The Cookie Maven

Cookies and rhymes to have a good time. Stories and more for baked items you adore.

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Olympic Treats Simple Cake-Like Cookies

August 2nd, 2012 · Uncategorized

Olympic Treats Basic Cake -Like Cookies

It is time for the Olympic Games

A wonderful event that begins with flames

We run, Jump, swim and try to gain

We Give our personal best after we train

The medal is not the only goal

It is the experience as a whole

We love to share that feeling with all

A rush like when you catch a ball

Of trying your utmost combined with athletic grace

Combining all into a thrilling race

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

2 cups spectrum organic shortening or earth balance shortening sticks  (I decrease this from 2 ½ cups which made the cookies greasier with cracks)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 eggs

7 cups flour

2  t baking powder

½ t salt

Cinnamon and sugar topping

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • In mixer cream together shortening and 3 cups of sugar, then beat vanilla extract and eggs.
  • Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl
  • Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix.
  • Roll the dough in 1 1/2 inch balls (2 ounce)
  • If desired combine  3 tablespoons sugar with 1 Tcinnamon in a small bowl.  Roll balls in sugar and cinnamon on one side and place on ungreased baking sheet.
  • Bake about 15 minutes, until cracked on top and not overdone on bottom.

Yield 3 dozen

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Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk

February 3rd, 2012 · Uncategorized

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chunk Gluten Free Cookies

With fun and tradition it’s filled

A layer of anticipation makes us thrilled

Join in the fun and have a party

Make sure you have food and are not tardy

After you laugh, eat, and cheer

Chase your cookie down with a beer

Enjoy your friends and family on this special day

Only once a year it comes your way

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening (Spectrum Organic)

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1-teaspoon salt

4 eggs

3 and 2/3 cups gluten free  flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups creamy peanut butter

About ¾ cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

Directions

Cream together shortening, sugars and peanut butter.  Add vanilla and eggs one at a time.  In separate bowl combine baking soda and flour.  Add flour mixture to shortening mixture and beat until well mixed.  Make 2 ounce  (1 1/2 inch approximately) balls and place 2 abreast-8 per cookie sheet.

Sheet. Press three chunks in the center of each cookie. Bake on 350 for approximately 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Dairy Free (pareve), lactose free, and gluten free

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Linzer Bars

August 11th, 2011 · Uncategorized

Linzer Bars

Yummy

crispy, gooey, and chewy

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-teaspoon salt

2 cups packed brown sugar

1-cup butter or margarine at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 Tablespoon vanilla

4 tablespoons raspberry jam

Optional:

2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and beat until well blended.
  • Spread half the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
  • Spread jam on the batter
  • Spread the remaining batter on top
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar if desired
  • Bake for 35 minutes because the center needs the time to completely bake
  • Let cool and cut into squares using a spatula to remove.

These are very sweet, but excellent and go great with tea.

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Blackberry Pie

July 22nd, 2011 · Uncategorized

Blackberry Pie

Summers Bounty

It is the time to supply

While the sun is high

Summers bounty for a special treat

Berries baked in a pie for a flavor that cant be beat

I remember when we took a pale

Down to the alley to pick berries on a big scale

No price per pound

They were there to be found

It’s a memory that comes my way

As my pie bakes on a summers day

Ingredients Crust:

3 cups flour

1 ¼ cup shortening

1 egg yolk

1 T vinegar

8 T cold water

Ingredients Filling:

3- 18-ounce large container blackberries (5 cups)

¾-1 cup sugar

5 T cornstarch

Juice of 1 lemon

Ingredients Wash: (Optional)

1 egg

1 T sugar

Directions:

Wash berries lightly and drain in colander.  Mix cornstarch and sugar with berries in a bowl.  Berries will start to release juice from the addition of the sugar. Preheat oven to 400.

Mix flour with shortening and crumble with your hands until resembles course meal. Add yolk, vinegar and ice water and mix with your hand until soft dough forms. Reserve a fistful of dough to decorate the top. Roll out the two halves with enough dough to drape over sides.  Place half dough in pie dish and place berries inside.  Top with other half and crimp edges closed.  Take the remaining dough and roll out making 4 -1/1/2 inch cookie cutter circles.  Cut the circles in half and arrange like leaves in the center of the pie.  Brush with wash.  Pierce the top randomly with a fork.  Bake for approximately one half hour and turn oven down to 350 for another 10 minutes to make sure the bottom of the pie is finished.

Separate a fistful of dough for decorating top and divide the remainder in half.  Roll out the two halves with enough dough to drape over the sides.

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Banana Muffins

July 8th, 2011 · Uncategorized

Banana Muffins

12 Jumbo Muffins

I am jumbo

That does not mean I have ears like Dumbo

It means I am grand

With plenty of high demand

Enough to share

And show other you care!

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar

2 sticks butter (can substitute margarine)

5 bananas

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ cup orange juice

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

4 cups flour plus one tablespoon

½ -12 ounce bag chocolate chips

12 jumbo muffin liners

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Place liners in muffin pan

Beat sugar and margarine until creamy.  Add bananas and beat until smashed and soft.  Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.  Add orange juice and beat until well mixed.  Add dry ingredients except for remaining 1-tablespoon flour and beat for about 4 minutes until creamy thick pale batter forms. Add remaining 1-tablespoon flour to chocolate chips and shake.  Add chocolate chips mixture to batter and beat for 30 seconds until evenly disbursed.  Place batter evenly in muffin tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.

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Sugars

May 17th, 2011 · Uncategorized

Sugars

Simple and sweet

A Vanilla lovers treat

Crisp and soft

The aroma does waft

A cookie lovers delight

In every bite

Crispy and soft

These cookies are non-dairy and made with shortening which gives them a wonderful texture.

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1-teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt

1-cup soy milk, coffee rich, or real milk if you wish these cookies to be dairy

4 ½ cups flour

Additional ½ cup of sugar or sugar crystals to roll cookies in.

Roll in sugar


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add vanilla and blend.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add baking soda and mix.  Alternate adding milk and flour to form creamy dough.  Chill for at least one hour in refrigerator.  Form golf ball size cookies and roll in sugar.  Bake at 375 for approximately 15 minutes or until turning golden around the edges.

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Freedom Cake

May 4th, 2011 · Uncategorized

Freedom Cake


They Caught Osama

Not without a bit of drama

I hope the world is a safer place

A hero’s job on a hard case

Freedom is a privileged gift

Those who are jealous try to make a rift

Don’t ever take our rights for granted

Freedom is an idea our forefathers planted

We are the recipients of the fruit of their labor

The envy of many a neighbor

Bake this freedom cake to commemorate

A  job well done, so celebrate!

light creamy batter

This cake is pure and simple.  It can be made with butter instead of margarine, and milk instead of non-dairy creamer.

Ingredients:

2 sticks margarine or butter

2 cups sugar plus two tablespoons

4 eggs

1-2 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/3 cup non-dairy creamer or milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a Bunt pan. Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat.  Add dry ingredients alternately with non-dairy creamer and beat until a light colored creamy batter forms. Place batter in Bunt pan and bake for 45-55 minutes until tester comes out clean.  Let cool and remove from pan.  Top with raspberries or strawberries or blueberries and whipped cream if desired.

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Kitchen Sink Cookies

May 2nd, 2011 · Uncategorized

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Open up the Pantry door wide

Collect some peanut butter and decide

To add a few raisins and some chips

Combine with cocoa for nirvana on your lips

Don’t forget the oatmeal for a dose of health

A yummy ingredient that adds texture with stealth

Enjoy every chew

A delight through and through!

Ingredients:

2 sticks unsalted butter room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

¾ cup creamy peanut butter

2 large eggs

1-teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1-teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups unbleached flour

1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats

One 12-ounce package bittersweet chocolate chunks

1 generous cup of raisins

Optional: 1 cup chopped roasted unsalted peanuts

Lots of nooks and crannies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Cream butter with sugars. Add peanut butter and blend.  Add vanilla and eggs and beat until smooth. Add baking powder, cinnamon, salt cocoa and flour. And mix until evenly incorporated.  Add oatmeal and blend.  Add chocolate chunks and raisins and mix until just combined. Form golfball sized cookie and place 8 per sheet. Bake for approximately 12-16 minutes until tops feel set but not over baked; they firm up as they cool.  Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for a few minutes then transfer to racks to cool.  Can freeze in airtight container.

Yield 32 2-½ -3 inch cookies

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Pareve Passover Chocolate Chip Cookies

April 21st, 2011 · Uncategorized

Passover Chocolate Chip

They really are a trip

No flour anywhere

Plenty of flavor to spare

A Passover imitation

A very edible creation

They look and taste delicious

Ingredients:

3 sticks margarine

2 cups sugar

1-tablespoon vanilla

4 eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1-tablespoon baking powder

1 ½ Tablespoon potato starch

2 1/3 cup cake meal

12 ounces chocolate chips

Directions:


Preheat oven to 350. Cream margarine with sugar.  If you have a hand mixer this will be difficult and you need to add the vanilla and the eggs to lighten the texture.  Next if haven’t already add the vanilla and eggs and cream.  Add the salt, baking powder, cake meal, and potato starch and mix thoroughly.  Once again if you are using a hand mixer finish mixing with gloved hands until no margarine is visible.  Blend in chocolate chips. Take walnut sized balls and place 12 on cookie sheet (4 rows of 3 across). Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden around edges.  Let cool for a few minutes and remove with spatula. Finish cooling on parchment paper place on counter. Yeild: 34 2 ½ inch cookies.  According to my calculations these cookies have about a 150 calories each because of the high sugar and margarine content. On the good news side the cookies are pareve, don’t seem like Passover, picture perfect, and are very welcome treats for that special time of year.

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Nut Free Pareve Double Batch Hamentashen

March 3rd, 2011 · Uncategorized

Hamentashen


The Jewish festival of Purim is almost here.  It arrives this year the weekend of March 19th. Hamentashen are a traditional Purim cookie and a favorite enjoyed by all.  Bakeries often sell Hamentashen year round they are so popular.  There is a tradition of giving goodie baskets on Purim, which usually include Hamentashen.  The trick is to have a good tasting as well as a good-looking Hamentashen.  I adapted a previous recipe to eliminate the almond extract and use only vanilla because my niece has a nut allergy.  Also I have the recipe presented as a double batch so that it is sufficient in quantity to give away in your goodie baskets.  The recipe is non-dairy and can be adapted with butter if desired.

Bite into the cookie, and a jam centered treat

Will greet your tongue as the flavors meet

A holiday tradition and a commemorative delight

So loved they are made all year, not only on this night

Representing the moral of the festival story

Which touts a triumph over evil as it’s glory

Once again, the good has overshadowed the bad

And the sweet taste lingers, while enhancing a celebration to make one glad!

Ingredients:

62 perfect Hamentashen

4 sticks margarine

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

12/3 cup orange juice

3 teaspoons vanilla

8 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Filling  (3 -10.5 ounce jars) of Simon Fischer or Solo Apricot Butter, Raspberry filling, or Prune Butter

Directions:

You will need a 3 inch fluted round biscuit cutter

Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Cream margarine with sugar in the mixer, and then add the eggs, vanilla extract.   Blend until well incorporated.  Add baking powder, salt, and flour to mixer alternately with orange juice and blend until soft cookie dough forms and the ingredients are evenly distributed.

On a lightly floured surface roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut into 3-inch fluted rounds.  Fill with 1 tablespoon filling and make three-cornered cookies.  To form the triangles, fold the 3 sides in towards the middle and seal leaving the center slightly open.  Try not to press too hard and damage the fluted edges. Transfer to lined Let cookies rest for about ½ hour and then repair any unsealed edges before placing in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden around edges. Let cookies cool and remove from cookie sheets with a wide flat spatula. Pack in airtight container with parchment paper between layers.  Freeze if not going to use within 48 hours.

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