Dipped Gingersnap Cookies

My friend, Olivia, made these cookies for a party and they were absolutely amazing - I had to get the recipe! When Olivia makes them, she dips half of them in white chocolate, and half in milk chocolate. I however, decided to do all of mine in white chocolate - just because.

This is a huge batch - I made up half of mine and then refrigerated the cookie dough until I was ready to make more. This dough refrigerated really well. When you're ready to make more cookies just pull it out, wait until it's at room temperature and then shape and bake. It works great!

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups all purpose flour

4 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs ground ginger

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

additional sugar to roll cookies

1 package white and/or chocolate candy melts

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and oil; mix well.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses.

Combine dry ingredients...

...gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

This is what your dough will look like:

Shape into 1-1/4 inch balls and roll in sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 12 minutes or until cookie springs back when lightly touched.

Cool on wire racks.

Melt candy according to package directions. I decided to use white chocolate instead of candy melts because that's what I had available.

Dip cookies halfway into chocolate.

Place dipped cookies on waxed paper lined sheets to harden.

This recipe makes around 6 dozen cookies - seriously, tons!

But, believe me, they are so good you will have no problem getting rid of any of them!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have to admit that these are my favorite cookies - Ever! They are quick and easy and oh so good - an absolute MUST HAVE recipe.

I got this recipe from my friend, Amy, many years ago in college. I've tweaked it a bit, but overall it's the same recipe. Please, do yourself a favor and go make some of these. Your family will thank me.

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. almond extract

3 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

9 oz. (3/4 package) chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugars together in a large bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix until nice and fluffy. Sift flour, soda and salt into the bowl and mix to combine.

If you live at a higher elevation you may need to add more flour - add a little at a time up to an additional 1/2 a cup.

Once your cookie dough is formed stir in those chocolate chips. Now you must resist the urge to eat it...well, at least not all of it.

I like to use a medium sized ice cream scoop and place rounded balls of dough onto a large cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 minutes or until slightly golden brown on the top - just ever so slightly.

Remove from oven. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove from cookie sheet to a cooling rack - make sure they're out of reach of your kids or else you won't have any cookies left.

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love...I...I say LOVE white chocolate. Technically it's not actually chocolate but cocoa butter (I learned that from Alton Brown). But it is still delish.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

2 1/4 cups flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp soda

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz white chocolate chips

Cream the butter, shortening and sugars on low. Add the vanilla and eggs. Mix until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, soda and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips.

Place in heaping teaspoons on a cookie sheet (use an ice cream scoop to get uniform sizes).

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.

*Here's a cookie hint. If you're at a lower elevation (like Texas) use slightly less flour. For this recipe I like to use between 2 and 2 1/8 cups of flour. However, when I go back to Utah (high elevation) I have to use the full 2 1/4 cups.

Cream Cheese Cut-Out Cookies

"tis the season-
these are my favorite for Christmas cut-out sugar cookies... Oh and they are low-calorie.
just kiddin';)

1 cup butter- softened
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese- softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder


Combine butter and cream cheese completely then add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add egg, vanilla + almond extract. Beat well. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients then add them to the wet ingredients.
Mix well. Divide dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap. refrigerate for at least 1 1/2 hours (overnight is best)
Preheat oven 375 degrees. roll out dough and cut out with shapes. Bake 8 minutes - just until done (NOT AT ALL BROWN)
Decorate and Enjoy
Merry Christmas!