Lemon Meltaways

These pretty cookies are bursting with fresh lemon flavor. This recipe comes from Land O Lakes.


Cookies:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened (use real butter, not margarine)
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

Frosting:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In large mixer bowl combine all cookie ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes). Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into 8" by 1" roll. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 to 2 hours. Heat oven to 350. With sharp knife, cut each roll of dough into 1/4 inch slices. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes until set. (These cookies will not brown.) Cool completely. For frosting, combine all ingredients in a small mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until fluffy (1 to 2 minutes). Frost cooled cookies. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Chocolate Crinkles

An old favorite, and oh-so-good! I think this is my favorite cookie... well, definitely in the top three!






1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl combine oil, melted chocolate, and sugar. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed. Add vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt together, then stir into chocolate mixture a little at a time. Chill dough for several hours or overnight. When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough by heaping teaspoonful into balls; roll in powdered sugar. Place 2" apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 6 dozen.

Amazing Soft Ginger Cookies

I came across this recipe after a particular coworker stole the ones I had from Lindsborg. And in retrospect, I guess it was a good thing. These cookies are unreal.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 generous teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (at least!)
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar (for rolling the balls of dough in)

And now I will reveal the Secret of the Cookie, because I find it amazing: If you want big, soft cookies, use cold butter or margarine (to accomplish this, you'll either need the kind that comes in the tub, or one heck of a good mixer). If you want flat, soft cookies, use room temperature butter. I swear. With that in mind:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.

At this point you will absolutely want to chill the dough for a while, or it will be too sticky to handle.

When the dough is suitably chilled, shape it into walnut sized balls and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet, and flatten slightly. Or don't flatten. I never do.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, in the unlikely event that there are any left to store.

Butterscotch Spice Cookies

This is a cake-mix cookie recipe from Duncan Hines. You can vary the flavors of cake mix and chips, but this is my favorite combination. Serve warm or cold with a glass of milk... yum!

1 regular-sized package Spice cake mix
1/2 cup softened butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
6 ounces butterscotch baking chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix half of cake mix with butter, vanilla, and eggs; stir in remaining cake mix a little at a time. Add a tiny bit of water if dough is too stiff. Stir in baking chips and nuts. Drop dough by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 - 12 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on cookie sheet for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack. Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies.