Cookie Jigsaw Dee Dees Recipes

WHIMSICAL SWIRL COOKIES - DEE DEE'S

Steps:

• 1. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars and whisk until well blended. Place in large mixing bowl of a stand mixer.
• 2. Add butter in, gradually, and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract. At this point, your dough will form a ball on your paddle. NOTE: I did find it necessary to add more flour at this point.
• 3. Remove all your dough and divide into two equal parts. Return one portion back in to the mixer and add the food coloring and any extra extracts. I used Wilton gel food coloring in pink and vanilla extract for this batch. You can coordinate your colors and flavors, for example green food coloring matched with a mint extract or yellow with a lemon extract, etc. Also, if you are using liquid food coloring, you will need to add a few tbsp. of flour to keep the dough from becoming too wet. Mix until the color is spread out evenly.
• 4. Roll out each portion of your dough, between two sheets a wax paper until is reaches about 11 x 9 inches and is 1/4 inch thick. Slide both unto a cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. NOTE: I found that the dough became very firm in about 30 minutes.
• 5. When firm, remove the top sheets of wax paper from both. Brush the uncolored vanilla dough lightly with water using a pastry brush. Then flip the colored dough onto the vanilla uncolored dough so they are stacked atop each other and even. Press the edges lightly with your fingertips to seal them together. Using a small paring knife; trim the edges of the dough to make straight, even lines.
• 6. Pour out sprinkles onto a large platter and set aside. Be sure your dough is still cold, but flexible. Once it's ready, begin rolling the long side of dough into a swirl, jelly-roll style. Now, don't get nervous if the outer layer of uncolored dough tears a bit. It's no problem, just pinch and pat those tears and voila, then just keep rolling. NOTE: the outter layer did tear and I pinched it back together as instructed. Cookies turned out beautiful!
• 7. Now gently lift your dough log onto the sprinkles and roll away. Cover the log completely with your sprinkles. Wrap the colorfully decorated log in plastic wrap twice. Depending on when you want to bake the cookies, either place the wrapped dough into refrigerator for about 3-4 hours or you can put it the freezer and keep it there for up to 2 months. (If freezing, give yourself time for the dough to defrost in the fridge overnight before cutting.)
• 8. Slice your dough into 1/4-1/8 inch slices and bake on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes until edges are slightly golden. Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, and then move them to a cookie rack to finish cooling. Enjoy your whimsical cookies!

BUTTER CUT OUT COOKIES - DEE DEE'S

Steps:

• 1. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy; add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. NOTE: If making Christmas Cookies add the Anise Oil.
• 2. Stir salt into flour; add to butter and sugar mixture 1 cup at a time. NOTE: This will be a stiff dough.
• 3. Place dough in freezer for 1/2 hour. This will make dough easier to work with.
• 4. Flour the surface you will be working on and flatten dough onto the floured surface; lightly dust top of dough. Roll out and cut into desired shapes.
• 5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Do not over bake. Allow cookies to cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.
• 6. Directions for Frosting: Mix all ingredients together. Spread on cookies. NOTE: Add candy sprinkles if you like but keep in mind these cookies are very good with just the frosting.
• 7. Directions for Glaze: Place all ingredients, except the food coloring, into a medium sized bowl; whisk to combine. You want a thick syrup. Add more powdered sugar to thicken, and more milk to thin.
• 8. Add the food coloring, stir until well combined.
• 9. Pour the icing into a condiment bottle. Be sure to put the cap on to ensure it doesn't dry out.
• 10. Repeat steps for each additional color.
• 11. To decorate: cover cookie with glaze (your choice of color). For patterns and designs, pipe a different color onto the cookie while it is still wet, or pipe another color on, after it has dried (for 5 minutes). Choose technique depending on the look you perfer. NOTE: for a sandwich cookie, spread raspberry jam between cookies before decorating.

CRAZY COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter together with the brown sugar and granulated sugar until it's nice and combined. Add the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl if necessary to make sure everything is incorporated.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, coffee granules, baking soda and salt. Stir together, then add it to the mixer in 3 increments, mixing on low until it's totally incorporated. Scrape the bowl and beat for a few more seconds. Stir in the chocolate candies, rice cereal and pecans (if using) by hand.
• With an ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Refrigerate the scooped cookies for 15 minutes, then bake until golden brown, 9 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining dough.

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Using a stand mixer, cream the shortening, granulated sugar, orange peel and vanilla thoroughly, about 2 minutes. Add in the egg and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 more minute. Add in the milk and mix.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together, and then blend into the cream mixture. Divide the dough in half (thirds if you double your recipe), slightly flatten between 2 sheets of waxed paper and refrigerate for 1 hour (or freeze for 20 minutes).
• Roll out the dough 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Transfer the shapes to lightly greased cookie sheets and chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
• For the egg yolk glaze: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. While the dough is chilling, combine the egg yolk, 1 teaspoon water and food coloring. Paint the cookies (with a soft brush) with the egg yolk glaze.
• Bake the cookies for 6 to 7 minutes. Do not allow the cookies to brown. The cookies will be slightly puffed and the glaze will look crackled. Bake in 2 batches if you don't reroll the scraps.
• For the decorative white icing: While the cookies are baking, mix the powdered sugar, milk and egg whites. Make sure that it is thick and somewhat retains its shape.
• Remove the cookies from the oven to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Then, using a pastry bag or zip-top bag, pipe the cookies with the white icing to decorate.

DEE'S OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• With beaters at med-high speed, cream the butter, and the two sugars together.
• Add the eggs and vanilla, continue beating until well blended.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, baking powder and salt.
• On low speed, add the flour mixture about 1/2 cup at a time into the butter mixture, mixing until smooth.
• Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips.
• Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray, drop dough by teaspoons onto sheets.
• Bake for 8- 10 minutes, then cool on racks for 5- 8 minutes before removing from pan.