Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies!

 

I get asked a lot about a good recipe for an "Old Fashioned Molasses Cookie" and I love anything with molasses in it so here you go!!!   These cookies are a delicious soft cookie with a slightly crisp crust and just hint of spice in them.  They remind me a bit of a spiced tea cake!  Speaking of tea, these would be great with a cup of hot tea!!!  

Even thought these cookies are an "old fashioned" recipe, all ages seem to love them.  My son has loved this sort of cookie since he was a little boy!    These are perfect cookies for the holidays to fill out your cookie tray!

Here is what you will need:

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

3/4 cup butter (softened to room temperature)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves 

sugar  (for rolling cookies in)

In a mixing bowl, beat the white sugar, the brown sugar, molasses and egg together until blended.  Add the butter and beat until creamed together.  

Sift all of the dry ingredients together until blended.   Gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Mix well.  Place in the refrigerator to chill.

  

When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees.   Scoop the cookies out in one inch balls and roll them in sugar, then place on a greased cookie sheet or a cookie sheet covered in nonstick foil or parchment paper.  You can also lightly spray the foil or parchment paper with nonstick spray. 

 

If the dough starts to get warm, chill what is left to make it easier to work with.

Bake for 8-9 minutes for a slightly chewy, soft cookie!  

Allow to cool slightly and then remove to a plate with a spatula! 

These are great cookies for the holidays or anytime you just want an old fashioned treat!!

Cherry Kiss Cookies!!!

I love chocolate covered cherries so when I saw the recipe for these little yummies, I knew I wanted to make them.  I also thought they would make a perfect cookie for Valentine's Day!!!  My first attempt with the recipe, as written, was a mess.  It looked like one of those "Pinterest fail" memes.  I knew, in my heart, when I was making these by the recipe, as written, it didn't seem right, but the pictures were so pretty and picture perfect...lol!!!   Anywho,  I reconfigured the whole mess, and now it works well and is delicious!!!  

  This is why, I will not post a recipe that I recommend to you, without us making it first!   Many of you have told me how the recipes on the internet are so unreliable and I totally agree!!!  Even some from some of the 'famous' cooks who are on TV and have huge followings I have had to reconfigure to make work, which tells me they couldn't have made those recipes themselves or they would have known they don't work.  

My point is, please know, that I try to never do that to you all!  If it is  not an old tried and true family recipe, we make some of these recipes more than once, to get them just right!!!  You can trust them if you follow the guidelines!

Here is what you will need:

3/4 cups butter, softened to room temperature  (1 and 1/2 sticks)
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbs. maraschino cherry juice
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 tsp. cherry flavoring (optional for more cherry flavor)
3-4 drops red food coloring (optional)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
30 chocolate Kisses or one for each cookie

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick foil and spray lightly with nonstick baking spray.   These cookies can stick if you don't do this.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together.  Add eggs one at a time and mix.   Add the cherry juice, almond flavoring and cherry flavoring.  The cherry flavoring is optional if you like a very cherry flavored cookie.   The cherry juice and cherries give these a light cherry flavor!   The food coloring is also optional for a more vibrant pink color.    I left it out and you can see mine are still pink just not as bright.

Add the flour one cup at a time along with the baking soda and salt.  You can use self rising flour also and skip the baking soda and salt, if that is what you have on hand.   Do NOT skip it with All Purpose flour or the cookies will fall flat.

Mix in the chopped cherries last.   It is best to refrigerate this dough for one hour before baking.  The cookies set up better.  While the dough is chilling unwrap the Kisses so they are ready to go.

When the dough is chilled, scoop out and form into one inch balls all the same size and place one inch apart on cookie sheets. I used a small cookie scoop for this and it worked perfectly.   Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.   These bake really fast so watch them carefully.  When they are done.  Remove and allow to cool for just a few minutes, about 4 or 5 tops, then press a Kiss in the middle of each cookie. You can use any Kisses candies you prefer...milk chocolate, dark chocolate, the Hugs would be great!

Let them cool on the cookie sheets completely before removing to a platter with a spatula.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies!

When my son was little, we always made sugar cookies for the holidays!!!  We had so much fun with it!!!  I have tried many different recipes and this one is one of the best tasting ones I have tried.   The dough is really tender and delicate which makes a delicious cookie. 

There is a key to working with this dough, it needs to chill overnight or all day long at least to get very cold.   Then you only need to roll half at a time and refrigerate the other half until you are ready.  As long as the dough is very cold it's easy to deal with.  

 Here is what you will need:

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

4 oz. cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

1 egg yolk

2   1/4 cups all purpose flour

In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, butter, and cream cheese until it's well blended.  Add the salt, vanilla flavoring, egg yolk and flour and mix until a soft dough forms.   Pull the dough off the sides and form a ball.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least for 8 hours.

When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Roll half the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8 inch thickness.   Refrigerate the rest of the dough until ready to use.  Cut into shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters.  Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  I like to use parchment paper or nonstick foil on my cookie sheets.   You can sprinkle with colored sugar or leave plain to decorate after baking with icing.   Bake  on center rack for 8 to 10 minutes or just until slightly brown.    Cool completely before frosting.

Old Fashioned Orange Slice Cookies!

Theses "Orange Slice Cookies" are a delicious, chewy, slightly orange flavored cookie.  Orange slice candy is an old fashioned orange flavored jellied candy for those of you not familiar with them.  I guess they were sort of the original gummy bear.  I will be honest with you, I was never a fan of the orange slice.  I have found that most older folks love anything having to do with orange slices.  It's the candy of their youth and most just love them. The use of orange slices at Christmastime is especially appropriate also, because that was something a lot of our older family members had only at holidays.

 I am sometimes skeptical of recipes that use orange slices, but this cookie recipe was a big surprise.   The cookies are delicious and the orange slices give them a really chewy texture that I love.  So if you love orange slices or you are not a fan, you will still love these cookies! 

 Here is what you will need:

1 cup butter flavored shortening (Crisco)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1  1/2 Tbs. water

1 tsp. vanilla

1  1/2 cups quick cooking oats (not instant)

1/2 cup coconut

10 orange slice candies, each cut into 4 pieces

3/4 cups pecans, chopped

 In a large mixing bowl, cream shortening, sugars and eggs together.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mix into the creamed ingredients. 

Add water, vanilla, oats, coconut, pecans, and orange slices and mix just until all is combined.  Chill for 1 hour.

With a cookie scoop or spoon, scoop out and roll in about 1 inch balls.  Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for approximately 12 minutes or until just brown. 

  



Chocolate Thumbprints!

  

 

 

These "Chocolate Thumbprints" are a delicious cookie that are great for the holidays, because they are part cookie, part candy...chocolate candy to be exact!  To me, they almost look like they are topped with little chocolate Santa hats!  They are also not that difficult to make!  Here is what you will need:

 

 

1/2 cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)

1 cup sugar

1 egg, separated

2 Tbs. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup finely chopped walnuts

 

Filling

1/2 cup confectioner's  sugar

1 Tbs. butter, softened

2 tsp. milk

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

26 milk chocolate Kisses candies

 

 

In a mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar, egg yolk, milk and vanilla until it's light and fluffy. 

 

In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa and salt.  Gradually add to the creamed mixture.

 

Cover and chill for 1-2 hours.

 

In a small bowl, beat the egg white.

 

Shape the chilled dough in 1 inch balls.  Roll in the egg white. Dip in the chopped walnuts.  Place on greased baking sheets. Make an indention in the center of each cookie with your thumb.   Bake at 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. 

 

Combine the first 4 filling ingredients and mix until smooth.  Spoon 1/4 tsp. into the center of each cookie. 

 

 Press a chocolate kisses candy in the center of each cookie.  Carefully remove to a wire rack to cool.