Category: Cookies

Pan-Banging Sugar Cookies

Cookies, Desserts

Sarah Kieffer; thevanillabeanblog.com

MMMmmm these are the perfect sugar cookies – crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and a little bit salty. Sarah Kieffer’s cookie recipes are so good.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups (284 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 227 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 3/4 cup (350 g) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Adjust an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350F [180C]. Line three sheet pans with aluminum foil, dull-side up.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cream of tartar. 
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups [300 g] of the sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and mix on low speed to combine. Add the flour and mix on low speed until combined. 
  • Form the dough into 3 oz [85 g] balls [1/4 cup] (PJH: 60 g BALLS – 4 COOKIES ON TRAY). Roll each ball in the remaining 1/4 cup [50 g] of sugar. Place 3 or 4 cookies an equal distance apart on the sheet pan. Bake the cookies one pan at a time. Bake until the dough balls have flattened but are puffed slightly in the center, 8 minutes. Lift one side of the sheet pan up about 4 in [10 cm] and gently let it drop down against the oven rack, so the edges of the cookies are set and the center falls back down. After the cookies puff up again in 2 minutes, repeat lifting and dropping the pan. Repeat a few more times to create ridges around the edges of the cookie. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes total, (PJH: 15 MINUTES )until the cookies have spread out and the edges are golden brown but the centers are much lighter and not fully cooked. 
  • Transfer the pan to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days (or refrigerate for up to 3 days). 

Esther Thorpe

Chocolate, Cookies, Desserts

I’m not sure why these are called Esther Thorpe – it’s what the woman I used to work with who gave me the recipe called them and what we have always called them. I’ve heard people call them “Christmas Crack” also. It is such an odd recipe but they are so good.

the salty saltines are what make this so good I think
you want it nice and bubbly when you take it out of the oven
add the melted chocolate
et voila

Esther Thorpe Saltines

Helen Gutin

  • 1 cup packed brown sugar -light or dark works fine
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
  • saltine crackers
  • 1 bag of chocolate chips – milk or semi-sweet work fine
  • 1 bag of toffee bits – or crushed up heath bars
  • preheat oven to 375 degrees
  • Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it. Lay out the saltines so they cover the sheet in a single layer.
  • In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and brown sugar. Let cook until bubbling and then cook at the bubbling stage for a few more minutes. Make sure you are constantly stirring this for the entire time.
  • Pour the bubbling brown sugar mixture onto the crackers and spread it evenly as best as you can.
  • Bake for 5-10 minutes. Time may vary – keep a close eye on it. You want the mixture to be bubbling over the entire sheet and once at this point let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. If you smell the sugar mixture burning take it out of the oven for goodness sake.
  • Once out of the oven immediately cover the saltines with chocolate chips evenly. Let this sit for about 5 minutes.
  • Spread the melted/melting chocolate evenly over the saltines until you have coated the crackers in a layer of chocolate.
  • Sprinkle the toffee bits on top. (I put some crushed up candy canes on the ones I just made too for holiday spirit.)
  • Let sit until firm and cut and serve.

Sugar Cookies

Cookies, Desserts

It has become a tradition to make valentine heart sugar cookies to bring over to the Maxwell’s illustrious February party which took place last night.

Lots of butter and sugar is always a good thing.

ready to decorate:

Cookie decorator in training:

Butter Cookies

Christmas from the Heart of the Home,  Susan Branch

  • 2 cups butter, softened
  • 1  1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 egg yolks
  • 2 t. vanilla
  • 4  1/2 cups unbleached flour
  • 1/2 t. salt

Preheat over to 350 degrees.  With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks and vanilla and mix well.  Sift flour and salt together and beat into butter mixture until well mixed.  When ready to bake use UNGREASED cookie sheet (we always use silpats) and place cookies 1 inch apart.  Bake for about 8-10 minutes depending on how big/thick of cookies you make, but do not brown them.  Take them out when you see the first tinge of browning on the edges.  Remove cookies from sheet while still warm and cool on cooling rack.

We always roll out the dough and use cookie cutters but you can use a cookie press, make drop cookies or roll them out.  The dough is very versatile.