Anyone that knows me knows that I love peanut butter. Peanut butter candy, peanut butter sweets, and just plain peanut butter and jelly. It's just such a distinctly wonderful flavor. Let me tell you, these cookies will sure fill your peanut butter needs. They're full of peanut butter flavor, dense, soft and chewy. The only downside is you're going to need a big glass of milk to wash them down with because they're that rich. They're so good, but you most likely won't be able to eat more than three at a time. But don't mind me, try it if you dare!
Over the last couple of years, I've picked up a new hobby. Sugar cookie decorating! However, being the perfectionist I am, I can tell you the learning curve initially was very steep and aggravating for me. I know many of you are in the same shoes. You see these cool pictures on Instagram and Pinterest of different decorated cookies and you want to join in on the fun. However, it's not that simple. There is a lot to learn. My intention here is to create an all-in-one comprehensive beginner's guide to sugar cookie decorating.
Tools
It only makes sense that we start with the tools required to get started on this journey. Below is a list of recommended tools. Do your research. Some are essential, while others you can do without, to begin with.
Beginner's tools (things to get you started): Baking sheet or cookie sheet, microplane, cookie cutters, offset spatula, pastry bags, squeeze bottles, pastry tips, scissors, parchment paper, silicone mat, rolling pin, scriber or toothpick or turkey lacer, food coloring, wire racks, paint brushes, rubber spatula, plastic spray bottle, mini drywall scraper, x-acto knife, rubber bands or Wilton ties, plastic wrap.
Advanced tools (things to get you to the next level): Pico or Kopykake projector with stand, airbrush kit, food-safe colored markers, tipless pastry bags, heat sealer, poly bags, cookie stamps, fondant, stencils.
**Trends and tools change every day in this industry. I'll add to this list as things change.**
Sugar Cookies
Perhaps the most important component is the cookie. A good sugar cookie is a bit sweet, buttery, a bit tangy (in my opinion), soft and chewy. That's where my go-to sugar cookie recipe comes in. It's a wonderfully versatile recipe that can be used as mini tart shells, pie dough or of course, sugar cookie dough. It hits all the flavor marks and they don't spread as they bake!
You can find the sugar cookie recipe here.
After letting the dough rest, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Use a dough scraper to cut the dough ball in half. Lightly flour the top and begin to work the dough into a ball. It is normal that it will be pretty crumbly, to begin with. Keep working it and it will become slightly darker in color and smoother in texture.
Work in as much as the crumbs as you can until you have a uniform ball. It's fine to push some of the crumbs to the side and work them into a second ball. As you get a uniform ball, begin to flatten out with hand until it's a circular shape. Lightly flour the top. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Roll and turn, roll and turn. I like doing this with a fondant roller, but you can use a regular rolling pin as well. I use a fondant roller because I don't form huge circles. I cut the dough in half and then make two circles out of that one half. Roll with what you please. It's really not a big deal, just giving you an idea of why I use the tools I do. I roll out the dough until it's about ½" thickness. I want a good cookie to icing ratio.
Dip your cookie cutter into flour. Shake off the excess and place your cutter firmly into the dough and press down.
Keep pressing down the cutters until you have enough from that one sheet of dough. Remove the excess dough surrounding the cutters or lift up the cut-out dough after you press down. Either method is fine.
Use a flat spatula or drywall scraper to move the cut-out shape onto a prepared baking fan. Using a spatula or something flat will allow you to move the cookie without distorting the shape. Continue to place the cut-out cookies onto the baking sheet. I have a regular half-sheet pan lined with a silicone mat that has been sprayed with cooking spray. You can also use parchment instead. Place the cookies a couple of inches apart. These cookies don't spread, however, space around the cookies will allow them to bake better, because of the air circulating around them. Use a non-silicone pastry brush to brush off any excess crumbs or flour off the cookie tops and sides.
Bake at 350°F for 9-12 minutes, depending on the shape. The bottom edges should be very lightly golden brown. Understand that different shapes bake at different times. For example, the smaller flower and heart cookies finished a couple minutes before the other shapes, so I took them off the sheet and moved them to the wire rack sooner. Then, I let the rest finish baking. Just be aware of that. Also, once all the cookies are baked off, you can pop any bubbles that formed on top with a toothpick or scriber tool. Poke underneath the bubble and flatten out with your fingers. Do this a few minutes out of the oven so you don't burn yourself, but the cookies are still warm enough to form.
After allowing the cookies to rest on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes, move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. The picture below shows the color of the bottom of the cookie. Any darker and you'll have a crunchy cookie. I don't know about you, but I'm a soft cookie girl. Any lighter and you won't get as much flavor as possible. This is the ideal color of the bottom of the cookie. I'd even accept just a tad bit lighter.
Our cookies are cooling and we're all set. Now let's focus on the icing.
Royal Icing
Sugar cookies are typically covered with an icing called royal icing. This icing is made with only a few ingredients and it's very easy to make. Royal icing allows you so much decorating flexibility. I have a go-to royal icing recipe as well. The reason why I like my icing is that it not only tastes great, but it doesn't dry super hard, which is something royal icing is known for. Once you bite into the cookie, the icing somewhat melts in your mouth. It's absolutely delicious.
For the full royal icing recipe, go here.
My royal icing uses pasteurized egg whites. I've never had an issue using them. However, there are many that still worry about possible health hazards of raw egg whites. They prefer to use a product called meringue powder, instead. Meringue powder is just dehydrated egg whites, along with some stabilizers and sweeteners. I've attached my meringue powder recipe in my royal icing post if you prefer to go that route. If you want your icing to be even softer but still stackable, you add a bit of corn syrup also. I don't recommend doing this until you've made the royal icing recipe a few times so you're familiar with the original texture of the icing.
Once you make your royal icing, place some into separate bowls and cover them with a single piece of paper towel. Obviously, you want to plan out what colors you're using and how much of it, so you know how much to separate. Use a spray bottle, full of water to spray some water over the top of the paper towel. Cover the bowls with plastic wrap. Set aside.
This can be the messy part, so wear gloves if you prefer. To color your icing, remove the plastic wrap and paper towel, begin by adding in a few drops at a time of food coloring. Remember, you can always add more, but you can't take it out. Once it's done, it's done. So, please be careful. After adding in a couple of drops of food coloring, begin mixing the icing. The more you mix, the more air bubbles you'll get. Be mindful of this. Once you get the color you are happy with, begin spraying water into the icing, bit by bit, mixing until you reach your appropriate consistency. When you're done mixing, tap the bowl against the table a few times lightly. Let it settle for a minute. Pop any air bubbles you see with your toothpick or scriber tool.
Icing Consistencies
The key to decorating is consistency. No, I don't just mean keep doing it. Yeah, practice is important and the more you do something, the better you will be at it. There is no denying that fact. However, I'm talking about icing consistency. Let's dive into that topic for a bit.
There are four basic consistencies of icing-thin, medium, thick and extra thick.
The thin icing is the consistency you'll use most often. This is also known as "flood" consistency. It's called "flood" consistency because it's thin enough to move around wherever it wants to. It settles out quickly. This consistency is ideal for filling in large areas of the cookie, such as a base coat. This consistency typically gives you a bit of leeway because it doesn't dry as quickly as the other consistencies. If you need help visualizing it, it looks like the consistency of Elmer's glue. Very thin, but still workable. [10-second]
Medium consistency is sometimes referred to as "one-consistency" icing. Many use this consistency for both outlining the cooking and filling it. This will work with a cookie that isn't larger than 3". The downside of this icing is that it tends to dry pretty quickly, which is why we have the size limit for the cookie. You also use this icing when you want to add dimension to a cookie. [15-second]
Thick icing is for details and outlining cookies. Think of it as the "piping" consistency. It will stay where you put it, which makes it perfect for details and piping letters or words. [20-second]
Extra thick. Well, it's how the name sounds. Very thick and not commonly used in royal icing applications. However, you can use this consistency to spread on with an offset or to experiment with. It doesn't give you much flexibility in terms of decorating though. [25-second]
Besides the descriptions of the icing, you also determine the consistency by time. There is 10-second, 15-second, 20-second consistency. The ideal for flooding is 10-second consistency. What this means is after you 're done mixing your icing and you've popped the air bubbles, run an offset spatula down the middle of the icing. Does the icing "heal" in 10 seconds? Meaning does that mark down the middle disappear in 10 seconds? 10 seconds corresponds with flooding. 15 seconds corresponds with medium and so on. It goes up to 20-25 seconds at the most. Play around with it and decide what works best for you. Once you nail down the consistency, everything is gravy. Believe me on that.
Storage
I believe this is crucial. When you first get started, you have no idea what to do regarding storage. I've learned this the hard way. I've worked hours on cookies and then they get ruined in minutes due to terrible storage techniques. The key with storage is you want to keep the cookies covered because you want them to stay moist and you don't want them to dry out. However, we need the top to dry to the touch. So, here's our dilemma.
You have a few options. One route is to buy a dehydrator. This is more advanced and pricy, but it does do the job. There are two types of dehydrators. There is one that blows the air back to front and one that blows up and down. Typically, the front and back one is pricier. Both do the job, but do your research and decide on one if you want to choose this option. The option I'd recommend when first starting out is using catering aluminum pans. The pans are deep enough so you can cover the cookies, without the tops touching the plastic wrap or foil you're using to cover it. However, the downside to this option is that you can't stack the cookies while they're wet, so it's not practical for a large order. You can also use a baking sheet that is deep enough to have the plastic wrap not touch the wet icing. There are a few options, but you just have to see what works for you.
FAQS
What causes color bleeding?
Color bleeding is a no-no. It messes up you're cookie design completely. Google it if you don't believe me. There are many causes. It can be anything from humidity to placing darks on whites too soon to thin icing. The best way to prevent color bleeding is to allow the first color to completely dry before adding the next color. For example, I flood a cookie with white icing. I will allow that to dry completely for a few hours, then I'll add my black design. If I have another dark color such as red or purple, I have to let that black design dry completely too, before applying them. You see. It's like we're doing layers. This will prevent color bleeding as much as possible.
What if my icing is too thin?
If you overdid it with the water and thinned out your icing too much, all you have to do is add in some sifted confectioners sugar to thicken it back up. Add a spoonful at a time and mix until your preferred consistency is reached.
What if my icing is too thick?
Continue spraying water into the icing bit by bit until the preferred consistency is reached.
How do I store my icing?
Place a paper towel over the top of the icing and spray with a bit of water. Cover the icing with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for up to two weeks or freeze for up to a month. When you want to use, allow to get back to room temperature and mix for a bit until proper consistency is reached.
How do I store unused cookie dough?
Store the unused dough in the fridge for up to two weeks or the freezer for a couple of months. Make sure it's really well wrapped so the moisture and flavor are retained.
What do you recommend using for flooding the cookie?
This is a personal preference. I have used squeeze bottles and hated them. Some swear by them, though. I have used regular pastry bags or ziplock bags to get me by. You can use pastry bags with a hole cut or a 3 tip. Some even use paint brushes and just blob the icing on. I've never done that, but I've seen it done. Personally, I now use tipless pastry bags. They seem to work best for me and I can get them pretty cheap here. Try everything, a see what works best for you.
What food coloring do you use?
Always a gel-based food coloring. They work best and you use less to get the color you want. I typically use AmeriColor. However, in a bind, I've used Wilton gel food coloring and it's ended up fine.
What if my cookie has an ugly edge with stragglers?
I use a microplane or lemon zester to sand my cookie edges sometimes. Don't overdo it and be gentle, but it can help with situations like that.
What if I want to copy an image onto my cookie?
First, wait until your cookie icing is completely dry. Then, you can print out your image, cut out the pieces with an x-acto knife and trace the image on with an edible marker. As you advance, you can purchase a projector and use that to do the job. Typically, food markers come in handy with this.
What's that needle thing people use to move the icing?
This is not optional. You need something to move the icing around when it's in "flood" consistency. This can be a toothpick, turkey lacer or cookie scriber tool also known as a cookie pick. It's up to you what ultimately choose, but all work well.
I will end by saying this. Cookie decorating will be very frustrating at first, but just remember, you're decorating cookies. It's all in good fun. The first step is to just do it. Don't be scared. Worst comes to worst, you get to enjoy a cookie!
Remember, you will get better each time you do it. Trust me. Read, watch and practice and you'll get to where you want to get to with this. Good luck on your cookie decorating journey and let me know if you have any questions!
Buttery, soft, chewy, pockets of chocolate, sweet and warm. Chocolate chips cookies are just perfection. This wonderful byproduct of an accident by Chefs Ruth Graves and Sue Brides in 1938 has been a true blessing to us all. It gives us joy. It gives us comfort. When you scarf down many in one session, as I do, it gives you some extra lbs on the scale. But, who cares about that? It tastes too good to care about the repercussions.
There are many ways to make chocolate chip cookies. None are wrong per-say, but I certainly prefer my cookies a certain way. I like my cookies soft and chewy. They don't have to be that way all the way around, but the majority and the middle of the cookie should definitely be easy to eat. If the outside is a tiny bit crispy, I won't complain. I love chocolate. The cookies should be studded with chocolate. I'm talking chocolate chips and pockets of chocolate. I'm talking melted chocolate oozes out when you break one in half. That's how I like it. There are some recipes that use molasses. That's perfectly fine and that ingredient does produce a soft cookie, but molasses is expensive! What I love about my recipe is it hits all MY bullet-points. It produces soft and chewy, chocolatey cookies. The flavor is on point and is what a chocolate chip cookie should be. It's tremendously easy to make, as well. However, if I'm being honest, most cookies are very easy to make, but I'll talk about that some other time. Lastly, no molasses is necessary. So you can spend your well-earned money on the more important ingredient...chocolate. My cookies turn out great every time with this recipe. I'm sure it'll become you're go-to, once you give it a try.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, begin creaming the softened, unsalted butter and both the granulated and brown sugar for about five minutes until creamy and lighter in color.
Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl really well. Add in one egg and mix on medium-low speed until combined. When you see the first egg well-absorbed, add in the next egg and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low speed for a couple of minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl well again.
With the mixer still off, sift together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add in the dry ingredients into the dough all at once. Pulse a few times on the lowest speed until a lot of the flour is absorbed. A lot of flour will still show though.
Take the bowl off of the machine and add all the chocolate chips and chunks in. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour and chocolate. I use a stabbing motion to mix it in. This allows me to not overmix.
Cover the bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. You can also freeze it for a few hours, then thaw it out before baking. The cooling of the dough for 24 hours, at least, is vital. It helps with the flavor. It helps with how the cookies spread. It helps with rolling the dough. It even helps with the coloring. So, in general, cool the dough before baking!
Prepare the cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spray with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Use an ice cream scoop to portion out the cookies. Place the dough into your palms and form balls. Place the balls on the prepared pan and use your fingers to press down slightly.
Place the cookies a few inches apart. The cookies tend to spread quite a bit so please take note of that.
Bake at 350°F and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Take the pan out of the oven and leave the cookies on the pan for a few minutes to continue baking. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly. Enjoy warm. Please note: the cookies below were only the freezer for about 20-30 minutes due to the constraints in shooting the video. The ones in the photos that follow were in the fridge overnight. You can see the color difference and the difference in spreading. So once again, be sure to refrigerate overnight!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 ½ ounces) cake flour
- 1 ⅔ cups (8 ½ ounces) bread flour
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons coarse salt
- 1 ¼ pounds bittersweet, semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips and chunks (Use a good brand)
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside.
Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until lighter in color and fluffier in texture, about 5 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape the bowl really well.
Stir in the vanilla and mix on medium-high speed for a minute or two. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl.
Turn the mixer off. Add the dry ingredients all at once. Pulse until just combined, about 10-15 seconds.
Add in the chocolate all at once. Unhook the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to combine everything. Use a "stabbing motion" to incorporate the flour into the dough. Don't overmix. Just combine until enough. A bit of flour can still remain visible.
Cover the chocolate chip cookie dough with plastic wrap, making sure to press the wrap against the dough, refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
Remove the dough from the fridge and let the dough thaw until you can handle it, but it's not at room temp.
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Prepare your cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Spray with cooking spray well.
Use a cookie scoop (ice cream scoop) to scoop out mounds of dough. Form the dough between the palms of your hands. Place the balls on the sheet and press the tops down lightly with your fingers. Give enough space between each dough ball, as the cookies will spread a bit. Sprinkle very lightly with sea salt on top of the cookies.
Bake for 10-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges. Rotate the pan halfway between at about the 6-7 minute mark. Remove the pan from the oven and leave the cookies on the sheet for about five more minutes to continue the baking. After the five minutes, use a spatula to move to a wire rack to cool until warm.
Enjoy warm!
Notes
You can refrigerate the remaining dough for about a week or freeze the dough. It'll last for a couple months in the freezer. Wrap really well. I use Ghirardelli chocolate. It's great tasting and pretty reasonable. Use a good brand of chocolate, because you'll taste cheap chocolate.
Where does my love of chocolate trace back to? Maybe it was all those years of devouring many pounds of chocolate in the form of Halloween candy. Maybe it was my early indoctrination of watching the "Cooking with Randy and Mandy" segment on All That. Who knows? One can't really trace back the roots of my love for chocolate. But, make no mistake about it. My obsession for the stuff only continues to grow. So, when I need my chocolate fix, this is one of my go-to recipes. It's easy, quick and very chocolatey, which hits all the important marks on my checklist. Because the sooner I make it, obviously, the sooner I can enjoy it. If you're obsessed with chocolate like me, then trust me, you'll want to put this recipe in your repertoire.
Combine the room temperature unsalted butter into the bowl of your stand mixer with the brown and white sugar.
Mix with the paddle attachment for about five minutes until light and fluffy.
Add in the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
Sift together the dry ingredients and dump into the bowl.
Add in the chocolate chips. Remove the bowl from the stand and begin folding in the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula. Mix until just combined. Don't overmix!
Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate or freeze for 24 hours or you can freeze for two hours and refrigerate for an hour with the dough balls formed on the sheet tray to shorten the wait.
Once the dough is properly refrigerated or frozen, let it thaw and come back to room temperature. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Use a mini or large ice cream scoop to scoop out dough balls. I used a mini scoop and scooped out three dough balls to form one portion. Scoop out and roll the dough between your palms to form one dough ball portion. Set onto a pre-greased cookie sheet. Place about 1" apart. The cookies will spread a bit. I only baked off six, but it will yield you a few more. I just froze the rest.
Flatten with your palm slightly. Bake off at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Leave the cookies on the sheet for a minute or two.
After a couple of minutes out of the oven, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and move to a wire rack.
Cool slightly. These cookies are phenomenal when eaten warm with some milk. The chocolate is melted and the cookies are super soft. But, they can be eaten at room temp as well.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 1 cup (145 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (75 grams) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 10 tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 grams) light or dark brown sugar
- ⅔ cup (133 grams) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon light instant coffee granules
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups (305 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate discs or chocolate chips
Instructions
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until very light, about 5 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.
Take the bowl off the stand mixer and add the dry ingredients.
Fold in the dry ingredients and the chocolate discs or chips and until just combined. Don't overmix!
Press plastic wrap against the dough and chill it for at least 24 hours and up to 36.
As a shortcut, you can also freeze for two hours or refrigerate portioned out for an hour.
Out of the fridge or freezer, let it thaw and come to room temperature.
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and optionally, line with parchment or a silicone mat. Portion the dough out into balls slightly larger than golf balls, about 3 ½ ounces each, and transfer six balls to the baking sheet. (They will spread significantly.) Flatten slightly with the palm of your hands.
Bake the cookies until set, being careful to remove cookies from the oven when still soft in the center, about 10 minutes. Leave the cookies to continue baking out of the oven on the sheet for about one or two minutes.
After a couple of minutes, move the cookies to a wire rack to cool slightly.
Serve warm!
Notes
You can use semisweet or bittersweet chips or discs. Best served warm but still very good at room temp. You can freeze for a couple hours and refrigerate for an hour to shorten the chilling time required or if you're patient, you can refrigerate or freeze for 24 hours or up to 36 hours.
Everyone needs this recipe in their repertoire. Here's why. It's delicious...well, duh. That's kind of important. Second, it's versatile. I mean it. This dough is very versatile. I've used it for mini tarts, sugar cookies, pies, etc. This stuff is multi-faceted like crazy. Third, it's easy to make. I know I say this about most of my recipes, but trust me, I'm not BSing you. This dough is really easy to make. I usually whip it up in under ten minutes when the ingredients are at room temperature, which should be a given. There is absolutely no reason to not try this. You will love it. You will be using it a lot and you will be eating the raw dough like nobody's business. That's just how it goes. So better to try it now so you can impress your neighbors with your cool Halloween and Christmas cookies when the time comes.
Place the room temperature butter into the bowl of your stand mixer or into a large bowl. Use some decent quality butter, please.
Mix on medium-low speed until light and fluffy for about five to seven minutes.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Pour in the granulated sugar in a steady stream and mix on medium speed until sugar dissolves and the mixture is fluffy. Should take about four to five minutes.
On medium speed, add in one egg at a time, allowing the egg to absorb before adding the second one. Stop the mixer and scrape.
Add in the zest, vanilla and lemon juice and mix for a minute until combined.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl and pour into the dough all at once.
Begin to pulse the dough a few times with the stand mixture until big clumps of dough forms and some of the flour is absorbed. Stop at this point and remove the bowl from the stand mixer.
Use a rubber spatula to mix in the dry ingredients into the dough. This will take time. I use a stabbing motion to mix in the flour. Don't overmix. Some flour will be visible, but the dough will look smoother in texture and slightly darker in color.
Move into a plastic container or form into a round shape and cover in saran wrap. I typically chill in the freezer overnight, which is ideal. You can also chill in the fridge or freezer for a few hours. This allows the dough to relax and absorb the rest of the flour.
When you are ready to use the dough, let it thaw for at least a half hour from the freezer or fridge. It should be somewhat pliable, but still cold. If the dough isn't cold, your shapes won't cut out as nice and the cookies will spread once in the oven. So, it's important that the dough is cold but workable. It will be crumbly, to begin with. Work it and it will become easier to work with, smoother and slightly darker in color.
You can wrap up the unused dough and freeze for later use. Here are some examples of decorated sugar cookies I made with this delicious dough.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- zest and juice from one large lemon or two medium lemons
Instructions
In the bowl of your Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment or with a bowl and hand mixer, cream the room temperature slightly softened butter at medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about five minutes.
Pour in the sugar and mix for about four to five minutes. Scrape.
Add in the sour cream all at once and mix.
Add in one egg at a time on medium-low speed. Let the egg absorb before adding the next egg. Stop the mixer and scrape.
Add in the lemon zest, juice and vanilla extract. Mix for about a minute on medium speed until combined.
Next sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add it all at once to the creamed mixture. Pulse until big clumps of dough form. Take the bowl off the mixer at this point.
Use your rubber spatula and "stab" in the dry ingredients. It will take a few minutes, so take your time. Don't overmix! Flour will still be visible.
Wrap in plastic container or form into a round and cover with saran wrap.
Chill for at least a couple hours or overnight before using.
Knead in portions until it comes together. It will be crumbly at first. That's normal. Keep working it.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a ½" thickness and cut shapes as desired and bake at 350°F for about 9-11 minutes or until the bottom edge is very lightly golden brown. Note: smaller shapes will bake faster, so if you're baking a variety of shapes, make sure to take the small shapes out of the oven first.
Once the cookies are baked off, leave them on the baking sheet for a couple of minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store them in a plastic container covered for about a week.
Notes
You can store the dough in the refrigerator for up to one week and freeze wrapped well for up to three months.
The All-American S'more is something you really can't dislike. I'm not sure who had the first thought to combine such different items like marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate. But, I tip my cap to that genius. And now, we can't imagine our lives without the heavenly combination. It all just works. Now you take that flavor combination and roll it into a cookie and now you're speaking my language.
These cookies are something I first made at work. About a month ago, we needed to add something to the menu for the coffee shop. We knew we wanted either a cookie or cupcake. So, we tried this s'more cookie out and waited with anticipation to see how the customers would react. Let's just say, they're still on the menu today and a very highly requested item. They're loved by customers and co-workers alike. This cookie just works. The s'more flavor, but also the texture of the cookie. The recipe produces a very soft dough, which produces a light, chewy cookie. It's perfect. There are a few key points. First, ensure the marshmallows are stale. Yes, you read that right. Fluffy and fresh marshmallows will spread far too much. They should be stale, but not completely hard. So, if you buy the marshmallows fresh and they're very squishy and fluffy, leave it in a container, uncovered for a couple of days and that should be perfect. Secondly, don't over mix. That will ruin the fluffiness in the dough. Lastly, chill. Not absolutely necessary, but chilling the dough for even 10-15 minutes will make it easier to work with. Do I really have to include don't over bake? No? Okay, good. I thought so.
To start, you want to combine the butter and sugars. Mix until fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Add in one egg and mix and then the yolk and mix well. Then the vanilla and mix well.
If you're using a stand mixer, dump in the dry ingredients with the marshmallows and chocolate chips. Pulse until just combined. Then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. If you're using a hand mixer, dump the dry ingredients in and mix slightly until crumbly. Add in the marshmallows and chocolate and mix until just combined. Finish mixing with a rubber spatula. Don't overmix.
Cover and chill for at least 15 minutes, but up to overnight.
Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the dough on to a greased baking sheet and round them. Press down slightly and place about 2" apart.
Bake at 350°F for about 10-11 minutes or until the outside edges are lightly browned. Take them out of the oven and leave the cookies on the sheet for another five minutes before moving to a wire rack.
Enjoy!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cornstrach
- 1 teaspooon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
- ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup marshmallows (stale or dehydrated)
Instructions
Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the egg and yolk, one at a time and mix well after each addition.
Beat in the vanilla and mix well.
Sift together the baking soda, cornstarch, salt, flour and graham cracker crumbs.
Add in dry ingredients, chocolate chips and marshmallows and pulse until soft dough forms.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight.
Preheat your oven 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with a silicone liner or parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray.
Scoop out rounded balls with cookie scoop and place on sheet about 2" apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden edges form.
Take out of the oven slightly under cooked and leave the cookies on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Notes
Make sure the marshmallows are stale or dehydrated. You can use milk chocolate, semisweet, bittersweet or any combination.
Like many of you, I am also a peanut butter junkie. While some like it crunchy, I'm team smooth all the way. I love making recipes with peanut butter so that I can get my fix in. Candies with peanut butter? Yes, please! I'm also addicted to America's favorite peanut butter cups. Like, my trash can is usually filled to the brim with those distinct orange wrappers. My name is Fatima and I have a problem. We all know my m.o. when it comes to recipes. They have to be delicious and they have to be easy. I mean, every now and then I like to experiment with the more intricate recipes. For the most part though, I prefer the quick and easy recipes. So combining that philosophy with my love of peanut butter, this recipe hits all the marks. The filling is rich, creamy and perfectly peanut buttery. I absolutely love it. It's quick to put together and you can keep it frozen or refrigerated until you want to eat it. It really doesn't get easier than this.
This recipe is originally intended for two 8 or 9" pies. Well, since I'm typically eating these alone, I decided to make a mega pie instead of two. Same amount of course, but the eye test will fool my mind. Anyways, grease your pan or pans with some cooking spray.
We'll need some softened cream cheese.
Some milk.
Some vanilla.
Some confectioner's sugar.
Some peanut butter. I'm using smooth, but you can use chunky.
Lastly, some whipped cream. For a lighter option, use some whipped topping like Cool Whip.
To make the crust, combine all the ingredients including the butter and mix with your hands until it clumps together. This pie is great with both the cookie crumb crust and the graham cracker crust. Use whichever one you please.
Pour the crust into the pie pan or pans and flatten with the bottom of a measuring cup or pie pan.
Begin mixing the cream cheese until fluffy for about five minutes. Add in the confectioner's sugar slowly and let it absorb before adding more, mix until combined.
Add in the peanut butter and mix until smooth. It will thicken up on you. Make sure to scrape the sides with a rubber spatula when you're done mixing.
Drizzle in the milk slowly and mix until combined.
Mix in the whipped cream or whipped topping until uniform in color and creamy in texture.
Scrape down the sides again. Add in the pinch of salt. Taste to determine if the mixture needs slightly more salt or vanilla.
Pour the filling into the crust and flatten the top with an offset spatula.
Wrap in saran and freeze for a few hours or refrigerate for a few hours, depending on what texture you prefer.
Now, have some fun. Decorate as you please. I chose some rosettes.
I drizzled some chocolate, as well.
I quartered some peanut butter cups and placed them on top, because why not more peanut butter?
That's it! Super easy, looks great and tastes better. Yum!!
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese
- 1 cup milk
- 1 ½ cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 16 oz whipped cream or whipped topping
- pinch of salt
- Crust:
- 12 oz graham cracker or cookie crumbs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (if using graham crackers)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 oz sugar
- 2 oz melted butter, leave some more out if needed.
Instructions
Combine all the crust ingredients and mix together until it clumps in your hands like wet sand.
Prepare your pie pan by greasing it with cooking spray.
Beat your cream cheese for about five minutes until fluffy.
Add in the confectioner's sugar a little bit at a time, until fully absorbed by the mixture. Mix for a couple of minutes.
Scrape the sides, then add in the peanut butter and extracts and mix until uniform in color and thicker.
Drizzle in the milk slowly until fully combined and mix.
Scrape the sides again and add whipped cream or whipped topping and mix until uniform in color and it becomes creamy.
Add the pinch of salt and fold it in. Taste and decide if it needs more salt or vanilla.
Pour the filling onto the pie crust and flatten the top with the offset spatula.
Wrap in saran and freeze or refrigerate for at least three hours.
Notes
You can use graham cracker or cookie crust. You can use smooth or chunky peanut butter. Decorate as you please! For a firmer texture, freeze for a few hours, then leave out for about 20 minutes, before you eat it. If you refrigerate, you'll have a softer texture, so there's no need to let it sit out for more than five minutes before eating. Whipped topping like cool whip can be used for a lighter option.
There are a few things that just remind you of childhood. These cookies are one of them for me. I used to have these cookies all the time. Weather it was getting them from the supermarket or at bake sales, they were also what I looked forward to eating when I got home. Chewy, big and just the right crunch of chocolaty goodness from the M&M's. It was the quintessential kid snack. Here I am, now 26 years old, and it is still as good as I remember. They're even better when they're homemade. Thus, why we're making them today. Ignore the Christmas themed colors, as that's all I had on hand. I'm aware it's only September. Just roll with it.
Start out with room temperature eggs and butter.
In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, shortening, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes until fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape well.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape well.
While the mixer is on the lowest setting, dump in the sifted dry ingredients that you've combined. Mix until just combined. Finish folding the dry ingredients in with the rubber spatula.
Use a cookie scoop to portion out your cookies onto a pre-greased cookie sheet. You'll have extras. Just place those in a Ziploc bag in the freezer for later use. Freeze the remaining cookies on the sheet for 15 minutes, while you pre-heat your oven to 400°F.
Once they're out of the freezer, roll them into a ball with your palms and dip them into the M&M's.
Bake them for 10-15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown slightly. Don't over cook them! Take them out partially under-baked and let them continue to bake on the pan for about 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in a covered container for up to a week.
See how I do it:
Ingredients
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup shortening
- 1 Cup granulated sugar
- ½ light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
Cream the butter, both sugars, shortening, vanilla for about 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape well.
Add the eggs one at a time, mix well between additions.
Scrape well.
Sift all the dry ingredients together and dump the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl, while the mixer is on the lowest setting. Mix until just combined. Fold in the rest of the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula.
Portion out the cookie dough with an ice cream scoop onto a lined cookie sheet. Freeze the extra dough in a storage bag. Leave the rest of the dough balls on the sheet and freeze for 15 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 400°F.
After 15 minutes, bring out the cookies on the sheet and roll them slightly between your palms.
Dip them into the M&M's and flatten them with your fingers slightly. Place the sheet in the oven and instantly turn down the temperature to 350°F.
Bake for 10-15 minutes. Watch the cookies closely. They should have slightly golden edges, but should look slightly under-cooked.
Let them continue to cook on the sheet out of the oven for about five minutes, before moving them to a wire rack to cool.
Store in a container that's covered for about a week. Freeze any leftovers.
Summertime brings all of the delicious lemon recipes to the forefront. From Pinterest to Instagram to Facebook, you're bombarded with lemon recipes. There is one that eluded me for years. I couldn't for the life of me find a recipe for lemon cookies that were the way I liked them. The taste wasn't right and the texture wasn't what I was looking for in a cookie. Personally, I like my cookies soft and chewy. Others prefer them crisp on the outside, but chewy on the inside. All the recipes I tried, provided a decent lemon cookie, but they definitely weren't what I wanted. So I did what I always do when I can't find a recipe that fits my needs. I made one up. I found a decent base recipe and tweaked it. The results were fabulous. The lemon was prominent and the texture was so perfect. Soft and chewy for days!
Ensure that the ingredients are at room temperature before getting started. In the mixing bowl, start by creaming the butter, cream cheese and sour cream all together for a couple minutes on medium speed until combined.
Add in the sugar gradually on low speed and then turn up the speed to medium and mix until light fluffy for about a minute or two. Scrape the bowl well. Add in the vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest and food coloring, if you're using it. Mix for about 30 seconds until combined on medium speed.
Scrape the bowl again. Add in the whole egg and let it absorb on medium speed. Then, add in the yolk and do the same.
Mix until uniform for about two minutes.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
On low speed, dump in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. Flour will still be visible at this point.
With a rubber spatula, fold in the flour into the dough. The flour should be absorbed, but don't overmix.
Let the dough rest in the fridge for at least an hour, but you can rest it up to overnight.
Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or with parchment paper. I still spray with the mat or parchment with cooking spray, just in case.
I recommend using a cookie scoop to scoop out about 1 ½ tablespoon sized dough. Roll it between the palms of your hands until a round ball forms. Line them up about 2" apart.
Press down with your three fingers to flatten them slightly.
Bake at 350°F for about 9-10 minutes. It should look slightly under baked. Allow it to cool on the pan, out of the oven for about 5 minutes. Then move it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled completely, enjoy! Soft and chewy cookies. Just how they should be.
Watch how I make them.
Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ cup [1 stick] plus 2 Tbsp), softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- zest of 2 medium lemons (about 1 tablespoon lemon zest)
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about ½ medium lemon)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 drops yellow food coloring (optional)
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Ensure that the ingredients are at room temperature before getting started. In the mixing bowl, start by creaming the butter, cream cheese and sour cream all together for about five minutes on medium speed until combined.
Add in the sugar gradually on low speed and then turn up the speed to medium and mix until light fluffy for about a minute or two. Scrape the bowl well. Add in the vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest and food coloring, if you're using it. Mix for about two minutes until combined on medium speed.
Scrape the bowl again. Add in the whole egg and let it absorb on medium speed. Then, add in the yolk and do the same.
Mix until uniform for about two minutes. Scrape the bowl well.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
On low speed, dump in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined, about 15 seconds. Flour will still be visible at this point.
With a rubber spatula, fold in the rest of flour into the dough. The flour should be absorbed, but don't overmix.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest in the fridge for at least a couple hours, but preferably overnight.
Line a cookie sheet with a silicone mat or with parchment paper. I still spray with the mat or parchment with cooking spray, just in case.
I recommend using a cookie scoop to scoop out about 1 ½ tablespoon sized dough. Roll it between the palms of your hands until a round ball forms. Line them up about 2" apart.
Press down with your three fingers to flatten them slightly.
Bake at 350°F for about 9-10 minutes. It should look slightly under baked. Allow it to cool on the pan, out of the oven for about 5 minutes. Then move it to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
You can keep the cookies stored in a covered plastic container for about a week. You can keep the dough in the fridge covered for about a week or in the freezer for about a month.
February is a busy month. With the Super Bowl (America's unofficial holiday) and Valentine's Day (Hallmark's official holiday) coming up, we're going to be doing a lot of decorating. If you're like me, you're always bringing goodies with you to family functions. Well, every year, my family has a huge Super Bowl party. I'm sure you guys do the same. Well, I'm thinking of making cupcakes and some sugar cookies. To decorate both, I'm going to need some royal icing. Royal icing is so easy to make, but it is so versatile. I mean like unbelievably versatile. It can be used in so many different applications. It's very important to know how to make this, if you want to be taken seriously as a pastry cook. Especially, if you're going to focus on decorating specifically. Once you get making and managing royal icing down, you'll be able to create beautiful decorations in no time.
