Taste of Home Cookies

I've been busy so far this summer with my go-to cookie cookbook. Out of all the ones I've made over the past couple of weeks, these three are my favorites. The Frosted Cocoa Cookies have a little almond extract in the frosting. They're divine. Cool and refreshing, the Blueberry Squares are perfect to serve on a hot summer day. Be sure to store them in the refrigerator. Finally, the Pecan Metlaways are a classic true to its name! So go ahead, choose one or choose a couple. There's something here for everyone!

Frosted Cocoa Cookies

Blueberry Squares

Pecan Meltaways

Fun Cookie Cutters

Give a sick loved one a fruit basket? Nah.

How about a plate full of mini fruit-shaped sugar cookies?

There we go.

Weekend Cooking: Frosted Ginger Cookies

My volleyball team was looking forward to those cupcakes, so I ended up making these cookies for the team sleepover last night. Yup, definitely made up for it! People loved these--I couldn't believe how fast they disappeared! The ginger in these cookies was perfect, not over-powering at all. And the frosting was a perfect compliment. I had to save a few for my family!

This recipe is from the Taste of Home: Cookies cookbook.

For the Cookies:

1-1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup molasses

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4-1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground ginger

2 teaspoons each baking soda and ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon each salt and ground cloves

For the Frosting:

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dash salt

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in molasses and vanilla; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes or until cookies spring back when touched lightly (do not over-bake). Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For the frosting, in a medium saucepan, bring brown sugar, milk and butter to a boil; boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat (mixture will look curdled at first). Cool for 3 minutes before adding the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt; mix well. Frost the cooled cookies.

Notes: The frosting recipe did not make a lot, so I would double the batch of frosting next time.

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone with a food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button, head over to Beth Fish Reads, and link up anytime over the weekend.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Sunday!

Weekend Cooking: Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the new year so far.

These cookies are yummy--and vegan! (Do we have any vegan followers?!) I found the recipe on vegweb.com in the popular recipes section at the very top of the list. With 585,151 views and 380 reviews (and counting), I thought I'd give these a try.

Click for the link -- Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I used one cup of vegan carob chips, and I added a splash of almond milk at the end. Also, I flattened the cookies slightly after placing them on the ungreased cookie sheets.

Even my mom, JoAnn, says they're surprisingly delicious!

Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone with a food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button, head over to Beth Fish Reads, and link up anytime over the weekend.

Weekend Cooking: The Amish Cook

Cookbooks are to be bought and used... or so I thought before blogging and Weekend Cooking became part of my routine. Now, several new ones tempt me each week. Thank goodness for the public library, and inter-library loan in particular. I've gotten into the habit of taking some cookbooks for a 'test drive' before buying. Others are meant to be borrowed and read.

The Amish Cook: Recollections and Recipes from an Old Order Amish Family by Elizabeth Coblentz with Kevin Williams falls into that last category. Staci featured it on Six Sentence Saturday a couple of weeks ago and I wanted to take a closer look. The Amish Cook showcases many of Elizabeth's weekly newspaper columns on Amish life but, in addition, you'll find stunning photography and reflections on Amish traditions. Of course, there are also plenty of recipes organized into chapters titled: Breakfast, Dinner, Supper, Desserts, and Sundays and Special Occasions.

Margaret and I made Elizabeth's Applesauce Cookies. The recipe for these cake-like treats originally appeared in The Amish Cook column in September 1993.

Applesauce Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup applesauce

1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside. In another bowl, mix together the butter, sugars, and egg. Add the applesauce, oatmeal, raisins, nuts, and chocolate chips. Add the sifted ingredients and mix real well, until the batter is smooth. Drop by teaspoonfuls, spaced apart, onto cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, until the top and edges are slightly brown. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Notes: We included walnuts, but omitted the raisins. Daughter #1 was home from college... and she hates raisins!
Weekend Cooking, hosted at Beth Fish Reads, is open to anyone with a food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button, head over to Beth Fish Reads, and link up anytime over the weekend.