Coconut M&M Cookies

 
Makes approximately 18 cookies
Adapted from Joy of Baking

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Ceylon cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated white sugar
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup Coconut M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to combine well and aerate.

In a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars, mixing on high speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and incorporate fully before adding egg yolk and mixing again until fully combined. Add vanilla and mix again.

Add flour mixture in increments and mix on low speed until fully mixed in. Do not overmix.

Place parchment paper on two baking sheets. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop approximately 1/4 c. sized dough balls onto each baking tray. The cookies will spread a bit, so make sure to only put 6 per tray.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes or until golden brown.

When you remove the cookies from the oven, press 6-8 Coconut M&Ms into each cookie. Allow to cool, and then store in an airtight container. Or zip lock bags surrounded by packing peanuts in a box for the mail to someone you love!

Shortbread

The closest thing to Walker’s Shortbread I’ve ever made

Ingredients
3 c. flour
1/2 c. + 2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks room temperature butter

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350F. Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Add butter and dry ingredients to a food processor. Pulse together until the mixture resembles course meal or bread crumbs.

With as little hand-to-dough contact as possible, transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes so that the butter has time to re-chill.

Don’t worry – the dough will look more like crumbs than dough. This is fine.

Once chilled, spread dough onto an 8 x 12 baking pan, and pat down until you have a unified, flat ‘cookie’ the size of the pan.

Score this into rectangular pieces using a greased (or sprayed with Pam) butter knife or pizza cutter. Prick scored pieces with a fork to allow for ventilation.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Watch closely. You do NOT want this to overcook.

Allow to cool on the baking sheet, and the cut along scored lines for individual cookies.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

from Martha Stewart’s Cookies

Ingredients
2 c. all purpose flour
2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves (approx. 4 bags)
1/2 tsp. course salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c. confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
1 tbsp. finely grated orange zest

Directions
Grind tea if necessary. I used Twinings Earl Grey and found that it was already ground small enough.

Whisk flour, tea and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix butter, sugar, and orange zest together until pale and fluffy (approx 3 minutes on medium speed). In stages, add dry ingredients, mixing on low to incorporate, until just combined.

Divide dough in half. Place each half on a separate piece of parchment paper and shape into a tube. Roll dough into parchment paper so that it resembles the size and shape of a paper towel roll. If you happen to have spare cardboard rolls from used paper towel, place the cookie dough, in parchment, into the cardboard rolls. Otherwise, shape as best you can before placing in freezer. Freeze for one hour.

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut tubes into 1/4 in. thick slices. Space roughly 1 inch apart on baking sheets with parchment paper. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until edges are golden. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers for up to 5 days.

Smokehouse Cowboy Cookies

from the New Braunfels Smokehouse Cookbook

Ingredients
1 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1 c. milk chocolate chips

1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. corn flakes

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F. In a small bowl, mix oatmeal, pecans, coconut and chocolate chips together. In a larger mixing bowl, cream both sugars, butter, and shortening. When light and fluffy, add in the eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition, before adding in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the wet ingredients in stages until all well incorporated. Using a large spoonula or spatula, add the oatmeal mixture to the batter. Finally, incorporate the corn flakes into the batter using the same utensil.

Drop cookie dough by 1 tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until light brown. Makes 36 to 48 cookies.

Ranger Cookies

as originally published in the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, 14th Edition

Ingredients
1/2 c. butter, softened (1 stick)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1 c. coconut
1 c. raisins, dried cherries, dried cranberries, or mixed dried fruit bits

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F. Beat butter in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Stir in rolled oats, coconut, and dried fruit.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light brown and centers are set. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.