Orange Frosted Cranberry Cookies

Oh my, but these are tasty! My sister-in-law gave me this recipe and I had it for a long time before I made it, but can I just say....I could kick myself for waiting so long to make them!! They are heavenly!! If you are in any way a fan of the orange/cranberry combo...then this cookie is for YOU!!


Frosted Orange Cranberry Cookies





Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1 cup sugar 
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 egg

Combine sugars and butter until smooth then add orange peel, orange juice and egg. Mix until well combined.

Add:

2 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups Craisins
½ cup pecans (optional)

Bake 12 – 14 minutes or until edges and bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire rack and allow to cool completely, about 30 minutes before dipping. 


Orange Dipping Glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon grated orange peel

2 – 3 tablespoons orange juice


Combine in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Frost cookies with about a teaspoon of glaze and let harden.


Makes  3 dozen cookies

Here's all the stuff for the cookie....

...and all you need for the frosting.

Sugars and butter ready to go....

then add the orange peel, orange juice and egg.

Mix it all up then add the Craisins.

Ready to scoop!

Scooped!

Here's the frosting all combined...

and waiting to dunk the cookies.

Don't these look great?? 

Well, they taste even better!

Chocolate Crackles

The first time I had these cookies I was a teenager. My mom made them and being the choco-holic that I was (and still am)....I loved them. My opinion hasn't changed one bit since then. A chocolate cookie...with chocolate chips...rolled in powdered sugar then baked until they are soft and chewy. What can get better than that, I ask? Not much!   


Chocolate Crackles   
  



Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper


2 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate, melted
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chocolate chips
powdered sugar

Cream oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Cream in chocolate. Add flour, salt, baking powder and chocolate chips. Chill 2 hours. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in powdered sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15 minutes or until set and tops crack open.

All you need for yummy chocolatey goodness.

 

Basically, mix it all up....

 

...plop the dough on a cookie

 sheet after it's chilled a bit...

 

...and you get this!! 

Minus the christmas tree.

Dorothy's Toffee Chip Cookies

The first time I had these cookies I thought I would embarrass myself with how many I ate. We were at dinner at a lovely lady's house....the mother-in-law of my very good friend....and Dorothy had these for dessert along with a cherry cheesecake. The cheesecake was good, no doubt, but it was these cookies that captured my attention and found a place into my heart and taste-buds. Apparently Dorothy made these cookies all the time for her family and you could tell because she had perfected the recipe. Dorothy's gone now but the memory of her is strong and I think of her every time I make these little treasures.

Dorothy's Toffee Chip Cookies




 Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper

Cream together:
1 cup butter – softened
1 cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Beat in 2 eggs

Add:
2 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 bag toffee chips

Drop by small teaspoonfuls and bake for 8 to 10 minutes depending on desired softness/crunchiness. These cookies  spread while baking so don’t crowd the pan. I usually get about 12 cookies per pan.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies


This is a very basic recipe so I 

didn't show all the steps. But here's whatcha need.

Make the dough balls a little on 

the small side because these babies will spread.

These cookies are flat when baked. You can bake them so they turn out soft or if you like to live on the wild side like Dorothy did, make 'em crunchy. Yummy either way.

Key Lime Meltaways

These cookies are called "meltaways" for a reason....they literally melt in your mouth. They are just the right size to pop a whole one in your mouth...the key lime flavor hits your tongue then the rest just melts away. They are a little addicting, I have to say. And easy to make! Hmmm...not sure that's a good combo.

Key Lime Meltaways



1 ½ sticks butter – room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Grated zest of 4 Key Limes
2 Tablespoons Key Lime juice
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour, less 2 tablespoons
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
Extra powdered sugar for dredging

In the bowl of an electric mixer fixed with the whisk attachment, cream butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Add lime zest, juice and vanilla and beat again until fluffy.

In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture, mixing on low speed until combined and dough comes together.

Divide dough in half and roll out onto parchment paper into two 1 ¼ inch diameter logs. Chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Unwrap dough from parchment paper and slice into ¼ inch-thick round slices. Place rounds on baking sheets, spaced 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies until barely golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly, just 3 – 4 minutes. While still warm, dredge cookies in powdered sugar until well coated.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

The meltaway goodness starts here!

 

Fluff up the butter and powdered sugar.

 

Zest the limes and...

 

...add it to the sugar/butter mixture.

 

Fluff again.

 

Measure out the dry ingredients. 

Take out two tablespoons of flour.

 

But add two tablespoons of cornstarch.

 

Mix the dough and plop it on some waxed paper.

 

Divide in half...two equal logs.

 

Wrap 'em up and throw 'em in the 

fridge for a while. Or freeze them.

 

After chilling, slice 'em up!

 

Look how good!!!!!

White Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies

I love mint and chocolate. Andes mints...mint chocolate chip ice cream...great combo, I think. So I decided to take my standard drop sugar cookie and add white chocolate and peppermint to the recipe. Yep...it was a winner. IT Guy SAID he didn't really care for the chocolate/mint combo but these cookies went pretty quick and I know I wasn't eating them! He admitted that the flavor "grew on him"....haha. I KNEW I could win him over!!

White Chocolate Peppermint 
Sugar Cookies


 

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips ~ divided use
1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes ~ divided use


Cream sugars with butter and shortening.

Add egg and vanilla and mix well.

Add dry ingredients and mix well.

Stir in 1 cup white chocolate chips and 1 cup crushed candy canes.

Scoop into 1 inch balls and place on prepared pan.

Flatten dough balls and bake for about 10 minutes.

Melt remaining 1/2 cup white chocolate. Add remaining 1/2 cup crushed candy canes.

Drizzle on cooled cookies.

For the cookies.....the ingredients 

show that I doubled this recipe.

Cream the sugar with the butter 

and shortening. Then add the eggs.

Then add the dry ingredients.

Crush up your candy canes. I used 

my food processor but you can whack 

the daylights out of them with a rolling 

pin if you need to work out some frustration.

Add the candy canes and the 

white chocolate to the dough.

Then bake 'em up!!

Melt the remaining white chocolate 

and add the remaining crushed candy canes.

Frost your cookies! Let the chocolate set then eat!

Orange Slice Oatmeal Cookies

Okay...so I can already see some of you turning up your nose at the name of this recipe. I think I'll see it turn up even more when you know that the "orange slice" in these little gems are the "gumdrop" type of orange slice candies. But wait...don't give up so easy. These cookies are GOOD! It's a basic oatmeal cookies recipe but instead of using raisins you use orange candy that has been cut up into chunks. I have to say...these are incredibly addicting. A little warm, right out of the oven...and you'll think "where have you been all my life, my little darling?" Really...they are SO good. Please try them. For the sake of all that is good...and these cookies ARE.....bake them today! 

Orange Slice Oatmeal Cookies


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

¾ cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 egg
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups quick oats
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda

1 2-pound container of Orange Slice Candy – cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons flour

Combine cut up candies and 2 tablespoons flour. Toss well to coat the candy pieces and separate the sticky pieces as you go.

Combine shortening, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, water and vanilla in a stand mixer. Cream together until smooth.

Add flour, oats, salt and baking soda. Beat until mixed well.

Add the orange candy pieces and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets and bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Let set on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen 

Mama B's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe comes courtesy of my sweet daughter-in-law. Her beloved grandmother on her mom's side, Mama B, used to make these. Isn't it great to have a recipe like this from someone special? Every time you make it, you can almost feel the person next to you...guiding you and approving. I have a recipe like that from MY grandmother so I know how my DIL and her family must feel every time they make a batch of these cookies. Mama B isn't here anymore but a little bit of her lives on in this recipe. Give these a try....they are SO yummy! I was always a Tollhouse girl...thinking THAT recipe couldn't possibly be improved on. Boy, was I wrong. Mama B's CCC's shine above Nestle's. Plus...as an added bonus, I get to imagine Mama B next to me in the kitchen...maybe telling me the story of how her family used to beg her to make these and how happy it made them. I hope these cookies make MY family happy too. And from the look on their faces yesterday, I'd say I succeeded. Thanks, Mama B!


Mama B's Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

Ingredients:

Wet:
4 Eggs2 Sticks Butter-Flavored Crisco2 teaspoons Vanilla

Dry:
 4 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 Box Light Brown Sugar 
2 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 12-oz. Bag Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (or substitute chips for your favorite candy pieces; ie- butterscotch chips, m&m minis, chocolate chunks, walnuts, etc.)

Combine wet ingredients first into large mixing bowl.  Then slowly add dry ingredients one at a time.  Mix well.  Drop tablespoon-size pieces of dough on prepared pans.  Bake for about 10-11 minutes.  Recipe makes a LOT of cookies - probably at least 6 dozen, if not more. 

(Because my family cannot eat 6 dozen cookies (or maybe they could but I chose not to give them that option) I cut this recipe in half when I made it.)

The goods!

 

Creaming the wet ingredients.....

 

...adding the dry.

 

Coming together!

Add the chocolate chips!

 

Plop on the cookie sheets.

 

Bake 'em!

 

I loaded this pan with dough balls 

and put it in the freezer for a couple of hours.

 

Cookie dough balls all frozen 

and ready to be baked at a moment's notice!

 

Who wants a cookie?