Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

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What is the best part about using cookie tins as gift packaging?  It’s easy; you don’t have to worry about your baked goods getting crushed in transit. The sizes and shapes make it possible for you to deliver just the right amount of cookies, brownies, or other goodies for holidays, birthdays, and other occasions.  They are reusable; your recipient can use the cookie tin for everything from storing hair accessories and toys to organizing drawers.  Cookie tins are always an excellent gift packaging idea.

You probably have more than a few cookie tins laying around the house from long-eaten gifts you’ve received yourself.  Why not put them to use?  With a little creativity and a few craft supplies, you can revamp your cookie tins and get them ready for more gift-giving.  You can then fill them with cookies, brownies, candies, and even cookie dough so your recipient can make cookies when she/he wants.  They also make a great case for puzzles, small kids’ toys, games, cards, coffee packages and/or tea bags, and other gifts.

Cookie tins make a great gift packaging idea year-round, but the problem is that many of us have Christmas cookie tins in excess. We can’t give those to someone for Easter Sunday or their July birthday.  Sure we can; we just have to give them a makeover.  Here are some ways to do just that:

• Choose a spray paint that is specifically designed to work on metal.  Any color will do, but metallics look especially great.
• If you want to use acrylic paints, make sure you buy some that is meant for use on metal. Regular acrylic will simply scratch right off at the merest provocation, so your beautiful Easter tin suddenly starts showing its true Christmas roots.  You can find acrylic paint in craft stores that is meant for painting watering cans and other metal objects.
• Sand the surface of the tin if it is slippery or glossy.  This will help the paint adhere to the tin better.
• If the tin has embossed writing, you can sand it off to make a smooth surface.
• Whether you are using spray paint or acrylic, make sure you clean the cookie tin carefully with hot soapy water and allow it to dry completely before painting. (You don’t want a rusty gift tin!)
• Try your hand at decoupage.  You can do this with tissue paper, gift wrap, brown lunch bags, old maps, old greeting cards, and other types of paper that you have torn into small pieces.  You can buy decoupage glue or save money and make your own.  Simply dilute tacky white glue (such as Elmer’s); it should be about one part water for one part glue.  Apply a layer of the glue with your fingers or a small sponge and then lay bits of the paper down.  Apply another layer of decoupage glue and then more paper.  Layer until the underlying design is covered thoroughly.
• Cover the tin with fabric.  There is a fabulous tutorial at Twisted Stitcher’s Tutorials blog that will guide you through the steps.  The tin is transformed into a lovely box that can be used for sewing notions, craft supplies, or even jewelry and other treasures.

If you are using the tins for cookies, baked goods, or other food items, make sure that all paint and glue has dried completely.  When it has, wash the tin with hot soapy water.  Before you add the cookies to the dry tin, line the bottom with parchment, waxed, or tissue paper.

Cookie tins make an ideal gift package for any number of gifts; don’t feel limited to cookies – although those will certainly be appreciated by most recipients!  Instead of buying gift bags, gift boxes, or wrap, look in your home, find some empty tins, and get to work.  It will make your gift that much more special.

Related Articles:

• The Best Ovens for Cookie Baking
• How to Make Royal Icing for Cookie Decorating
• 5 Artful Ways to Package Cookies as Gifts

If you are in love with the taste of cookies and cream, you will love how easy it is to make your own cookies and cream ice cream. Ice cream makers have come down in price. They are no longer the big, bulky things that once required hand cranking and rock salt. Today’s ice cream makers are sleek and easy to operate. Plus, once you freeze the bowl, the ice cream is ready to go in no time at all.

Here’s a recipe for cookies and cream ice cream using any ice cream maker you have. It’s a simple combination of wholesome milk and cream. You can also change out the sugar for a substitute like Splenda and it will still taste as good. Don’t skimp on the cookies. Your best bet is to use real Oreos.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

From recipetips.com

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups chilled whipping cream
• 2 cups chocolate oreos, or cream filled cookie pieces

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Pour the milk into a heavy saucepan. Over medium heat bring the milk to a gentle simmer (approximately 175° F) or until it begins to bubble around the edges.

Remove from the heat. Then, add the sugar and salt and stir the scalded milk until sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Add half and half, vanilla, and whipping cream and stir until well blended.

Pour the mixture into a bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once it has cooled, cover with plastic wrap and allow it to age in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (or up to 24 hours). This aging process will produce ice cream with more body and a smoother texture. While the ice cream mixture is chilling in the refrigerator, break cookies into small bite size pieces. Place the pieces in a bowl or measuring cup and set aside until needed. After aging (chilling) the mixture, remove from the refrigerator and stir the mixture. The ice cream is now ready for the freezing process.

Follow the ice cream maker's instruction manual on the freezing process.

When the ice cream has thickened, but is still too soft to scoop, add the cookie pieces and stir until they are evenly distributed. Or, add the cookie pieces and start the ice cream maker churning again to stir them into the ice cream. Some makers have an opening in the top that is used to add flavorings as the ice cream is churning.

Once the pieces are mixed in, scrape the ice cream into another container with an airtight cover. Be sure to leave at least 1/2 inch head space for expansion. Place the ice cream in the freezer for several hours to harden before serving.

Here’s another way to do cookies and cream ice cream without the ice cream maker.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream (without an ice cream maker)

From recipetips.com

• 1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (crush or break)
• 8 ounces whipped cream
• 1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

Servings: 12

Simply mix all of your ingredients together is a large bowl. Ice cream should be left out for about 10 minutes to soften. Then enjoy and freeze remainder in container.

Related Articles:

1. Ice Cream Sundae Cupcakes
2. How to Make a Cookies and Cream Milkshake
3. Ice Cream Floats

When Hansel and Gretel get lost in the woods, they stumble upon a house made of cookies and candy.  The base of the house was lebkuchen, or soft gingerbread, a favorite German Christmas treat.  The practice of making gingerbread houses grew from the story of Hansel and Gretel and today, we see them throughout the holiday season.  They have become so popular that you can purchase kits to assemble and decorate your own gingerbread house.  Or you could make your own!

This recipe comes to us from eHow.  Making a gingerbread house is more complex than making cookies or other gourmet desserts.  This is meant to be a centerpiece or decoration more than a confectionary delight.

If you’re up to the challenge, you’ll need:

• Cookie dough.  Both gingerbread and sugar cookie dough will work. You can make your own or buy a premade dough.
• Royal icing (recipe to follow)
• White printer paper
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Kitchen knife
• Spoon
• Pastry bags or zip top bags
• Round pastry tip (if using a pastry bag)
• Candy for decoration

The first step is to make your house’s template.  You can find templates online that you can print and cut out or you can create your own.  A basic rectangular house is fine, especially for your first attempt.  Also keep in mind that larger houses are harder to put together.  For a basic house, make the following templates:

• Sides: two rectangles of the same size
• Front and back: two squares of the same size as each other and that are the same height as the sides and two triangles that are the same width as the front and back pieces.
• Roof: two rectangles that are about 2 inches longer than the side pieces and wide enough to cover the triangles when it is put together.

Cut these out and have them ready.  Now you’re going to work on the dough.

Roll your cookie dough so it is about ¼ inch thick.  Put your templates over the dough and cut around them with a sharp knife.  You may have to stop and re-roll the dough; that’s perfectly fine.  If you have dough left over after you’ve cut all the templates, roll out a square that is about 2 inches bigger on each side than the house. This will be your base.  You can also make a base using a piece of cardboard wrapped in aluminum foil.

Bake the sugar or gingerbread pieces until they are hard.  These are not nice, soft, warm treats for dessert. You’re building a house here!  Let them cool completely before you begin to build your house.

Now comes the royal icing.  It would be easier to use frosting or icing, but it’s not effective.  To keep your cookie house together, you need royal icing.  This stuff is like cement.  To make this recipe from Joy of Cooking, you’ll need:

• 2 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups of confectioner’s sugar, sifted

Beat the egg whites with the lemon juice.  An electric mixer is optimal, though a hand mixer works as well.  Add the sugar and beat until it is combined and smooth.  Now, this needs to be put into an airtight container because it will harden very, very quickly.  When it’s not in use, make sure to cover it.  When you’re ready, put some of the royal icing into your pastry or zip top bag.  If you’re using a plastic bag, just snip a hole in the corner.

Now you can start assembling the houses.  Use the royal icing as the glue to attach the sides and front and back pieces onto the base.  Hold them in place until the icing hardens. This is the benefit of royal icing – it won’t take too long.  When it can stand alone, reinforce it with more royal icing.  Don’t be shy with the royal icing.  Attach the triangles to the front and back pieces, hold, and let dry completely.

Pipe a layer of royal icing along the top edges of the triangles.  Hold the roof pieces in place for several minutes.  This is the basic structure of your home.  If you need to, reinforce with royal icing.  Let the house dry for 24 hours before you start to decorate.

Now comes the fun part!  You can use the royal icing as glue and attach candies, sprinkles, sparkling sugars, and other sweet treats.  Soon, you’ll have a house that looks good enough to eat! These are wonderful for display or as a candy gram!

Need more help? Try this article on How to Make a Cookie House.

If you want to congratulate someone and don’t know what to give them, the ideal gift may be a cookie basket. Cookie baskets can be designed to convey your congratulations and well-wishes. And they’re a delight to receive.

For times when you want to send more than just a card, send a bright, happy cookie basket. It’s such a tasty idea. You can find two types of cookie baskets. One is made with decorated shortbread cookies that look realistic in their artistic icings. The other is more traditional. It includes fresh baked cookies like chocolate chip, oatmeal, peanut butter, and sometimes even brownies.

There is no shortage of suppliers of tempting cookie baskets. Mrs. Fields offers a line of cookie baskets that is so scrumptious you may end up ordering one for yourself, too. You can order a basket of nibblers that are bite sized cookies and brownies. OR you can order a mixed cookie basket that includes white macadamia nut cookies in a tin. There’s also the famous giant round cookie pie. It comes decorated with sweet icing and the word “Congratulations.”

Many other companies also offer cookie baskets that are unique and tasteful. There are, however, things you should ask before giving out your credit card number. When do they ship their cookies? Are they baked and shipped the same day? Are they individually wrapped? Are you charged extra for Saturday delivery? These are all things that will affect your decision to buy from an online cookie bakery.

Also ask what exactly you’re getting. The basket may be rattan and eight inches high in the photo but the one you get ends up looking nothing like it. Ask to see a photo of the actual basket you’re getting, not a placeholder photo. The same goes for ordering flowers online. Always ask to see the actual bouquet especially when they say “contents may vary.”

Your online shopping experience should be fine. But just expect that shipping costs will be more than you want to spend. It’s a choice you have to make if you want to congratulate someone with cookies. Of course, there is also the option of using a local bakery. You can have them make up a really nice basket for you of twice the size you could get online with no delivery charges. See if they will hand-deliver it, or if you can deliver it yourself.

Cookie baskets are always a good idea. Whether you order online, in person, or bake them yourself, they’re a spectacular way to express your congratulations in a fun way. Send them to college graduates, newlyweds, coworkers who get promoted, high school graduates, new parents and for anniversaries. Is there any wrong time to send a congratulations cookies? No. And you can even send one as a sympathy offering when someone has passed on. Pass on the shiny, brightly colored cookies and go for something mellower like chocolate chip or an assortment of home baked recipes. Leave the flash and bows for a more festive time.

Get your cookies on their way to someone special today. It will make their day and they will certainly remember your thoughtfulness long after all the other cards are filed away.

Related Posts:

• Edible Alternatives To Sending Flowers
• Cookie Gift Baskets are A Great Way to Say Thank You
• All About Cookie Bouquets

When you have diabetes, it is easy to think that your favorite foods are on a “bad” list and you cannot enjoy them without damaging your health.  While it is true that changes in your diet will help you lead a healthier life, there is still room to indulge in your favorite foods.  With a few modifications, you can still eat cookies, cake, or your beloved peanut butter cups.  When you learn how to make sugar-free desserts, you will start to see that you are not as restricted as you may have thought.  They're also great to give to friends with diabetes for brownie gifts or diabetic cookies. Put your sweet tooth on hold for a few minutes while you learn to make diabetic brownies.

One hundred years ago, about one percent of the population had diabetes; today, one-third of us will have diabetes at some point in our lives.  Many people with type 2 diabetes can reverse the condition by paying careful attention to their diets.  Sugars can wreak havoc in the body of a diabetic and contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.  While you can make “diabetic” brownies and other recipes, it is a good idea for everyone to watch their intake of sugar, white breads, rice, and pastas.

The main difference between regular brownies and diabetic brownies is the substitution of a sweetener for sugar.  Many recipes call for white flour, but remember, white, bleached flour raises blood sugar, too.  The following recipe, courtesy of InformationAboutDiabetes, eliminates sugar and calls for whole wheat flour, which is lower on the glycemic index, meaning it releases sugar more slowly than bleached flour.

Start by preheating your oven to 350° and lightly greasing your baking pan with a light coconut oil spray or calorie-free vegetable oil spray.

Assemble the following ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• 2 very ripe bananas
• ½ cup sugar substitute (Stevia-based products are sweet without harmful side effects)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup chopped nuts

To make:

Combine the cocoa, oil, and bananas in a mixer or blender and puree until smooth.  You can also blend by hand, if needed.  In a separate bowl, mix the sugar substitute, eggs, flour, and the banana puree.  Blend this and then stir in the chopped nuts.

Pour the batter into your lightly greased 9x13 inch pan and bake for about 15-20 minutes.  One way to see if the brownies are done is to insert a toothpick into them.  If they are done, the toothpick will come out clean.  When the brownies are cool, cut them into small squares.  If you want delicious, warm brownies, cut them with a plastic knife using sawing motions.

Making your own diabetic brownies is as easy as making a batch of regular brownies from a mix, and they are certainly healthier for you and your family.  One caution: Sometimes, when we’re eating healthier foods, we tend to let our sense of portion control go.  Don’t!  Too much of a good thing is just too much.  For this recipe, cut the brownies into 24 or 48 squares.  If cut into 24 squares, each brownie will have 115 calories, 2 grams of protein, 16 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fat, and 104 milligrams of sodium.

Living with diabetes can be challenging; enjoying your favorite foods doesn’t have to be.

More Diabetic Friendly Foods:

• Diabetic Carrot Bars
• Sugar Free Oatmeal Cookies (Diabetic)
• Diabetic Ginger Cookies

When you think of small or large fortune cookies, you think Chinese food, right? In actuality, the fortune cookie is not an import from Chinese culture at all. It’s actually an American invention. There are various theories as to how the fortune cookie came on the scene. But most people can agree that California was the birthplace of the now famous cookie.

One version of the story says that David Jung, an immigrant from China living in Los Angeles, created the cookie. He was the owner of the Hong Kong Noodle Company and had a heart for the poor. In 1918 he invented the cookie to hand out to the poor around his business. He tucked a bible verse inside each cookie to inspire the recipients. And so, the cookie came to be a staple of the Los Angeles Chinatown scene.

Still another version tells of a man named Makoto Hagiwara. He was the famed designer of the Japanese Tea Garden at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. Being Japanese himself, he suffered under anti-Japanese politics of 1914 and was fired from his job. When he was finally rehired, he created the cookie with a statement of thanks inside for those who had supported him during his time of isolation. He gave them out at the Japanese Tea Garden. Later, in 1915 they were served at the World’s Fair, held in San Francisco.

Who can say which story is true? Californians still debate the origin of the cookie that has become a fixture in all Chinese restaurants in America. Both Los Angeles and San Francisco want to claim it as their own invention.

Regardless of the birthplace, the fortune cookie has thrived. Since Chinese restaurants typically do not serve dessert, the cookie was given out at the end of the meal so that Americans could have a little something sweet.

Fortunes have included everything from wacky sayings to advice from sage thinkers to lottery numbers. Today’s fortunes are looked upon as light and often zany advice that makes people laugh. But who can resist sharing their fortune with others at the table? Many people even save their fortunes as a secret wish that what’s written on it will come true.

It’s said that you should not select your own fortune cookie when they arrive at the table. Someone at the table should hand you one. When you open it, you should read it aloud.

Many people have jumped on the fortune cookie trend and are now having custom fortune cookies made. They’re showing up in every size and flavor you can imagine at weddings, corporate events and family reunions. Personalized fortunes are all the rage and companies will now insert whatever you’d like to say inside a fortune cookie. You can get them dipped in chocolate and sprinkles and just about any candy coating you can think of.

Does anyone actually like the taste of a fortune cookie? It might be hard to find someone who does. The cookies are bland and often stale, but they are alluring and mystical all the same. Most people tear open the wrapping and crack the cookie open. They grab the fortune and eagerly read it to find out just what sort of luck they can expect in the future. It’s a fun end to a fine meal.

Did you know that there is a National Fortune Cookie Day? It's True!

Origami, or paper folding, has always been an art form in Asian cultures. Some of the loveliest and most intricate paper sculptures have come out of Asia. If you’d like to try your hand at paper folding by making your own paper fortune cookies, you can easily do it. It might seem a little daunting at first, but it’s actually quite simple.

If you’re having an Asian themed party or just a night in with Chinese take out, you can create pretty custom fortune cookies from decorative paper.

All you really need is paper and glue and some ribbon if you choose to use it. What could be simpler? It’s just as easy as reading a few simple directions or watching the video toward the bottom of this page!

First, gather up some decorative paper. Chinatowns are great places to find ornate rice papers that you can use to make large fortune cookies. If you live near one, you’re fortunate. If not, you can find attractive papers at a craft store in the origami section. Or just use wrapping paper or anything you have at home. And don’t feel like you have to stick to beige. Go wild and make red, yellow, green, or printed paper cookies.

Cut out a circle the size of the cookie you want to make. Take a bowl and trace around it for a perfect circle. The plastic lid off a Chinese soup container also works well.

Once you have traced your circle and cut it out, you’ll begin the simple folding. Turn the paper so the pretty side is facing down against the table. This will ensure it is on the outer side of your cookie, the one that shows. Take one side of the circle and bring it over to the other side. Make a light crease. There’s no need to fold it down with a hard crease. In fact, that will ruin the shape of your cookie. A gentle fold is all you need. Put a dab of glue there along the edge of the circle where they meet.

Next, fold down the two sides of the circle so they meet in a crescent shape. Place a dab of glue there where they meet. Glue dots (available in craft or stationery stores) are perfect for this job because they stick instantly on the exact spot you want with no drying time.

Voila! You have created a fortune cookie. Now the fun is putting your fortune in. You can cut another piece of the same paper in a strip for the fortune, or use ribbon or another type of paper in a contrasting color.

Search the web for fortune cookie sayings or make up your own. Write a happy birthday message or add in a surprise fortune. Write your fortune in ink on the strip. Stick the strip inside one end of the cookie so it appears to be coming out. You can glue it in, or you can leave it as is.

What took you about one minute to make will look like you spent all night making. Impress your guests and make fun take-home favors for your next party. Light up some Chinese lanterns and set out a table of Chinese food and you’ve got an instant good time!

How to Make Your Own:

Want to make your own but not from paper? Try this recipe for how to make your own fortune cookies.

If you are a fanatic for cookies, you no doubt have wanted to eat an entire bowl of raw batter at one time or another. It may have been when you were a kid, or it may have been last week. Everyone loves the flavor of raw cookie dough. But no one wants to risk getting sick by eating raw eggs.

There are recipes that allow you to make batches of cookie dough without any eggs. And they don’t require any odd or hard to find egg substitute products. After all, if Ben and Jerry could make a cookie dough ice cream with real cookie batter in it, it must be possible for home bakers to make as well.

And speaking of ice cream, raw cookie dough without egg products is ideal for mixing into batches of home made ice cream. If you have an ice cream machine, break it out and start using it again. You can use an eggless recipe for cookie dough in any ice cream recipe in your home ice cream machine.

Here’s a recipe for eggless cookie dough from Food.com. It uses no egg substitute and still turns out rich and chunky. The recipe calls for use in ice cream, but cookie dough lovers know that it’s really for spoon eating right away. Either way, give this recipe a try.

Eggless Cookie Dough for Ice Cream

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup flour
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (very soft but not melted)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk or 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or use M&M's mini candies)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl mix together both sugars and butter until smooth.
2. Stir in vanilla and milk.
3. Mix in the flour until well blended.
4. Add in chocolate chips.
5. Shape into a log and freeze for about 1-2 hours or until firm.
6. Cut or break into small chunks.
7. Mix into softened ice cream.
8. Return the ice cream to freezer. When ready, eat.

You’ll find that most edible cookie dough recipes are an offshoot of this type of recipe. Most will use flour, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, and milk. You get to decide what you’d like to add as far as chips. Go with chocolate chips, mini morsels, mint chocolate chips, gourmet nuts, chopped almonds, dried cranberries, dried cherries, peanut butter chips, or coconut. As long as you’re adding an ingredient that you can eat raw, there’s no danger or harm from bacteria.

Without the threat of salmonella that is sometimes found in raw eggs, you can go ahead and let the kids lick the bowl on this one. You’ll find you can’t stop eating it either. If you don’t plan on finishing the whole batch at one sitting, scoop the mixture with a small ice cream scoop onto a tray. Freeze the whole tray and then take the individual balls off when frozen and store in freezer tight bags. You can then defrost for a little treat.

Kids and adults alike love raw cookie dough. Now it’s perfectly safe to eat since you’re not using any type of egg product. And the results are simply scrumptious. Try it today.

More Yummy Recipes:

• White Chocolate: Cookies, Cakes, And More Desserts
• Cake Mix Cookie Recipes
• Cookie Gift Bouquets - Make Your Own
• S'Mores Cookie Bars Recipe

If you love ice cream sandwiches, you will be amazed at how easy they are to make from scratch at home. You don’t have to settle for tiny, factory-made cookie sandwiches from the grocery store freezer anymore. Although the ones you can buy at the store are still delicious, they are by no means in the same league as homemade cookies and ice cream made from your very own kitchen. These are tasty and sweet and soft and yummy.

Try this recipe for the cookie and the ice cream. The recipes here are for chocolate chip cookies, but you can use any recipe for ice cream sandwiches, from chocolate wafer cookies to shortbread cookies. As for the ice cream, you can make your own in any flavor your heart desires. Pair the gourmet cookies with the ice cream and you can have unlimited combinations. Ice cream makers today are worth the purchase price. You will find that all you have to do is turn it on after freezing the bowl. They’re not at all like the ice cream makers of yesteryear that required salt and lots of churning. These are modern and so easy to use that you’ll make ice cream all the time—even on weekdays!

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Ice Cream Sandwiches

Courtesy of Cooks.com

1/2 c. butter

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/3 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (not quite full)

1/2 c. chopped nuts

1 c. + 2 tbsp. flour

Cream together first 3 ingredients until soft. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well. In another bowl sift flour, salt and soda. Slowly add mixture to batter until well blended. Stir in walnuts and chips. Use soup spoon to drop dough about 6 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each with back of spoon to make 3-inch cookies or any size you want them to be. Bake at 350 degrees 12 to 14 minutes. Let cookies cool. Fill with ice cream. Freeze all on cookie sheet. Take out and wrap individually in aluminum foil. Return to freezer. Makes about 24 to 28 cookies which will be 12 to 14 sandwiches.

Easy Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Courtesy of allrecipes.com

Prep Time: 5 Minutes

Cook Time: 40 Minutes

Ready In: 2 Hours 45 Minutes

Servings: 8

"This is a GREAT mint chocolate chip ice cream that I discovered by accident. The 2% milk makes the ice cream taste 'lighter' I think."

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups 2% milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

3 drops green food coloring (optional)

1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.            In a large bowl, stir together the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla extract and peppermint extract until the sugar has dissolved. Color to your liking with the green food coloring.

2.            Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. After about 10 minutes into the freezing, add the chocolate chips. After the ice cream has thickened, about 30 minutes later, spoon into a container, and freeze for 2 hours.

More Ice Cream Desserts:

Easy Ice Cream Cookie Cake

St. Patty's Day Mint Chip Freeze Recipe

Ice Cream Floats

Fresh-Bake Any Day of the Week

Sometimes you want homemade sugar cookies but don’t really have a lot of time. You could go out and buy the pre-packaged sugar cookie dough rolls, and they’re fine. But if you really want to make sugar cookie dough yourself, just plan ahead a little.

A good sugar cookie dough will need to be refrigerated before you can use it. If you’re not planning for this, it can throw you for a loop. That’s why sugar cookies are often called refrigerator cookies. You make the dough and then roll it into logs and refrigerate it before you bake it. It’s not as hard or time-consuming as it sounds, but you do need to allow for at least a few hours of cooling in the fridge for the dough to set up properly.

Here is a recipe from Cooks.com that is easy to make and allows you to go do other things while you’re chilling the dough.

REFRIGERATOR COOKIE ROLLOUT DOUGH

1 1/2 c. sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 c. butter, softened

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream sugar and butter. Mix in egg and flavorings. Stir dry ingredients together. Chill 2 - 3 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Use half of the dough at a time. Roll out dough to 3/16-inch thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Bake 7 - 8 minutes until golden brown.

ICING:

1 c. confectioners’ sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, salt, vanilla, and enough water for desired consistency.

Of course, you won’t want to ice the cookies until they are cooled. And you’ll want to form the dough into logs after you mix it. Place in plastic storage bags or roll in plastic wrap so the dough doesn’t pick up the scent or flavors of anything in your fridge. Never stick the whole bowl into the refrigerator uncovered. You need to divide the dough in half and take only half out of the refrigerator at a time. The other half should remain there chilling so it doesn’t start to get warm on the counter.

Roll out the first half of the dough on a floured countertop.  This way the dough won’t stick to it. But don’t go crazy with the flour. Adding too much additional flour can make your dough tough and your cookies won’t taste right.

Cut out shapes from dough that is a good thickness. Too thin and they will burn. Too thick and they’ll be raw big cookies. You can guess-timate how thick to roll out the dough. If you can see the countertop under the dough it’s too thin and if the cookie cutter barely makes it through and won’t hold the design it’s too thick.

Use only dry cookie cutters. Wet ones will stick and ruin your dough. You can dip them in flour if they start to stick a little under normal conditions. Just tap off any extra flour before you press the cutters down into your cookies.

Stay nearby while your cookies are baking. They can burn quickly if you get distracted by a phone call or get caught up writing emails.

Follow these steps and you’ll have the best refrigerator sugar cookies ever.

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