Cookies, Cookies, And More Cookies

Every year around this time, Michelle, who blogs at The Burghbaby, hosts a cookie swap and invites all the local parents who are active on blogs and twitter.  It's sort of the unofficial start to the Christmas season of gorging oneself on sweets galore.  I've never been able to make it but I always hear reports of how much fun the event is.

This year, we're finally going to be able to attend.  Yahoo!

So, for the last couple of days I've been baking up a storm.  The basic premise is that you show up with 6 dozen cookies and you leave with 6 dozen different cookies.  The only problem is that when someone asks me to bake, things often get out of hand.

I knew I wanted to make more than one variety of cookies and when I sat down to choose I settled on four recipes - 3 types of cookies and one type of Rice Krispies treat.  Unfortunately, I didn't pay close attention to how large these recipes were and I ended up with eighteen dozen baked treats in my house by the end of the day today. 

Oh dear.  I don't think Michelle is going to be very happy with me.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you the recipes I made.

Ma Richmond's Shortbread

14 oz. room temperature butter

1/4 c. Crisco

1 c. firmly packed powdered sugar

6 c. flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with brown paper. 

Cream together butter, crisco, and sugar.  Add flour a little bit at a time.  Dough should be slightly crumbly.  Turn dough out on a flat surface and work by hand until it reaches a uniform, well mixed consistency.  Divide dough into sixths.  Roll out each sixth into a 1/2 inch thick circle.  Using fingertips, press dimples into the edge.  Cut into 8 wedges.  Repeat with remaining sixths.

Bake on brown paper until outside edges begin to get golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.  Cool on a cooling rack and dust with powdered sugar when completely cool.

Molasses Cookies (aka Ginger Snaps)

1 1/2 c. Crisco

2 c. sugar

1/2 c. molasses

2 eggs

4 c. sifted flour

4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

Melt shortening in a pot on the stove.  Cool.  In a mixer, add sugar, molasses, cooled and melted Crisco, and eggs.  Beat well.  Add sifted dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Chill dough. (I chilled it overnight).  Form into one-inch balls and roll in sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees on ungreased baking sheet 8 to 10 minutes.

Old Time Cinnamon Jumbles

1/4 c. Crisco

1/4 c. softened butter

1 c. sugar

1 egg

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. sifted flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

cinnamon sugar

Cream butter, crisco, and sugar in a mixer.  Stir in buttermilk and vanilla.  Sift together dry ingredients and add.  Mix well.  Chill dough 45-60 min.  Drop rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  Bake until set but not brown at 400 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes.

To lightly grease the pan, I sprayed with Pam and wiped with a paper towel.  If you don't wipe the pan after you spray it, the cookies will spread.  These cookies are like a soft, cakey snickerdoodle.

Peanut Butter Butterscotch Rice Krispie Treats

1 c. chunky peanut butter 

1 c. sugar

1 c. light Karo syrup

6 c. Rice Krispies

1 (10 oz) bag butterscotch chips

In a sauce pan, heat together peanut butter, sugar, and karo syrup; do not boil.  Measure Rice Krispies into a large bowl.  When the hot mixture is melted together, pour over cereal.  Stir until coated and spread in a 9x13 inch baking dish.  Top with the butterscotch chips.  Heat in a warm oven (~ 200 degrees) until the chips are soft enough to spread.  Spread the melted chips evenly over the top.  Cool completely and cut into squares.

These are so good we call them 'crack' around here.

Last, but not least, this is what 18 dozen baked goodies looks like: