Savoury Shortbread

Ingredients:
* 1 cup of butter (unsalted or salted), at room temperature
* ½ cup granulated sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
* ½ tsp salt
* 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp of dried rosemary
* 1 tsp dried chili flakes


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Place room temperature butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with a wooden spoon or hand mixer until creamy. Slowly beat in sugar and vanilla into butter. Stir until mixed well.
2. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add chopped rosemary and dried chili flakes and mix well. For less spice, use ½ tsp of chili flakes. Beat flour mixture into butter, kneading into a dough. With lightly floured hands, split the mixture into two evenly-sized balls. Dough can be kept frozen for up to a month when properly stored in the freezer.
3. Butter a 9” pie plate. If using both balls of dough, butter a second pie plate or repeat this step after the first batch is cooled. Press the dough evenly into the pie plate, spreading evenly along the edges of the plate. Sprinkle the dough with fresh rosemary so there is garnish on each slice. Gently prick the surface of the dough with a fork.
4. Place in the oven for 45 minutes or until the top of the shortbread is golden. Slice the dough into 8 equal triangle pieces while the dough is still warm. Allow to cool fully before serving.

For smaller serving sizes, use both balls of dough in a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and slice into squares while the dough is warm. Makes 24 cookies.

Julie's Thoughts:
I recommend using a 9 x 13 pan so you can cut little square cookies.

Lime Sugar Cookies

Ingredients
* 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest, plus 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (2-4 limes)
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Directions
1. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
2. Put granulated sugar and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed 1 minute. Add butter, and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in vanilla and lime juice. Reduce speed to low, and gradually mix in flour mixture.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, halve the dough. Flatten each half into a 10-inch disk, and wrap each in plastic. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Working with 1 half at a time, roll out dough on parchment paper to 1/8 inch thick. Cut shapes from dough with cookie cutter. Space 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Cut a hole in center of each with a 1-inch round cutter. Repeat with remaining disk. Wrap scraps in plastic. Freeze 15-30 minutes; reroll, and cut.
5. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until set, 12 to 13 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Before serving, sift confectioners' sugar over cookies.

Source: Martha Stewart's Cookies

Chewy Molasses Crinkles

Ingredients:
* 1/2 C unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1C packed light brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 C granulated sugar, plus 1/4C for rolling
* 1/2 C unsulfured molasses
* 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
* 2 C All purpose flour
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
* 1 tsp. ground ginger
* 1 tsp. allspice
* 1/2 tsp. coarse salt

Instructions:
1. Put butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 c granulated sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, followed by the molasses and oil.

2. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt. Cover dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 325 F. Put remaining 1/4 c granulated sugar in a bowl. Using a 1 3/4 inch ice cream scoop, form balls of dough. Roll balls in sugar to coat, and space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are flat and centers are set, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

Source: Martha Stewart's Cookies

Julie's Thoughts:
1) Don't overmix the batter! If you do, and cookies will go flat.
2) Space the cookies atleast 3 inches apart. I didn't and ended up with one giant cookie on my first patch.
3) I dusted them with icing sugar after they cooled for a festive cook.

Almond-Orange Shortbread

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups chopped almonds
* 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
* 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest
* 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
* 2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Process nuts in a food processor until finely chopped, about 20 seconds (do not overprocess). Transfer nuts to a large bowl; add flour, granulated sugar, butter, zest, and salt. Mix with hands until dough just comes together and forms a ball.
2. Halve dough; shape each into a disk. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With lightly floured hands, shape 1 disk into a 7-inch round, and score to mark 12 equal wedges (do not cut through). Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sanding sugar. Repeat with remaining disk and sanding sugar.
3. Bake, rotating halfway through, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. While shortbread is warm, cut wedges to separate completely. Let wedges cool slightly on sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Source: Martha Stewart's Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

  Makes about 6 dozen

FOR THE COOKIES

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 ounces)
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

FOR THE ICING

• 4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon evaporated milk,
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cookies:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside.

Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix until combined.

Transfer 1 1/2 cups batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops spring back, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

Brown Butter Icing:

Put confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter to confectioners' sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan. Add evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cookie. If icing stiffens, stir in more evaporated milk, a little at a time. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

 Source: Martha Stewart 's Cookies

Rachel's Thoughts: These cookies are amazingly soft and puffy (almost like cake in cookie shape).  Make sure cookies are completely cool before icing, and serve immediately after icing.  Potentially my all time favorite cookie!

 

Ginger Molasses Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon*

1 tsp. ground ginger*

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 extra-large egg

1/4 cup regular unsulphured molasses (blackstrap is too strong for this cookie*

Granulated sugar (for coating cookie dough before baking)

Non-stick vegetable spray (optional, for coating the scoop)

Heat oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the center. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, silicone pan liners or aluminum foil (if using foil, grease foil with 1 Tbsp. butter or solid vegetable shortening). Set aside.

Sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger into a medium bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl with mixer on high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. With mixer on medium speed, beat in the egg and molasses, then increase the speed to high and beat about 1 minute longer, until the mixture no longer looks curdled. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula several times while mixing.

Mix in the flour mixture on low speed. The batter will be rather stiff. Place some granulated sugar on a small plate or saucer. Use a 1/4-cup ice cream scoop or a measuring cup to form 1/4-cup portions of dough. (Spray the cup or scoop with the optional non-stick vegetable spray to make it easier to release the dough.) Transfer the dough to your hands and roll each portion into a rough ball, then roll each ball into the sugar. Place six sugared balls on each baking sheet, spacing them evenly, because they will spread during baking.

Dampen your fingers with water and press down lightly on each cookie to flatten it a little and dampen the top. Refrigerate one filled baking sheet while the other bakes.

Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies have spread and are firm to the touch. Rotate the sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking time. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet.

Makes 1 dozen large cookies.

*Jenalle's ideas: Double the cinnamon and ginger, and make sure you don't use too strong of molasses