Studio 5 Contributor Laura Wolford stages a cookie ambush to show how to jazz up your predictable cookies.
Basic Sugar Cookie Dough
Beat 2 sticks butter with 1 ½ cups sugar. Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla and mix well. Sift together in a separate bowl 2 ¼ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt. Slowly stir into butter mixture. Chill 30 minutes. Roll onto floured surface, cut with cookie cutters and bake 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Orange, Lemon or Lime Coolers
Add 1 tsp orange, lemon or lime zest; plus 1 tsp orange, lemon or lime juice or extract to Basic Sugar Cookie Dough. Add 1 tsp of extract to frosting as well for an added pop.
Peanut Butter Balls
In a separate bowl combine 1 cup peanut butter with 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar; set aside. Take approx 2 Tbl of Basic Sugar Cookie Dough and flatten into a small circular flat shape. Spoon a tsp of peanut butter onto dough circle and wrap cookie dough around peanut butter. Place cookie balls onto baking sheet and bake for 10- 12 minutes at 350 degree.
Stained Glass Window Treats
Roll Basic Sugar Cookie Dough out onto floured surface. Cut a large cookie into desired shape; cut a smaller shape out of the center of the large cookie, set the smaller piece aside to either bake as is or add to left over dough to roll again. Place the large cookie with the cut out onto a Silpat (silicone mat) or parchment lined cookie sheet. Break any hard candy such as candy canes, lemon drops, butterscotch drops, life savers etc into small pieces and fill the smaller cutout shape. Bake cookies for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from tray while still warm. (Place the baking sheet back in a warm oven for a minute if the cookie cools and is difficult to remove from the tray.)
Balsamic Bomb
Add ¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ½ cup pistachios and ½ cup dried cranberries to Basic Sugar Cookie dough, add additional flour as needed to create a soft dough, not sticky. Drop by Tbl onto baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Beat 2 sticks butter with 1 cup sugar and ½ cup packed brown sugar. Add 1 tsp vanilla and 2 eggs and mix well. Add 2 ½ cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp salt. Stir until well combined. Add 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Drop by Tbl onto baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees.
Sports Bar
To the Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough add 1 cup crushed pretzels and 1 cup peanuts. Press into 9×13 inch pan and bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Tropical Treats
To the Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough add 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts, ¾ cup coconut, ¾ cup chopped fruit cake mix. Drop by Tbl onto baking sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Moon Pies
Bake Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough as directed above, when finished and slightly cooled, sandwich two cookies with a large marshmallow. Return to oven to soften, about 2 minutes. Press cookies together as you remove from oven. Let cool. Extra: Dip half the cookie and marshmallow into melted milk, semisweet or dark chocolate, let cool.
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