Gingerbread Cookies

This is a recipe for classic gingerbread cookies. The recipe makes about 30, depending on what shape you decide to cut them into. To make a gingerbread house, I would recommend doubling the recipe in order to ensure having enough dough to create all of the walls. Again as a rolled cookie this dough should chill in the fridge for at least an hour before being rolled out. These cookies have a distinctive spice taste to them, so if you prefer a sweeter gingerbread cookie I would add more sugar or substitute maple syrup for the molasses. I personally appreciate a strongly spiced gingerbread cookie so this recipe was great for me, I might even try adding a little bit more of the spices next time. Enjoy!

1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the melted margarine, evaporated milk, molasses, vanilla, and lemon extracts. Stir in the flour, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. The dough should be stiff enough to handle without sticking to fingers. If necessary, increase flour by up to 1/2 cup to prevent sticking.
When the dough is smooth, roll it out to 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface, and cut into cookies. Place cookies on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. The cookies are done when the top springs back when touched. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.
Makes about 30 cookies.

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Here is a Christmas cookie recipe to counteract my Hanukkah cookie recipe. Since sugar cookies need to be rolled out it is important to chill the dough for at least one hour, but the longer the dough can set in the fridge the easier it will be to roll out. This recipe can be used with regular cookie cutters or with a cookie gun, like the one advertised at William Sonoma. This is a typical sugar cookie recipe which produces soft and chewy cookies, perfect for topping with icing, sprinkles, or just eating plain-it makes about 5 dozen cookies though so I would, again, recommend cutting this one down. Enjoy!


1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt


In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes.

Easy Rugalech for Hanukkah

I've always wanted to learn to make Rugalech, but I've always been too intimidated. Having to use a filling with the dough and roll them is a little different than dropping a spoonful of dough onto a cookie sheet. I figure for this Hanukkah I will finally face the challenge and attempt to make a good batch of home-made Rugalech (usually we just buy them from a good bakery). I found this recipe on allrecipes.com, and it seems pretty simple to follow so hopefully I will be successful. Rugalech can have all different kinds of filling, this recipe calls for raisins but I prefer a chocolate or apricot filling. You could also use a raspberry jam. I will probably try with the chocolate, so I will just substitute chocolate chips in for the raisins. You can adjust the amount of cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top to taste. This recipe seems like it will make a good cookie. Enjoy!

1/2 pound butter
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raisins
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix butter or margarine, cottage cheese and flour together.
Roll the dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut the dough into triangular wedges. Sprinkle raisins into the broad end of the wedge along with cinnamon and sugar. Roll from the broad edge toward the pointed edge to form crescents. Sprinkle the crescents with cinnamon and sugar. Arrange the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes.

Reese's Chocolate Cookies

I was first exposed to these cookies by a friend who lived a few doors down from me last semester. His girlfriend would bake him a batch every time she went home and, naturally, the rest of the floor would sneak into his room at steal some. As a member of the floor, it was my responsibility to join in the stealing. His now ex-girlfriend, Cait, likes to make her cookies very thick and chunky, so she drops very large amounts of dough onto her cookie sheet for each cookie. After getting the recipe from her I tried making smaller cookies to see which I prefer. I often like a thin, crisp cookie but I actually think that I prefer these thicker, the way I originally tasted them.
I like these cookies because they share a similar flavor to more typical peanut butter cookies but are unique in that they are actually a chocolate cookie. One of my favorite flavor combinations, usually cookies sharing peanut butter and chocolate are done by having a peanut butter cookie with chocolate chips. This is just the opposite; a chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips. Rather than biting in and getting a piece of chocolate, you get a chunk of peanut butter, which I just love. I actually don't like peanut butter cookies because of their texture (they are often dry) but these avoid that issue since they are primarily a chocolate cookie. I strongly recommend this recipe, but would advise to cut it in half because this version makes about 50 cookies. Enjoy!

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cups (2-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4-1/2 dozen cookies

South Beach Diet Chocolate Cookie

Recently my roommate and I decided to start the South Beach diet. Looking to lose the "freshmen 15," I figured I would inevitably try a fad diet at some point in my life, why not try it now. South Beach consists of three phases. The first, lasting two weeks, is the strictest and is similar to the more extreme Atkins diet. For two weeks dieters can eat no bread, pasta, rice, fruit, alcohol, or anything containing sugar. This two weeks is supposed to rework the body's blood-sugar chemistry to end sugar cravings. After this two weeks is up the dieter enters the more leniant phase two. Fruits are now allowed in small quantities, as are whole grains and red wine. The dieter stays in phase two until their hit their target weight, upon which they enter phase three. Phase three has very few limitations and is more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle than losing weight.
As an avid baker, phase one has prompted some serious issues for me. It isn't easy to bake and not taste the final product. After some serious research I have found a few recipes suitable for phase one; most use a sugar substitute like Splenda and use egg over flour. Here is a recipe for a chocolate cookie that phase one dieters can eat. I haven't been able to try it yet as dorm living doesn't provide the best atmosphere for baking, but hope to experiment with it on my next trip home. And if it doesn't turn out so delicious, at least it is guilt-free. Enjoy!


30 pecan halves, chopped fine
1 egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sugar substitute
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients. Drop by teaspoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes or until firm to the touch.

Makes 6 servings.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's another variation of the standard oatmeal cookie, courtesy of christmascookies.com. This version uses pumpkin, just in time for Thanksgiving. I haven't tried this recipe yet but am looking forward to using it to add yet another dessert to my family's Thanksgiving table, as if pumpkin, pecan, and apple pies weren't already enough. I think this cookie could be good with chopped walnuts in it, or pecans. Both go well with pumpkin. Enjoy!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats, uncooked
1 teaspoon baking Soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease baking sheets. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mix. Alternate additions of dry ingredients and pumpkin, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chocolate pieces. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup of dough onto prepared baking sheet.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes until firm and lightly browned.

Quaker Oats Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

So, I stole this recipe from the top of the Quaker Oats Oatmeal container, but I think they are the most delicious oatmeal raisin cookies I have ever had. They have the perfect balance between the sweetness of the sugars and raisins and the earthy-ness of the cinnamon and oats. I once had to use brown sugar that had gotten clumpy and hard, which for many recipes would not be usable, but for this one actually made the cookie taste even better. The clumps of brown sugar melted while the cookies baked so occasionally you'd get an especially sweet bite. Very delicious. I think this is my all-time favorite cookie recipe, and friends agree. Normally when I bake cookies for friends these are what they ask for. As this recipe makes four dozen cookies I would recommend cutting it, unless you have a party to go to or a lot of people to make gifts for. Enjoy!


1/2 lb(2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
Makes about 4 dozen