Again, we went “old-school” today in our baking…Butter sugar cookies. Most people have a favorite recipe they swear by. We tried one of the recipes on allrecipes.com. The dough was easy to work with, not too dry and not too sticky (it must be chilled at least one hour before rolling). While easy to make, they are time consuming in the cutting out, baking and frosting. With the help of Emily and her friend, Julia and my son, Andrew and his friend Reid, they frosted the majority of the cookies. As you can see from the picture, the cookies definitely look homemade and should as 4 teenagers did the decorating. Monday’s biscotti were given to friends. The rest of this week we have been baking to bring cookies to the soup kitchen for homeless men. On Sunday, we will deliver and distribute our 200 – 400 cookies that we have been baking all week. That explains why we chose to bake more traditional cookies; we think they will enjoy these. Also, we are going for quantity as that is alot of cookies for us. This recipe made close to 75 cookies. 
Here’s the link to the recipe we used.
Day 11: Spritz Cookies
Christmas season isn’t Christmas without a batch of spritz cookies. These are the traditional butter cookies our grandmothers and great grandmothers made. The recipe comes from foodnetwork and our cookies did not come out quite as pretty as the ones pictured on the website. It might have to do with a small detail of using granualted sugar instead of confectionary sugar, as the recipe calls for. Lesson of the day: Read the recipe from top to bottom before beginning. They still are one of our quintessential butter cookies. Their cute little shapes are perfect for the season. http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/butter-spritz-cookies-recipe/index.html
Day 10: Madeleine Cookies
These cookies are a favorite of ours. If you’ve been to Paris, you will recognize them from the cafes. These cookies are slightly spongey and have a hint of lemon. They are almost like a mini-cake. The dough is easy to make and the consistency is more cake-like than cookie. The butter is melted then poured into the dough at the end. A special madeleine tray is needed to make these and we purchased ours from Sur la Table. Their cute shape, dusting of powdered sugar and taste make these a treat that anyone would appreciate.
Day 9: Peanut Butter Cookies
First a recap from Day 8. We started the biscotti too late in the day and finished well into the evening. Biscotti are not difficult to make but they are time consuming and you have to pay attention to them. As I mentioned, we couldn’t decide on two so we went for the biscotti trifecta. All recipes come from cookinglight.com. First up: Chai Spice. I like the zip of chai and that chai “zip” was baked into the cookie with cinnamon, allspice and ginger. Snickerdoodle biscotti followed and because the outside of the biscotti is brushed with egg white and a cinnamon/sugar mixture, it did leave a snickerdoodle taste. Finally, espresso chip. This cookie had the most intense flavor of the three, not an overwhelming coffee taste but a deeper and richer taste than the other two. All three recipes are made similiarly. Make the dough, roll out into a rectangle. Bake, then cool for 10 minutes, slice, bake for 10 minutes, turn cookies over and bake another 10 minutes. Like biscotti, these are dry but really good with a cup of tea (as we enjoyed them this afternoon). The espresso chip would love to be dunked in coffee. As you can see we wrapped these up in cellophane bags, added a few tea bags and shared them with friends. These are a great gift to give, especially since they are not too sweet given this sweet-laden time of year. 
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chai-spice-biscotti-10000001156062/
Snickerdoodle Biscotti
Cooking Light November 2000
Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon good vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- cooking spray
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large egg white
Directions:
- Preheat Oven to 350.
- Measure flour into a large bowl and add 1 C. Sugar, Baking powder, and salt.
- Mix oil, vanilla and the eggs in a small bowl and add to the large bowl, your dough will be dry and very crumbly.
- Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead 7 or 8 times. It may take a while, but the dough will eventually come together.
- Divide in half. Shape each portion into a roll about 8 inches long, and place them a six or so inches apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment. Flatten each roll to 1 inch thick.
- Combine the 2 Tbsp. Sugar and cinnamon, then gently brush the tops of the rolls with the egg white and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the sheet and cool for 15 minutes.
- Cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices and lay them cut sides down on the cookie sheet again.
- Reduce oven temp to 325 and then bake 10 more minutes, turn over and bake 10 more. They’ll be soft in the middle but will harden as they cool. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Espresso-Chocolate Chip Biscotti
SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: November 2000
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup instant espresso or 1/2 cup instant coffee granules
2 teaspoons hot water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
Cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (flour through salt) in a large bowl. Combine espresso and water; stir well with a whisk. Stir in oil, vanilla, and eggs, and add to flour mixture, stirring until well-blended (dough will be dry and crumbly). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 7 to 8 times. Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into an 8-inch-long roll. Place the rolls 6 inches apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and flatten each roll to 1-inch thickness.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Remove rolls from baking sheet, and cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Cut each roll diagonally into 15 (1/2-inch) slices. Place the slices, cut sides down, on the baking sheet. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees, and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the cookies over, and bake an additional 10 minutes (the cookies will be slightly
soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet, and cool completely on wire rack. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen (serving size: 1 biscotto).
On to today, Peanut Butter Cookies. We were looking for a recipe that didn’t require chilling the dough, fairly easy and quick. These hit the mark. While they definitely taste like peanut butter, you don’t feel like your tongue is stuck to the top of your mouth, like you might when you like the spoon from the jar. The recipe did warn not to flatten them too much which I tried not to do. However, they did not come out as puffy as I would like. This doesn’t affect the taste. If you’re looking for a recipe that includes ingredients you have in your kitchen without making a dash to the grocery store, not wanting to spend 2 hours in the kitchen and one that people of all ages will enjoy, make these. Note, we made 36 cookies from the batch.
http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/12/peanut-butter-cookies/
Day 8: Biscotti: Chai Spice, Snickerdoodle and Espresso Chip
Three types of biscotti were on our slate today. Probably a little ambitious, but they all looked so good, we couldn’t leave one out. Details, pictures, recipes to follow tomorrow. Haven’t had time to try them yet (as final batch just came out of oven) so check back tomorrow for reviews.
Thanks to all our firefighters in Charlotte. We stopped by Firehouse 24 today with a plate of cookies to say thank you.
Day 7: Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate and Chocolate Chips
One week down and 18 days of baking to go. Today, we found a recipe for red velvet cookies. It was difficult to find a version that was 100% homemade and not from a cake mix. The recipe we tried was quick and easy to follow. The first batch came out of the oven in 11 minutes and were slightly overdone. However, they were still good. My husband likes them because they are not “overly chocolate”. There is just enough chocolate to taste but not enough to overwhelm the taste. The second batch we cooked at 350 (instead of the recommended 375 degrees). We took them out after 12 min. and they were perfect. When they come out of the oven, the top is crackly but the cookie looks soft. The white chocolate chips are a nice addition. The recipe calls for 16 – 20 cookies but we got close to 40 from one batch. We ran out of red food coloring so the cookies did not look as red as promised but that doesn’t affect the taste. A fairly easy and tasty cookie to make that people will enjoy.
Day 6: Peppermint Meringues
Meringues have an interesting texture. After they are baking they are crispy and have the “melt in your mouth” flavor that surprise your tastebuds. These peppermint meringues are very good. They have just the right amount of peppermint and are not to overpowering. We made ours small, and they do not expand at all during the baking process, so next time I would make them a little bigger. Keep in mind though, they are supposed to be bite-sized and it is easier to eat when that size. The recipe does call for kosher salt. This affects the recipe so make sure to use that kind. Also, I could not get the lighting to work for the picture, so the meringues look more orange than they actually are (they are pink). These are good, quick treats that I will definitely make again.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Peppermint-Meringues-368976
Day 5: The Famous {Infamous?} New York Times Chocolate Chip Cookie
Day 5, take-two. After our baking fiasco yesterday, we still needed to bake 48 cookies for a cancer research bake sale. It took us a little while to figure out what cookies to make that would only take a couple of hours and then thought of these. These chocolate chip cookies are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever made. We stumbled on the recipe a couple of months ago and have never gone back to the recipe on the back of the chocolate chip packages since. I have tried lots and lots of recipes, never getting it perfect. Some were to flat and others to lumpy and doughy. These cookies have the crispy edge that bakes to a golden brown, but they also have a chewy inside that is delicious. This recipe does call for cake flour and bread flour, so make sure to use those. Also, make the cookies ahead of time because they have to chill for 24-36 hours. You can however, choose to not chill them, but I think that they come out better when chilled. This recipe makes a lot more than the recipe says, approximately 4 dozen large cookies, and that is a good thing because they never last long in our house. These cookies definitely make up for yesterday! I hope you enjoy them!
http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/the-famous-infamous-new-york-times-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/
Day 5: Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Well, sometimes something goes wrong. I made the dough for these cookies (received high ratings). Emily baked the cookies, took them out and thought they did not look or taste “right”. When I got home a few hours later, I looked at the dough, tasted a cookie and agreed with her. I am not sure if an ingredient was left out or incorrectly measured. I may try again in a few days and will post the results. In the meantime, I will be baking chocolate chip cookies for the Kids for Cookies Bake Sale this morning.
Day 4: Christmas House Cookies
These are a favorite of mine. A friend passed the recipe to me 10 years ago and I try to make them every year. I do not know where the original recipe came from or how it got its name. 
These are always a hit to take to a party and easy to make. As a bar cookie, these do not cut as neatly as we wish they would. The picture does not do them justice. If you like raspberry, chocolate, meringue and a cookie dough crust, these are the cookies to make. Enjoy.
Christmas House Cookies Recipe
1 cup salted butter
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 18. oz jar raspberry preserves
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
2 cups ground almonds
Preheat oven to 350. Grease 10×15 cookie sheet.
Cream the butter and 1/2 cup sugar in a mixer bowl until light. Beat in the salt and egg yolks. Add the flour gradually, mixing until the dough is very stiff. Spread the dough evenly over cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Take out of oven and spread preserves over baked layer; sprkinkle with the chocolate chips. Beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold in 1 cup sugar and the almonds. Spread evenly over the chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Makes 1 tray, can be cut to your liking
As for the distribution of our cookies today: We left gift bags of cookies for the trash men (including trash, recycling and yard waste fellows) as well as the mail carrier. We stopped at a firehouse to drop off cookies, only to find it was an empty firehouse, hopefully nothing too serious kept them from receiving cookies. Will try to deliver tomorrow. Tomorrow, we begin baking for the Cookies for Cancer Bake sale taking place this weekend in Charlotte, NC. Visit the Cookies for Kids’ Cancer – Charlotte NC facebook page to get details on locations and times. They would love your support.
Coming up: Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Joy From The kitchen 