No-Chill Gingerbread Cookies

2/3 cup molasses (not robust)
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 3/4 to 4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Bring molasses, brown sugar, and spices to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat. Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next, until all butter is melted. Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in 3 3/4 cups flour and salt.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with as much of remaining 1/4 cup flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Halve dough, then wrap 1 half in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature.

Roll out remaining dough into a 14-inch round (1/8 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutters and carefully transfer with offset spatula to 2 buttered large baking sheets, arranging them about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes total (watch carefully toward end of baking; cookies can burn easily). Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll once).

Triple Coconut Macaroons

From Cook's Illustrated, Jan. 2000

Cream of coconut, available canned, is a very sweet product commonly used in piña colada cocktails. Be sure to mix the can's contents thoroughly before using, as the mixture separates upon standing. Unsweetened desiccated coconut is commonly sold in natural food stores or Asian markets. If you are unable to find any, use all sweetened flaked or shredded coconut, but reduce the amount of cream of coconut to ½ cup, omit the corn syrup, and toss 2 tablespoons cake flour with the coconut before adding the liquid ingredients. For larger macaroons, shape haystacks from a generous ¼ cup of batter and increase the baking time to 20 minutes.

Ingredients
1 cup cream of coconut
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
4 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon table salt
3 cups unsweetened, shredded, desiccated coconut (about 8 ounces)
3 cups sweetened shredded coconut (or flaked), about 8 ounces
Instructions

1. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray parchment with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

2. Whisk together cream of coconut, corn syrup, egg whites, vanilla, and salt in small bowl; set aside. Combine unsweetened and sweetened coconuts in large bowl; toss together, breaking up clumps with fingertips. Pour liquid ingredients into coconut and mix with rubber spatula until evenly moistened. Chill dough for 15 minutes.

3. Drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto parchment-lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Form cookies into loose haystacks with fingertips (see illustration 1, below), moistening hands with water as necessary to prevent sticking. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes, turning cookie sheets from front to back and switching from top to bottom racks halfway through baking.

4. Cool cookies on cookie sheets until slightly set, about 2 minutes; remove to wire rack with metal spatula.

Koulourakia (Butter Cookies)

From Charity

1 lb. butter
1 c. Crisco
6-7 egg yolks beaten
2 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. orange juice
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
8-9 c. flour
1 1/2 c. cake flour

Melt butter and Crisco together; beat with electric mixer. Add sugar and eggs and continue mixing. Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture alternately with orange juice and flavoring. Knead well and shape as desired. Brush with mixture of egg yolk and milk. Dip in sesame seeds (optional) and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

We usually shape them by rolling a long "log" and either into a circle/loop/doughnut shape, or bending log at middle and twisting the ends around each other 2-3 times (like a twisty tie)

Microwave Brownies

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa

Cream butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well incorporated. Stir in vanilla. Sift flour and cocoa together and fold in to butter mixture.

Butter a 10-inch pie plate and sprinkle all over with sugar. Pour in brownie mixture. Microwave on high until top is just dry and center is set--about 5 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Anise-Almond Biscotti

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons aniseed, ground
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped

1 large egg white

Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract and ground aniseed in large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.

Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.)

From Bon Appetit December 1999

Cranberry and White Chocolate Biscotti

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
1 egg white

6 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), chopped, or white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer logs to work surface. Discard parchment. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn biscotti over. Bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Transfer biscotti to rack.

Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Freeze in airtight container. Thaw at room temperature.)

From Bon Apetit December, 1998

Butter Cookies

Published as Glazed Butter Cookies--Cook's Illustrated Nov, 2003

2 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup superfine sugar (put regular sugar in blender for 20 seconds)
1/4 tsp salt
16 TBSP butter (2 sticks) cut into 16 pieces, at cool room temperature
2 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP cream cheese, at room temperature

Glaze:
1 TBSP cream cheese, at room temperature
3 TBSP milk
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

For the cookies:

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined, about 5 seconds. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds.

Remove bowl from mixer; knead dough by hand in bowl for 2 to 3 turns to form large cohesive mass. Turn out dough onto countertop; divide in half, pat into two 4-inch disks, wrap each in plastic, and refrigerate until they begin to firm up, 20 to 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 weeks; defrost in refrigerator before using.)

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out 1 dough disk to even 1/8-inch thickness between 2 large sheets parchment paper; slide rolled dough on parchment onto baking sheet and chill until firm, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, repeat with second disk.

Working with first portion of rolled dough, cut into desired shapes using cookie cutter(s) and place shapes on parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until light golden brown, about 10 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking time. Repeat with second portion of rolled dough. (Dough scraps can be patted together, chilled, and re-rolled once.) Cool cookies on wire rack to room temperature.

For the glaze
Whisk cream cheese and 2 tablespoons milk in medium bowl until combined and no lumps remain. Whisk in confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding remaining milk as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily. Drizzle or spread scant teaspoon glaze with back of spoon onto each cooled cookie, as desired.

Pumpkin Squares

Crust:
1C flour
1/2C rolled oats
1/2C brown sugar
1 stick butter

Filling:
1# can pumpkin
1t cinnamon
1-13oz can evap. milk
1/4t cloves
2 eggs
1/2t ginger
3/4 C sugar

Topping:
1/2C walnuts
1/2C brown sugar
2T butter

Combine crust ingredients and mix till crumbly, using low speed of electric mixer. Press into 9x13 pan and bake at 350° for 15 minutes.

Combine filling ingredients and beat well. Pour into baked crust. Bake at 350° for 20 more minutes.

Combine topping and sprinkle over filling. Return to oven and bake for 20-30 more minutes, till knife comes out clean.

From Jill in Kentucky

Pumpkin Doughnuts

1 ½ c. sugar
5 ½ c. flour
2 T. butter

Cut the butter into the flour and sugar.

4 t. baking powder
2 eggs

Add these next.

1 c. pumpkin (or mashed potatoes)
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon (I used 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and omitted other spices)
¾ c. milk
¼ t. nutmeg

Mix. Roll ½” thick. Cut out with doughnut cutter. Fry 5 to 6 doughnuts at a time in 375 oil 2-3 minutes, turning once. Drain on cooling rack set over paper towels. Holes take less time to cook.

Cinnamon Sugar: 1 c. sugar with 1 T. cinnamon in pie pan—roll doughnuts to coat.

Pumpkin White Chip Macadamia Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels, divided
2/3 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.

COMBINE flour, cinnamon, cloves and baking soda in a small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until blended; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in 1 1/2 cup morsels and nuts. Spread into prepared jelly-roll pan.

BAKE for 18 to 22 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

PLACE remaining morsels in heavy-duty plastic bag. Microwave on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 45 seconds; knead. Microwave at additional 10- to 15-second intervals, kneading until smooth. Cut tiny corner from bag; squeeze to drizzle over bars. Cut into bars.

From NJLisa @ SL. Note from Lisa: If I am making them for every day or for the kids, I leave out the Macadamia nuts; and use half the amount of white chocolate chips and put them all in the batter. The cookies are always a big hit and they freeze well.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

My mom doesn't remember making these cookies, but my sister and I remembered them well. We dug through Mom's recipe box and cookbooks until we found the recipe. Now we both make them for our children. These are rolled out like a sugar cookie, but have a delightfully warm, spicy taste. My favorite way to make them for autumn is to use my little leaf-shaped cookie cutters and color the frosting in red, yellow, and orange to make them look like autumn leaves.

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or a mixture of cinnamon, cloves, and allspice)

Cream together butter and sugar, then add egg, beating well. Blend in the flour and the spice. Separate into two disks, cover in plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour.

Roll out cookies and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 400 degrees, on cookies sheets covered in parchment paper or silicone mats, until just starting to lightly brown. Bake time will depend on size of cookies. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Frosting:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
dash of salt
food coloring