Pooh Cookies

I have lots of fond memories of cut out cookies! Sitting at the kitchen table "painting" cookies at Christmas, Easter, and sometimes Halloween. Luke isn't quite ready to help decorate but he definitely liked eating the Pooh Bear cookies I made him for his birthday.

This is a great recipe. I always have trouble rolling out dough and especially getting it up with a spatula. I always work with cold dough, but still end up wrecking a lot of cookies. I started putting the cold dough between two sheets of aluminum or wax paper to roll them out. Much easier!!

I made these at Easter with a lemon glaze. For Winnie the Pooh though I used a little almond and vanilla extracts in the glaze. I think I am partial to the lemon though!


Sugar Cut out Cookies (yield 60)
(Allrecipes)

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 minutes for a soft cookies, 8 minutes for a crispy cookie in preheated oven. Remove from tray right away.  Cool completely before frosting.  

Glaze:

 2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp of any extract (I like lemon, or 1/2 tsp almond plus 1/2 tsp vanilla)

A few tablespoons of milk

Food coloring

 Mix together using enough milk to get a consistency somewhere between a glaze and a frosting. You don't want it too thin. Divide the icing into bowls depending on how many colors you are making. Add food coloring as needed.  Frost your cookies! Give them a good 24 hours to dry before stacking them in a container. 

Homemade Oreos

The next time you find yourself with some extra time (and butter!) on your hands you must make this. Wow do they taste like the real thing! I often have a hard time with cookies that have to be cut out, but these roll out very easily! I placed the dough in between two sheets of aluminum foil for rolling. They didn't stick to the counter or the rolling pin.

Recipe adapted (by me!) from the Smitten Kitchen and Bless This Mess

Dough
1 1/4 cups butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa  powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cups flour

Filling
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (crisco)
2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract  


Cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Add the flour and mix until you get a pretty dry dough. You don't want the dough to be sticky at all and it might even crumble just a little.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Roll your dough out between two pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil.. Roll the dough thin, 1/4 inch to an 1/8 inch thick. Use a 2 inch circle cutter to cut out the cookies. (I used the top of a baby bottle!) Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 8. Take off pan after two minutes.

To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.

To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. (or use a ziplock baggie with a corner cut out) Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Really good!!! They also happen to be the perfect vehicle for ice cream sandwiches should you have any peanut butter fudge ice cream in the freezer.... which fortunately we did!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup quick-cooking oats

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together shortening, margarine, brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats until just combined. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until just light brown. Don't over-bake. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

A typical Friday night for us usually entails a large group of buddies crowding into our little living room, enjoying some party tunes and rowdy board games. Snacks are always well-received, but this special recipe was a true hit. They were DEVOURED. And the best part is--this recipe is super quick to put together!

No-Bake Chocolate, Peanut Butter & Oatmeal Cookies (all due credit here)
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen cookies
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cooling Time: 30 minutes

½ cup (1 stick) butter
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup milk
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
½ cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups quick-cooking oats

1. Add the first four ingredients (through the cocoa powder) to a 4-quart saucepan.
2. Bring to a rolling boil and let boil for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth, then stir in the oats.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto wax paper-lined baking sheets.
6. Let cool until set.