Breton Biscuits aka Sables aka French Butter Cookies

Oatmeal, Cranberry, Raisin and White Chocolate Cookies

Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Sugar Heart Cookies

Chocolate hearts are a favorite anytime of the day really, they serve as snacks for my son's tiffin, cheat snacks for the strictly dieting types (well actually for me) and for the husband who looks rumbles about kitchen looking for something/ anything to munch.....

Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour - 2 3/4 cup
Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Unsalted Butter - 1 cup, room temperature
Granulated Sugar - 1 3/4 cups
Eggs - 2 large eggs
Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder. In another bowl,beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric mixer. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll. Preheat the oven to 170C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough which prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes depending on the size until they are firm around the edges. Remove them from the oven and let them cool onto a baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them onto a wire rack. Frost with royal icing if desired or do some creativity with some ready made sprinkles using a little corn syrup. Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container. Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper and store in between layers of wax paper.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I tell you what when I see chocolate Chip cookies, I can't just eat one. I've got to eat a dozen. I don't have any self control. Well, come on! You're just talking yourself right into the pit! You do not have self control, and you need to start looking at those cookies and saying." If I want you I'll eat you, and if I don't I won't!" Come on! Talk to that plateful of food are the very words I echo off Joyce Meyer.

Ingredients:
Self Rising Flour - 1 1/2 cups
Butter - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar - 1cup
Egg - 1, lightly beaten
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 2 tbs, sifted
Almond Extract - 1tsp
Chocolate Chips - 150gms

Into a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together into a separate bowl. Fold in the flour and cocoa mixture into the creamed butter mixture along with the almond extract. Once folded in, stir in the chocolate chips. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto two large greased cookie sheets. Flatten each mixture with the back of the spoon, and ensure there is enough space between each cookie. Bake them for 12-15 minutes in a preheated oven at 190C. Transfer them onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

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Ninja Sugar Cookies

By far these are the coolest things I have made for my son! I was waiting to inaugurate these little bunch Shinobi warriors. They were gifted to me by Byju last year and put them to use in full justice this year for my son and his friends. I didn't have time to give the little ninja's their attire, but in my next attempt with them, I definitely will!

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour - 3 cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Baking Soda - 1 tsp

Unsalted Butter - 1 cup which is at room temperature

Granulated White Sugar - 1 cup

Eggs – 2

Vanilla Essence - 2 tsp

Royal Using Egg Whites:

Egg Whites - 2 large

Lemon Juice - 2 teaspoons

Icing Sugar – 3 cups, sifted, sifted

To make these you would need to first whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Then into the bowl of the food processor, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture, pulse until you have a smooth dough. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat the oven to 150C. Line the baking sheets with parchment or wax paper. Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter. Cut out the shapes using the lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to baking sheet. Place the baking sheets with the unbaked cookies in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to chill. The dough prevents the cookies from spreading and losing their shape while baking. 
Bake cookies for about 11 minutes or until the edges are just starting to brown. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with royal icing. Let the royal icing dry completely before storing.

Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you can sprinkle the unbaked cookies with sparkling sugar.

For Royal Icing with Egg Whites: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted sugar and beat on low speed until smooth. If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more sugar or water. Add food coloring, of choice. The icing needs to be used immediately or put in an airtight container as it hardens when exposed to air. Decorate as per the design.

Butterscotch Cookies

I totally agree with Nag's verdict on these cookies being fudgy, gooey and down right yummy. A treat over this weekend, we all needed that simple something after two long weeks of going through bouts of illness and the various other things that simply keep you occupied. I had a packet of these morsels lying ready to be used from the batch of recently procured goodies. And I did my justice to them.

Ingredients:

White Sugar - 1/4 scant cup (even if it doesn’t quite measure a ¼ cup, its fine, because the cookies could be bit too sweet)
Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup
Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup butter at room temp
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Egg - 1
Flour - 1.5 cups
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
A generous pinch of salt
Butterscotch Chips - 3/4 cup (I used the Nestle butterscotch morsels)

Preheat the oven to 180C. In a bowl, combine sugars with the softened butter until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and the egg and beat well until well combined. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt well with a fork. Add this to the wet mixture and combine well. Then add the butterscotch chips. The dough will be thick. Distribute the chips as well as possible. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a baking sheet. Use an ice cream scoop to drop the cookie dough on the baking tray. If you don't have an ice cream scoop, use 2 spoons, one to scoop up the dough and the other to smoothen it a bit and lower it on to the baking tray. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes until the top turns a light golden brown.

Am sending these festive beauties for Suma's event 'Cakes And More Cookie Fest'

Whole Wheat Almond Eggless Cookies~ A Sweet Punch

A recipe accompanied by a video demo makes things way too simplistic. The cookies are wholesome goodness, without the guilt. And without a doubt, they'd go well for your evening tea. Using every ingredient within your pantry is the best reason you'd want to have a go at baking these awesome cookies. Throw in some chocolate chips or raisins and you'd have your own twist to the whole thing.

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour - 1cup
Sugar - 1/2cup
Salt - 1/4tsp
Sliced almonds - 1/4cup
Green cardamom seed coarsely powder (ilaichi) - 1/2tsp
Unsalted butter  - 1/2cup (8 tablespoons or 4oz)
About 2 tablespoons of milk or as needed.


Pre heat the oven to 160C. In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, sliced almonds and cardamom powder well. Next add soft butter and milk to the flour mixture to make dough. Dough should be very soft. Divide the dough into about 24 equal parts and make them into balls. Press each ball between your palms lightly; every piece should be about 1/2” in thickness. Place the dough balls on an un-greased cookie sheet about inch a part. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly gold brown. After they become lightly golden brown remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Let the cookies cool down for two to three minutes before taking them off the cookie sheet. 

Christmas Cookies ~ A Sweet Makeover

Peace on earth will come to stay, When we live Christmas every day. ~ Helen Steiner Rice

Asan Khana is hosting the month's event on 'Its time to jingle'. These cookies are being sent over......

Ingredients:
Wholewheat flour - 360gms
Raisins or Sultanas - 50gms
Ground Ginger - 1 1/2tsp
Ground Cinnamon - 1/2tsp
Dark Brown Sugar - 125gms
Bicarbonate of Soda - 1tsp

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the baking tray with parchment paper. Mix in oil with the sugar, tip in the raisins or sultanas and mix. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate soda, ground ginger and cinnamon into a large bowl. Add the oil, sugar and raisin mixture and mix together. Knead the mixture for a few seconds till it comes together, adding a teaspoon or so of water if necessary. Take care to keep the dough soft but not sticky. Flatten the dough into a a round surface about 2cm thick, cling wrap and leave to chill for 30minutes. Dust a work surface with flour and roll out the dough to .5cm thickness. Stamp out shapes using the Christmas cutter or regular rounds of 6-7cm diameter. With a spatula put each shape onto the baking tray. Bake in the oven for 10-12minutes until golden brown . Remove from oven, leave to cool. Store in airtight container.

Coconut Crisps

It's one of those days when you want to bake, yet bake without a hassle, not to much to do...kind of like a lazy bake mood....and this biscuit recipe is bang on....

Ingredients:
Egg white - 1
Castor Sugar - 50gms
Desiccated coconut - 100gms
Few Glaced cherries, sliced

Whisk the egg white until stiff, gradually whisk in the sugar until all is mixed and the mixture is thick and glossy. Stir in the coconut to give it a stiff mixture. Using wet hands shape into 12 balls about the size of walnuts and place onto greased baking tray. Bake in a moderate oven of 160C for 15-20minutes until golden colour and firm to touch. Remove and cool on a wire try, decorate with a slice of glace cherry.

Spritz

A tried recipe from my aunt's collection. Traditionally these are Christmas cookies in Scandinavian countries. But Christmas season or not who can resist these buttery goodies...

Ingredients: (Recipe Courtesy: Freeda Ipe)
Butter/ Margarine - 2 sticks
Sugar - 1/2cup
Flour - 2 1/4cups
Salt - 1/2tsp
Egg - 1
Almond/ Vanilla Extract - 1tsp

Mix margarine/ butter and sugar. Mix in the remaining ingredients to form a soft dough. Place cookie dough in cookie press form desired shapes and place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake into a preheated oven of 400F until set, but not brown. which is approximately 6-9minutes. Once baked remove the cookies from the cookie sheet immediately.