Cookies

Yesterday was my last appointment with my PCP for 2009. (I hope; there are still two weeks left in the year, and given the way my luck’s been running, anything might happen.)  I took cookies along – never sure how they’ll be received in December, since everyone bakes Christmas cookies – and the receptionists laughed and explained that they’d just been discussing opening a cookie store because they have so many.  It was nice to have a chance to discuss it, and now I know that a vegetable tray would go over well.

Since I was gone all day, my kids and I cleaned up leftovers for supper.  My husband got home from work late – which usually means he’s tired and not hungry.  Tonight he was famished and there was no meal.  So… (and he doesn’t even read my blog to know about “balanced” meals) he took three pumpkin cookies for a vegetable, a couple lemon/coconut cookies for fruit, two oatmeal scotchies for a grain serving, a tall glass of eggnog for dairy/protein, and a couple chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

Here are the recipes for my favorite cookies:

Lemon Filled Molasses Bars

Cookies

Mix:

1 pound butter
4 C sugar
4 eggs

Add:

1 C molasses

Add:

9 cups flour
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Mix well.  Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours (or overnight).  While dough chills, make and chill filling (below).

Divide dough into four equal(ish) parts.  Divide each of those parts into four (making a total of sixteen chunks of dough).  Roll out each chunk of dough into a rope, and gently press into a flat strip about 3″ wide.  Spread some of the filling on half of the dough, then fold in half and cut into strips.  Filling will not ooze out while cooking.  Bake 350 approx 12 minutes.  Store airtight.

Filling

Beat together:

12 eggs
2 C sugar
1-1/2 cups lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp salt

Cook in microwave, stirring occasionally, until thick.  Or you could cook it on the stove top if you like to stand there stirring all the time.  When thick, stir in 4 cups flaked coconut.  Cool. Chill until ready to assemble cookies.  Cooling process can be sped by placing pan of filling in a bowl of ice water.

Pumpkin-Glazed Pumpkin Cookies

Cookies

Beat together:

1 C butter
3 C brown sugar

Add:

4 eggs
2 C cooked, mashed pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla extract

Add:

2 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
6 C flour

This will make a soft dough.  Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a cookie sheet and bake 375 for 11-13 minutes.  Spoon glaze over warm cookies.  Store airtight.

Glaze

Stir together:

1/4 C butter
2-1/2 C unsifted powdered sugar (good thing, because there’s no way I could use a sifter!)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice

Mix in a heaping 1/3 C mashed pumpkin to make a smooth glaze.

Cardamom Cookies

Cookies

Mix:

1 C butter
1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C brown sugar

Add:

1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
1 tsp fresh-ground cardamom
1/4 tsp salt

Spread dough in 10×15 pan.  Bake at 275 for one hour.  Remove from oven, spread warm cookies with glaze, and cut in bars.

Glaze

Melt 1-1/2 Tbsp butter.  Beat in 1 C powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla.  Add water to thin to a drizzling consistency.

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