National Cookie Day!! Extra!!

December 4, 2012 is

National Cookie Day

It’s National Cookie Day! Did you know that the English word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekje," which means little cake? Dutch bakers used to test oven temperatures on small amounts of batter so that they would not waste the entire cake mix if the temperature wasn't right. It was not long before they discovered that these tiny pieces of cooked batter were actually quite tasty!
Cookies come in all different flavors, shapes, and sizes. To celebrate National Cookie Day, bake a few batches of your favorite variety and invite your friends over for a cookie swap!

Here are some past cookies we have featured on Sew Whats Cooking With Joan! This is an extra post! If you are looking for yesterdays post, just scroll down to the next post "Braised Short Ribs"!

Emma our Grandchild!

Cornwall Gingerbread Cookies

(full tutorial and ingredient locations on November 25 blog)

3/4 c. butter

1 c. sugar

1/4 c. Lyle's Golden syrup (sources listed below)

1 egg

2 c. flour (+1/2cup, if you are rolling out and cutting shapes)

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp. lemon extract

1/4 c. chopped crystallized ginger (grind in a small food processor if you have one)

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add Lyle's syrup, then beat in egg.

Combine flour with soda, salt and spices. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture. Fold in crystallized ginger.

Form into balls, roll in sugar, and place on a silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheet. and press with a sugar coated glass bottom. For rolled cookies, refrigerate for 20 minutes, then roll out and cut into desired shapes.

Bake for 10-12 minutes.  

 1 c. plus 2 T. flour

1 3/4 confectioners sugar, extra for dusting

2 T. finely grated lemon zest

1/4 tsp. of salt

1/2 c. chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp. baking powder

3 large eggs

1/3 c. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F and position rack in center of the over. Butter a 8" square pan.

Whisk together 1 cup of the flour, 1/4 cup of the confectioners sugar, the zest, and salt in a medium bow. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or a fork, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Knead the dough in the bowl until it begins to come together.

Press the dough into the baking pan, and bake for 25 minutes, or until light brown. Let it cool, while making the filling.

Mix together the remaining 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour, and the baking powder in a small bowl.

Beat the eggs with an electric mixer on high speed in a medium bowl, for about 2 minutes, until about triple in volume. Reduce the speed to low, add the sugar mixture, and beat just until blended, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the lemon juice and beat again, until blended.

Pour the lemon mixture over the warm crust and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the filling is just set in the center. Let cool.

After cool, and just before serving, lightly sift confectioners sugar over the lemon squares and cut into 2" squares.

Tink's Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

4 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

2 c. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 c. packed golden brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

2 (3.4 ounce) pkg. instant vanilla pudding 

4 eggs

2 T. vanilla extract

4 c. semisweet chocolate chips 2 Pkg. ( I provided her Ghirardelli 60% cocoa chips, healthier ....hahaha)

 Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder, set aside.

 In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture.  Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. 

Scoop cookie dough with a ice cream scoop and drop onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake for 10 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown. 

Peanut Butter and Bacon Cookies

adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook

makes 15 cookies about the size of your palm

1 cup all-natural chunky or smooth peanut butter

1 cup sugar (1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup granulated sugar)

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

about 6 slices of bacon, cooked, cooled and diced

 Fry up bacon until cooked through and let cool on paper towels until cool enough to dice.

Dice up and set aside.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a baking sheet with butter or use a Silpat and set aside. In a mixer combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined, about 2 minutes. Add egg and baking soda and mix for another 2 minutes.  Fold in cooked bacon.   Roll into golf ball sized balls and create a cris-cross pattern with a fork. You may want to roll the dough balls in granulated sugar before making the cris-cross
pattern.

 Bake for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on a baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to… your mouth.

So how do these cookies taste?  Amazingly good!  The cookie itself is a more delicate, crumbly peanut butter cookie due to the absence of butter and flour. Yes!  Gluten free!  The peanut butter taste is front and center.  The bacon blends well with the sweetness of the cookie, adding an alluring salty, smoky, chewy bite.  Perfect!  Flourless,  butterless, only five ingredients, and one of those ingredients is bacon.  The world just got a step closer to perfect!

                                                  ~~~

 Our Granddaughter wearing her Christmas Outfit to match her cousin Emma above, walking her first few steps!

Hope I have given you some ideas for your cookie exchange....

Happy Cookie Day!! 

Cheers!

JJ