When looking for good recipes for sugar cookies, I turned to my dear friend and Alabama native, Steve-Anna. She gave me two family favorites and we each picked a batch to make. Steve-Anna takes cookie decorating to a level unimaginable to me, so we are starting here with her cookie photos and cookies recipe. I chose a minimalist approach to decorating in the second recipe listed, as you will see.

Sugar Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Recipe number one
Cookies:
3 cups flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup soft butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp vanilla (can substitute almond extract)
Icing
1/3 cup Crisco (transfat-free) or a 1/3 cup of softened butter
1 pound of confectioners sugar
About 1/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla

Method

1 Sift dry ingredients (use a real sifter), cut in butter and add other ingredients. Blend thoroughly; chill for several hours.

2 Break off a piece of dough the size of an orange and pat it flat in your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll on dough on floured board (best to use a 2/1 ration of flour/sugar - 4 Tbsp flour mixed with 2 Tbsp sugar) or between wax paper. (It helps if you flour both sides of the dought.) Roll out to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out and put on silpat-lined or ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 5-8 minutes at 400 F. Remove the cookies from the oven as soon as you see them turning color at the base of the cookie. Let cool completely.

3 Mix icing ingredients together until smooth. Separate into different bowls, add food coloring to achieve various colors. Spread on cookies with a butter knife, use cake decorating piping equipment to add decorative accents. If you want the sprinkle type decorating candies to stick, brush the cookie with clear Karo syrup and then sprinkle.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.

 
Undecorated cookies

 
The icing begins

 
Using sprinkles

Adapted from the recipe for Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies, Huntsville Heritage Cookbook, 1967, The Junior League of Huntsville, AL, Lowry Printing, Inc.

Sugar Cookie Recipe number 2

Cookie:
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Icing:
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup milk
Food coloring

1 Cream butter for 2 minutes, add sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract, beat until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients and add to batter, stirring to blend.

2 Divide dough in half, form 2 balls. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

3 Using a rolling pin, roll out dough (about 1/2 of one dough ball at a time) on a lightly floured surface to about 1/8" thickness. Dip cookie cutters into flour; cut out shapes. Place cookies on silpat lined or lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375°F for 7-8 minutes.

4 To make icing, combine sugar, almond extract and just enough milk (about 1/4 cup) to make the frosting the consistency of thin glue. Pour icing into shallow bowls wide enough for dipping cookies. Add food coloring.

5 To decorate, dip the topside of each cookie into the icing. Remove quickly and let icing drip of excess back into the icing bowl. Let dry. Pour additional colored frosting into pastry piping, or use a plastic sandwich bag with the tip of one corner nicked off. Gently squeeze frosting on to cookies in whatever patterns you choose.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

Whenever I make ice cream from scratch, we usually have lots of leftover egg whites to use up. Meringues (or as my nephew calls them, "little pavlovas") are little cookies made with basically just egg whites and sugar, with a little vinegar and salt added to help the mixture hold its structure when whipped. In this recipe we've folded in some crushed peppermint sticks, leftover from Christmas. Mini chocolate chips can be added as well. What I love about making these meringues is that you just put them in the hot oven, turn off the heat, and walk away for a few hours. Come back to sweet little meringue cookies, light and airy that practically melt in your mouth.

Peppermint Meringue Cookies Recipe

It's easiest to separate the eggs when they are cold. Since you'll want the egg whites to be at room temperature before whipping them (they will get more lift that way), for best results, separate your eggs at least a half hour before starting this recipe, and leave egg whites out to come to room temp.
Make sure that all bowls, hands, and utensils that might touch the eggs are clean and free from oils.
For best results, avoid making on a humid or rainy day.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tbsp thoroughly crushed peppermint candies*
• 3 egg whites
• Pinch salt
• 1 cup sugar (use superfine if you have it)
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

* Pulverize candies by placing them in sealed, doubled-up freezer bags. Use a meat mallet (smooth side) or hammer to gently pound them into a fine powder.

Method

1 Preheat oven to 300°F.

2 Put egg whites into a standup mixer, add a pinch of salt. Start the mixer on low, gradually increasing the speed to medium until quite foamy and soft peaks can just begin to form, about 2-3 minutes. Egg white bubbles should be small and uniform.

3 Increase the speed to medium high and slowly add the sugar, a little (1-2 teaspoons) at a time. Continue to whip egg whites and sugar for a few minutes, then add the vinegar. Increase the speed to the highest setting and whip the egg whites until they are glossy and stiff peaks form when the whisk is lifted, about 4 to 5 minutes.

4 Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in the crushed peppermints (and the mini chocolate chips, if you are using).

5 Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. If you are using parchment paper, you can put a dollop of the meringue mixture in the corners of the pans before placing the parchment paper on them, to help secure the parchment paper in place (pastry chef's trick, thank you, Shuna). Either use a spoon to drop teaspoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto the cookie sheets (spaced an inch apart) or use a pastry piping bag (can make one with a plastic freezer bag with the corner cut off) to pipe mounds (1 1/2 inches wide) onto the lined cookie sheet.

6 Put the cookie sheets in the 300°F oven, close the door. Wait for one minute only, then turn the oven OFF. Do not open the door for another 3 hours. You can leave them in the oven overnight. The meringues will gently cook in the residual heat of the oven. When done, the meringues will be lightly crisp on the outside and light and airy on the inside. If they are still a little chewy after 3 hours, just let them dry out for a few more hours.

Makes 24 meringue cookies. Store in an airtight container.

If this cookie doesn't capture the seasonal taste of Christmas, then I don't know what does. These cookies are chocolatey and oh so fudgy; studded with bright colorful chunks of peppermint bark, they provide a cool cocoa sensation. This cookie matches perfectly with a tall glass of milk next to a well tinseled tree.

These peppermint bark chocolate cookies will be the first to be eaten at any cookie swap, and are bound to become a holiday staple after you take your first bite. Perfect for in-laws, holiday parties, or leaving on a plate for Santa, it's a cookie made to impress.

You can buy peppermint bark at any candy store or specialty food store, or you can simply make the peppermint bark yourself. If you want to make life even easier just add some white chocolate chips and crushed peppermint candies in lieu of peppermint bark.

Peppermint Bark Chocolate Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of butter
• 3/4 cup of brown sugar
• 3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup of peppermint bark, broken into little chip size pieces

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2 Cream the butter and sugars together for about two minutes at medium speed or until well incorporated and light in color.

3 Add the egg and the vanilla extract until well incorporated, about a minute. Be sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl halfway through.

4 Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture slowly, and beating at medium speed, stopping once all of it is incorporated (do not overmix).

5 Fold in the peppermint bark chips.

6 Take small spoonfuls of the dough and roll into one inch sized balls and place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for -12 minutes. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.

Monster cookies. Ultimate Chippers. Super Cookies. Regardless what you call them, kids love them. A cookie packed full of peanut butter, chocolate, and candy, it's a must have cookie for Halloween and perfect for any kid oriented event.

Still, adults shouldn't miss out and personally, I'm not the biggest peanut butter and candy fan (insert collective gasp). So while making this classic kiddy cookie, I decided to make a few tweaks for an adult version of The Monster. Studded with Heath toffee bar chips, dark chocolate, and pecans it's a very sophisticated sugar rush. I also made a version that didn't use peanut butter to make sure everyone's happy, including those who aren't so inclined to the stuff.

Personally I like to split the base dough into two parts; one half using kids mix-ins and the other using adult mix-ins. If you decide to split the dough into two different batches, halve the amount of the mix-ins, otherwise it will be all candy and no cookie. Of course feel free to add white chocolate, almonds, coconut or whatever you most enjoy, that way everybody wins.

Monster Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Peanut Butter cookie ingredients:
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
Regular monster cookies ingredients:
1 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of packed brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
Kids Monster Cookies Mix-Ins For Whole Batch
1/2 cup of butterscotch chips
1 1/4 cups of M&Ms
1 cup of Chocolate Chips
Adult Monster Cookies Mix-Ins For Whole Batch
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup of chocolate chips (dark chocolate preferable)
1 cup of chopped Heath bar bits

Method

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat at medium speed until well incorporated and fluffy.

2 Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for about 2 minutes on medium speed.

3 Add the baking soda and beat for 30 seconds. Be sure to scrape down the sides and bottom to ensure all the butter is well incorporated.

4 Add the flour and salt, a bit at a time until incorporated but do not overmix.

5 Fold in the mix-ins for either the kid version or the adult version. OR split the dough in half and cut the mix-in ingredient measurements in half, for half adult cookies and half kid cookies.

6 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scoop on rounded spoonfuls of dough and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden bown. Be sure to let them cool on the baking sheet before you move them.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

"OMG, these are the best cookies I've ever eaten in my life," I mumbled to mom the other day, mouth full of cookie, one hand reaching for another. "Would you please get the recipe from Claire? Puhleeezzzz?" Claire is my mother's friend, a lovely woman in her 80s, recently widowed, who brought my mom these fabulous cookies for a book club gathering. I couldn't figure out what was in them that made them taste so good. I recognized some chocolate and a few nuts, but what was the rest? Praise be to mom who delivered Claire's recipe a few days later. Heath Bars. The secret ingredient was Heath Bars. Well no wonder! If you like toffee as much as I do, you'll love these cookies.

Heath Bar Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped Heath Bar pieces (Eight 1.4 ounce bars)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method

 
Heath Bars are popular American chocolate-covered-toffee candy bars. Heath Bar toffee bits are often available in the baking section of grocery stores. Either chopped up candy bars or the bits can be used for this recipe. The bars have chocolate, the bits don't.

1 Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine Heath Bar pieces and chopped walnuts. Set aside.

2 Cream butter until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy (a couple minutes). Beat in eggs one at a time, and vanilla.

3 Alternatively mix in the Heath Bar mixture and the flour mixture, a third at a time, until well blended. Chill cookie dough for at least 30 minutes (better an hour).

 
4 Preheat oven to 350°F. On cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat, spoon out the cookie dough in small 1-inch diameter balls (size of a large marble). Place dough balls 3 inches away from each other on the cookie sheets. (Make sure there is plenty of room between the cookie balls, and that the cookie balls aren't too big. These cookies spread!)

5 Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

I've been going through our family's stash of recipes and came across my grandmother's oatmeal cookie recipe. She passed away a few years ago at age 97 (she was born in 1899). It's funny how just seeing her handwriting conjures up old memories of being a little girl and making cookies with grandma. She had a real sweet tooth and we are still amazed she lived so long given her penchant for cookies, lemon meringue pie, and jelly-filled donuts.

Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs well beaten
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• 3 cups oats (we use Quaker Quick or Old Fashioned. Do NOT use instant.)
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts (use 1/2 cup if using raisins)
• 1 cup raisins (optional)

Method

1 Cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and vanilla and beat well.

2 Sift flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to first mixture and mix well. Add raisins (if using) and nuts. Add oats last.

3 Spoon out by rounded tablespoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

My mother doesn't bake. She's a great cook, but she avoids recipes and baking usually entails rather particular recipes, so she leaves the baking to my father and me. She also has a well developed sweet tooth, so when she has a hankering for a baked good she drops oh so many not-so-subtle hints about what would be really wonderful for dad or me to make. Her most requested cookie, amongst our vast repertoire of cookies, is this one, the ultra-thin gingersnap. Thin and crisp, the cookie practically melts in your mouth. Once you have one, it is almost impossible to stop eating them. The original recipe was passed along from food blogger to food blogger years ago by a woman who has since stopped blogging. She claimed to have gotten the recipe from Chez Panisse, when she asked for it while interviewing for a job. The two keys to this recipe I've found are 1) slicing the frozen cookie dough as thin as possible, the thinner the cookie, the crispier it will be, and 2) including the 1/8 of a teaspoon of ground black pepper that the recipe calls for. Black pepper is an odd ingredient to add to a cookie, but you'll just have to take it on faith that it works in this recipe. Unless you have an aversion to black pepper, be sure to include it.

Gingersnap Cookies Recipe

In place of parchment I've started to use silicone baking sheets for cookie making; nothing sticks to these mats and clean-up is a breeze.

Ingredients

• 8 oz unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 small eggs or 1 1/2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup molasses
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon. salt
• 2 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Method

1 Cream butter until soft; add sugar, and beat until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs, and beat until fluffy.  Add molasses and beat until well-mixed. 

2 Sift the dry ingredients; add to the mixture, 1/3 at a time.  Mix only until the dry ingredients become incorporated. 

3 Line a 9" x 5" loaf pan with plastic wrap, so that some hangs over the outsides.  Press the dough into the bottom of the pan.  Pack it tightly, and try to make the top as level as possible.  Cover the dough with the plastic overhangs.  Freeze until very firm, preferably overnight. 

4 Unwrap and remove dough from the pan.  Slice brick into thin slices, no more than 1/8".  Place on a parchment or Silpat-lined sheetpan (space at least an inch apart) and bake at 350 degrees until the edges turn dark brown, 7-12 minutes, depending on how thinly you have sliced the dough. Check the oven for doneness at 7 minutes.

Makes 6 to 8 dozen cookies.

No cookie says Christmas more than a gingerbread man cookie. It's been thirty years since I last made gingerbread men, and it took all weekend to get this recipe right. After starting with a truly terrible recipe from a 1974 edition of the Joy of Cooking (1/4 cup of butter for 3 1/2 cups of flour? - had to throw the whole batch out), I settled on this recipe, which makes some rather tasty cookies.

After running around to several stores looking for the perfect gingerbread man cookie cutter, and getting nowhere, I created my own stencils (see links below). To use them, print them out and fold them in half lengthwise to make it easy to cut along the lines (don't worry if the lines don't perfectly match up, I drew them freehand.) Place the stencil over the rolled-out dough and use a small sharp knife to cut along the inside of the stencil.

Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

Cookies

• 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, softened)
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1 Tbsp ground ginger
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• Optional raisins, chocolate chips, candy pieces, frosting

Royal Icing

• 1 egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

Method

1 In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.

2 In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses. Gradually add the flour mixture; combine on low speed. (You may need to work it with your hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.) Divide dough in thirds; wrap each third in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If after refrigerating the dough feels too soft to roll-out, work in a little more flour.

3 Heat oven to 350°. Place a dough third on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Use either a cookie cutter or place a stencil over the dough and use a knife to cut into desired shapes. Press raisins, chocolate chips, or candy pieces in the center of each cookie if desired for "buttons".

4 Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a few minutes and then use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Makes 16 5-inch long cookies.

Royal Icing

The traditional way to make Royal Icing is to beat egg whites and lemon juice together, adding the powdered sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks. With modern concerns about salmonella from raw eggs, you can either use powdered egg whites or heat the egg whites first to kill any bacteria. With the heating method, mix the egg white and lemon juice with a third of the sugar, heat in a microwave until the mixture's temperature is 160°F. Then remove from microwave, and beat in the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Using the powdered egg whites method, combine 1 Tbsp egg white powder with 2 Tbsp water. Proceed as you would otherwise. (Raw egg white alternatives from the 2006 Joy of Cooking)

If the icing is too runny, add more powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency. Fill a piping bag with the icing to pipe out into different shapes. (Or use a plastic sandwich bag, with the tip of one corner of the bag cut off.) Keep the icing covered while you work with it or it will dry out.

My friend Suzanne's daughter Audrey (age 10) loves to cook. The last time I was there to visit, Audrey presented me with one of these fabulous cookies. Here's what she has to say about them...
"I wanted to make these cookies because my mom always made these cookies when I was little and they tasted soooo good. The first two times I made them they didn't turn out so good (forgot to add the baking soda). The third time's the charm though. This time they turned out perfectly. I made them all by myself, without any help from mom."

Audrey M. Age 10.

Giant Ginger Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger*
2 teaspoons baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon*
1 teaspoon ground cloves*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups butter (3 sticks), room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup coarse sugar or granulated sugar
* Can substitute the ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves for an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.

Method

1 In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside.

2 In a large mixing bowl beat together butter with the 2 cups granulated sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses. Beat in the flour mixture, using a wooden spoon.


3 Shape dough into 2-inch balls using 1/4 cup dough. Roll balls in the 3/4 cup coarse or granulated sugar. Place about 2-1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4 Bake in a 350°F oven for 12 to 14 minutes or until cookies are light brown and puffed. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Store in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Makes two dozen 4-inch cookies.

Chinese almond cookies are a trademark in Chinese-American cooking. Often relegated as a second string sweet to the more entertaining fortune cookie these don't get the respect they deserve. Sure, they don't tell you what a charming personality you have or offer a string of lotto numbers, but they do have a crisp bite and delightfully sandy texture. Almond flour, almond extract, and slivered almonds ensure that you get an intense flavor that will eclipse any paper filled treat.

Set out a plate of these for the upcoming Chinese New Year. Almond cookies symbolize coins and will be sure to bring you good fortune. Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Chinese Almond Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups of almond flour, lightly packed
• 1 cup of unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 1 3/4 cups of flour
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• Slivered almonds

Method

1 Place the almond flour, salt, and butter into an electric beater with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for three minutes. The mixture will become course and chunky looking.

2 Add one of the eggs, reserving the other for later, and the almond extract. Mix on low speed until just incorporated.

3 Sift together the flour, sugar, and baking soda then add to the butter mixture at low speed. Mix until just combined.

4 Take the dough and flatten it into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for two hours to chill.

5 Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the other egg into a bowl and beat it.

6 Take pieces of dough and roll them into balls about a half-inch wide. Place them on the sheet about and inch apart and then press them down slightly with your palm to make a coin shape.

7 Place a slivered almond onto each cookie and lightly press it into place, then paint the surface of the cookie with some of the beaten egg using a pastry brush or your finger (this will give the cookie a lacquered appearance once it bakes).

8 Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges just being to tan. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack.
Makes 5 dozen.

This cookie has become a holiday tradition in my family and always makes an appearance during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Chunks of silky white chocolate help you ease in the holidays while warm and slightly spicy hints of brandy tickle your tongue. Plus with cranberries in full season, taking advantage of these sweet-tart garnet gems just makes sense.

Any brandy will work great with these; Cognac, Armagnac, and Kirschwasser (a cherry brandy) are particularly fantastic. To give a little extra flavor I add a teaspoon of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in. If you want, you can forego the brandy altogether and just use a teaspoon of vanilla extract (though that does have alcohol) and they’ll still taste great.

Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of brandy (to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)
• 1 cup of dried cranberries
• 1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of white chocolate chips

Method

1 Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl, pour in a bit of brandy. Enough so they're surrounded by it, but not drowning. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour or more. Afterwards, place a colander over a bowl and pour the cranberries and brandy through, putting the cranberries and the brandy they soaked in aside. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2 Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.

3 Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.

4 Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips. Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.

5 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker's best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

This banana cookie recipe came from my grandmother, Sybil Capune; she was a spry woman who made me fresh orange juice in the mornings, loved her toast burnt, and was an amazing home cook. When I inherited her recipe boxes, each filled with yellowed hand-typed note cards, I began exploring my family's culinary history. This particular recipe, now about 70 years old, is one of the best in the bunch and has become one of my favorite cookie recipes ever.

These banana cookies are what I consider to be a staple for any home. Who hasn't had plenty of instances where some bananas have gotten a bit overripe? Banana bread and muffins aren't the only way to use up ripe bananas, and these cookies are a great new alternative. With a fresh banana taste and enhanced with spices and pecans they're a perfect treat for any brown paper bag lunch.
So good, I guarantee they won't last long.

Banana Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 ½ large bananas)
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 cups of flour
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
• 1 cup of pecans (walnuts and chocolate chips are fine alternatives)

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4 Fold into the batter the pecans or chocolate chips if using. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.
Makes about 30 cookies.

The first time I had amaretti was in the Piazza San Marco in Venice. I stumbled upon a small cart selling a variety of ornate confections. Yet amongst all the tinsel and colorful sugar my eyes were drawn to a small cellophane bag tied with a small bit of gold ribbon. In it were little pale cookies that looked ordinary but enticing none the less. When opened the bag released a heady perfume that overtook me and those around me. Its sweet almond aroma always takes me back to the Piazza and its surrounding cobbled streets and bridges.

Amaretti are little cookies that are light as a feather, yet have an intense sweet almond flavor. They're airy, delicate, and oh so simple to make. The recipe takes no more than 4 minutes to put together and they bake quickly. They taste fantastic on their own, but I've also been known to grind them up into a powder and add it to flavor pumpkin bread in lieu of cinnamon and spices, or add them to the batter of vanilla cakes or pancakes to give it depth in flavor.

Amaretti Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups of almond flour -or- 3 cups of blanched slivered almonds, finely ground up
• 1 1/4 cup of baker's sugar (superfine sugar)
• 3 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• Extra sugar for dusting

Method

1 Preheat oven to 300 F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2 In a food processor mill together the almond flour and sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extract and pulse for a few seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to process until the dough is smooth.

3 Place teaspoons of the dough on the parchment paper and dust with sugar. Bake for 24-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely before serving. They will be slightly chewy at first, but they will be nicely crispy as a day or two goes by. Store in a cool, dry place. (Note: I usually underbake mine since I like them chewy. If that's your preference, bake them for about 20-24 minutes.) Makes about 30 cookies.

This week's Christmas cookie is presented to you by guest author Garrett McCord of Vanilla Garlic. ~Elise

When I was a child my parents hated me enough to put me into a table manners class called Ms. Etiquette. I learned to say please and thank you, how to identify nine types of forks, and all of it culminated in a High Tea final exam. The tea party was boring as heck, but there were these delicious little almond crescent cookies.
Almond crescents are a very basic tea cookie recipe. They're very buttery with a pronounced almond flavor. Matched with a cup of Earl Grey or Almond Rocker they're a great excuse to call over friends on a rainy day for a small tea party of your own.

Almond Crescent Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup of butter, room temperature
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup of almond flour (can substitute ground almonds*)
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar for sprinkling

*You can use slivered, blanched almonds and grind them up, but you will have a very crumbly, hard to work with dough. It’ll still taste good though.

Method

1 Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the extracts and mix.

2 Add the flour and almond flour. Mix thoroughly.

3 Take generous tablespoons of the dough (it will be slightly crumbly) and roll it into a small ball, about an inch in diameter, and then shape into a crescent shape. Place onto parchment paper and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until a light golden brown.

4 Dust with powdered sugar.

For added decadence let the cookies cool and dip one end of them into some melted chocolate, then let the chocolate harden.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Sometime in the mid 80s I gave my father a subscription to Gourmet magazine. Looking back I think that's just about one of the most brilliant, inspired things I've ever done. Not only did it launch dad into what has become a life long passion for him, but we, his family, have been the ongoing beneficiaries of his recipe research and experiments. There is always something good cooking at my parent's house. These chicken wings are no exception. Dad found the recipe in a 1987 issue of Gourmet, for "deviled chicken wings". They are easy to make, relatively inexpensive (wings are cheap!), and insanely good. Great for appetizers for watching the playoffs, or as a main course with a side of Spanish rice.

Spicy Breaded Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs* or panko
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
• 3 pounds chicken wings (12-14), wing tips cut off and discarded or saved for stock

*To make bread crumbs, take 2 or 3 slices of white sandwich bread, cut into 1-inch pieces, pulse in a food processor or blender until crumbly.

Method

1 Preheat oven to 450°F. Oil the rack of a broiler pan.

2 In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the Dijon, oil, vinegar, dry mustard, and cayenne. In another bowl toss together the Parmesan and bread crumbs. Working one at time, coat the chicken wings with the mustard mixture, rubbing the mixture in well. Then press the wings, thick skin side down, into the bread crumb mixture. Place the wings on the prepared rack and broiler pan, crumb side up.

3 Bake wings in oven for 30 minutes, or until they are cooked through and golden brown.
Can be served warm or at room temperature. Can make ahead one day, chill, and reheat in 400°F until coating is crispy.

From the recipe archives, perfect for cold weather. ~Elise
 
My mother grew up in a house where there was constant entertaining. My nana was somewhat of a social bee and even I remember how every night was a party night when as a child I came to visit during the summer. Mom and dad were reminiscing the other day about one of their favorite recipes of my grandmother's, her pulled beef, braised in BBQ sauce. Mom remembers Nana once feeding 80 people this dish at her small adobe house in Tucson. It's terribly easy to make, you can easily double, triple, quadruple the recipe, making it perfect for serving large groups of people in an informal gathering, and it's absolutely delicious.

Braised BBQ Beef Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• One 3-pound chuck roast, rinsed and dried
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (preferably plum tomatoes)
• 1 18-ounce bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce (or 2 1/4 cups of your favorite homemade barbecue sauce)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 sandwich or hamburger buns

Method

1 In a large, heavy pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, roughly chopping them in the pot. Add the barbecue sauce, increase heat to medium high and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chuck roast. Bring to a low simmer, cover and slow cook until meat is very tender, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours.

2 Remove the meat from the pot. Use a fork and knife to separate the roast into small pieces. Set aside.

3 Increase the heat on the pot to medium/medium-high, uncover, and reduce the liquid until thick. Stir often to prevent burning.

4 Return the meat to the liquid in the pan. Warm both thoroughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on buns. Makes approximately 12 sandwiches.

This recipe is not for the food-queazy. If that's you, you might want to just skip this one, or instead check out some of our chicken breast recipes.

What? You're still with us? Okay, don't say I didn't warn you.

My first recollection of beef tongue was when I was about 8 years old and there happened to be a huge one in the refrigerator. It looked, and felt (I touched it, who could resist?) like a ginormous tongue. Just like my little 8-year old tongue, but oh my gosh, it was so big! And then my parents cooked it and made us eat it. (No idea how they prepared it.) The texture. It was so, so tongue-like. All too weird, even for me.

Fast forward a couple decades (okay, more than a couple) and I'm in Mexico when my bud Matt announces that there's a crowd around the lengua tacos in the buffet line. I get there just in time to scoop up the last of the day's lengua for my taco and I'm in tongue heaven. So tender, so perfect in a taco.

Here's the deal with tongue. Prepared correctly it is melt-in-your-mouth tender (from slow braising), flavorful (because it's a muscle that got a lot of exercise), if you chop it up enough the texture isn't an issue, and its home of homes is truly in a taco, slathered with salsa verde. By the way, my mother instructed me to tell you that the way you know you are at an authentic taqueria is that there are "tacos de lengua" (tongue tacos) on the menu. If you find yourself at such a taqueria, try some! Or if you are the adventurous sort, and love tacos and Mexican food, the following is a traditional Mexican recipe for tacos de lengua, taught to me by my Acapulco friend Arturo. This is the way his mother made it for him growing up. Outrageously good. If I could, I would eat the entire batch all by myself.

Beef Tacos de Lengua Recipe

Beef tongue may be found at local Asian markets, Mexican markets, or ordered by your local butcher

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 lb beef tongue
• 2 large onions, peeled
• The cloves from 1 head (yes an entire head) of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 6-7 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp of peppercorns
• 2 Tbsp salt
• Vegetable oil

• Corn tortillas (2 to 3 per person)
• Salsa verde*
• Avocados
• Cilantro
• Chopped red onion
• Thinly sliced radishes for garnish

* Bottled or canned salsa verde can be found in the Hispanic section of markets. To make homemade salsa verde, remove husks from 1 lb of tomatillos, place tomatillos in a pan, cover with water, simmer until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Place tomatillos, 1/3 cup chopped onion, 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice, a jalapeño or serrano chile pepper, and about a teaspoon of salt in a blender. Blend until smooth, add more salt to taste.

Method

1 Fill a large (12-quart if you have one) stock pot two-thirds full with water. Add the tongue, onions, crushed garlic cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 3 hours, until the tongue is soft to the touch and tender.

2 Remove tongue from water and let cool for a couple of minutes. Notice the light colored skin-like covering over most of the tongue. Using your fingers, and/or a sharp small knife, remove this covering and discard. Notice the rough patch of meat where the tongue would attach to the bottom of the mouth. Arturo removes this patch (as does his mother when she prepares tongue) because it is a little rough. It's perfectly edible though, so keep it attached if you want.

3 Slice the tongue in 1/4-inch slices. (If you are not preparing the whole tongue for tacos, you can return whatever tongue you do not slice to the cooking water to soak.) Heat a little oil in a frying pan on medium high and sauté the slices on both sides until they are lightly browned. Remove from pan and slice first into strips, then crosswise again so that you end up with small cubes.

4 Soften tortillas either by cooking on the stove-top until pockets of air appear in them, or in the microwave (about 10 seconds per tortilla). Place a large spoonful of meat in the center of a tortilla. Add a spoonful of salsa verde and some chopped avocado, onion, and chopped fresh cilantro. Garnish with radish slices.
One 3-pound tongue makes enough meat for about 18-24 tacos.