It’s time for my weekly cookie recipe! Well, at least it seems that way. I do love to bake, but I didn’t intend to share a new recipe every week.

A friend at school asked me for my Snickerdoodle recipe a while back and I got busy and forgot to write it down for her. So, here it is… the ultimate soft and cinnamony cookie.

1 Cup Shortening
1 and 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 and 3/4 Cups Flour
2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
Cinnamon and Sugar to roll cookies in

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Realize that you are out of cream of tartar and begin calling neighbors. They will happily loan you their jar because they know you will bring them warm cookies. Mix all ingredients.

Use a cookie scoop to form a perfect ball. Roll the dough ball in a cinnamon and sugar mixture. I like to roll the whole dough ball in the mixture, including the bottom.

I bake my cookies on a Silpat baking mat. Using a Silpat ensures that my cookies don’t stick to the tray. It also ensures that the sugar on the bottom of the cookie does not caramelize.

Bake the cookies for 7 minutes, at 400 degrees. I use a standard oven, not convection. When they come out they will be slightly undercooked. They will set as they cool and make the perfect soft cookie.

Wrap a few snickerdoodles in a cellophane bag and tie with a pretty bow. These cookies make the perfect gift for the teacher who prints out your sub plans when you’re on your death bed or the friends you call “Tech Support” because they can solve any computer issue over the phone. Enjoy, friends!

This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. My friends and family call them Becca Cookies. They are always soft (as long as you don’t overcook them) and they hold their shape. They don’t melt down into a ball of goo, like some cookies do when they bake. The dough is really just my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Instead of chocolate chips, we used M&M’s. Sometimes we use the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips or even peanut butter M&M’s. Any of these options make a scrumptious cookie.

I usually make cookie dough in my standing Kitchen Aid mixer. Sometimes when my daughter helps, we use the handheld Kitchen Aid mixer. It’s easier for her to handle and she feels like more of a helper.

Here’s the recipe:
1 Cup Crisco shortening (original, not butter flavor)
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup white sugar
Mix until soft and fluffy.

Add:
2 Eggs
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix just until blended.

Dry ingredients:
2 and 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
Mix it up and add a bag of M&M’s or chocolate chips.

Bake for 10 minutes (or less) on 350 degrees. My oven is a standard oven, not convection, and this is what I do.

This is the dough after adding the M&M’s. I have to say Chocolate Chips will ALWAYS be my favorite!

When I have made M&M cookies before, I’ve noticed that the M&M’s kind of sink down into the cookie. They are not quite as bright and colorful when this happens. So, after we scoop the cookie onto the pan we add a few more M&M’s to the top of each dough ball. I always use a good size cookie scoop to form the dough balls. I also don’t ever bake cookies without my Silpat baking mat. I love these baking tools!

Fresh out of the oven.

Once the cookies have cooled, I put individual cookies into ziploc bags. These go into the freezer for the kids’ lunches. I have always thought it was a special treat for my kids to have a homemade cookie in their lunch each day. A few weeks ago my son was begging for me to put some oreos or packaged cookies in his lunch. Now I realize that the packaged junk is the treat for my kids because they never get those types of cookies! I’m sure I’ve scarred them for life. They’ll probably never want to bake with THEIR children when they are older.

Don’t you want to go bake a batch now? They’re even better when it’s raining outside. Happy baking!

Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.

If you like peanut butter cups, this is the ultimate no-bake, 5 minute, recipe.

Crush graham crackers. You need about 2 cups. Honey Maid Graham Crackers come with three packs in each box. Two packs is usually just about right.

We melt 1 cup of margarine in a bowl. Then add 4 cups powdered sugar, and stir until creamy.

Stir in 2 cups peanut butter. Add the 2 cups of crushed graham crackers last.

Poor 1 bag of chocolate chips into a bowl. Microwave and stir in 30 second intervals. Press cookie mixture into a 9×13 pan.

Spread the melted chocolate over the peanut butter mixture. If you have helpers, like I do, the edges of the pan may not look too neat and pretty.

When you take the cookies out of the pan, no one cares that the edges of the pan were messy with chocolate.

Enjoy!!!
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My kids and I spent the afternoon making one of our favorite cookies…frosted sugar cookies. I make these cookies for most holidays, to share at our volunteer tea at school, to take to Seaside, and simple snowflakes to give as gifts at Christmas. Here’s the recipe:

Just kidding. Here’s the real recipe:

2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 TBSP butter
1/3 Cup shortening
3/4 Cup sugar
1 egg
1 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Cookies for Christmas

Beat butter and shortening until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat well. Add dry ingredients. Beat until well mixed. (I usually make a triple batch. They freeze well.)

The dough needs to be refrigerated for about 3 hours to make it easier to handle.

I like a thick sugar cookie. That way they are soft, rather than crispy. I roll them to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Bake at 375 for seven minutes.

I frost my cookies with a simple powdered sugar and milk frosting. I don’t ever use a recipe. I just pour in a little powdered sugar and a little milk until I get a consistency I like. The Wilton food coloring paste is the only way to go. You can buy it at Michael’s. It gives a much more vivid color than regular food coloring. Stir it up until the color is well blended.

I love to frost my cookies and then use a little sanding sugar from William Sonoma. Oh, they’re just so pretty. It’s a tradition my kids love and it makes the house smell great too.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Here are a few linky parties I like to participate in.
http://becca-homeiswheremystorybegins.blogspot.com/p/linky-parties-i-like-to-participate-in.html

One of my nieces is a second grader and for her birthday, last November, my sister in law planned her birthday at Dawn’s Cake and Candy. www.dawnscandyandcake.com

The party was perfect for a group of second grade girls. Dawn led them through the candy making process and then the girls got creative.

I taught second grade for ten years, and I have never seen a group of second graders engrossed in a project like this! They had a great time. Dawn let each girl keep their candy mold and beautifully boxed up the candies they made.

During the party I was talking to Dawn about her business, candy making parties for grown ups, and supplies she sells. I love to bake sugar cookies for every occasion and I’ve been looking for some edible glitter to add to my cookies.

Dawn took down my name and address and told me she’d contact me. Well, the holidays came around and I got busy. I’m sure she was busy too, and we never touched bases again. Now for the sweet surprise…

Yesterday I went to the mailbox to find a package waiting for me. I opened it up, and there were four bottles of the glitter I was interested in buying! Along with the glitter, there was a note, “Sorry this took so long. Enjoy the glitter at no cost.” She even paid $4.80 to mail my package! It was truly a sweet surprise in my mailbox! To thank her, I thought I’d post this for all of my bloggy and Facebook friends to see. Keep her in mind for all of your baking needs. She throws a great party too!