Springerle

or German Anise Christmas cookies

Erika Mish requested this recipe. It's another classic Grandma Gusty Burton recipe. She would always make these at Christmas time. You can use a cookie press to make them but Grandma always cut them in moon, circle and star shapes. They are not your typical cookie as they are crisp and not overly sweet. As a child they weren't my favorite but as an adult I appreciate them more, especially because they remind me of Grandma and Christmases gone by. Grandma actually has multiple recipes in her book including a hand written one with little hints added in pencil. I looked at multiple recipes on line to help sort things out and this is what I came up with. Grandma's hand written recipe had you separate the yolks from the whites, mixing each very well separately and then combine them. I'm not sure what the difference is and most on line recipes did not have you do that. 

These cookies need to sit over night before you bake them so start early!

4 (small) eggs
1tsp lemon extract
1 pound powdered sugar (=2 cups)
2 TBS anise seeds crushed - plus more
1 pound flour (=4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

A mixer that can knead thick dough (like bread dough)
Someplace cool for the cookies to sit overnight, or for at least 12 hours, while they rise.

– Beat the eggs on med/high speed for 10 minutes.
– Add the sugar, lemon extract and anise seed.
–Mix at medium speed for 15 minutes.
– Add two cups of the flour, baking powder and salt and mix well

Slowly add in the remaining flour until dough is stiff and kneadable - you may not need to add all the flour. Dough should hold together and not be too sticky.

Cover tightly and chill several hours so the dough will roll out easily. 

Roll out dough in small batches on a floured surface to between 1/4 and 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes or use a Springerle mold. If using the mold, dust it with flour and only press it down enough to make a clear imprint - then cut between the cookies with a knife. Allow cookies to stand overnight (as far as I can tell it's OK to transfer them to the cookie sheet to sit overnight - at least 12 hours). 

Place on a well BUTTERED (this was underlined) baking sheet that has been sprinkled with anise seed  (I personally don't remember there being anise seed on the back of the cookies... anyone else remember something different?) These cookies do not spread while cooking so you can put them close together.

Bake at 300 degrees F for about 12 minutes.
The cookies should be a very light golden brown when done.

Makes 90-100 cookies. "Store in an airtight container with a slice of apple in it to keep them moist. Check at times to see if you need a new apple as it dries out and may mold." Other recipes suggested a piece of bread. 

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

This is seriously the best oatmeal cookie recipe--it might be hard to stop eating them. I'm not a fan of raisins in cookies, but you can't taste these, and my hubby didn't believe me at first when I mentioned that there were raisins in the cookies. Thanks to my mother-in-law for giving it!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup raisins
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions:

Puree in blender raisins, vanilla and eggs. Cream together butter and sugars; add raisin mixture. Mix in dry ingredients. Chill dough. Roll into balls. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

All the credit for the picture and recipe go to Amy
she got this recipe from her awesome mother in law.
Having said that I will tell you that Christian has made these cookies more than anyone in these parts and is becoming famous for them.
I realize we have not made cookies in this house in a very long time but these are so easy and only 77 calories each (yes we figured it out)
also only half a WW point. How can you beat that?!!
Enough gay banter... here's the recipe:

One spice cake mix (calorie calculations based on Betty Crocker)
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Mix dry cake mix with pumpkin and add chocolate chips.
Spray cookie sheet with Pam.
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes (Christian likes his baked a little longer)

Makes 30 cookies. (We usually make a double batch with a large can of pumpkin)

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

I know, I know, I just posted a cookie recipe. But, hey, it is fall and these cookies are not to be missed!

Ingredients
3/4 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 egg
1/4 C molasses
2 1/2 C flour
2 t. ground ginger
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1/4 t. salt
Additional sugar

Directions
1. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses.
2. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in separate bowl. Gradually add to creamed mixture.
3. Roll into 1 1/2 inch balls, then roll in sugar.
4. Place two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Makes: 2 1/2 dozen

Snickerdoodles

Next to Chocolate Chip cookies, these are my family's favorite. They stay soft and freeze well. Enjoy!!!!

Ingredients

For the topping:

3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cookie dough:

3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter

1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.

To make the cookie dough, stir together the dry ingredients.
In a bowl with a paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add the sugar and continue to mix, then add the eggs, corn syrup, and vanilla, and mix thoroughly. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended. Chill dough 1 hour if it's sticky or difficult to handle. ( lightly wet hands with water will make the dough easy to roll into balls.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Roll balls of dough about the size of a walnut then roll them in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Place on an un-greased sheet pan 2 1/2 inches apart. Flattend slightly with your hand. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed up and the surface is slightly cracked. Let cool on the sheet pan a few minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.

Sugar Cookies

Sorry this is a day late.

Thus recipe is from Erika's Young women's President. They are great. Be sure to use the almond extract. It make a huge difference. She recommends that you double the recipe.

Sugar Cookies
Mix well:
¾ c margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla (I use almond extract instead)
Add:
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp. salt
Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll out dough to ½” thick (these are the soft thick cookies not the thin crisp kind) and cut with shape cookie cutters.
Bake 350 degrees for 8-10 min. (These cookies don’t get brown around the edges.)
Frosting
8oz. cream cheese, softened
1 ½ lb. powdered sugar (or until desired consistency)
¼ - milk or more if needed
1 tsp vanilla
food coloring as desired
Beat 5 min.
*** Note: this makes lots of frosting that could frost more than one batch of cookies.

Home made Peanut Butter (cookies too)

My friends' sister used to teach kindergarten at our elementary school.
She quit to stay home when she had her first baby.
Now she has a website called "Make and Takes" where she posts all kinds of fun things.

She recently posted a video where she makes homemade peanut butter (and then uses it in cookies). I tried making peanut butter in the blender when I was little and it didn't work out too well - after watching her video I think it was more a lack of scraping
and letting the blender do it's work than anything.
Well, maybe it was the butter that made the peanuts stick to the sides of the blender.

She uses a food processor and it looks pretty easy.
I just happend to be roasting some almonds this morning and tried it with warm fresh roasted almonds in my food processor and it worked great!
I wonder if almond butter cookies would be good...
maybe with chocolate chips - everything's good with chocolate

Edited: I made some cookies Friday and they were awesome!