- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.

3. Form cookies. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Adapted from: All Recipe's Shortbread Cookies II Read more...

- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.

3. Form cookies. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Adapted from: All Recipe's Shortbread Cookies II Read more...

- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.

3. Form cookies. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Adapted from: All Recipe's Shortbread Cookies II Read more...

- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.

3. Form cookies. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.

Notes: I made the cookies for the graduation grade six class at Tokiwa. I tried different ways of packaging the cookies. In the end, I chose the one on the right. My microwave has hot spots so some of the cookies came out brown. They tasted exactly the same but they weren't the pretty pale brown of shortbread cookies. I put those aside and brought them to church the next Sunday.

Adapted from: All Recipe's Shortbread Cookies II Read more...

- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.

3. Form cookies. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.


Adapted from: All Recipe's Shortbread Cookies II
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- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

2. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in vanilla; add flour and mix well.

3. Form cookies. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.


Notes: I used a cookie cutter with a removable top that's imprinted with a design.

Adapted from: All Recipe's Shortbread Cookies II
Read more...

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1 cup fruit preserves
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Filling
- 4 apples (2 gala, 2 granny smith)
- 1/2 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg

Directions:

DAY BEFORE: Cream butter and cream cheese together until smoothly blended. Beat in the flour. Shape dough into a smooth ball, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.

FILLING: Peel, core and chop apple into thin slices. Bring all ingredients to a rolling boil. Stir until most of the liquid has evapourated and sauce has thickened.

1. Remove dough from refrigerator 30 minutes before using. Start heating oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Roll chilled dough thin. Cut with 3 or 4 inch round cookie cutter. Place small spoonful of jam in center of each round, moisten edges with water.

3. Fold round over and press edges together. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet 15 to 20 minutes. Immediately roll in sugar mixed with cinnamon (traditional) OR in confectioners' sugar if preferred.



























































Notes: Dough can be frozen or refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Adapted from: All Recipes Empanadas
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Ingredients
- 3/4 cup butter
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup white sugar

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, corn syrup, and lemon extract. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Cover dough, and chill in the refrigerator at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into walnut sized balls. Roll balls in remaining sugar, and place on the prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

Notes: Kev wanted cookies that would go nice with tea so I found this recipe. I prepared the cookie dough and chilled in the fridge. After dinner, we went over to Uncle Henny's. Samuel and I rolled the dough into balls. We left the first batch plain and dipped the second batch into sugar. I used 2 teaspoon of real lemon juice but the taste was too faint.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 can of halved peaches, drained and chopped
- 1/3 cup peach jam
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.

2. Put butter and granulated sugar into bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla; mix until well blended about 1 minute. Add flower mixture and mix until combined. Add diced peaches, peach jam, and cinnamon; mix until just combined.

3. Using a 1 1/2 inch ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. (Chill remaining batch).

4. Bake cookies until gold brown for 13 minutes. Let cool on rack.



















Notes: Made this with val and ren. 13 minutes burnt the bottoms of the cookies on the second rack. We adjusted the second batch to 11 minutes and it turned out great. Cookies could be made sweeter.

Adapted from: Peach Drop Cookies Read more...

Cookie
- 4 tablespoons margarine, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups quick cooking oats

Cream Filling
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 1/2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream together margarine, peanut butter, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and beat well.

2. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add these dry ingredients to the creamed mixture. Stir. Add oatmeal and stir.

3. Drop by teaspoons onto greased baking sheet, and press each mound down to form 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown.

4. To Make Filling: Cream 3 tablespoons butter with the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter, and the milk. Spread filling onto half of the cooled cookies, then top with the other half to form sandwiches.




































Notes: These were Kev's valentine cookies but I made tons and my family couldn't eat all of it, so I ended up giving a lot away.

Adapted from: All Recipes Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies III
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Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 8 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons water

Directions:

1. Write fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 1/2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease 2 9-X-13 inch baking sheets.

2. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the egg white, vanilla extract, almond extract and vegetable oil until frothy, but not stiff.

3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl. Stir the water into the flour mixture.

4. Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter. The batter should not be runny, but should drop easily off a wooden spoon.

5. Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart. With a spoon, spread batter into a circle 4 inches in diameter. It should be so thin, you can see the pan.

6. Bake until the outer 1/2-inch of each cookie turns golden brown and they are easy to remove from the baking sheet with a spatula (7-10 minutes).

7. Working quickly, remove the cookie with a metal spatula and place onto a cloth. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie. To form the fortune cookie shape, fold the cookie in half, then gently pull the edges downward over the rim of a glass. Place the finished cookie in the cup of the muffin tin so that it keeps its shape. Continue with the rest of the cookies.
























Notes: I made these for the Chinese New Year gathering at my grandmother's place. 4 inch cookies were too big for the muffin pan. It was better to use less than a tablespoon of batter. We only made two cookies at a time.

Adapted from: About.com Fortune Cookie Read more...

Yield: about 2 1/2 Dozen

Cookies
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Chocolate Filling
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream butter using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add powdered and brown sugars and beat until smooth. Add yolks and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add the flour and blend at low speed until thoroughly combined.

2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in plastic bad. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Prepare the filling: scald cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.

4. Preheat oven to 325 F

5. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough on floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut circles with a 2 inch diameter cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheets, 1 inch apart. Continue using dough scraps, rerolling and cutting until all dough is used. Drop 1 teaspoon of chocolate filling in center of each circle and top with another circle. Completely seal the edges using the tines of a fork. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a cool, flat surface with a metal spatula.
























Notes: The cookies tasted more doughy and crumbly than the first time. We might have added too much flour when cookie cutting. We forgot the second batch in the oven and it got burnt.

Adapted from: Mrs. Field's Cookies Book Read more...

Yield: about 4 dozen

Cookies
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Chocolate Glaze
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream butter using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add powdered and brown sugars and beat until smooth. Add yolks and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add the flour and blend at low speed until thoroughly combined.

2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in plastic bad. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. On a floured board using a floured rolling pin, roll out disks to 1/8 inch thickness. Turn dough often to prevent sticking. Cut cookies with flour-dipped cookie cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets for 15 to 16 minutes, being careful not to let the cookies brown. Transfer cookies at once to a cool, flat surface with a spatula.

5. Prepare the chocolate glaze: Heat cream in a small saucepan until scalded; remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips and corn syrup, cover and let stand for 15 minutes. With small wire whisk or wooden spoon gently mix glaze until smooth, being careful not to create bubbles in the chocolate. Dip all or half of each cookie into glaze and transfer to a tray or cool cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Chill cookies in refrigerator for 10 minutes to set.



















Notes: Made at the cottage with katie. We used new pastry cloth with cover for roller. It worked very well. We brought some to simon and david's for boxing day dinner

Adapted from: Mrs. Field's Cookies Book Read more...

Tart
- i used left over cookie dough (see 12/25/08)

Filling
- Chantilly Cream (see 12/25/08)

Notes:
- made at the cottage with left over cookie dough
- served to relatives from Hong Kong

Read more...

Yield: about 2 1/2 Dozen

Cookies
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Chocolate Filling
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (about 1 cup)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream butter using an electric mixer set at medium speed. Add powdered and brown sugars and beat until smooth. Add yolks and vanilla, and mix at medium speed until light and fluffy. Scrape bowl. Add the flour and blend at low speed until thoroughly combined.

2. Gather dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap or place in plastic bad. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Prepare the filling: scald cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Remove from the heat.

4. Preheat oven to 325 F

5. Using a floured rolling pin, roll dough on floured board to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut circles with a 2 inch diameter cookie cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheets, 1 inch apart. Continue using dough scraps, rerolling and cutting until all dough is used. Drop 1 teaspoon of chocolate filling in center of each circle and top with another circle. Completely seal the edges using the tines of a fork. Bake for 15 to 16 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Transfer cookies to a cool, flat surface with a metal spatula.



















Notes: Katie and I made it at the cottage. We used a small cup as a cookie cutter. I made turtle shaped cookies, but the limbs didn't stick well after baking.

Adapted from: Mrs. Field's Cookies Book Read more...

Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 7 ounces (about 30) assorted hard candies finely chopped

Directions:

1. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.

2. Mix butter and sugar on medium speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, mix until smooth, 1 minute. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix until combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until cold, about 45 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 325 F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Roll out chilled dough on a well floured surface to a little more than 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using a cookie cutter. Using a metal spatula, transfer shapes to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Using the tip of a paring knife, make a cutout in the centre of each cookie for candy filling.

4. Sprinkle candy in a single layer in the hole of each cookie, avoiding the corners. Refrigerate until dough is firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Bake cookies until candy has melted, completely filled cutout and cookie edges are just starting to turn pale golden brown, 11 to 12 minutes. Do not let the cookies brown, or the candy centres may become bubbly. Let cook completely on sheets on wire racks. Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from parchment.

Notes: I wanted to try out a new recipe. I used a star and a heart cookie cutter. I was able to fit two in each ziplock bag to give as a small present. The cookies can be stored in airtight containers in room temperature for up to 5 days.

Adapted from: All Recipes Banana Crumb Muffins
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Yield: 24 - 3 inch round cookies

Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups raspberry chocolate chunks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. With a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated. First sift together the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt and then add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix just until incorporated. Fold in the the chocolate chips.

3. Using a small ice cream scoop or two spoons, place about 1 1/2 tablespoons of batter on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.

4. Bake for approximately 8 minutes or until the the cookies are still soft in the center but are firm around the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before removing the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes: I made these cookies with Josephine when she was over for hotpot. The cookies were too sweet with raspberry chocolate chunks. Next time I either need to use semi sweet chocolate or decrease the amount of sugar.

Adapted from: Joy of Baking Chocolate Cookies
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