Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I sell a large version of these at the farmer’ s market and they disappear rapidly! A regular size ice cream scoop makes a nice large cookie. This bigger version must be cooked for 15 minutes.

Makes 72 cookies

2 sticks butter

softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the butter, sugars, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time. Gradually add the flour, baking soda,and salt, and mix until they are incorporated. When smooth, add the nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I don’t make these cookies very often, because when I do, I tend to eat nearly the whole batch myself! They are really, really good.

Makes 72 cookies

1 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream the shortening and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and blend well. Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix until well blended. Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.

Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chocolate Crinkles

If you like chocolate, these cookies are the ones for you. Bet you can’t eat just one!

Makes 72 cookies

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 squares unsweetened baking chocolate

melted

2 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

Mix the oil, chocolate, and sugar together. Blend in one egg at a time until well mixed, and then add the vanilla.

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt into the chocolate mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl containing the confectioners’ sugar and then shape into balls. Place about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Joe Froggers (Big Molasses Cookies)

These cookies date back to Colonial times!

Makes 36 large cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

Cream the shortening and sugar together, then add the molasses and blend well. Add the flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice; mix well.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out one half of the dough at a time to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a 3-inch round cookie cutter and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes. Cool 1 to 2 minutes on the pan before lifting off. Let cool on a wire rack. Store cookies in an airtight container.

Molasses Coconut Chews

Warning: These cookies are very highly addictive, especially when warm from the oven!

Makes 48 cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup molasses

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup shredded coconut

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together both sugars and the shortening. Add the eggs, vanilla, and molasses, and stir well.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir that into the eggs and sugar. Add the coconut and mix really well.

Shape into balls about the size of a walnut and place on a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Molasses GingerSnaps

These are really easy cookies to make and go really fast. I tend to be very heavy handed when it comes to adding spices to cookies. I like them very spicy, if you don’t, stick to the amounts in the recipe. If you do, double the amount of spices!

Makes 48 cookies

3/4 cup butter

softened

1 cup sugar

plus extra for rolling

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix the butter, sugar, molasses, egg, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, and ginger together until well blended. Form into walnut-sized-balls and roll each one in sugar.

Place 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes, or until a nice golden brown.

Peanut Butter Cookies

My favorite cookies!

Makes 48 cookies

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Mix together the shortening, peanut butter, egg, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend well.

Roll into balls about the size of a walnut and place 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten each ball with a fork dipped in sugar, making a criss-cross pattern.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes

Snickerdoodles

These were the very first cookies I ever made for my husband. He was hooked . . . .

Makes 72 cookies

1 stick butter

softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar plus 2 tablespoons

2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Mix together the butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, and eggs thoroughly.

Sift together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir this into the shortening mixture.

Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Place on a greased cookig sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are a crowd pleaser for sure!

Makes 48 cookies

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick oats

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together the brown sugar and shortening. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix really well. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. Add the oats and blend.

Take walnut-size pieces of dough and roll into a ball. Roll the balls in the granulated sugar.

Place the balls on a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Sugar Cookies

This was my grandmother’s recipe. I make them whenever we have groups of children visit the farm. I have a goat-shaped cookie cutter that always makes a big hit!

Makes 96 cookies

3 sticks butter

softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

5 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons nutmeg or, better yet, mace

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then add the vanilla. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg or mace, and add to the egg mixture, and blend well.

Separate into three parts and wrap each part in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Taking one part of the dough at a time, place the dough on a floured surface and roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out desired shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. These cookies spread very little, so they can be placed about 1/2 an inch apart. Bake for 8 minutes.