Basic Cookies Food

BASIC COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Cream the butter in a large bowl with a wooden spoon or in a stand mixer until it is soft. Add the sugar and keep beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and add the optional ingredients, if you're using them. Bring the mixture together with your hands in a figure-of-eight motion until it forms a dough. You can freeze the dough at this point.
• Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them slightly apart from each other on a baking sheet (you don't need to butter or line it). Flatten the balls a little with the palm of your hand and bake them in the oven for around 10-12 mins until they are golden brown and slightly firm on top. Leave the cookies on a cooling rack for around 15 mins before serving.

BASIC COOKIE MIX

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients.
• Sift the mixture twice.
• Store in a tightly covered, labeled container for up to 3 months in a cool, dry place.
• For Sugar Cookies use: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
• With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 1" balls; arrange them about 2" apart on 2 lightly greased 13" X 9" baking sheets Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
• Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets; using a spatula, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 1 wk.
• For Chocolate Chip Cookies use: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• In a large bowl, combine the Basic Cookie Mix, butter, egg, and vanilla.
• Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, distributing them well.
• With lightly floured hands, shape the dough into 1" balls; arrange them about 2" apart on 2 lightly greased 13" X 9" baking sheets Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden.
• Let cool for 1-2 minutes on the baking sheets; using a spatula, transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 1 wk.

BASIC COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk 7-1/2 cups flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture, adding more flour if necessary. Divide dough into four 2-cup portions. Refrigerate, covered, until needed., Basic Cookie Dough may be used to prepare the following recipes: Crumb-Topped Date Bars, Cherry Surprise Cookies, Chocolate Mallow Cookies or Jelly Sandwich Cookies.

BASIC SUGAR COOKIE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt and set aside.
• In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, beat the shortening at low speed until fluffy. Add the sugar and corn syrup and beat until well blended, then add the egg and the vanilla, beating continuously on low. Slowly add the flour mixture, about 2 tablespoons at a time. (If you are not using a heavy-duty mixer, the dough may become too stiff for the mixer to handle. If so, you may have to add the last of the flour by hand, kneading the dough until all of the flour is fully incorporated.)
• Put the dough in a large plastic bag and refrigerate for 2 hours.
• To make decorated cutout cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out the dough using tree, snowflake, star, and bird patterns. Place the cookies on greased cookie sheets and bake until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies on racks before decorating.
• To decorate, tint a recipe of Royal Icing to your desired colors. Keep the icing covered with a damp towel while you are working to prevent it from drying out. To cover a cookie with icing, thin some of the icing with a little water and spread it on the cookie with a knife or metal spatula. Leave some of the icing thick for piping borders or other designs, using the #2 tip. Add dragees, edible glitter, colored sprinkles, or other decorations to the wet icing. To attach candies to un-iced cookies, brush a thin layer of clear piping gel on the cookie with a small paintbrush and add decorations.
• Royal Icing is very versatile. It is pure white and dries very hard, so it is perfect for making flowers and bows and delicate piped work. It can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 weeks. You should stir the icing to restore its original consistency after storage, but do not rebeat. Royal Icing does not work well in high humidity.
• Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat slowly until they are all blended. Then beat at medium speed until the icing forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Add more sugar if the icing is not stiff enough, or a few drops of water if it is too stiff. Use immediately or cover the bowl with a damp cloth to prevent drying when not in use. Allow at least 24 hours for royal icing decorations to dry, at room temperature.

SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Position 2 racks in the center of the oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
• Whisk together the flour, baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.
• Beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer) until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at time, beating after each addition to incorporate. Beat in the vanilla. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium, add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.
• Scoop 12 heaping tablespoons of dough about 2 inches apart onto each prepared baking sheet. Roll the dough into balls with slightly wet hands. Bake, rotating the cookie sheets from upper to lower racks halfway through, until golden but still soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes (the longer the cook time, the crunchier the cookies). Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Let the baking sheets cool completely, scoop the remaining dough onto 1 sheet and bake. Store the cookies in a tightly sealed container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

BASIC BUTTER COOKIES

Steps:

• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours. (To roll cookies into balls, see cooks' note, below.)
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
• Cut enough 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). If garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it.
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.
• *Available at specialty foods shops and New York Cake & Baking Distributor (800-942-2639).

BASIC SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients until dough comes together (will seem very crumbly at first).
• Roll out and cut into shapes.
• Bake on a greased pan at 350° until edges are lightly browned (watch carefully, as these cook VERY FAST).
• Frost if desired.

BASIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes, or place in a resealable plastic bag, and freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator overnight).
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. Remove one dough disk; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out 1/8 inch thick between two sheets of floured parchment, dusting dough with flour as needed. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. (If dough gets soft, chill 10 minutes.) Reroll scraps; cut shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 10 to 18 minutes (depending on size). Cool completely on wire racks. To ice cookies, spread with the back of a spoon. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes. Decorate as desired.
• For the icing, sift confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in milk, water, or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, whisk in more sugar; if too thick, add more liquid. Spread over cookies with back of a spoon. Add other decorations, if desired. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes.

BASIC BUTTER COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Place flour, sugar, butter, and salt in the bowl of a food processor; process until mixture is the texture of coarse meal.
• In a small bowl, lightly beat egg yolks and vanilla; with motor running, add to food processor. Process just until a dough forms.

BASIC ADAPTABLE COOKIE DOUGH

Steps:

• Cream the butter and sugar together until they're light and fluffy.
• Add the egg yolk and mix well. Then add the flour and salt, and vanilla extract or lemon.
• Now comes the fun part! Add about 50g of whatever other ingredients you like! Good combinations to try are dark chocolate and orange, white chocolate and lemon, and date and pecan. Hundreds and thousands mixed into the dough are really colourful and great for kids!
• Mix the flour and your added extras until it all comes together to form a sticky cookie dough.
• Put the dough onto a floured work surface, and roll into a thick sausage shape. The size of the sausage depends how big you want your cookies: make it long and thin to get the most out, but they'll be smaller.
• Wrap the sausage of cookie dough in clingfilm and leave in the freezer for at least 1 hour. While it's in there, preheat the oven to 190C (375F/Gas mark 6).
• Take the sausage of cookie dough out of the freezer: it should be firmer and easier to cut. Use a sharp knife to slice it, as thick as you like, and put the cookie slices onto a baking sheet, spaced quite far apart. If you need to bake them in more than one batch, wrap the excess dough and put it back into the freezer so it doesn't go soft.
• Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, then leave to cool. They're great plain, but you can spread each one with a teaspoon of coloured or flavoured icing.

EASY CHOCOLATE COOKIES!!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Grease 2 baking sheets with butter (or spray).
• Put the confectioners' sugar into a medium bowl and set aside.
• In another medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and sugar and vanilla extract for about 3 minutes (until creamy). Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl!
• Add one egg to the bowl and beat until blended. Then, add the second egg.
• Add the flour mixture. Mix on low speed until blended.
• Using a tablespoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of dough.
• Roll the dough into a ball using your hands.
• Roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar until covered.
• Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.
• Space each ball of dough about 2 inches apart.
• Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until crackled and puffed.
• Enjoy! (:.

EASY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius.
• Mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together in a bowl; set the mixture aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar.
• Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
• Once combined, slowly blend in the dry ingredients until evenly mixed.
• Searate dough into tablespoon-sized balls.
• Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
• Place on center rack and bake for 5 to 7 minutes (or until golden brown). Let the cookies sit for 2 minutes before cooling on wire racks.

EASY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

BASIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180° C. Grease and line two cookie sheets.
• In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract and egg.
• In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff.
• DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut into whatever shapes you desire.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

EASY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat egg yolks and margarine together until well blended. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add cake mix while beating with an electric mixer. Mixture should be stiff. If it is sticky to the touch, refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Form teaspoonfuls of the dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 11 minutes for soft cookies, and for 13 minutes for crispy cookies.

BASIC COOKIE MIX

Steps:

• Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a spoon.
• Sift mixture twice.
• Store in a tightly covered container, as it keeps well for several weeks at room temperature.