Who among us doesn't love cookies? Noone we know. So we'll start off with a great basic cookie dough receipe. You can use this to make dozens of different cookies from. This very simple recipe can be made, then a dough ball - or two - frozen. Until you need to bake more cookies.

Basic Cookie Dough Mix - Yield 22-23 cups of dough

12 cups all purpose or unbleached flour
7 cups sugar
2 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
4 cups margerine, butter or shortening (or unsalted butter).

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup and level off with a knife. In a 7 quart bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking power, salt. With a fork, or pastry blender, cut  margarine into mixture until - when blended - it's the consistency of coarse meal.

* If not using immediately, store in tightly covered container and refrigerate or freeze.
* If using shortening (instead of butter or margarine), store mixture in covered container, at room temp, in a cool, dry place.
* For freshest dough, use mix within 4 weeks.
* If you freeze dough, remember to thaw frozen dough at room temp.
* Measure by dipping 1 cup measuring cup into mixture.
* Once you've made this dough it can easily be used for a variety of recipes.

Mama Anna offers the following baking suggestions:

1. For the best cookies, refrigerate dough overnight helping set ingredients. Also, refrigerating dough helps it become cohesive. And makes it easer, later, to cut cookies.
2. Always mix cookie dough on mexer speed of medium-low to insure creating the right thickness of dough.


Here's several different cookies you can make using the Basic Cookie Dough above:


1. Candied Fruit Squares - Yield: 48 Bars
 
3 cups Basic Cookie Dough mix above
1 egg
1 16oz pkg (2 cups) diced, mixed candied fruit
1 cup coconut    1 cup chopped dates     1 cup chopped nuts
1 16oz can sweetened, condensed milk (not evaporated milk)

Preheat oven to 350F.

IN large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer at low speed, combine dough mix and egg. Combine until well mixed. Press mixture into an ungreased 15"x10" jelly roll pan.

Take a second bowl and combine remaining ingredients until well mixed. Then carefully spread this mix over top of dough mix. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool. And cut into bars (makes less bars if you cut them larger).

2.  Chocolate Mint Brownies - Yield 24 Brownies

2 cups Basic Cookie Dough
1/2 cup chopped nuts   1 tsp vanilla extract
1 6oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 eggs
16 cream-filled minuts

Preheat over to 350F.

Grease a 9" square pan. Then in a large bowl combine mix, nuts, vanilla, melted chocolate chips and eggs using an electric mixer, on low speed, just until blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm to touch. Remove from oven and immediately arrange mints over the top. Return to oven and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove pan from oven and immediately spread mint mixture evenly over brownie surface. Cool. And cut into brownies.


3. Cocoa Star cookies

2 1/2 cups of the Basic Cookie dough above
1 1/2 oz unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp vanilla 

Preheat oven to 350F.

If dough is frozen, let thaw at room temp until soft and pliable. In a bowl, mix cocoa and vanilla with dough using a mixer until thoroughly blended (do not over-mix). Roll dough into a large ball, then cut in half, setting one half aside covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  

Spray or grease 2 cookie sheets or cover with parchment.

Flour a small surface on which to roll out dough. Then flour your rolling pin. Roll out ball until it's about 1/4" thick. Using a star cookie cutter, cut out cookies, place them on sheets about 1" apart. Do the same with second ball of dough, remembering to gather together any scraps and use. Bake about 10 minutes or until tops look a toasty color. Sprinkle with colored sugar and let cool.


4. Espresso Choco-Dipped Cookies - Yield 6-7 dozen cookies

2 1/2 cups Basic Cookie Dough mix
2 tbsp finely ground Espresso Beans

Dipping Mix 

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1 tbsp vegetable shortening (or Olive Oil)

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix together espresso beans, using low speed on your mixer. Be sure to periodically scrape sides of blowl so mixture is thorough blended (don't over-mix). Roll dough together in large ball. Then cut in half with a knife; set 2nd ball aside (refrigerate).  Spray or grease 2 large cookie sheets and set aside.

Flour a small area where you'll roll out dough. Flour your rolling pin. Roll out first ball of dough to 1/4". Then using holiday cookie cutters (tree, ornament, wreath, hearts for example), cut out shapes, placing 1" away from each other on cookie sheets. Bake until a light toasty color or until one breaks when broken. About 10-12 min. (Take care not to over-bake.) Let cool. 

Dipping chocolate:

Combine semi sweet chocolate pieces and shortening in small bowl. Microwave until smooth.  Set out 2 metal cooling racks on parchment or waxed paper. Dip each cookie half into chocolate, then lay each on cooling rack to let chocolate set. About 1 1/2 -2 hours.

Mama Anna's baking suggestions:

1. When using 'self-rising flour' omit baking powder and salt.
2. Often, simple ingredients like dry or puffed cereal drizzled with sweetened, warm caramel, can turn everyday cookies into spectacular. 



Pecan Meringue Cookies - Yield about 40 depending on how large you make them.

3/4 cup Confectioner's sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temp
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1/3 cups pecans chopped finely (or your fave nut)
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut, shredded (Optional)
1/3 cup finely chopped chocolate (Optional)
1 Star pastry tip   Pastry bag

Preheat oven to 175F. Move oven racks apart so there's ample space between. 

Line flat baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper.

Sift together, then mix thoroughly - confectioner's sugar, salt, super-fine sugar.

In a separate bowl, and using a hand mixer (with a whisk attachment) beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until frothy and light. Then raise mixer speed to medium-hi and beat until stiff peaks form. Then slowly begin adding in confectioner's sugar mix. Raising the mixer speed to high and whipping until very stiff peaks form. Then add pecans (or your fave nuts) and vanilla into mix. Beating only until blended, about 8-10 seconds.

Add as much meringue as you can into pastry bag. And afix star to end. Pipe shapes - 1 1/2" to 2" - onto prepared baking sheets. If using toasted coconut sprinkle over top or sprinkle finely chopped nuts or chocolate over top.

Baked until dried, or crisp, but not brown, 2 1/2 to 3 hours on 175F. Once baked, turn off oven and let them sit inside, (door closed), for an additional hour. Remove cookies from parchment or waxed paper using a spatula. Serve immediately or place in a covered container and store. Will stay fresh about 1 month.

  
Christmas Tree Cookies

1. In an extra large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat margerine or butter  on medium to high speed for about 30 seconds. Slowly stir in powdered sugar and salt. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Add vanilla; then beat about 1 minute. Add flour; beat until thoroughly combined, or dough begins to come together.  Gather up dough and make a large ball. Wrap it and chill dough about 1 hour or until easy to handle.

2. Remove dough from fridge and divide dough in half. Lightly powder the surface where you roll out the dough with flour. Roll the first half of dough out until it's approximately 1/4" thick.  Using 4-6" tree cookie cutters, cut out trees. Then reUse a 4- to 6-inch tree-shape cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Repeat with second half of dough. Re-rolling dough to gather up scraps and use as needed.

3. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes; or until edges are lightly browned. Let cool about one minute before transferring to wire racks to continue cooling. 

4. Spoon icing into a small resealable plastic bag. Seal bag; then snip off a small section of the corner of the bag. Then pipe a border around tree edge. That done, squeeze enough icing into the middle of cookie to cover it. Then use a butter knife to spread frosting to cookie edge.  Sprinkle with glitter or colored sprinkles.  Let icing dry before serving. Makes about sixteen 6-inch cookies or twenty-eight 4-inch cookies.

To make your own Powdered Sugar Icing:  Take a large bowl and combine 3 cups powered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until combined. Then, using a small spoon, combine enough milk with powered sugar/vanilla mixture to make a spreadable icing for cookies. (about 2-3 tbsp milk) Using food coloring, tint powerded sugar icing green. Makes about 1 cup.

When packing for storing, store in any air-tight container. But only when cookie icing is dry. Place cookies between layers of parchment or waxed paper. Cookies stay fresh up to 3 mos. when frozen; 5-7 days when in an airtight container at room temp.