Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

Archive for the ‘Desserts’ Category

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

Nothing is sweeter or more welcomed than a batch or two of homemade cookies. They’re delicious any time of year but they make the perfect Christmas gift. If you start early, you can get everything done well before Christmas Eve. Here are some tips on how to make sweet Christmas cookie gifts.

First, select pretty baskets or tins in which you will place your cookies. This is the most crucial step as presentation is key. The more unique and upscale your container, the more wonderful your gift will look.

Get creative. You can find small picnic type baskets, baskets with pretty ceramic side handles, antique cookie tins, festive new glass boxes or plastic tins. If it can hold a cookie, it will work. A good place to look is at craft stores where they have everything. You can even stack your cookies in a glass vase that is wide enough to fit.

Once you have found your vessel, include some pretty tissue paper. Select a Christmas themed tissue with printed snowmen or trees or just go with silver, gold, red or green. You’ll wrap the cookies in plastic food wrap and then include the tissue as a basket filler and outer wrap for the cookie packages.

What you bake is completely up to you. If you have a family favorite that everyone loves, go for it. If you’ve never baked before, you can find hundreds of cookie recipes by searching “Christmas cookie recipes” on the web. There are entire sites devoted to nothing but cookie baking. You’ll be surprised at the limitless expanse of options available.

Choose cookies that will travel and hold up well if you need to ship them. Biscotti are hard enough to make the journey as are Springerle, a German pressed cookie. If you don’t have to ship, you can pretty much make anything you like.

Go out shopping for the finest ingredients you can afford. Buy the best chocolate chips, vanilla beans and nuts you can. Great ingredients really do make all the difference. Check your list twice as there’s nothing more frustrating than having to run out for one spice you forgot when you’ve already got the mixer running.

Set up a work station where you have all your ingredients for one type of cookie. Put the ingredient away as you use it so that you know it’s already been added to the batter. Use lightly colored aluminum cookie sheets to avoid burning your cookies. Watch them carefully so you can take them out at exactly the right moment.

When your cookies are cooled, you can freeze them for up to two months. That means you can bake several batches ahead of time and when Christmas rolls around, you can assemble all your baskets. Try to deliver your christmas cookie gift baskets right away after you have filled them when they are still at their freshest.

Include the recipes if you like. Friends may love them so much they’ll ask you how to make them. You’ll be putting smiles on a lot of faces when you show up with a lovely cookie basket or tin. Just be careful, because once you’re known as the Cookie Lady, they’ll be wanting more cookies every year!

Cookies are welcome at any party. Everyone loves getting and eating cookies. If you want to include cookies in your wedding, why not make them as favors? With a little ingenuity and a little practice, you can make really fun and adorable wedding cookies.

Start with a really good recipe for sugar cookies. Don’t even consider store bought as they won’t taste or look good in the end. Then, decide on a cookie shape. You can choose a cookie cutter that looks like a wedding cake, a heart, a flower, a shoe, or even just an elegant square or oval. Use a big enough cookie cutter so that you get a nice sized cookie out of it that will take decorations well.

Each cookie will need to be hand decorated. You can easily make royal icing or use fondant to create a surface layer for your embellished designs. Pipe icing onto the cookies after they have cooled. Use your new initial or pipe on rosettes, dots, or even a word or two. Once you get the hang of using a piping bag, you’ll want to get creative with what you put on the cookies. Wrap and you have edible cookie favors.

Sugar Cookies (from joyofbaking.com)

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites:

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

or

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder:

4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

1/2 cup - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water

Food Coloring (I use Gel Pastes that can be found at cake decorating and party stores or else on-line)

For Sugar Cookies: In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have smooth dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Remove one-half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking.

Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you may want to sprinkle the unbaked cookies with crystal or sparkling sugar.

Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing, if desired. Be sure to let the royal icing dry completely before storing. (This may take several hours.) Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper.

Makes about 36 - 4 inch (10 cm) cookies.

Are you one of those parents who can instantly whip up a creative, professional-looking costume every Halloween without fail? Are you full of good ideas and crafty know-how? Or are you like the rest of us, who may be short on time, sewing skills, or the capacity to make this year’s must-have costume? Don’t worry; you can make an adorable chocolate chip cookie costume for your child that will make you want to just eat him up.

For this costume, you need minimal sewing skills and a few craft supplies. Gather:

• Light brown or tan felt

• Dark brown felt

• Fabric glue or Elmer’s all-purpose glue

• Some cotton batting or pillow stuffing

Cut out four large circles from the light brown or tan felt. This will become the base of your cookie. You can trace a circle with a five-gallon bucket, a large mixing bowl, or a round trash can or simply free draw a circle, trying to make it symmetrical. Don’t worry too much about this – chocolate chip cookies are delicious whether they are symmetrical or not.

Cut small circles from the dark brown felt. These will be your chocolate chips. The next step is to glue the chocolate chips onto the cookie. Fabric glue is great, but you can also get by with Elmer’s if you make sure to let it dry thoroughly. You should now have a front and a back for two cookies (the chips only need to be on the front). Turn the wrong sides out on one of the cookie sets and sew it together. Leave a hole for the stuffing, and turn the big cookie right side out. Stuff your cookie, and then sew the hole. Do this for the second cookie.

Next, you’ll need to make straps. These will keep the cookie costume on your child and are very much like backpack strips. Cut strips from your light brown or tan felt. Enlist your child’s help: hold the cookies to her body and mark where you will place the straps. They should fit over the shoulders and then under the arms. You can then sew the straps in place or pierce the cookie felt and thread the straps through. The latter is easier and a more effective means of keeping the straps in place.

That’s it: your kid cookie is all ready for Halloween. The best part of this costume, though, is that it can be used again. You can take the straps off and use it for a floor or bed pillow or a chair cushion.

If you are pressed for time, you can choose a piece of light brown or tan fleece. Have your child lie down on it and draw a circle around them. Use dark brown fleece or felt for the chips, and then sew the two pieces together. Leave an opening for the neck and for the legs, and cut arm holes out. Even more pressed for time? Find a light brown sweat suit and pick up some dark brown felt. Glue the “chocolate chips” scattered throughout the sweat suit and call it a day. You can also just do a few quick stitches to put the chips on, which can later be removed so your child can wear the sweat suit for playtime or bed.

If your child is a cookie monster, she’ll love this homemade costume.

Cookies are a passion with many bakers. They’re quick to bake and fun to eat and share. But people have different preferences when it comes to cookies. Some like crunchier cookies, some like soft cookies, and some like chewy cookies. So how do you make a cookie that’s chewy, for instance?

Baking is a science and one that can’t be rushed or dallied with. You can’t change out ingredients and not affect the whole batter. For chewy cookies, your ratio of wet to dry ingredients is key. For instance, a chewier cookie recipe might include more eggs or an additional yolk. Most chewy cookies have moister ingredients and the batter is more liquid when it comes out.

You can, of course, experiment with different batters. Some just lend themselves better to a chewy cookie than others. But use real butter when butter is called for, not margarine or a substitute. And always use the freshest ingredients you can find.

One final tip is to take the cookies out of the oven before the timer says they are done. Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes and then remove them to a cooling rack. By not leaving them in for the full cooking time, you’re sure to have chewier cookies as opposed to crunchy ones. Just don’t take them out too soon or you’ll end up with raw cookies that no one can eat.

If you’ve never met a chocolate chip cookie that you didn’t like, try this recipe for chewy chocolate chip cookies. It will be hard to resist eating the whole batch. But if you can resist the urge to eat them all, save a few for that christmas cookie exchange that will be coming up soon.

Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie (from allrecipes.com)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Ready In: 40 Minutes

Servings: 18

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

It’s certainly not hard to master the art of the chewy cookie. It’s more of the art of keeping an eye on your cookies while they are in the oven and a use of high-quality ingredients. Never substitute amounts and types of ingredients when you are baking as you may throw off the results.

Those who love baking fresh, tasty homemade cookies will love the Martha Stewart Cookie of the Day Newsletter. You can sign up online at www.marthastewart.com and you’ll get a tasty recipe for a new cookie every single day in your in box. Don’t worry if you’ve missed one. You can always go online to get a recap of the day’s recipe. You can also search previous recipes, too. View by the week or even by the month to get all kinds of great ideas for new cookies you can show up at the next bake sale or cookie swap with.

Here are some of the recipes that have been featured in the Martha Stewart Newsletter recently. Sign up today and you’ll always have something tasty in your inbox to look forward to.

Chocolate Sweet Hearts

These crisp, delicate cookies have less than 50 calories each. Swap in different cookie cutters for other occasions; adjust the baking time accordingly.

Prep: 25 minutes

Total: 55 minutes plus cooling

Ingredients

Makes 42

1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; place chocolate, butter, and brown sugar; stir frequently until almost completely melted. Remove from heat, and stir until completely melted; let cool slightly.

Add egg to chocolate mixture. With a mixer on low, beat until well blended. Gradually stir in flour mixture (dough will form a ball).

Divide dough in half; roll out each half on a sheet of parchment paper to a 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer each half (still on paper) to a baking sheet; freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Working with one half at a time, flip dough onto a work surface; peel off paper. Using a 2-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies; place, 1/2 inch apart, on two baking sheets. Bake until firm and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool. These would be beautiful wrapped up and given as a chocolate cookie gift.

Helpful Hint

To roll out the dough without using flour (which would mar its color), cover your work surface with parchment paper. Once the dough is frozen, you can peel off the paper and cut the cookies directly on the work surface.

Raspberry-Almond Financiers

These petits fours conceal a honeyed, cakey interior beneath a crisp, crackly surface embellished by hand with hearts of jam.

Ingredients

Makes 45

Vegetable oil cooking spray

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1/3 cup honey

2 cups sliced blanched almonds (6 1/2 ounces), lightly toasted and finely ground

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising)

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 large egg whites

1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen), pureed and strained (1/2 cup)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat mini muffin tins with cooking spray.

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking frequently, until golden brown, 6 to 7 minutes. Add honey, and whisk until combined. Remove from heat.

Using a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine almonds, sugars, flour, and salt on low speed. Raise speed to medium-high, and add egg whites, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low, and add warm butter-honey mixture in a slow, steady stream. Raise speed to high, and beat for 45 seconds.

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each halfway. Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon raspberry puree near one edge of each cup. Draw a skewer or the tip of a paring knife through puree toward opposite edge of cup to form a heart shape.

Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until edges are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool slightly in tins on wire racks. Using a small offset spatula, carefully unmold financiers, and transfer to rack. Financiers are best served warm or the same day they are baked, but they can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature for up to 3 days. If desired, serve or package financiers in decorative paper liners.

So you want to prepare a homemade basket that is filled with luscious goodies? It couldn’t be easier if you plan on making cookies the center of your basket. Bake a few batches and you’re on your way.

Find a basket that is sturdy and attractive. You can certainly reuse baskets that you have. Just make sure that you’re using something that looks elegant and can pass for brand new. Any misshapen basket or one that is obviously on its last leg is a bad choice.

Once you have your chosen basket, get ready to fill your basket with a liner. This can be a pretty cloth napkin, a piece of fabric, or even a decorative piece of wrapping paper that will hold up well. Brown packing paper can also be used to give your basket a rustic feel and look.

Basket in place, lined and ready to go, you’re on to the fun part. Decide which recipes you will use to fill your basket. Think about classics and family favorites alike. If you have a standby chocolate chip cookie or sugar free cookie recipe that everyone seems to love, be sure to include it.

Once all your cookies are baked, think about the packaging. You can wrap several types of cookies, each in their own cellophane bags for individual treats. Or you can wrap the same type of cookies in one plastic bag, another in another. Just don’t combine different types of cookies in the same bag or leave them all loose as all the cookies will take on the flavor of each other and you’ll have one tasteless mess.

Now, arrange the cookies into lovely little parcels. You might choose to wrap each plastic bag in a pretty paper or even stand them inside a paper cone. It’s up to you. You can also just place layers of cookies into the basket flat, but inside bags.

If you’ve got all the same type of cookie, you can go ahead and leave them all out in the open in the basket. Start layering them like shingles on a house so that they look decorative and well-placed. If you want to include cookie pops, you’ll need to insert sticks into the cookies before you bake them. And then individually wrap them and add to the basket. It’s nice to have some elements standing and others flat at the bottom of the basket. Vary the heights, too. Some cookie pops can be sticking out while others are lying off to the side.

Tie it all up with a pretty ribbon and your gift is ready to go. One nice thing you can add to your basket is the recipe for the cookie you’ve included. If you’ve included several varieties, be sure to write out the recipe for each. You can hand write or type onto recipe cards or other decorative card stock. Punch a hole through the card and tie on with ribbon.

Don’t forget about a gift card. You’ll want your recipient to know who it’s from after all your hard work. Take the few extra minutes to make a decorative card that shows your recipient’s name in fine penmanship or even glitter. The more decorative your gift basket becomes, the more it looks like a fine, well-intentioned thinking of you gift to a dear friend or relative.

So simple, and yet so delicious, these wonderful treats aren't just kids cookies. Two chocolate cookies sandwich white, creamy decadence. Competition for the role of favorite cookie is fierce, but Oreo has earned itself a top spot in all of our hearts – and stomachs. The versatile cookie can be enjoyed by itself, of course, with a cold glass of milk or in milkshakes and ice cream treats. You can also crumble some Oreo goodness to make a wonderful crust. It’s easy, and you will be able to serve your guests a scrumptious dessert that is just a little out of the ordinary.

You will need:

• Oreos! And lots of them. This particular crust uses about 1 1/2 cups of crushed cookie crumbs, which is about 22 cookies.

• 3 tablespoons melted butter

An Oreo crust is a lot like a graham cracker crust and will be used for delicious dessert pies, like grasshopper pie or cheesecake. To make:

Use a food processor to crush the Oreo cookies. Again, you’ll need about 22 cookies for one crust. If you don’t have a food processor, you can put the cookies into a Ziploc bag and take your aggressions out on them with a rolling pin. This crumble mixture is the basis for your crust.

Next, mix the crumbs and the butter. You want the texture to be consistent, but it’s not going to be smooth. Press the mixture into a pie pan or springform pan. Now, the next step depends on what type of pie you’re making. For instance, if you are making a cheesecake, you will have to bake your pie, so you don’t need to bake the crust. Just fill it and then bake it as you would normally. If you are going to put in a filling that doesn’t need to be baked, such as a pudding or cream filling, simply bake the crust at 350 ° for 10 to 15 minutes. Now it’s ready to be filled and chilled.

It sounds good enough to eat already, doesn’t it? Here is a recipe from Cooks.com for Peanut Butter Fudge Oreo Cookie Pie. If you are having a dinner party, serve this! It is easy and quick to make, but it will taste like it took much longer. You’ll be hailed as a culinary genius.

You will need:

• Your Oreo cookie crust

• 1 4-ounce box of instant French Vanilla pudding mix

• 1 cup cold milk

• 3-4 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter (or more if you like peanut butter)

• 1 jar of chocolate fudge sauce (Dove or Smuckers work beautifully)

• Whipped cream, thawed

Frost the bottom and sides of the crust with the fudge sauce. You may need to microwave it for a few seconds if it is too thick. In a bowl, whisk the instant pudding and milk together. Add the peanut butter and continue to mix. If you have an electric mixer, now is a good time to break it out. The peanut butter will instantly thicken the mixture, so it can be difficult to do by hand. But not impossible. Where there’s a will, there’s a peanut butter fudge Oreo cookie pie.

Put the mixture onto the fudge-covered crust. Top with the whipped cream. If you have any extra cookie crumbs, use these as garnish. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

This is only one of the great recipes starring the Oreo cookie crust, and each is more delicious than the next.

Glazed cookies are different from cookies that are iced with stiff Royal icing. Glazed cookies will appear more glossy when finished. They’ll have a more painted look. You can easily learn how to make a cookie glaze that will have you decorating cookies like a pro.

Sugar cookies are one of the best types of cookies for glazing. They take glaze well and they also lend themselves to shapes that are perfect for seasonal cookies. You might want to bake bright butterflies for spring and four-leafed clovers for St. Patrick’s Day. You can tailor your cookie making and glazing to every holiday easily. Glaze is so easy to work with that there’s no reason you can’t make a batch every week in a different theme!

When you’re asked to bake for the Girl Scout meeting, PTO bake sale or another fund raiser, try making glazed cookies. Once they set and dry, they are easy to transport. And they are cost-efficient as well as delightful to look at. Try your hand at them and you’ll keep returning to the thought of glazed cookies whenever you go to bake.

For a failure proof recipe that will allow you to turn out near perfect cookies, try this recipe today.

Colorful Cookie Glaze

You'll love this easy-to-make glaze that dries to a hard, glossy finish, with bright, beautiful colors.

Yield: Makes about 1/2 cup.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

1 cup confectioners' sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons milk

1/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract or 1/4 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Assorted Food Colors

1. Mix confectioners' sugar, milk and extract in small bowl until smooth. Stir in corn syrup until glaze is smooth and glossy. (If glaze is too thick, stir in small amount of additional corn syrup.) Stir in 3 to 4 drops food color until evenly distributed and glaze is smooth. Add additional drops of food color until glaze is of desired color. Mix in your school's colors for a graduation cookie gift!

2. To glaze cookies, place cooling rack on foil-lined baking sheet. Holding a cookie by its edge, dip the top of cookie into glaze. (Or spoon the glaze onto cookies using a teaspoon. Cookies can also be glazed using a new small paintbrush.) Place glazed cookies on cooling rack to dry. (The foil-covered baking sheet will catch any drips.)

3. Use contrasting glaze colors to decorate glazed cookies, if desired. Spoon small amount of contrasting glaze into small resealable plastic bag. Snip off tiny piece of the corner of the plastic bag. Create design by squeezing contrasting glaze onto cookies. Allow glazed cookies to dry thoroughly before stacking.

Glazing cookies is a fast, easy way to add a splash of color to a cookie tray for the holidays, a birthday celebration, or a get well cookie basket. You can send over a batch of glazed cookies as a thank you to someone special or send them to school with your child in his lunchbox. Since they’re so easy to make, you can break out this recipe every time you bake.

If you are diabetic or on a sugar-restricted diet, you don’t have to miss out on all the treats. Here are some recipes for sugar free applesauce cookies that taste delicious and are healthy. You won’t miss the sugar at all!

Sugar-Free Applesauce Cookies (Courtesy of Almanac.com)

Yield: 24 cookies

1-3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of kosher salt

1/2 cup of butter

1 tablespoon sugar substitute

1 large egg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup of raisins

1 cup bran cereal (any type you have around)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with baking parchment. Mix the ingredients together until they are well combined. Drop spoonfuls of dough onto the cookie sheet depending on the size of cookie you are looking for. To make the sizes more uniform, I use an ice cream scoop to measure each cookie and then use a fork to flatten them. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Arrange them in a basket or box and they make a great sugar free cookie gift!

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APPLESAUCE COOKIES (SUGAR FREE)

Printed from COOKS.COM

1/2 c. butter

1/3 c. artificial sweetener

1 egg

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. All Bran cereal

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter, add artificial sweetener and egg. Mix well. Stir together dry ingredients and add alternately with the applesauce. Stir in cereal. Drop by level tablespoons onto greased cookie sheets. Bake in 375 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. (I often make fresh applesauce but canned works just as well.)

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And if you’re wondering how to make your own sugar free applesauce, it’s easy.

Sugar Free Applesauce (courtesy of grouprecipes.com)

Time 10 minutes

Serves 8

Ingredients

4 medium apples pared cored and quartered

1/2 cup water

2 sticks cinnamon

1/4 cup sweetener

How to make it

Combine apples, water, and cinnamon, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and mash apples until smooth, then stir in sweetener.

MORE SUGAR FREE DESSERTS:

If you want to try a scrumptious sugar free apple crisp recipe on one of those chilly fall nights, try this one.

SUGAR FREE APPLE CRISP

Printed from COOKS.COM

4 c. peeled, sliced apples

2 tbsp. water

4 packets Equal

1 1/4 c. Bisquick

1 egg

1/4 c. butter

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix water and 2 packets Equal together. Place fruit in greased pan or baking dish and sprinkle with water. Thoroughly mix Bisquick, cinnamon, and 2 packets of Equal. Beat egg then slowly add Bisquick mixture until you have a crumbly dough. Sprinkle dough over fruit. Melt butter and pour over top. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.

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For a sugar free apple pie, try this recipe that uses alternatives to sugar.

Ingredients:

Sugar Free Apple Pie (Courtesy of lifeclinic.com)

Pastry for double-crust 9-inch pie

3 tablespoons cornstarch

7-1/4 teaspoons Equal® for Recipes OR

24 packets Equal® sweetener OR

1 cup Equal® Spoonful™

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 cups sliced, cored, peeled, Granny Smith

or other baking apples (about 8 medium)

Equal® sweetener can be substituted with other sweetener products.

Directions:

Roll 1/2 the pastry on floured surface into circle 1 inch larger than inverted pie pan. Ease pastry into pan.

Combine cornstarch, Equal®, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; sprinkle over apples in large bowl and toss. Arrange apples in pie crust.

Roll remaining pastry into circle large enough to fit top of pie. If desired, cut hearts in pastry with cutters; place pastry on pie, seal edges, trim and flute. Press pastry hearts on pastry. Bake in preheated 425 F oven until pastry is golden and apples are tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Yield: Makes 8 servings.