M&M Cookies
(I don't remember where I got this one; it was years ago. Probably off an M&M bag.)
1 c. shortening
1 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1-1/2 c. M&Ms (the ones in special holiday colors are nice)
Blend shortening and sugars. Add vanilla and eggs. Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture. Blend. Add 1/2 cup M&Ms.
Drop tablespoons of mixture on ungreased cookie sheet and decorate the tops with the remaining cup of M&Ms. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown. The M&Ms will crack, but the cookies look great and taste even better. Makes 6 dozen. (And this recipe is easy to halve if you want to just eat most of the M&Ms out of the bag.)
Special Chocolate Chip Cookies
So okay, chocolate chip cookies are a very common cookie that everybody makes. What I have to share isn't so much a recipe as an enhancement. Here's the basic recipe which originally came from McCalls.
2-1/4 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate pieces
... and the enhancements!
3 Tablespoons real maple syrup
1 tsp. Kahlua
(Seriously, if you're going to make these, use real butter, quality semisweet chocolate pieces, and real maple syrup -- not Aunt Jemima or Log Cabin, which is basically sugar water.)
In large bowl, sift flour with baking soda and salt. Add sugars, eggs, vanilla and butter. Beat with wooden spoon or electric mixer until combined. (Don't keep beating, though.) Add walnuts, chocolate pieces, syrup and Kahlua. Drop by the tablespoon on to an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool. Makes six dozen and like the M&M recipe, it's easy to halve.
And now to explain the photo. When my son was six, I decided I would make a gingerbread house for him. It was a monumental amount of work (a friend of mine helped) and I only did it once, but it was also tremendous fun. Unfortunately, they're really mostly to look at because the gingerbread itself gets so hard. That didn't stop us from eventually eating it all, though. (Note the flagrant use of M&Ms in the design.)
Happy holidays!
Billie
I love MnM cookies! They're like chocolate chip cookies that don't melt in your hand while you're attempting to eat them. Kahlua and maple syrup? That sounds...intriguing.
ReplyDeleteGreat gingerbread house! I miss making those. I only did a *real* one (no premade pieces, all homemade gingerbread) once. It was an entire day of sneaking gumdrops when my mom wasn't looking and attempting to keep the house from collapsing in on itself (which, as I remember, was nigh impossible and required my aunt, my mom, and my grandmother).
Yeah, this was a "real" gingerbread house, made from scratch ingredients and a recipe and patterns I made myself. I wish I had better photos of it.
ReplyDeleteOh my! If I make all the cookies I want to now, I will weigh three tons at the end of the holidays. i adore maple syrup -- have to add that one to the list.
ReplyDeleteBooze in cookies? I'm sold. :)
ReplyDeletePerhaps if I ever make a gingerbread house (it's been on my list for going on five Christmases but still hasn't happened yet), I will put in a kahlua moat!
I am very impressed with the gingerbread house! Even the trees are awesome. I also like the idea of a kahlua moat. Some nice holiday tweaks to already good cookies. thanks Billie.
ReplyDelete