The Cookie Page

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This page is all about Cookies. What works and what doesn't. For years, I was unsucessful at making even the simplest Chocolate Chip cookie. Yes, they were edible, but flat, like they had melted, often greasy and uncooked on top, burned on the bottoms. My sister-in-law, Denie, who passed away in 1991, taught me two very important things about baking cookies. 1)-Use shortening, not margarine. 2)-Bake one tray at a time. These two hints turned my flat soft cookies into thicker, evenly cooked delights.

A couple other things I've learned, a thicker, heavier cookie sheet also keeps cookies from burning too quickly on the bottom. These cookie sheets are more expensive, but worth the investment. And from Jimmy, my youngest son, you can cut the sugar and salt in some cookies almost by half and the cookie is still absolutely delicious.



Chocolate Chip
Butterscotch Chip
Molasses Crinkles
Pressed Cookie Recipe
Gingerbread Cookies
Sugar Cookies
Butterscotch Nutty Chow Mein Cookies
Peanut Butter Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies


Chocolate Chip Cookies
Nestle Tollhouse Originals

Preheat oven to 375°
Bake for 9 - 11 minutes
Makes approximately 5 dozen cookies

Mix thoroughly:
1 c. shortening
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Sift together and mix slowly into above mixture:
2 1/4 c. sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Stir in Nestle's Tollhouse Chocolate Chips (12 oz. bag or 1 1/2 c.)
Optional: Stir in 1 c. chopped nuts

Spoon mixture onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375° for approximately 10 minutes.


Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Use the Chocolate Chip Recipe above, just substitute Butterscotch Chips instead of the Chocolate Chips. You can also substitute other various flavored candy chips, even M & M's. Another popular substitute is, leave out the candy chips, spoon the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet and bake, then stick an unwrapped Hershey Kiss on the cookie as soon as it comes out of the oven. (Yeah, I left them in the foil once, also tried putting them on the cookie dough before it was baked. These were unsuccessful.)



Molasses Crinkles
Mom's Recipe

Preheat oven to 375°
Bake 10 - 12 minutes
Makes 4 - 5 dozen cookies

Mix thoroughly:
3/4 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. molasses

Sift together and mix slowly into above mixture:
2 1/4 c. sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger

Chill dough for 2-3 hours. Roll into small balls, about the size of a walnut. Roll the balls in a bowl of granulated sugar and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. With an eye dropper (used exclusively for kitchen & food purposes), drop 1-2 drops of water on the top of each cookie ball. (This aids in helping the cookie to "crinkle" when it bakes.)

Bake at 375° for approximately 10 minutes, just until cookie has set, but not hard. Makes about 4-5 dozen.



Favorite Pressed Cookie Recipe
"Spritz"

Preheat oven to 400°
Bake 6 - 9 minutes
Makes 5 dozen cookies

Mix together:
1 c. shortening
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract or vanilla or any favorite flavoring
1/2 c. granulated sugar

Sift together and mix slowly into above mixture:
2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Fill cookie press with 1/4 of the dough at a time. Form desired shapes on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 6 - 9 minutes at 400°, until set but not hard.

Variations:
Divide dough into several bowls and mix different colors of food coloring to each bowl.
Mix 2 oz. of melted or unsweetened cocoa to part of the dough to get some chocolate cookies.
Brush baked cookies with egg white or syrup to add various decorations.


Gingerbread Cookies


Preheat oven to 375°
Bake 10 - 12 minutes
Makes 15/4" cookies

Mix thoroughly:
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. dark molasses
1/4 c. water

Sift together and mix slowly into above mixture:
2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. allspice

Cover and chill dough for about 2 hours. Roll dough to 1/4" thick opn lightly floured board. Cut shapes with gingerbread man cookie cutters. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Decorate and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. When cool can do additional decorating with icing or whatever.


Traditional Sugar Cookies
Cookie Cutter Type

Preheat oven to 400°
Bake 6 - 8 minutes
Makes 4 dozen cookies

Mix thoroughly:
3/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
(1/2 tsp. almond extract - optional)

Sift together and mix slowly into above mixture:
2 1/2 c. sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Mix thoroughly, cover and chill dough for at least 1 hour. Roll dough to 1/8" thick on lightly floured board. Cut into desired shapes. Place onto ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles to decorate. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until very light brown.

You could also use a glaze icing or decorator's icing to decorate the cookies after they have baked and cooled.

This is the one I used when my boys were very young. I'd make up the dough and then roll it out on the kitchen table. They would cut the shapes from my many cookie cutters, put them on the baking sheets and then decorate with many, many sprinkles. (I would collect small bottles of different sprinkles every week when grocery shopping all through the year. We would use almost the entire stock doing this!) Big mess, but the best of memories!


Butterscotch Nutty Chow Mein Cookies/Candy

Some may call this recipe candy instead of cookies. But I'll include it here anyway.

Ingredients:
Butterscotch Chips 12 oz. bag ( 1 1/2 c.)
1 c. salted peanuts
1 c. chow mein noodles

In a double boiler or a chocolate melting pot or a small crockpot, melt a 12 oz. bag of Butterscotch Chips. (1 1/2 c.).

When mixture has become smooth and creamy, stir in approximately 1 c. of salted peanuts and 1 c. of chow mein noodles. Stir until peanuts and chow mein noodles are totally coated with the butterscotch.

Spoon mixture onto a baking sheet that is lined with wax paper or parchment paper. Set in a cool place or refrigerate until set. Pull pieces off the wax paper and store in a container in a cool place or refrigerator.

Variations: Use Chocolate Chips instead of Butterscotch. You could try almonds or walnuts etc., instead of peanuts. Experiment with various things that you like instead of the three ingredients listed in this recipe.



Peanut Butter Cookies

Preheat oven to 375°
Bake 10 - 12 minutes
Makes 3 dozen cookies

Mix thoroughly:
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. peanut butter, creamy
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg

Sift together and mix slowly into above mixture:
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Chill dough for 3-4 hours. Shape dough into balls and place about 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. With a fork dipped in flour, flatten balls in crisscross pattern to 2 inches. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes at 375° until set but not hard.



Oatmeal Cookies

Coming Soon



Recommended Books:

Betty Crocker Cookbooks
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