Lemon Blueberry Cookies

Every time Art and I would go by the bakery in a store, he was eyeing everything lemon and blueberry. So I decided I better get busy and bake him something. This really hit the spot. They are so delicious!!

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• Zest of 2 lemons
• 1 – 2 tablespoons lemon juice (I used 1 but I think next time I will use 2)
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 egg yolk, room temperature
• 3/4 cup frozen wild blueberries (I didn’t have enough wild berries, so I added some of the bigger frozen berries)

Melt butter in microwave and pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Using the bowl with the melted butter, mix in both sugars. Then mix in lemon zest, lemon juice, egg, and egg yolk. Batter should be pale in color.

Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Add in the frozen blueberries. Fold very gently. They will color the dough slightly. Do not over mix.

Use a large cookie scoop and scoop 8 balls onto each cookie sheet.

Bake for 14-16 minutes, one cookie sheet at a time. Bake until edges are golden brown.

Let cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes 16 cookies.

“Since God’s hand is in everything, you can leave everything in God’s hand.”

Ultimate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My grandson, Caleb, loves oatmeal raisin cookies.  He is turning 16 tomorrow so Grandma had to bake him his favorite cookies.  I guess he takes after his grandma because I love them also.  Yum!

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 11/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter and both sugars in mixer until creamy.  Add eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until light and fluffy. (Color will lighten)

Mix your flour, baking powder, baking powder and salt together and add in the butter mixture.  Mix just until combined. Over mixing may cause your cookies to be tough.

Then with spoon, stir in the oatmeal and raisins until combined.

Bake 11 to 13 minutes until golden, but still moist beneath cracks on top.

Remove from oven; let cookies sit on baking for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

“Look up from your failure, and you’ll find God standing ready to receive you.”

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a gazillion different chocolate chip cookies on my blog, but I didn’t have the one recipe that I used over and over again.  This is, by far, the best one of all.

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (2 sticks)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (11.25 oz.)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coarsely chopped nuts, optional
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt.  Stir in nuts, if using, and chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft).  Cool slightly, remove from cookie sheet.  Cool on wire rack.

(I bake mine exactly 10 minutes. They always look like they are not done, but they are.  I let them sit in the pan 5 minutes before I remove them to a wire rack.  They cook a little more sitting on the pan.)

Servings:  3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.

“A caring word can accomplish more than we could ever imagine.”

Chewy Brownie Cookies

You will definitely get your chocolate fix with these cookies.  They are a scrumptious chocolate, chocolate chip cookie.

• 2/3 cup Crisco shortening
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (7 1/2-ounces)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (12-oz. bag)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine Crisco, brown sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended.  Beat eggs into creamed mixture.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.  Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.

Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are set.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Cookies will appear soft and moist.  Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet before removing to wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

“We are never outside the watchful care of our heavenly Father.”

Danish Butter Cookies

These icebox cookies are great to make ahead.  Make them up into logs, put them in the frig and cut them off whenever you need some cookies.  Decorate them any way you want or eat them plain.  Yum!!

• 2 cups butter (1 pound), softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 egg
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups flour

Beat butter, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in mixing bowl until combined.  Add egg, beat until well combined.  Beat in as much flour as you can, then stir in enough remaining flour to make a stiff dough. (I used 4 1/2 cups.)  Divide dough into thirds.  Shape into logs about 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 9 inches long; wrap and chill until firm, 1 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut rolls into 1/4 inch slices and arrange 1 inch apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with decorating sugar (if using).  Bake until bottoms and edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

“Linger in God’s Word and you’ll find stories of faith.”

Caramel Apple Pie Cookies

These cute little cookies are so good!  They were a little messy to make, and a little time consuming, but very much worth it.  Next time I make them, I am going to change a few things.  I will not put so much caramel on and not so much apples on and I think they will be a little easier to work with.

• 1 package refrigerated pie crusts
• 1 jar caramel sauce
• 1 can apple pie filling
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle a little flour on a clean work surface or on a piece of parchment paper.  Roll out the dough just a little bit to slightly increase the surface area.

Spread a “thin” film of caramel sauce over the crust.  (I put too much on.)

Chop up the apple pie pieces so they’re smaller.  (I put a knife in the can and chopped them up.)  Spread some of the apple pie mixture over the caramel sauce.  Don’t use quite the whole can.  (I used too much here also.)

Sprinkle a little flour on your clean work surface and again, roll out the dough very slightly.  Use either a pastry cutter or a knife to cut a bunch of strips about 1/2 inch wide.

Using the strips, make a lattice over the top of the pie.

Get out a round cookie cutter and cut out the caramel pie cookies.  I used a 2 3/4-inch cookie cutter, I ended up with 14 cookies.  I didn’t have a 3-inch cookie cutter, but if you use that size, you will end up with 12 cookies.  Use a thin spatula to carefully transfer the cookies over to the non-stick baking sheet.  (I put parchment paper on my baking sheet for easier clean-up.)

Brush a little of the egg across the strips on the cookies.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until golden brown.

And don’t forget to bake up all those luscious leftover scraps, too!  (If you’ve used parchment, it is easy to transfer over on to your baking sheet.)

“The prayer of the feeblest saint…is a terror to Satan”

 

 

 

Orange Marmalade Cookies

These are the famous cookies Helen Corbitt made at the Neiman-Marcus restaurant.  They are really delicious!

For the cookies:

• 3 cups (15-oz.) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening or unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup orange marmalade

For the orange icing:

• 2 teaspoons grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups (12-oz.) confectioners’ sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Either butter cookie sheet, line with parchment or use a silpat.

To prepare cookies, sift together flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl and set aside.

Place the shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on low speed.  Add the sugar and continue beating for about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and mix well.  Add the reserved dry ingredients and the marmalade and mix thoroughly.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a small cookie scoop, drop the cookie dough onto the cookie sheet.  Transfer to oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the cookies are light brown in color.

While the cookies are baking, prepare the icing.  Combine the orange and lemon zests and juices in a bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on low speed.  Add 1 cup of the confectioners’ sugar and blend thoroughly.  Add the remaining 2 cups sugar, salt and the citrus juice mixture and blend until smooth.

Remove cookies from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.  When completely cooled, ice the cookies.

Makes about 36 cookies.

“God is our refuge in times of trouble.”