Today (December 18th) is Bake Cookies Day! And with the holidays coming up, this couldn’t be any better positioned. Here at CMB, we decided to do a roundup of our favorite cookie recipes to share with you. If you’re feeling adventurous or stuck in a cookie-rut, give one of these tried-and-true recipes a shot this holiday season!
One-Motion Kiffles – Beth
For as far back as I can remember, we have always had Kiffles at Christmas. My mom got the recipe from her aunts on her father’s side, and while we don’t fully know the origin, we believe these are a traditional Hungarian cookie (my grandfather’s heritage). They are not too sweet, so they won’t overwhelm people who are on sweetness overload, but they are delicious and definitely worth trying if you’ve never had them. The recipe is extremely forgiving so they are incredibly hard to mess up. I’ll just say this- my mom makes them every year (and they’re tasty), and she doesn’t cook ANYTHING. So if she can do it, so can you.
Recipe:
1 lb pkg walnuts unshelled
½ lb softened butter (I use unsalted)
2 handfuls sugar
2 cups flour
1 jigger whiskey
Shell and grate the nuts. Cream together softened butter and sugar. Add flour gradually. Add nuts to mixture. Last add whiskey. Mix by hand (but I use a mixer). Let stand ½ hour in refrigerator. Roll into ball, then shape into crescents. Bake in 350 oven for 15 minutes or until done. Roll in confectioner’s sugar while still warm (so it sticks).
Peanut Butter Cookies – Sarah
My Grandma used to make the absolute best peanut butter cookies. The recipe I have is a cut out from a newspaper from forever ago. No one else makes them exactly like she was able to.
Recipe:
One cup brown sugar, packed
One cup granulated sugar
Two eggs
One cup peanut butter
Three cups sifted all purpose flour
One teaspoon soda
One-eighth teaspoon salt
If using electric mixer cream sugars, butter (let stand at room temperature 30 minutes to soften for good blending), and eggs at high speed, guiding into beaters with rubber scraper. Blend in peanut butter. Sift flour once; measure and sift with soda and salt. Work into creamy mixture. Mold into walnut-size balls and flatten with a fork on greased cookie sheet. Bake in quick moderate oven. 375 degrees F, until slightly browned. Makes about 60 cookies.
Cherry Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies – Jennifer
This recipe is adapted from the back of the Craisins bag, and it’s pretty forgiving and open to variation. You could add nuts, you could also do white chocolate and Craisins, or you could skip the wheat flour and do 1 1/2 cups regular- be creative!
Recipe:
1/2 cup butter softened
About 1 medium mashed (very ripe) banana
2/3 cup brown sugar packed
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extra
¾ tsp orange extract
About 1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour* (optional, you could just do 1 ½ cups regular flour instead)
1 tsp baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ -1 cup dried cherries (more or less to your taste)
2/3 cup dark chocolate chunks
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and mashed banana, mixing well. Add vanilla and orange extracts, and orange zest, and banana, and mix again until blended. Sift together flour/s, baking soda, and salt in a separate mixing bowl, then add oats. Add to the butter and egg mixture a little at time, blending after each addition. Stir in Craisins and white chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack. Yield: Approx. 2 ½ dozen (I got 3 dozen).
Fudgy Cappuccino Crinkles (ala Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book) – David
These are a definite favorite and normally don’t last long before being utterly devoured. They do take a bit more effort than the standard cookie recipe, but they are totally worth it.
Recipe:
1/3 cup of butter (softened)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1.5 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar or sifted powdered sugar
Lightly grease a cookie sheet, set aside, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. add brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, and cinnamon. beat until combined, scraping the bowl. beat in egg whites and yogurt until combined. beat in as much flour as you can, stir in remaining flour, cover and chill dough for 3 hours.
Place the sugar in a small blow. drop dough by a teaspoon into sugar and roll into balls. place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. bake in oven at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies – Casey
This is my personal oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe. It’s special because it’s the only cookie I have ever made that I don’t screw up :). Seriously though, it’s easy, and can be tweaked with different add-ins, and is very forgiving.
Cinnamon Roll Cookies – Amy
Recipe makes about 16 doz (for real; so I usually half it. They are bite sized cookies but still). They are a little bit of work but they are soooo yummy.
Dough:
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
6 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Spread:
12 Tbsp softened butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
Icing:
8oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2-4 Tbsp milk
For dough: Mix sugar and butter until smooth then add eggs, vanilla, sour cream. Slowly add flour (1/2 cup at a time), baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Once mixed separated into 2 disc shaped dough balls wrap in plastic wrap and chill for atleast 2hrs (my experience closer to 4 or more works better)
Pre-heat oven 350
Cut discs into 1/3 and roll into ovals 1/8 in think (it help to coat in light dusting of flour before rolling) Oval should be approx. 12×5. Spread about 2 Tbsp on butter on dough then sprinkle approx. 1/4 cup of spread mix on top. Roll dough on the short end so it makes a log. Using a sharp knife cut 1/2in think slices.
Bake 9-11 minutes.
Let cool for about 5 minutes before icing.
Icing: Mix cream cheese then add powdered sugar and milk til desired thickness.
