Julies Blue Ribbon Cookies Food

BLUE RIBBON ALMOND ROCA COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, blend sugars together on medium speed. Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste. Add eggs and vanilla and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and then the toffee bits. Mix until just blended; do not over-mix.
• Place ground nuts in a small bowl. Using hands, roll balls of dough into 1 to 1 1/2-inch balls, then roll in the ground nuts. Place on cookie sheets several inches apart. Bake approximately 22 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack.
• Melt the chocolate with the vegetable oil in a double boiler or in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle melted chocolate over cooled cookies. Place cookies on a cookie sheet and place in freezer or refrigerator until chocolate is firmly set.

BLUE RIBBON SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter, oil, confectioners' sugar and white sugar until well blended. Stir in the eggs, vanilla and lemon extracts. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until well blended. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet. Flatten cookies to 1/8 inch thickness using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Colored sugar may be used if you do not plan to frost cookies later.
• Bake for 9 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

RIBBON COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar gradually. Add egg and vanilla, mixing well after each addition.
• In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add to the butter mixture, making sure all ingredients are incorporated.
• Divide dough into three equal parts. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one third, mixing until the color is even. Add cocoa and pecans to one third, mixing well. Leave the other third plain.
• Line a loaf pan with wax paper or foil. Press the chocolate layer into the bottom of the pan, pressing firmly to make the dough as flat and even as possible on top. Add the plain dough to the pan, again making an even layer on top of the chocolate. On top of the plain dough, add the red, pressing down flat on top. Wrap the dough completely, leave it in the loaf pan, and chill over night, or until firm enough to slice.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove dough from loaf pan and place on cutting board. Cut the dough lenghth-wise, down the middle, so you have two long "bars" of dough. Put one bar back in the refrigerator, to keep chilled while you work with the other.
• Slice into about 1/8" slices, or thicker if you like them a little softer. The thinner they are sliced, the crispier they will be.
• Bake for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Take them out when the bottoms are just browned. Try not to overbake, or they will lose their pretty color.
• Cool on wire rack.

BLUE RIBBON SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Mix margarine and sugar and beat till fluffy. Add egg and extracts. Mix in soda and cream of tartar, and then add flour. Wrap in a disc and chill for at least an hour, but no more than 24 or it will dry out.
• Roll to 1/4" thickness and cut with desired cookie cutters. Leave room between cookies on baking sheet ( I use parchment) because they do spread. Bake 8 minutes till set, but not browned.
• Frost with cream cheese frosting, or any other flavor if you like, and decorate with sugars or decors.
• Note: Since every oven varies, it may be a good idea to bake a few at first to determine how long a batch will take in your oven. Underbaking will cause cookies to break, and overbaking will make them crispy.