Watermelon Cookie

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 drops red food coloring
1/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons water
3 drops green food coloring

Directions:
1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a small mixing bowl.

2. Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Stir in egg, milk, and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture to creamed mixture, mixing well. Add a small amount of red food coloring to color dough as desired, beating until blended. Shape dough into a ball; cover and chill at least 3 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

4. Divide dough in half; store one portion in refrigerator. Roll remaining portion to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough with a 3-inch round cookie cutter; cut circle in half. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Press several chocolate mini chocolate chips in each cookie. Repeat with remaining dough.

5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes (do not brown). Cool on wire racks.

6. Make frosting: Combine powdered sugar and water, mixing until smooth. Add a small amount of green food coloring, mixing until blended. Dip round edge of each cookie in green frosting, and place cookie on wax paper until frosting is firm.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe … Ever
Jun 17, 2009
Cookie Recipes

Few things are better than a freshly baked warm chocolate chip cookie that comes fresh out of the oven. This recipe, for the best chocolate chip cookie, was originally published by Jaques Torres in the New York Times. The unique key to this recipe is that you refrigerate the cookie dough for a minimum of 24 hours before you bake the cookies. The New York Times suggests that allowing the best chocolate chip cookie makes the cookie dough have the perfect level of moisture to make the perfect cookie. I feel like I have tried many chocolate chip cookies in my lifetime and I can honestly say, these are the best chocolate chip cookies …. ever.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookie

New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Jacques Torres
Yield: 4 dozen.

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt (your best)

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day

My Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter

4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 cups sugar

5 cups blended oatmeal

24 oz. chocolate chips

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)

4 eggs

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey Bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet or drop by teaspoonful onto the cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or 10 to 12 minutes for a crispier cookie.

Makes about 10 dozen cookies.

Cream Cheese-Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter , room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tsp. grated orange zest

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and sugar on high speed until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla until smooth. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour and salt until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips and orange zest.

Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets; space dough about 1 inch apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges. With a spatula, transfer to racks to cool completely; store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Butter Cookies

1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets.

2. Mix together all of the ingredients, using just enough flour to make the dough so you can handle it, then mix in the rest of the flour just until not sticky.

3. Roll out dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes.

Gingerbread Men

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons McCormick® Ginger, Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Nutmeg, Ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract



Directions

1. Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with 5-inch cookie cutter. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are set and just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 1 to 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cooled cookies as desired. Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.


Gingerbread Cookie Variations:
White Chocolate Kissed Gingerbread Cookies: Prepare and refrigerate dough as directed. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a white and milk chocolate swirled kiss-shaped candy into center of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Makes 5 dozen.

Caramel Pecan Gingerbread Thumbprints: Prepare and refrigerate dough as directed. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Immediately press a pecan half into center of each cookie. Top each with 1/4 teaspoon of caramel topping. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Drizzle cookies with 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted. Let stand until chocolate is set. Makes 5 dozen.

Almond Gingerbread Cookies: Prepare and refrigerate dough as directed. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in 1 1/3 cups sliced almonds, pressing almonds into dough. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degrees F oven 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Makes 5 dozen.

Snickerdoodles

1 3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
8 tablespoon (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 large eggs

Directions:
Combine 1/4 cup sugar with cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter, shortening and remaining 1 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs. Add flour mixture. Using wet hands, roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for 10-12 minutes in oven at 375 degrees.