 
variations -
 
don't add the mint extract or food coloring and instead add some almond extract and a piece of candied cherry in the center of the flower. super delicious.
 
i usually use margerine instead of butter just because i always have blocks of margerine in the fridge... works just fine.
 

tasty tuesday

this is the easiest cookie recipe ever.
it is easier than scheduling my tuesday blog post apparently. i wrote it up and didn't actually post it. just saved it as a draft. oops!

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix

2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2.In a medium bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and oil until well blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
3.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.


**my modifications**
of course i never follow recipes word for word... so here's what i changed.
1/2 cup is waaaaay too much oil. i use 1/4 cup.
i use mint chocolate chips.
i do not roll the dough. i just drop it onto the pan with a spoon.
any chocolate cake mix is fine. it doesn't have to be devil's food.
 
i am interested to try different cake mix flavors... i think i might try lemon cake mix with white chocolate chips.

tasty tuesday

ok... this one's kinda healthy.  but so tasty!

Almond Meringue Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 egg whites
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ tsp almond extract
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp almonds, finely ground

Directions:
1. Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
3. In a medium mixing bowl combine egg whites, almond extract, and salt. Beat with a whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. When you lift the beater out of the whites the peak will curl.
4. Add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat the egg whites until the peaks stand up straight.
5. Gently fold in the ground almonds.
6. Using a tablespoon, drop well-rounded spoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto the baking sheets, 1” apart.
7. Bake at 250F for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the cookies to dry in the closed oven for 40 minutes.
8. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and gently peel the cookies off the cookie sheets and store in air tight containers.

mmmmmm....
if i'm feeling fancy sometimes i will pipe them out onto the pan... or decorate them with almond slices or sprinkles... that's all up to you!