American Family Cookie Book 2011

[Mama Mangia]

Raspberry Linzer Windowpane Cookies
These beautiful cookies are easy to prepare. Cut them into shapes–round, rectangular, or even star-shaped.
You can reroll the dough scraps, but chill them first.


2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam
2 teaspoons powdered sugar

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, stirring well with a whisk.
Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg substitute; beat until well blended.
Beating at low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into 2 equal portions, and wrap each dough portion in plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Roll each dough portion into a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 2-inch square cookie cutter with fluted edges to form 32 cookies.
Repeat procedure with remaining dough portion. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Cut out centers of 32 cookies with a 1-inch square cookie cutter with fluted edges. Bake cookies at 375° for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
Spread center of each whole cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon jam. Sprinkle cut-out cookies with powdered sugar. Place 1 cut-out cookie on top of each whole cookie.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Rudolph’s Christmas Sugar Cookies
Fun holiday treats for everyone!


1 (16.5-oz.) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
36 pretzel twists
36 semisweet chocolate mini morsels
18 red cinnamon candies

1. Freeze dough 15 minutes.
2. Roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut dough with a 3-inch round cutter, and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using thumb and forefinger, pinch opposite sides of each slice about two-thirds of the way down to shape face.
3. Break curved sides away from center of each pretzel twist to form antlers. Press bottom of 1 set of antlers on each side at top of each reindeer face.
4. Bake at 350° according to package directions or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; press in 2 chocolate mini morsels for eyes and 1 red cinnamon candy for nose. Let cool 1 minute on baking sheets. Remove to wire racks; cool 20 minutes or until completely cool.


Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies:
Omit pretzels, chocolate mini morsels, and cinnamon candies. Freeze dough 15 minutes. Roll dough to a 1/4-inch
thickness on a floured surface, and cut with a 3-inch Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° according to package directions or until lightly browned. Remove from oven, and cool as directed. Frost tops of cookies with ready-to-spread vanilla frosting, and sprinkle with red and green colored sugars and sprinkles.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Sugar Cookies
We think these sugar cookies are so good that we offer some fun variations.


1 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
5 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Colored sugar

Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; add powdered and granulated sugars, beating well. Add eggs, oil, vanilla, and lemon juice, beating until blended.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; gradually add to sugar mixture, beating until blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in colored sugar, and place about 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets.
Bake, in batches, at 350° for 9 to 11 minutes or until set. (Do not brown.) Remove to wire racks to cool.


Chocolate Kiss Cookies: Omit colored sugar. After baking, immediately place one unwrapped milk chocolate kiss in center of each cookie, and cool.


Peanut Butter Cup Cookies: Omit colored sugar. After baking, immediately place an unwrapped miniature peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie, and cool.


Lemon Cookies: Omit vanilla and colored sugar. Increase lemon juice to 1/4 cup, and add 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind to dough. Proceed as directed.


Lemon Thumbprint Cookies: Prepare Lemon Cookies, and press thumb in center of each cookie to make an indentation. Bake and cool as directed. Spoon 1/2 teaspoon raspberry jam in each indentation.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Sugar Cookie Pops
You’ll want to buy several containers of colored sugars and jimmies so you’ll have plenty for coating these cookie balls.


1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Colored sugars, sparkling sugars, and multicolored jimmies
4" white craft sticks


Beat butter and shortening at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy; add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, oil, and vanilla, beating until blended.
Combine flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture, blending well. Cover and chill dough 2 hours or overnight.
Shape dough into 1 1/2" balls. Roll each ball in colored sugar or jimmies in individual bowls, pressing gently, if necessary, to coat balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased baking sheets. Insert craft sticks about 1" into each cookie to resemble a lollipop.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 11 minutes or until set. Let cool 2 minutes on baking sheets; remove cookie pops to wire racks to cool completely.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Tree Cookies


1 18-ounce tube refrigerated ready-to-bake sugar-cookie dough
3 1.08-ounce tubes M&M’s Minis


Heat oven according to the label directions. Cut the dough into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Using green, yellow, and brown M&M’sMinis, design Christmas trees as shown above. Bake until golden as the label directs. Cool on wire racks.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Walnut Shortbread Cookies
These maple-flavored shortbread cookies are a great creation. Granulated maple sugar–which makes a significant difference–is available in well-stocked supermarkets and in natural-food stores. If you can’t find it, substitute 2/3 cup regular granulated sugar and add 1/2 teaspoon maple extract.


1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated maple sugar (see notes)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter or margarine, cut into chunks
1/2 teaspoon almond extract


1. In a food processor, whirl walnuts until finely chopped. Add flour, maple sugar, baking powder, and salt; whirl to mix. Add butter and almond extract; whirl just until dough holds together. (Or whirl nuts in a blender until finely chopped, or finely chop nuts with a knife, and place in a large bowl. Add flour, maple sugar, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine. Add butter and almond extract, and rub with your fingers until fine crumbs form. Pat dough into a ball.)
2. Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls and set 2 inches apart on 14- by 17-inch baking sheets.With the bottom of a glass or your palm, flatten balls to about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Bake in a 325° oven until cookies are golden, 23 to 25 minutes (about 30 minutes in a 300° convection oven); if baking more than 1 sheet at a time, switch pan positions halfway through baking.With a spatula, transfer cookies to a rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store cool cookies airtight up to 3 days; freeze to store longer.

 

[Mama Mangia]

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies


1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips
3/4 cup dried cherries


Place a rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at time, mixing well after each addition; then add melted chocolate.With mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients to chocolate mixture. Stir in white chocolate and cherries.
Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto an ungreased baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake cookies until set, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly; then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

 

[Mama Mangia]

White Chocolate Cookies ‘n’ Cream Fudge
Beloved chocolate sandwich cookies stud a vanilla fudge landscape.


1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 (5-oz.) can evaporated milk
2 (12-oz.) packages white chocolate morsels
1 (7-oz.) jar marshmallow cream
3 cups coarsely crushed cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (about 25 cookies), divided
Pinch of salt


Line a greased 9" square pan with aluminum foil; set aside.
Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; add white chocolate morsels, marshmallow cream, 2 cups crushed cookies, and salt. Stir until morsels melt.
Pour fudge into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cookies over fudge, gently pressing cookies into fudge. Cover and chill until firm (about 1 to 2 hours).
Lift uncut fudge in aluminum foil from pan; remove foil, and cut fudge into squares.

 

[Mama Mangia]

White Chocolate-Oatmeal-Raisin Cookies
Using fiori di sicilia, an Italian citrus and vanilla flavoring, gives these easy drop cookies a subtle taste of orange.


1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon fiori di sicilia or orange extract (see note)
1 cup uncooked regular oats
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup raisins or golden raisins


Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Beat in egg and orange flavoring just until combined.
Add flour mixture and oats; stir until blended. Stir in white chocolate and raisins. Cover and chill dough 1 hour, if desired.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls, 3" apart, onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely.
Note: Order fiori di sicilia from bakerscatalogue.com or call 800-827-6836. It’s very affordable, and a small vial will perfume your kitchen for a long time.

 

[Mama Mangia]

White Chocolate, Strawberry, and Oatmeal Cookies
Amere one-quarter cup of butter yields crispy, light cookies and keeps calories in check. Dried strawberries lend fiber, color, and subtle sweetness. You can find themin larger supermarkets, or substitute raisins or dried cranberries. Because the dough is heavy, we used a sturdy standmixer. You can use a handmixer to cream the butter and sugar, then stir in the remaining ingredients by hand.


3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
1 cup regular oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried strawberries
1/3 cup premium white chocolate chips (such as Ghirardelli)
Cooking spray


Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended.
Add strawberries and chips; beat at low speed just until blended.
Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool on pan 1 minute. Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire racks.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Wreath Cookies
With only a few ingredients, you can transform shredded wheat cereal into these whimsical holiday wreaths. Let the kids help shape and decorate them.


1 (12-oz.) package vanilla candy coating, broken up
Green paste food coloring
2 1/2 cups coarsely crushed mini shredded whole wheat cereal biscuits (we tested with vanilla creme-flavored Frosted Mini Wheats)
Mini candy-coated chocolate pieces, red cinnamon candies, swirled holiday white morsels


Microwave vanilla candy coating in a medium bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 minutes, stirring after every minute. Stir in desired amount of food coloring. Add cereal, stirring gently to coat. Drop cereal mixture by heaping tablespoonfuls onto wax paper; shape each spoonful into a wreath. Decorate with assorted candies. Let cookies stand about 30 minutes until firm.

 

[Mama Mangia]

Zucchini Cookies
You can’t taste the zucchini in these cookies, but it adds vitamins, fiber, and a nice moist texture.


1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut


Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in zucchini. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Add to zucchini mixture. Stir in nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, and coconut. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto buttered cookie sheets. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes, and transfer to a rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough.