Recipe Box

I believe I offered to share links and sources for Cookie Party recipes. Here you go!

Artichoke dip - recipe from Angela. I added extra red pepper flakes this year. Guests seemed to appreciate the heat.

Boy Scout Bars - I found this recipe online (not on the Food Network site) years ago. I change what kind of chips I use in it each year. A couple of people mentioned to me that these are their favorites.

Butternut Chocolate Chip Cookies - from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion (I used their Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie for this recipe). I made these at the party so they'd be warm from the oven. They spread out quite a bit - more than I personally like - but were popular.

Cheese Puffs - source unknown (hand-copied into a spiral notebook). These are winners. I adore them. I used black sesame seeds.




Chocolate Butter Cookies with Mint Glaze - recipe adapted from Cooks Illustrated Magazine. I put mint extract in the glaze instead of in the cookie. I like the espresso powder in these. It is such a nice flavor.




Chocolate Wakeups - from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. Cayenne pepper is a surprising, terrific addition.

First, cream 1/2 cup butter with 1 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, a pinch of black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper, 3/4 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp salt.

Add 1 egg and stir to combine. Stir in 3/4 cup cocoa, then 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour. Stir again. I did all this in my stand mixer, but I'm sure you could do it by hand.

Roll into balls and flatten with the bottom of a juice glass dipped in sugar. Bake for 10-11 minutes at 375 F (on an ungreased cookie sheet), remove from oven, and cool cookies on a rack.





Citrus Sizzlers - from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. Another cookie with cayenne, these build in heat the more you eat!




Cocoa Snowflakes - from chef Gina DePalma of Babbo, via SeriousEats. This was my favorite cookie of the year. I'll make them again soon. Chocolate, orange, and pistachio are such a treat together.




Coconut Joe Froggers - from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion (no crystallized ginger or dates in mine). I liked these with the addition of the coconut. The rum makes them unlike other molasses cookies.




Cornflake Cookies - Tia sent me a link to this MySpace cookie exchange, which included Sue's Cornflake Cookie recipe (below). I enjoyed them, and they were one of Rory's surprise favorites, but I think they could use something.

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter
1tsp cream of tartar
1tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cup flour
1tsp vanilla
2 cups cornflakes (do not crush!)
optional-1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, add cream of tartar, baking soda, and vanilla. Add flour, mix well. Add cornflakes, folding in by hand, be careful to not crush them too much. Roll into walnut sized balls, press with fork. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.


Cranberry Walnut Bars - recipe from Mom. Usually I make these with pecans. They're moist and great either way.

Crispix Mix - Dan adapted a Chex Mix recipe found online through a Google search (actual site unknown). It's his specialty! I like Crispix better than Chex in a snack mix - cheaper ingredients and bigger pieces to crunch.




Deluxe Sugar Cookies - old Betty Crocker recipe, copied down by Mom. This is a classic, buttery cookie that can be soft and thick or thin and delicate.

Double Decker Peanut Butter Chocolate Marbled Meltaway Fudge - recipe from Mom. I want to go to there.




English Toffee - source unknown (hand-copied into a spiral notebook). So easy! So tasty! Makes a ton!

Hot Buttered Rum - from Allrecipes. I always play around with which spices to add (and how much sugar I put in). This is a decadent hit.

Hot Cranberry Tea - adapted from a recipe in 365 Foods Kids Love to Eat. This is like a tangy cranberry-orange cider or punch. I've played around with spices here, too. It's good plain (as I prefer it) or spiked with rum or Maker's Mark. Kevin T. liked it best cold.

Karen's Pecan Shortbread - recipe from Mom. It's flaky, mild, and lovely.




Lingonberry and Currant Jam Daisies - from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. I hadn't made these before. They stored surprisingly well between layers of waxed paper. I'm glad I used good jam, for the cookies are very simple.




Magnolia Peanut Butterscotch - adapted from this peanut butter recipe on Smitten Kitchen (I added butterscotch chips, which was my sister Cali's idea). It's a comforting, soft cookie.




Margarita Cookies - another recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I wish these had a "jucier," bright citrus flavor, but the flaky texture and the salt and sugar around the edges are perfect.

Midnight Rum Balls - recipe found in a discussion thread on Chowhound (scroll down to the comment byAnneInMpls on Dec. 02, 2005). They're like falling into a tasty black hole of Oreo and rum. Very few people could identify the ingredients (beyond rum). Bonus: vegan! Double bonus: no bake!




Monster Cookies - adapted from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion (I used their soft oatmeal cookie recipe and added peanut butter, M&Ms, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips to it). This isn't the perfect recipe, but it's getting there.




Nutella Kisses - source unknown (hand-copied into a spiral notebook). I wish these were softer, but they have a great finish, so if you like a crispier cookie I recommend them.

Combine 1 3/4 cups flour + 1 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp salt.

In mixer, cream 1/2 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar, 1/2 c. butter, softened.
Add: 1/2 c. Nutella Chocolate-Hazelnut Spread and mix.
Add: 1 egg + 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix.

Stir dry ingredients into wet, just to combine. Roll cookie dough into walnut-sized balls. Soll in sprinkles or sanding sugar (I used sugar).

Bake 8 minutes on silpat or greased cookie sheet. Place a chocolate kiss (I used miniature ones because I made my cookies slightly smaller) in the center of each cookie. Bake an additional 3 minutes. Cool on a wire rack!




Pignoli - from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. This is an expensive cookie to make (marzipan and pine nuts are not cheap). If you can't find lemon oil, like I couldn't, either don't substitute limoncello - which is what I tried - or do use it as a substitute but be prepared to add a lot more almond flour (I made my own almond flour) to make up for the added wetness). They came out well despite my missteps.




Salty Oatmeal Cookies - from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion. These look boring, but taste great.

Savory Meatballs - recipe from Mom. I use ground turkey instead of ground beef. I can't overstate how much people love these.




Snickerdoodles - recipe from Mom. This is one of my all-time favorite cookies. Store them with a piece of bread (at room temp) in an air-tight container and they'll stay soft.




Spritz Cookies - recipe from Mom. These cookies are mostly butter, and they're also one of Nauser's favorites. I make them every year in a couple of shapes and one or two colors with an antique aluminum cookie press.




Triple Ginger Spice Cookies - adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe. Last year, I used applesauce instead of egg and a mixture of vegetable shortening and vegan "butter." This year, I used all vegan "butter," but slipped up and used an egg instead of making them vegan again. Last year they were softer, but the flavor has been tops both years. I always add freshly grated ginger to this recipe.

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So, is anyone wondering about the final cookie count? My number will be inexact because I baked cookies during the party without counting them, but I got several hundred cookies past 1700! And that's just adding up the 21 kinds of cookies (including bar cookies) I made this year, not counting the other sweet and savory treats I prepared. Whew!