Cookie Gift Baskets Tip & Recipe Blog

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup honey
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup chopped candied fruit peel

Beat the eggs and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the honey and then the nuts. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and baking soda. Work into the honey mixture and add the candied fruit. Form into a ball and chill.

Roll out as thin as possible and cut into shapes. Place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes or until brown. Makes about 36 3-inch cookies.

• 1 3/4 cup hot water

• 1 cup salt

• 4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 egg, beaten with 3 tbsp. water

Pour the hot water into a bowl with the salt and stir for 1 minute. The salt grains will reduce in size, but they will not completely dissolve. Add the flour and blend until all the water is absorbed. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until it is smooth and pliable. Cover the dough in a plastic bag if you do not plan to use it after the 5 minutes of resting time.

Roll the dough out 3/8 inch thick on a floured surface and cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies on a non-stick baking sheet and brush lightly with the egg wash. Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown. You can also press the dough into lightly oiled fancy ceramic molds or lightly floured wooden molds and bake as instructed by the manufacturer.

The dough:

• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

• 3 oz. cream cheese, softened

• 1 tbsp. baking powder

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 cup sugar

• 1 egg, at room temperature

• 1 tbsp. grated lemon peel

• 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 3 cups all-purpose flour or more

Cream the butter and cream cheese together until fluffy. Blend in the baking powder, salt, sugar, egg, grated lemon peel, and the lemon juice. Gradually blend in the 3 cups flour, or more, and knead to form soft dough. Force the dough through a cookie press with a number 16 plate to form 3-inch long cookie bars. Press the cookies directly onto a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack.The icing:

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

• 4 tsp. milk

• 2/3 cup walnuts, chopped fine

In a small bowl, blend the sugar, lemon juice, and milk together until smooth. Brush half the top of the cookie with icing. Sprinkle the icing with the nuts. Place the cookie on a rack to dry the icing. Repeat the process until all the cookies are done.

The dough:

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla together until fluffy. Add the flour and walnuts and blend to form dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Candy Mixture for the Garnish:

• 1/4 lb. of peppermint candy

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a small bowl, combine both ingredients. Set aside. Three tablespoons of this mixture will be used in the filling and the remainder is used to garnish cookie balls.

The Filling:

• 2 tbsp. cream cheese, softened

• 1 tsp. milk

• 1 drop red food coloring

• 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

• 3 tbsp. candy mixture

In a bowl, blend together the cream cheese, milk, food coloring, and the confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Blend in the 3 tbsp. candy mixture.Remove the dough from the fridge and for each cookie pinch off a rounded teaspoon of the dough. Form into a ball and shape the dough around your thumb to make a little compartment in the middle. Place about ¼ tsp. of the cream cheese filling in the depression. Pinch the dough back together and roll it back into a ball. Repeat this process with the remaining dough and filling. Place the balls on a non-stick cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not brown.

Remove the cookie balls to a cooling rack. To garnish, roll the cooled cookie ball in the remaining candy mixture.

Keep the cookies small, using no more than one teaspoon of batter per cookie, so they will bake up crunchy rather than crunchy.

• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place parchment paper on two ungreased baking sheets.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed 4 minutes, until very thick and almost white. Add the walnuts and mix well.

Drop spoonfuls of the cookie batter 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until dry, firm, and golden brown. Cool the cookies completely on baking sheets before removing.

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3 cups Quick oats

• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped fine

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 1 cup shortening

• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1 tsp. grated lemon peel

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp, ground nutmeg

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and knead together to form a dough. Place half the dough, shaped into a rough rope, on a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic over and work the dough into the shape of a log 2 inches in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough. Freeze the logs until hard, about 2 hours.

To make the cookies, cut the dough into 3/16 inch slices and place on non-stick cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool or eat warm from the oven.

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 cups of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk

Put butter, sugar and milk into the saucepan. Heat on medium stirring often, until it comes to a boil. Remove pan from burner. Add to the saucepan:

• 6 tablespoons cocoa
• 3 cups rolled oats (quick but instant)
• 1/2 cup coconut
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Stir well together. Drop by rounded spoon onto waxed paper. Cool completely. Store in container with lid and waxed paper between layers. Makes about 40 cookies.

• 3/4 cup butter, at room temperature

• 3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 1/2 cup dark molasses

• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 2 1/2 tsp. ground gingers

• 1/4 tsp. cardamom

• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3 tbsp. cold water

Cream the butter and brown sugar together until fluffy. Add the molasses and lemon juice and beat again. Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the dry to the butter mixture and blend until crumbly. Add the cold water and mix until dough is formed. Knead a minute by hand so that the dough holds together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 ½ hours.

Roll the dough out to a ¼ inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut the figurines out of the dough with a gingerbread man or women cookie cutter. Arrange the figures on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn brown.

• 3/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon all spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon cloves

Cream together shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Roll into balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Flatten to make a thin cookie. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes.

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups butter, soften
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips

Sift together flour and salt. Cream butter: blend until smoothly combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Form dough into 1 inch balls. Place 1 dozen at a time on a cookie sheet: flatten to rounds approximately 2 inches in diameter with bottom of glass dipped in flour. Bake at 325 degrees F. bake for 10 to 11 minutes. Cool.