Gingerbread Cookies
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups dark molasses
2/3 cup cold water
7 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Raisins ORchocolate chips, if desired
Easy Creamy Frosting, if desired (See Below)
Tinted Decorator's Frosting, if desired (See Below)
Assorted candies, if desired
1. Mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses and water in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, ginger, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. 2. Heat oven to 350ºF. Grease cookie sheet lightly. Roll one-fourth of dough at a time 1/4 inch thick on floured surface. Cut with floured gingerbread cookie cutter or other favorite shaped cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Add raisins or chocolate chips for eyes and buttons and cookie dough "hair", if desired. (Use a garlic press or potato ricer to make dough into "hair.") 3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack. Frost cookies with Easy Creamy Frosting and/or Tinted Decorator's Frosting; decorate as desired. Let stand 2 to 3 hours before storing so frosting can dry.
Easy Creamy Frosting
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 to 5 tablespoons half-and-half
Food color, if desired
1. Mix powdered sugar and enough water to make a frosting that can be easily drizzled or used in a decorating bag yet hold its shape. Tint desired color with food color.
?Tinted Decorator's Frosting
1 cup powdered sugar
3 to 5 teaspoons water
Food color, if desired
1. Mix powdered sugar and enough water to make a frosting that can be easily drizzled or used in a decorating bag yet hold its shape. Tint desired color with food color.
KITCHEN WITCH
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Classic Sugar Cookies (Cookie Exchange Quantity)
Mmm! Melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies. Enjoy a classic!
3 cups powdered sugar
2 cups butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 eggs
5 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Decorator?s Glaze
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract
Food colors, as desired
Decorations
Betty Crocker® decorating gel (in 0.68-oz tubes), colored sugar and/or decors, if desired
Betty Crocker® decorating icing (in 4.25-oz tubes), if desired
Flaked coconut, if desired
1. In large bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, the butter, vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2. Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with 3-inch cookie cutters. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. In small bowl, beat all glaze ingredients except food colors on low speed until smooth. Divide among several small bowls. Stir desired food color, one drop at a time, into each until desired color. Decorate cookies with glaze and other decorations as desired.
KITCHEN WITCH
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Mix Easy Rolled Sugar Cookies
Let a cake mix jumpstart your cookie making and do away with uneeded measuring.
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla, almond extract or lemon extract
1 egg
Sugar
1 cup Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
Food colors
1. Heat oven to 375ºF. In large bowl, beat half of the cake mix (dry), the shortening, butter, vanilla and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in remaining cake mix.
2. Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each part 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured cloth-covered surface with cloth-covered rolling pin. Cut into desired shapes; sprinkle with sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake cookies 5 to 7 minutes or until light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. In microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on High 20 to 30 seconds or until melted; stir. Frost cookies. Stir together small amounts of water and food color. Paint colors on freshly frosted cookies, using fine-tip brush, then swirl colors with brush or toothpick to create marbled designs. Dry completely before storing.
KITCHEN WITCH
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Cookie-Cheesecake Bars
Creme-filled chocolate cookies create the chocolate layer in rich cheesecake bars. It's hard to have just one.
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 eggs
24 miniature creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies
1. Heat oven to 375°F (if using dark or nonstick pan, heat oven to 350°F). In large bowl, beat 2 cups flour, the brown sugar and butter with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Press mixture in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with crushed cookies.
2. In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup flour and the eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until thick and fluffy. Pour over crushed cookies.
3. Bake 12 to 16 minutes or until topping is set. Cool 15 minutes. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Top each bar with miniature cookie. Store covered in refrigerator.
KITCHEN WITCH
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