Cookies | Stephanie's Slice Of Life

Category: Cookies
- Sugar Cookies
  
  Posted at 4:47 pm by StephMo
  
  Feb 17th
  Sugar cookies are such a fun cookie as you can make them into so many different shapes, sizes, and colors. I just made a batch in the shape of elephants for some students at my daughter’s college, whose mascot is an elephant. Next month I will be making some shamrocks for St. Patrick’s Day. The other good thing about them is if you don’t feel like adorning them with colored sugar or frosting, they are just as tasty plain. Here is the recipe I use:
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2/3 cup butter flavor Crisco
  
  3/4 cup sugar
  
  1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. milk
  
  1 tsp. vanilla extract
  
  1 egg
  
  2 cups flour
  
  1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  
  1/4 tsp. salt
  
  In a large bowl combine the crisco, sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until blended. Beat in the egg.
  
  In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  
  Add into the creamed mixture and beat on low speed until combined.
  
  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours.
  
  When you are ready to make the cookies, roll out the dough on a floured board and cut into shapes. Maybe about 1/8 – 1/4″ thick.
  
  Re-flour the board every time you roll out a new batch. Place on an un-greased cookie sheet.
  
  Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Remove immediately from pan to cooling rack.
  
  I have never been very good at decorating cookies, but I found this really easy technique on-line that worked well. For the icing combine:
  
  2 cups powdered sugar
  
  4-5 tbsps. half and half
  
  1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  
  Food coloring
  
  Mix the ingredients together until they form a thick icing. Dip the cookies into the icing and hold over the bowl for about 15 seconds allowing the excess icing to drip off. Then quickly turn the cookie over and gently move side to side to let the icing cover the entire cookie evenly. Allow to set on a wire rack.
  Sugar Cookies
  
  Print Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  2/3 cup butter flavor Crisco
  3/4 cup sugar
  1 tbsp. milk
  1 tsp. milk
  1 tsp. vanilla
  1 egg
  2 cups flour
  1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  1/4 tsp. salt
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  In a large bowl combine the crisco, sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat on medium speed of an electric mixer until blended. Beat in the egg.
  In a small bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the creamed mixture on low speed until well mixed.
  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours.
  When you are ready to make the cookies, roll out the dough on a floured board and cut into shapes. Maybe about 1/8 – 1/4" thick. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 7-8 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Remove immediately to wire cooling rack.
  Posted in Cookies, Recipes, Sugar Cookies | Tagged cookie recipe, cookies, food blog, food blogger, homemade cookies, shaped cookies, stephanie's slice of life, sugar cookie recipe, sugar cookies
- Amazing Brownies
  
  Posted at 3:32 pm by StephMo
  
  Feb 10th
  These brownies are absolutely amazing! Hence why I named them Amazing Brownies. It is the easiest recipe, and it only uses one bowl which is a huge bonus. They are fudgy and delicious, and honestly one of the best recipes you will find.
  
  I have used this recipe for the Santa Hats and Brownie Trees that I have written about, and as I have mentioned it is the recipe inside the Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate box. I have been using it for years and will never switch or try anything else.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  3/4 cup butter
  
  1 4oz. package Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate
  
  2 cups sugar
  
  1 tsp. vanilla
  
  3 eggs
  
  1 cup flour
  
  In a large mixing bowl add the butter and chocolate. Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir until the chocolate is melted. It may take a a little while but it will melt from the heat of the butter.
  
  Add the sugar and combine well.
  
  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
  
  Add the flour and mix until well incorporated.
  
  Pour into a 9″ x 13″ pan lined with aluminum foil and sprayed with cooking spray. You don’t have to use aluminum foil, but it is so much easier to cut the brownies this way. Once the brownies are cool just lift the aluminum foil out and put on a flat surface to cut.
  
  I usually either add chocolate chips or M&Ms to the brownies. If you are going to add something I suggest waiting about 10 minutes after they are in the oven and sprinkling the chocolate chips or M&Ms on top, then continue baking.
  
  Bake for 27-30 minutes at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted comes out with fudgy crumbs.
  Amazing Brownies
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  3/4 cup butter
  1 4oz. package Baker's Unsweetened Chocolate
  2 cups sugar
  1 tsp. vanilla
  3 large eggs
  1 cup flour
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a aluminum foil lined 9" x 13" pan with cooking spray.
  Microwave chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl for 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
  Add sugar and mix well. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour and mix well.
  Bake for 27-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with fudgy crumbs.
  Posted in Amazing Brownies, Cookies, Recipes | Tagged brownie recipe, brownies, food blog, food blogger, fudgy brownies, lifestyle blogger, one bowl brownies, stephanie's slice of life
- Sprinkles Blondie Bars
  
  Posted at 4:52 pm by StephMo
  
  Feb 5th
  If you aren’t in the mood for chocolate, then give these buttery, sugary, chewy, yummy Blondie bars a try. They are not really a cookie bar, they are more of the consistency of a chewy brownie. You can absolutely make this recipe without the sprinkles, but don’t the sprinkles just make them look happier! 😅
  
  Ingredients:
  
  2 cups brown sugar
  
  1 cup butter, melted
  
  2 eggs, room temperature
  
  2 tsp. vanilla
  
  1 3/4 cup flour
  
  1/2 tsp. baking powder
  
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
  
  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9″ x 9″ or 13″ x 9″ pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
  
  Melt the butter and let it cool slightly. Combine with the brown sugar in a large bowl and mix well.
  
  Look at all that butter! Yum! Brown sugar and butter just go so well together.
  
  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well until smooth.
  
  Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add to the butter mixture until well combined.
  
  Then…..stir in the sprinkles!
  
  Spread the batter into the greased pan and sprinkle some additional sprinkles on top. Bake for approximately 30 minutes until brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  
  Let cool before cutting. The nice thing about using aluminum foil is you can just lift it out of the pan and it makes it much easier to cut.
  Sprinkles Blondie Bars
  
  Print Recipe Pin Recipe
  
  Ingredients
  
  2 cups brown sugar
  1 cup butter, melted
  2 large eggs, room temperature
  2 tsp. vanilla
  1 3/4 cups flour
  1/2 tsp. baking powder
  1/2 tsp. salt
  1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles
  
  Instructions
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" x 13" pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
  Combine melted butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl.
  Add eggs and vanilla and beat well until smooth.
  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Add to butter mixture and combine well. Stir in sprinkles.
  Spread into greased pan and top with additional sprinkles. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  Cool before cutting.
  Posted in Cookies, Recipes, Sprinkle Blondie Bars | Tagged bar recipes, blondie bars, blondie bars recipe, blondies, blondies recipe, food blog, food blogger, rainbow sprinkles bars, sprinkle blondie bars, sprinkles blondie bars, stephanies slice of life
- Italian Sesame Seed Cookies
  
  Posted at 5:48 pm by StephMo
  
  Jan 2nd
  
  My mother passed away recently and while going through her recipes I came across this recipe for Sesame Seed Cookies. These were one of her favorite cookies, and when she made them she would always enjoy a few while she was sipping a cup of coffee or tea. This recipe may have been my grandmother’s recipe, but I do not know for sure. I never really paid attention to these cookies because to be honest, they weren’t my favorite so I can’t say if they taste like they did when she made them. They still aren’t my favorite cookie, but I liked the batch I made and my daughter really liked them.
  
  I can remember fondly how at least once a year she would buy a bag of sesame seeds at Polcari’s Coffee on Salem Street in the North End of Boston. I haven’t been in that store in years but I can still remember being mesmerized by all of the big bins filled with seeds and nuts. I’ll have to stop in there some day to see if the store is as I remember. While I don’t have a fresh bag of sesame seeds currently in my home, or never have, I just used the ones I purchased at the super market. Maybe I’ll have to start following her tradition and buy my sesame seeds in the North End from now on.
  
  This index card is the recipe I found and apparently I must have had a type writer at some point when I was a child and transferred some of her hand written recipes on to cards for her. The funny thing is there is no mention of sesame seeds in the recipe. Or how long to bake them for. They could be missing another ingredient as well for all I know as I obviously missed a few steps 😅. I am also confused by why her Ricotta Pie recipe that I typed out has no mention of ricotta. Thank goodness transcribing was not the path I chose in life.
  
  The ingredients are wonderfully typed above as seen, except for the sesame seeds and I think I used about a cup of seeds. Now let’s break down the instructions a little bit better.
  
  In a small mixing bowl combine the flour and baking powder, set aside.
  
  In a large bowl mix together the oil, eggs, and sugar. Add the vanilla and salt and mix well.
  
  Add in the dry ingredients and combine well.
  
  Put the sesame seeds on a small plate and put some milk in a small bowl.
  
  I assumed “dip fingers in milk” meant to do so before grabbing some of the dough and rolling it in your hands. Once the dough is in the shape of a ball roll it in the sesame seeds.
  
  I remember my mother’s cookies being more of an oval shape so I shaped them after I placed them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
  
  Since there was no mention of time on the recipe I tried a few different times. My first batch was about 10-11 minutes and they were just slightly brown on the bottom. Then I tried 13 minutes and the bottoms tasted over done, so I settled on right in the middle at 12 minutes.
  
  I like cookies soft and while these are most likely supposed to be a hard biscotti type cookie, I don’t prefer them that way.
  
  If you prefer an all around darker cookie you may want to try a higher temperature and see how they turn out.
  
  I hope you enjoy my mom’s favorite cookie as much as she did 😊
  
  Posted in Cookies, Italian Seed Cookies, Recipes | Tagged cookie recipe, cookies, food blog, food blogger, italian seed cookies, italian sesame seed cookie recipe, italian sesame seed cookies, sesame seed cookies, stephanie's slice of life
- Shortbread Jam Sandwich Cookies
  
  Posted at 10:03 am by StephMo
  
  Dec 19th
  
  Let me just start by saying that these cookies are one of the best cookies I have ever had. Unbelievably good. So good that when my daughter and I tasted the first batch we both looked at each other while chewing and said maybe we should just eat them all and not give them out. We were joking, kind of, maybe not actually. We had restraint, however, and only ate a few while saving the rest to give out to family and friends.
  
  The nice thing about this recipe is they don’t have to be made as sandwich cookies. You can just bake the shortbread in any shape you would like and either eat them plain, or dip part of them in chocolate. Whichever way you decide to make them they will just melt in your mouth.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  3 sticks of butter, softened
  
  1 cup sugar
  
  1 tsp. vanilla
  
  3 1/2 cups flour
  
  1/4 tsp. salt
  
  Raspberry jam or preserves
  
  Confectioner’s sugar
  
  In a large mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined.
  
  Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
  
  Sift together the flour and salt in a small bowl and gradually add to the butter mixture while beating on low speed until combined.
  
  Now this is where the recipe gets a little tricky. As you can see, it doesn’t look very combined or together for that matter. However, it is right and how it should be.
  
  Start squeezing together handfuls of the dough and put them on a lightly floured board. The dough will come together with time but you need to work at it with your hands.
  
  As you can see after a few minutes and a little patience the shortbread dough came together and looks great.
  
  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  
  Using a section of the dough at a time, roll out on a lightly floured board until about 1/4″ thick and cut into shapes.
  
  If you are making the sandwich cookies, you can either use all solid shapes or you can cut a shape in the center of the cookie for the jam to show. Place the cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for around 8 minutes for the cookies with holes, and around 10 minutes for the solid cookies. Keep an eye on them and they are done when they are slightly brown.
  
  While the photo shows the two cookies together on the cookie sheet, don’t bake them together as they really do have different cooking times.
  
  Let cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or so and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  
  Once cool spread jam on the flat side of the bottom cookie. Spread lightly on the edges and leave more in the center for where the hole will be.
  
  Sprinkle confectioner’s sugar on the top cookie then place on top of the jam covered bottom cookie.
  
  Now the most important thing is trying to stop yourself from eating them all. Trust me, it isn’t easy.
  
  Posted in Cookies, Holiday Treats, Recipes, Shortbread Jam Sandwich Cookie | Tagged butter cookies, food blog, food blogger, raspberry jam shortbread, shortbreaad jam sandwich cookie, shortbread cookie recipe, shortbread cookies, shortbread jam cookie, shortbread sandwich cookie, stephanie's slice of life
- Gingerbread Cookies
  
  Posted at 9:14 am by StephMo
  
  Dec 19th
  
  This recipe for Gingerbread cookies is delicious, not overpowering with spices and a really nice soft texture. When I was a child my mother would use raisins as the buttons, does anyone else remember using raisins? I wanted to use some but my raisin hating daughter vetoed that idea before I could even get the entire thought out of my mouth. I don’t know what it is with my children and raisins. So if you like raisins, they can be a cute old school thing to use for buttons!
  
  My tip with making these cookies is to make them fairly thick. My first batch wasn’t as thick as they should have been and they were a little crispier than I like cookies to be, I prefer a nice soft cookie. I think the perfect size is somewhere around 1/4″ thick, maybe a little more.
  
  You can be as creative as you’d like with decorating. I used a simple icing recipe to decorate them, but if you don’t feel like making icing you can just buy some at the store. The icing I made was 1 cup of powdered sugar mixed with 2 tsp. of milk, then add 2 tsp. of corn syrup and 1/4 tsp. of clear vanilla.
  
  Cookie Ingredients:
  
  3 cups flour
  
  2 tsp. ginger
  
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  
  1 tsp. baking soda
  
  1/4 tsp. nutmeg
  
  1/4 tsp. salt
  
  3/4 cup butter, softened
  
  3/4 cup brown sugar
  
  1/2 cup molasses
  
  1 egg
  
  1 tsp. vanilla
  
  Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
  
  In a large mixing bowl beat together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium until light and fluffy.
  
  Beat in the molasses, egg, and vanilla until well combined.
  
  Gradually beat in the flour mixture on low speed until combined.
  
  Press the dough together and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least four hours.
  
  On a floured board roll out about half the dough and start cutting out your gingerbread men. Re-flour the board and roll out the remaining scraps of dough and continue cutting out cookies.
  
  Place the cookies on an un-greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8 – 10 minutes or until they are just starting to brown.
  
  Remove from the cookie sheets and let cool on a wire rack.
  
  Have some fun and decorate! Make sure to eat the ones that aren’t “perfect”.
  
  Posted in Cookies, Recipes | Tagged cookie recipe, cookies, food blog, food blogger, gingerbread, gingerbread cookies, gingerbread cookies recipe, gingerbread men, holiday baking, holiday cookies, stephanie's slice of life
- Snickerdoodles
  
  Posted at 3:32 pm by StephMo
  
  Nov 12th
  
  As I have been flipping through the pages of my mother’s beloved Betty Crocker cookbook, I came across the Snickerdoodles recipe that she made for years. These crunchy cinnamon sugar cookies were often waiting for my children when they would visit as they are one of their favorites. So in honor of my mom, I am baking them today not only as a treat for my children, but to share her recipe with all of you.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1/2 cup butter, softened
  
  1/2 cup shortening
  
  1 1/2 cups sugar
  
  2 eggs
  
  2 3/4 cups flour
  
  2 tsp. cream of tartar
  
  1 tsp. baking soda
  
  1/4 tsp. salt
  
  2 tbsp. sugar
  
  2 tsp. cinnamon
  
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  
  Mix together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and eggs.
  
  In a separate bowl mix together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.
  
  Mix flour mixture into the butter mixture.
  
  In a small bowl or plate mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
  
  Shape the dough into balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. The ones I made were a little too big and they almost stuck together. Either make the balls a little smaller, or space them apart further.
  
  Bake for 8-9 minutes or until set. Immediately remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack.
  
  Yum, yum, yum!
  
  Posted in Cookies, Recipes | Tagged cookie recipe, cookies, food blog, food blogger, snickerdoodle recipe, snickerdoodles
- Chocolate Chip Cookies
  
  Posted at 2:48 pm by StephMo
  
  Apr 30th
  
  Years ago I veered away from the classic Nestle Toll House cookie recipe and started trying to find a better chocolate chip cookie recipe. Although I love a good Toll House cookie, I just kept finding they were a little too crispy for my personal liking. This recipe is quite different but they are soft, delicious and have become my new favorite!
  
  When I realized I was out of the regular size chocolate chips and only had minis, I was initially very disappointed. Well, that turned into such a good thing because I loved them even more with the small chips! Give it a try if you never have and see what you think.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 cup butter, softened
  
  1 cup sugar
  
  1 cup brown sugar
  
  2 eggs
  
  2 tsp. vanilla
  
  1 tsp. baking soda
  
  2 tsp. hot water
  
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  3 cups flour
  
  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  
  Cream together the butter and sugars until smooth.
  
  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
  
  Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water. This is the only recipe I have ever had to do this with.
  
  Add baking soda water to the batter with the salt and combine well.
  
  Stir in the flour and chocolate chips ( I used mini chips).
  
  Drop onto ungreased pans. I decided to use the large cookie scoop this time, go big or go home!
  
  Then bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges start to brown.
  
  Cool on a wire rack. Then eat, and repeat!
  
  Posted in Chocolate Chip Cookies, Cookies, Recipes | Tagged chocolate chip cookie recipe, chocolate chip cookies, cookie recipe, cookies, cookies and milk, food blog, food blogger, foodie, mini chocolate chip cookies, mini chocolate chip recipes, soft cookies
- Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
  
  Posted at 10:53 am by StephMo
  
  Mar 6th
  
  Oatmeal cookies are one of my favorite types of cookies. I love them with raisins, but since my family would probably throw them at me if they contained raisins, I started making them with chocolate chips. Years ago an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe was on the Quaker Oats container and I haven’t seen it there since, thankfully I kept it because they are just the best cookies.
  
  Whenever I make these cookies I add whatever I’m in the mood for, or what I have in the house. Sometimes I go with Craisins with white and milk chocolate chips, sometimes coconut and dark chocolate chips, and sometimes everything together. Today I went with coconut, milk chocolate chips, and dark chocolate chunks. Yum, yum, yum. And you can add as much chocolate or coconut as you want.
  
  I also like that this recipe makes a lot of cookies, that way no one notices when you eat 12 of them while baking. Well, maybe not 12, but close 😬
  
  Ingredients:
  
  1 3/4 cups flour
  
  1 tsp. baking soda
  
  1/2 tsp. salt
  
  1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, softened
  
  1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar
  
  1/2 cup sugar
  
  2 eggs
  
  2 tsp. vanilla
  
  2 tbsp. milk
  
  2 1/2 cups oats
  
  1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  
  3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
  
  1/2 cup coconut
  
  Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
  
  Cream softened butter.
  
  Add sugars to butter and cream together well.
  
  Add eggs, vanilla, and milk and beat well.
  
  Add flour mixture and combine well. Then add oats, coconut, and chocolate chips.
  
  I was definitely using my arm muscles today! 💪🏻
  
  I like to use a cookie scoop, but if you do not have one then drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
  
  Bake for 9-10 minutes at 375 degrees until the centers are pretty much set. Let them cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before transferring to the wire rack.
  
  Even though you won’t want to, make sure to share with family and friends!
  
  Posted in Cookies, Recipes | Tagged cookie recipe, food blog, food blogger, oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal coconut chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookie recipe, oatmeal cookies
- Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Shortbread Cookies
  
  Posted at 9:19 am by StephMo
  
  Jan 31st
  
  You will be singing “I’m in the mood for love, simply because you’re near me” when you bite into one of these cookies, because you will be in LOVE with them. These cookies may look like your average sugar cookies, but they will give you a buttery surprise when you bite into one. Since we are approaching Valentine’s Day, what better shape to make them in but hearts! No matter what shape you decide to make them in however, the recipient of these cookies will definitely know you love them!
  
  You may be wondering what the difference is between a sugar cookie and a shortbread cookie. Sugar cookies are sweeter and crispier, while shortbread cookies are softer and butterier (is that a word?), or should I say more buttery? Regardless of the correct spelling and grammar, they melt in your mouth.
  
  Ingredients:
  
  3/4 cup sugar
  
  1 cup butter – softened
  
  3 oz. block cream cheese – softened
  
  1 egg
  
  1 tsp. peppermint extract
  
  3 cups flour
  
  In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, butter, cream cheese, egg, and extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  
  Add flour and beat until mixed.
  
  Divide the dough into two and wrap with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator for about an hour or until it has hardened and is easy to work with.
  
  Roll out the dough on a floured surface until about 1/4″ thick. I used about half of a half of the dough at a time, or a quarter of the total dough. Cut into shapes and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
  
  Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes, or until edges are just slightly brown. Remove from cookie sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.
  
  I did not have any melting chocolate wafers, so I decided to use chocolate chips and butter. Which I have to say was not as easy to work with, it was a little too thick. You can use whichever you prefer.
  
  For these cookies I melted 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of butter in a small saucepan over low heat while stirring frequently.
  
  Dip half of the cookie in the chocolate and put on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Cool in refrigerator until chocolate is hardened.
  
  Posted in Chocolate Dipped Peppermint Shortbread Cookies, Cookies, Recipes | Tagged chocolate dipped shortbread cookies, cookie recipe, food blog, food blogger, heart cookies, peppermint shortbread cookies, shortbread cookie recipe, shortbread cookies
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