<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Cookie Gift Baskets Tip &#38; Recipe Blog &#187; baking shortcuts</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/tag/baking-shortcuts/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram</link>
	<description>Sharing cookie recipes, stories about cookies, cookie gift basket ideas and more</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:56:39 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
			<item>
		<title>How to Make and Bake a Giant Cookie</title>
		<link>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2011/08/17/how-to-make-and-bake-a-giant-cookie/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2011/08/17/how-to-make-and-bake-a-giant-cookie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:12:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Nicole</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desserts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baking cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baking shortcuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[birthday cookie cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate chip cookie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate chip cookie recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookie cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookie dough]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cookie Gifts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookie recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[decorated cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[dessert recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[giant cookie]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/?p=1261</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Love baking cookies but don’t have time to make individual ones? You can make a giant cookie instead. Making one big cookie saves time. And it can be presented as a cake. You can decorate it with piped icing and even write on it. You no longer have to go to the store to buy [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Love baking cookies but don’t have time to make individual ones? You can make a giant cookie instead. Making one big cookie saves time. And it can be presented as a cake. You can decorate it with piped icing and even write on it. You no longer have to go to the store to buy an expensive cake when you can make a giant <a href="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/Big_Cookie_Cakes.html">cookie cake</a> easily.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1262" title="Flickr photo credit: merfam" src="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/birthday_cookie.jpg" alt="Flickr photo credit: merfam" width="375" height="398" />There are some ingredients that are common to all big cookie cakes. You’ll need really good butter, sugar, and fresh brown sugar. You’ll also need eggs, flour, and vanilla. Be sure to use the freshest ingredients you can find as they will affect the taste of your cookie. That’s where the similarity in ingredients between recipes usually stops. From here you can add chocolate chips, nuts, shredded coconut, and more. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">One thing every recipe for a big cookie will call for is a pan. You can either use a flat sheet pan, a pizza pan or a molded shape like a heart or a moon shape. These types of specialty pans are found in the cake and baking aisle in stores.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Baking the cookie is easier than making cookies one by one. You don’t have to stand there and wait for the first batch to bake so you can put the next batch in. You just pop the whole batch of dough in on the pan at once. Couldn’t be easier. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here’s a favorite recipe from Allrecipes.com. It’s for a giant chocolate chip cookie. </span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><strong>Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie</strong></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">INGREDIENTS:</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup butter, softened</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 cup white sugar</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3/4 cup packed brown sugar</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 eggs</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 teaspoon salt</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 teaspoon baking soda</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2 cups semisweet chocolate chips</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup chopped walnuts</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">DIRECTIONS:</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1.	In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2.	Gradually add flour, salt, and baking soda, beating until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">3.	Spread in greased 14 inch round pizza pan. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes. Cool cookie in pan on a cooling rack. Decorate as desired.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in" align="CENTER"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">*********</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-1263" src="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/monster_cake.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="284" /></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As you can see, it’s really no different than making regular chocolate chip cookie dough. The time-saving and super easy part is that you just spread the dough onto a pan once.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The decorating options are endless. Frost in blue frosting and make a Cookie Monster cake. Use black tinted frosting for t</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">he </span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">mouth and use cookies for the eyes. You can find frosting tints at a craft store that has a cake aisle. The powdered tints will yield a darker color than liquid food coloring. And the stain won’t come off on kids’ mouths if you use a powdered tint.</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman,serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Other options for decorating a cookie cake include a harvest pumpkin (just frost in orange with a green stem), a soccer ball (use black and white icing to make the six-sided shapes of a soccer ball), or a spider web for Halloween (use white frosting and thin lines of brown frosting that you drizzle on and then drag a knife through).These giant cookie cakes make great <a href="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/Birthday_Cookie_Gift_Baskets.html">birthday cookie gifts</a>!<br />
</span></span></p>
<a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cookiegiftbaskets.com%2Fgram%2F2011%2F08%2F17%2Fhow-to-make-and-bake-a-giant-cookie%2F&amp;linkname=How%20to%20Make%20and%20Bake%20a%20Giant%20Cookie"><img src="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2011/08/17/how-to-make-and-bake-a-giant-cookie/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Cake Mix Cookie Recipe – Rolled Sugar Cookies</title>
		<link>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2010/02/13/cake-mix-cookie-recipe-%e2%80%93-rolled-sugar-cookies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2010/02/13/cake-mix-cookie-recipe-%e2%80%93-rolled-sugar-cookies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 14 Feb 2010 03:33:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>raegal</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desserts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baking shortcuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake mix]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake mix recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sugar cookies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/?p=478</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The white cake mix in this recipe not only cuts down on the ingredients needed, but it also creates a delicious twist to traditional rolled sugar cookies.  With the wide variety of cookie cutters available, you're sure to find one suitable for any occasion!
Ingredients:
* 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
* 1/2 cup shortening
* [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-479" title="cake_mix_sugar_cookie" src="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cake_mix_sugar_cookie.jpg" alt="cake_mix_sugar_cookie" width="128" height="93" />The white cake mix in this recipe not only cuts down on the ingredients needed, but it also creates a delicious twist to traditional rolled sugar <a href="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com">cookies</a>.  With the wide variety of <a href="http://www.weddingfavorsunlimited.com/Kitchenware_-_General.html">cookie cutters</a> available, you're sure to find one suitable for any occasion!</p>
<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong></p>
<p>* 1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix<br />
* 1/2 cup shortening<br />
* 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened<br />
* 1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract or lemon extract<br />
* 1 egg<br />
* Sugar<br />
* 1 cup Betty Crocker® Rich &amp; Creamy vanilla frosting<br />
* Food colors</p>
<p><strong>Directions:</strong></p>
<p>1. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick cookie sheets). In large bowl beat cake mix, shortening, butter, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on high speed 1 minute.<br />
2. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered surface with cloth-covered rolling pin. Cut with 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes; sprinkle with sugar. On ungreased cookie sheet, place 2 inches apart.<br />
3. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. 4. In microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until melted; stir. Frost cookies.<br />
5. Stir together small amounts of water and food color. Paint colors on freshly frosted <a href="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com">cookies</a>, using fine-tip brush, then swirl colors with brush or toothpick to create marbled designs.</p>
<p><em>Dry completely before storing.</em></p>
<p>Makes about 4 dozen 2 1/2 inch cookies.</p>
<p>Find more <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/Cake-Mix-Cookie-Recipes">Cake Mix Recipes</a> here!</p>
<a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cookiegiftbaskets.com%2Fgram%2F2010%2F02%2F13%2Fcake-mix-cookie-recipe-%25e2%2580%2593-rolled-sugar-cookies%2F&amp;linkname=Cake%20Mix%20Cookie%20Recipe%20%E2%80%93%20Rolled%20Sugar%20Cookies"><img src="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2010/02/13/cake-mix-cookie-recipe-%e2%80%93-rolled-sugar-cookies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Peanut Butter Cake Mix Cookies</title>
		<link>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2010/01/22/peanut-butter-cake-mix-cookies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2010/01/22/peanut-butter-cake-mix-cookies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:27:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>raegal</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desserts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[baking shortcuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake mix cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookie recipes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookies shortcuts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peanut butter cookie recipe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peanut butter cookies]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/?p=466</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I love peanut butter cookies!  They're crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and they just seem to melt in your mouth!
Here are Peanut Butter Cookies with a twist!  These cookies start with a boxed yellow cake mix and end in deliciousness!
Ingredients
* 1 box yellow cake mix
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/3 cup [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="alignright size-full wp-image-467" title="cake_mix_peanutbutter_cookies" src="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/cake_mix_peanutbutter_cookies.jpg" alt="cake_mix_peanutbutter_cookies" width="200" height="123" />I love peanut butter <a href="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com">cookies</a>!  They're crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and they just seem to melt in your mouth!</p>
<p>Here are Peanut Butter <a href="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com">Cookies</a> with a twist!  These cookies start with a boxed yellow cake mix and end in deliciousness!</p>
<p><strong>Ingredients</strong></p>
<p>* 1 box yellow cake mix<br />
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar<br />
* 1/3 cup water<br />
* 1 cup creamy peanut butter<br />
* 1/4 cup shortening or vegetable oil<br />
* 2 eggs<br />
* Granulated sugar</p>
<p><strong>Directions </strong></p>
<p>1. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick cookie sheets). In large bowl, beat cake mix, brown sugar, water, peanut butter, shortening and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.<br />
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar and, on ungreased cookie sheet, place 2 inches apart. Flatten in crisscross pattern with fork dipped in sugar.<br />
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.</p>
<p>Makes about 54 cookies</p>
<p>Note: You can always add your favorite chips to jazz up the recipe.</p>
<p>There are more <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/Cake-Mix-Cookie-Recipes">Cake Mix Recipes</a> on hand if you want to keep baking!</p>
<a class="a2a_dd addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cookiegiftbaskets.com%2Fgram%2F2010%2F01%2F22%2Fpeanut-butter-cake-mix-cookies%2F&amp;linkname=Peanut%20Butter%20Cake%20Mix%20Cookies"><img src="http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_171_16.png" width="171" height="16" alt="Share/Bookmark"/></a>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.cookiegiftbaskets.com/gram/2010/01/22/peanut-butter-cake-mix-cookies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

