Blogger Friend School favourite cookie recipes

Tamara http://www.traininghearts.com has assigned our latest assignment, one which doesn't require pictures from me! I can't wait to get my new computer!

Part A is to share our favourite cookie recipes.

Here are a couple of mine..

Cream Cheese Cutout Cookies
Makes about 90 cookies.

You need....
1 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract ( I have subbed in amaretto in a pinch (hic!)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Almond frosting (recipe follows)

How to put this all together....

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat until well combined. Add sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract and beat well.

In a medium bowl stir together flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to cream cheese mixture, beat until well mixed. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill in the refrigerator about 1 1/2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface roll dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with desired cookie cutters. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree over for 8-10 minutes or until done. Remove to wire racks; cool. Pipe or spread almond frosting onto cooled cookies. Garnish with coloured sugar, dragees ( you know, those things that break your teeth!) or nuts, if desired.

ALMOND FROSTING......
In a small mixer bowl beat 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 2 tbs softened butter, adn 1/4 tsp almond extract until smooth. Beat in enough milk (4-5 tsps) until of piping consistency. For spreadable icing, add a little more milk. Stir in a few drops of food colouring if desired.


This next one is not a Christmas cookie, but it is one of our favourites!!

LEMONADE COOKIES

You need......
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 can frozen concentrated lemonade, thawed and halved
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
concentrated lemonade for garnish

How to put it together....

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add 3 oz concentrated lemonade (half the can)
Stir flour, baking soda and salt together and add. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake in 375 degree over for 10 to 12 minutes until light brown.

Brush tops of cookies with concentrated lemonade. Makes about 5 dozen.




The next part of the assignment is........

Share a memory,story or tradition about baking any holiday/Christmas goodies.

Well, when I was growing up, my mom and grandmother were too busy with our flower shop to bake cookies. The couple of weeks up until Christmas saw my mom working into the wee hours of the morning trying to keep up with the orders. So, a lot of the time, customers brought us in homemade goodies. One of the people was Mrs. McFedhren, who was my mom's positively ancient home ec teacher from high school. I am sure I did not spell her name right! She brought in the most amazing cookies.

The next person who brought us in treats was a man named Morley Janes. His box of cookies was so amazing, that I didn't want to touch a cookie, they were all so pretty. My favourite were these butterscotch squares with marshmallows, I have to locate that recipe, it is HEAVEN!!

I also recall people bringing in boxes of chocolates. I used to sneak in there and squish all the chocolates until I found the hard centered ones. Blech, the worst thing was geting one of those drippy cherry ones!! Yechhh.....

My kids and I make a gingerbread house each year. This year we may make a gingerbread log cabin, but we will see. I hope to do that next week. Last year, we made a giant cookie tree, which was good,but not as good as our gingerbread house. My dad used to buy us a gingerbread house from a Scottish bakery when I was little. I remember the icing being so hard you could barely sneak off a candy! And the house, well, there was no way you could eat it, it was truly hard enough to build a real house out of!!

Part 3 is to share a scripture.....

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:12-13