I want to bake cookies for the holidays any suggestions?

Question

How can I make homeade cookies that are not complicated but are easy to make. Do you know of any good sugar cookie recepies and how to make icing for the cookies as well? I never cut out shapes with a rolling pin before it is hard? I want to give the cookies as gifts as a personal touch. Thank you in advance for sharing your recipies. Happy Holidays.

Answer 1

Cinnamon Stars
flourless - gluten-free
(yield 80 pieces)
3 egg whites
8 oz. powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 drops almond extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
14 oz. ground almonds




Whip egg whites to a peak. Sift powdered sugar and slowly add to egg whites. Set aside 3 tablespoons of egg whites to decorate cookies. Add vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon and ground almonds. Put dough into a plastic bag and roll out to about 1/4 inch. Refrigerate bag for about 15 minutes. Cut bag open. Cut out cookies with a 2 inch star shaped cookie cutter and transfer onto baking pan lined with parchment paper. Brush cookies with egg whites
Bake at 250 F for approximately 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 210 F and bake for another 30 minutes.

The brushed egg whites should remain white. (approximately 40 calories per cookie).
Tip:
You can use ground hazelnuts instead of ground almonds.













Rum Truffle
(yield 50 pieces)
10 oz bittersweet chocolate
5 oz. whipping cream
2 oz butter
1/2 cup rum
4 oz. cocoa powder


Using a water bath, melt pieces of chocolate in whipping cream. Add butter. After chocolate and butter are melted, let mixture cool down.
Once mixture has somewhat hardened, whip it up, slowly adding rum. Using a pastry bag pipe walnut-sized mounds onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum paper. Freeze for at least 30 minutes or until firm.
Using your hand, form the truffle into little balls and roll them in the cocoa powder. (approximately 55 calories per piece).










Gingerbread Men Cookies

6 cups flour
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 Tbs. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg and vanilla until smooth.

Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until completely mixed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done they will be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

hope it helps

Answer 2

Sugar Cookies
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
DIRECTIONS
Mix sugar and butter. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Blend into butter mixture.
Refrigerate dough 2 to 3 hours.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Divide dough in half and roll 3/16 inch thick on floured surface.
Cut dough with cookie cutter and sprinkle with sugar.
Place on lightly greased cookie sheet and bake 7 to 8 minutes or until delicately golden

This cookies are delicious and not complicated.

Answer 3

i ove peanutbutter cookies, and you can do alot with them, like add chocolate chips, or my friend adds peanutbutter chips, of you can press down the middle a few min before there done and ad jam, or just a few seconds, 30-1min before their done add your favorite ckind of chocolate, like a resse cup, or a herse kiss, ar a carmel ghiradeli square, you can mix any kind of nut into the dough, you can do alot with a peanut butter cookie, or just leave em how they are plain, their great like that, or you could make a batch each way and show friends and family just how versitile a peanut butter cookie can be, try the better home and gardens recipie, make sure to use brown sugar not honey so they turn out good, i will never use honey when baking agin-eww, the texture was all off.

Answer 4

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE NO BAKE COOKIE
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons unsweetened
cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup butter
3 cups quick cooking oats
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat cocoa, sugar, milk and butter over medium heat. Boil these very slowly (they will turn out better). when they reach the boiling point, boil them for no longer than 90-120 seconds.
2. Stir together oats, peanut butter and vanilla with a big wooden spoon .
Pour the hot mix over the oatmeal mix , STIR QUICK!
Drop teaspoonfuls on wax paper.
You might find 2 teaspoons handy, one for the mix and one to push onto wax paper.
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SUGAR & HONEY COOKIES

INGREDIENTS
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 cup honey
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan over low heat, melt together sugar, shortening and honey. Let cool.
Mix together eggs, vanilla, baking soda and ginger. Gradually add to cooled honey mixture.
Slowly add 4 cups of flour to mixture. Stir until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) until golden (about 12-15 minutes).

Answer 5

2lbs butter 2lbs brown sugar 1 1/2 lbs granulated white sugar i teaspoon salt #2. #18 oz. jars of crunchy peanut butter 3 eggs 6 cups flour 1 teaspoon of baking powder mix bake 15min. or less

Answer 6

BUTTER COOKIES ingredients: *1 cup butter *1 cup sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract *2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted or stirred before measuring *dash salt *1 teaspoon baking powder
*blanched almond halves
Preparation: Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture; mixing until well blended. Shape dough into small balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheets; press an almond half into the top of each ball. Bake butter cookies at 300° for 20 minutes, or until just lightly browned. Makes 5 to 6 dozen butter cookies
FROMhttp://southernfood.about.com/od/buttercookies/r/bl30318u.htm
CHOCOLATE COOKIES ingredients: *1/2 cup butter *1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar *1 egg *1/2 cup cocoa *2 cups all purpose flour, sift before measuring *1 teaspoon baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon baking soda *vanilla extract
Preparation: Cream butter; add sugar gradually, and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and other ingredients gradually. Chill dough for 3 hours. Roll out on floured board to 1/4-inch thickness and cut in finger shaped slices. Bake at 375deg; for 15 minutes. Makes about 3 to 4 dozen chocolate cookies.
FROMhttp://southernfood.about.com/od/chocolatecookies/r/bl30527d.htm
CHRISTMAS COOKIES ingredients: *1/2 cup butter *1/2 cup shortening *1 cup granulated sugar *3 eggs *3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour *1 teaspoon soda *2 teaspoons cream of tartar
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract *colored sugar
PREPARATION: Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar; add the eggs and blend well. Sift together flour, soda, and cream of tartar; stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in vanilla. Chill the dough thoroughly. Roll chilled dough out on a lightly floured surface and cut with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased baking sheets, sprinkle with colored sugar, and bake at 425° for 6 to 8 minutes. Recipe makes about 6 dozen Christmas cookies.
FROMhttp://southernfood.about.com/od/buttercookies/r/bl30425i.htm
HAPPY HOLIDAYS! BYE

Answer 7

one sure treat for christmas trays is coated pretzels. these are easy and make trays look festive. buy white almond bark chocolate from the walmart, melt down chocolate, dip pretzels and lay on wax paper, then sprinkle them while their wet with xmas sprinkles of red or green and let them dry. these are easy and delicious.

Answer 8

there are several websites that can help with that. there is one if i am not mistaken called allrecipes.com, and you can search for all kinds of recipes. same thing applies for your icing. i was thinking of the same thing and if i find some that are pretty easy i will let you know. ok

Answer 9

Have lots of fun with this, it's wonderful!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Soft-Sugar-Cookies-IV/Detail.aspxe