Cookie Madness

Last week my aunt called me up and asked if I could make her 13 dozen cookies for her upcoming cookie exchange and as some gifts for her clients. Of course, I said absolutely! Did it matter that I had work everyday including a back-to-back shift (meaning I got off work at 11:30pm and had to be back at work at 5:30am!) and that I was in a different town and was without my kitchen-aid? Nahhh.


About five minutes after talking to my aunt, my grandmother calls for an additional 2 dozen. Sure!

So the mission was: 15 dozen cookies - baked and gift wrapped in two days while working and driving to OC to drop them off each day. Good luck to me right?


I completed the mission and it was really fun. I had to go old school on this and mix things up with a wooden spoon and bowl because that is all that I had! Look at me..being resourceful. 


My hand hurt like a beast by the end but the trick to getting things like this finished on time is to not sleep and then throw a temper tantrum sitting on the kitchen floor at 2:00 am over snicker-doodles thinking about how you have to leave for work in 2.5 hours and cry like a five year old. Oh gosh, was it a long night.

Here is how they turned out and some recipes for you if you are around the house baking for Christmas today! 


Everything turned out great, somewhat on-time and pretty and despite the 2 am tantrum it was really a good time baking them and hopefully the people who ate them enjoyed it.

Thumbprints

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg, separated

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup AP flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup toasted almonds, chopped

1/2 cup jam or preserves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix and beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy

Add egg yolk and vanilla extract to combine

In separate bowl, combine flour and salt

Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix to combine

In small bowl, whisk egg white until frothy and lay out almond on a plate

Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and roll into egg whites and then nuts

Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper

Press down into the middle to make a well

Scoop jam into the middle well of the cookie

Bake for 14 minutes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup instant vanilla pudding
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat butter, peanut butter and sugars together until smooth

Beat eggs one at a time, then add corn syrup, vanilla and water

In another bowl combine your dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda)

Add the dry ingredients to your wet ingredients

Fold in chocolate chips

Bake for 12-14 minutes

Chocolate Fudge White Chocolate Chip

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup AP flour

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 cup instant chocolate fudge pudding

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1.5 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy

Add egg and vanilla extract

Combine all dry ingredients and add to butter mixture

Fold in chocolate chips

Bake 8-10 minutes

Pumpkin Maple Cookies

2.5 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, soft

1.5 cups white sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Combine flour, baking soda, powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in bowl

In another bowl cream together sugar and butter

Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and beat until smooth

Mix in dry ingredients

Bake 15-20 minutes

For frosting cream together cream cheese and butter then add sugar and syrup

Let cookies cool completely then frost