2 Successful baking days!! Some recipes included below!

I love baking, but I TRULY LOVE baking with friends even MORE!!  I was lucky to have 2 FABULOUS days of baking with Cynthia and Leanne this year.

On day 1, we did Andes Mint cookies, Snickerdoodles, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Thumbprint Jam cookies, and Stain glass cookies.

The Andes Mint cookies are one of my favorite cookies to make.  It is a chocolate cookie and when you take the cookies out of the oven, you immediately place an Andes Mint on top.  You wait for the mint to turn glossy and then use it to "frost" your cookie.  It then becomes a frosting for the cookie. So YUMMY!!

Andes Mint Cookies
3/4 cups butter
1-1/2 cups brown sugar
2 Tbsp water
12 oz. chocolate chips
2 eggs
2-1/2 cups flour
1-3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
84 mints
Heat butter, sugar and water in a large saucepan over low, heat until butter is melted.  Add chocolate chips and stir until chips are partially melted.  Remove from heat and continue stirring until completely melted.  Let stand 10 minutes to cool slightly.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Reduce speed of mixer to low and add flour, baking soda and salt, beating just until blended.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.  By heaping teaspoonfuls form dough into balls.  Bake 9-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately place mint on cookie.  Swirl mint while warm to frost cookie.  Makes 6 dozen.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

48 Kisses

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoon milk

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Additional sugar (optional)

1. Heat oven to 375.  Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended.  Add 1/3 sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy.  Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.  Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  Roll in sugar; place onto ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges.  Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Makes about 48 cookies.

Snickerdoodles

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs

2-3/4 cups flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

4 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cream sugar and butter.  Add eggs.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon in a separate dish.  Drop and coat spoonfuls of dough into cinnamon and sugar mixture.  Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 72 cookies.

On day 2, we made what we called "Pinkerdoodles."  They were snickerdoodles, but we just didn't roll them in cinnamon and sugar and used the Peppermint Andes mints.

We also made Peanut Butter Cup cookies, Toffee-Chocolate Chip Shortbread, and Ginger Cookies.

Here are the Pinkerdoodles:

We used the peppermint Andes instead of the regular Andes

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1-3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softeed

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbsp milk

40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375.  In a small bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.  In a large bowl cream together butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy.  Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk.  Slowly add the flour mixture; mix well ( at this point you can store the dough in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the cookies).  Shape the dough into approximately 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.  Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball.  Cool and carefully remove from pan; the chocolate will be runny for several hours.

Toffee-Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Makes approximately 30 bars (note: Rice flour gives the shortbread a tender, crumbly texture, but cornstarch can be substituted if necessary)

2-1/3 cups all purpose flour

2/3 cups rice flour

1/2 tsp salt

1-1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

6 Tbsp super fine sugar (see note)

6 Tbsp packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup mini chocolate chips or butterscotch chips

3/4 cup toffee bits, such as Heath or Skor

Preheat the oven to 325.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 X 13 inch metal baking pan.  (If using a glass baking dish, lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees.) Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a 1 inch overhang on each to allow for easy removal.

Sift the all-purpose flour, rice flour, and salt together and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or with a paddle attachment (or with an electric had mixer), beat butter on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.  Add both sugars and cream them with the butter until the mixture is very light and fluffy (almost like whipped cream), approximately 2-3 more minutes.

Using a wooden spoon, fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture, about 1/2 cup at a time, until completely incorporated.  Add the chocolate chips and toffee bits and stir until they are evenly distributed.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan, pressing firmly to distribute it evenly.  (Work quickly so the warmth of your hands doesn't melt the butter.) Use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface.  Prick the dough all over with a fork.

Bake the shortbread for 45 minutes.  Remove from the oven and prick again to release any trapped air.  Bake for an additional 10 to 20 minutes according to texture preference-less time will yield a more tender, crumbly cookie; longer and it will be more firm.

Allow the pan to cool on a wire rack for 7 to 8 minutes.  Using a sharp knife, slice the shortbread lengthwise into three even sections, wiping the knife clean after each cut.  Rotate the pan 180 degrees and continue cutting the shortbread crosswise into 3/4 to 1-inch wide rectangles.  Allow the cookies to cool completely in the pan.

Carefully remove the shortbread to a cutting board.   Re-slice the pieces the pieces to separate.  Store shortbread in an airtight container in a dark place. 

Note:  Regular granulated sugar can be processed in a food processor or high powered blender until a superfine texture is reached.

ENJOY!!

 
Thank you for checking in! 
Sharon Lim
Stampin' Up! Independent Demonstrator #54149
Rubber Stamps and Accessories including Scrapbooking 

email: sharonitwithyou@gmail.com
cell: (707)486-3500