Joanne Fluke Cookie Food

RED VELVET COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, rack in the middle position.
• Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
• Unwrap the squares of chocolate and break them apart. Put them in a small microwave-safe bowl. Melt them for 90 seconds on HIGH. Stir them until they're smooth and set them aside to cool while you mix up the cookie dough.
• Combine the butter, brown sugar, and sugar together in a large bowl. Beat them on medium speed until they're smooth. This should take less than a minute.
• Add the baking soda and salt, and beat on medium for another minute, or until they're mixed inches.
• Add the egg and beat on medium until the batter is smooth (another minute or so). Add the red food coloring and mix for 30 seconds.
• Shut off the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Add the melted chocolate and mix for another minute on medium speed.
• Shut off the mixer and scrape down the bowl again. At low speed, mix in half of the flour. When the flour is incorporated, add the sour cream and mix it inches.
• Scrape down the bowl again and add the rest of the flour. Beat until the flour is fully incorporated.
• Mix in the chocolate chips by hand.
• Use a teaspoon to spoon the dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheets. If the dough is too sticky to work with, chill it for a half-hour or so and try again.
• Bake the cookies at 375 degrees F for 9 to 11 minutes, or until they rise and become firm.
• Slide the parchment from the cookie sheets and onto a wire rack. Let the cookies cool on the rack while the next batch is baking. When the next sheet of cookies is ready, pull the cooled cookies onto the counter or table and slide the parchment paper with the hot cookies onto the rack. Keep alternating until all the dough has been baked.
• When all the cookies are cool, peel them off the parchment paper and put them on waxed paper for frosting.
• For the frosting:.
• Mix the softened butter with the softened cream cheese and the vanilla until the mixture is smooth. Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
• Add the powdered sugar in half-cup increments until the frosting is of proper spreading consistency.

REGENCY GINGER CRISPS

Steps:

• Do not preheat oven yet, dough must chill before baking.
• Melt butter and mix in sugar.
• Let mixture cool.
• Add egg (s).
• Add soda, molasses, salt and ginger.
• Stir thoroughly.
• Add flour and mix inches.
• Chill the dough for at least 1 hour (overnight is even better).
• Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees, rack in middle position.
• Roll dough into walnut-sized balls,.
• Roll dough in white sugar (just dump them in the bowl with the sugar and shake the bowl to gently coat them.).
• Place cookie balls on greased cookie sheets, 12 to a standard sheet.
• Flatten them with a spatula.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until nicely browned.
• Cool on cookie sheets for no more than 1 minute.
• Remove to wire rack to finish cooling. (If you leave these on the cookie sheets for too long, they will stick.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRY DELIGHTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, rack in middle position.
• Melt butter and mix in sugar.
• Let mixture cool.
• Add eggs, mix thoroughly.
• Add baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla and cocoa, stirring after each addition.
• Add flour and mix well (dough will be stiff and a bit crumbly).
• Drain cherries, remove stems, reserve juice.
• Pat dough into walnut-sized balls.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.
• Press down in center with thumb to make a deep indentation.
• Place one cherry in each indentation.
• In a saucepan, over simmering water (double boiler), combine the chocolate chips and condensed milk.
• Heat on low until the chips are melted.
• Add approximately 1/8 cup of reserved cherry juice and stir to a thick sauce.
• If sauce is too thick, carefully add a little more juice. Test with a teaspoon. If it doesn't glob off, it is too thick.
• Spoon the sauce over the center of each cookie, just enough to cover each cherry. Make sure it doesn't drip down the sides.
• Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes.
• Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes.
• Remove to rack to finish cooling.

BLACK AND WHITES

Steps:

• Do not preheat oven yet - dough mush chill before baking.
• Melt chocolate chips with butter. (Microwave on high power for 2 minutes, then stir until smooth).
• Mix in sugar.
• Allow to cool.
• Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• Mix in vanilla, baking powder and salt.
• Add flour & mix well.
• Chill dough for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in middle position.
• Roll walnut-sized dough balls with you hands (this is messy, you might want to wear plastic gloves).
• Drop the balls into the bowl of confectioners' sugar & roll them around until they are covered.
• If dough gets too warm, stick it back into the fridge until you can handle it again.
• Place the balls on a cookie sheet (12 to a standard sheet works best).
• Do not flatten - they will flatten as they bake.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
• Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Eat and enjoy.

OLD-FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Do not preheat oven yet - dough must chill before baking.
• Melt butter.
• Add sugars and mix.
• Let cool to room temperature.
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time.
• Add vanilla, lemon zest, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
• Mix well.
• Add flour in increments, mixing after each addition.
• Chill dough for at least one hour (overnight is fine).
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees, rack in middle of oven.
• Use hands to roll dough in walnut-sized balls.
• Roll dough balls in a bowl of white sugar.
• Place on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet.
• Flatten dough balls with a greased spatula.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes (They should have a tine of gold on the top).
• Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to a rack to finish cooling.
• Cookies can be decorated with frosting piped from a pastry bag for special occasions - or left just as they are.