Grandmother Shaw's Sugar Cookies

My dad sent out an email this week to some family members trying to track down my grandmother's sugar cookie recipe. After a little back and forth, he was able to get it and share it with all of us. Sugar cookies are simple and delicious but dangerous to keep around the house. You can never stop at one so I recommend doubling the batch.

Grandmother Shaw's Sugar Cookies

1 CUP SHORTENING
2 CUPS SUGAR
2 EGSS
3 1/2 CUPS FLOUR
4 TSP BAKING POWDER
1 TSP SALT
1 TSP VANILLA
1 TABLESPOON MILK

CREAM SUGAR AND SHORTENING. ADD EGGS, ONE AT A TIME. BEAT AFTER EACH ADDITION.

CHILL DOUGH FOR 1 HOUR.

ROLL OUT DOUGH, CUT INTO ROUNDS.

BAKE AT 350 FOR 8 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIGHTLY BROWNED.

Grandmother Shaw's Sugar Cookies

Peppermint Bark

What are the holidays with out peppermint bark? This is a fun recipe to make with kids and it's also a good recipe to make, package and give away to friends and neighbors over the holidays. Candy canes are super cheap and can be bought almost anywhere. Happy holidays!

Peppermint Bark

• 17 ounces good-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Baker's), finely chopped
• 30 red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies, coarsely crushed (about 6 ounces) AKA Candy canes!
  
• 7 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 6 tablespoons whipping cream
• 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

Turn large baking sheet bottom side up. Cover securely with foil. Mark 12 x 9-inch rectangle on foil. Stir white chocolate in metal bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water) until chocolate is melted and smooth and candy thermometer registers 110°F. (chocolate will feel warm to touch). Remove from over water. Pour 2/3 cup melted white chocolate onto rectangle on foil. Using icing spatula, spread chocolate to fill rectangle. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup crushed peppermints. Chill until set, about 15 minutes.

Stir bittersweet chocolate, cream and peppermint extract in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until just melted and smooth. Cool to barely lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Pour bittersweet chocolate mixture in long lines over white chocolate rectangle. Using icing spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate in even layer. Refrigerate until very cold and firm, about 25 minutes.

Rewarm remaining white chocolate in bowl set over barely simmering water to 110°F. Working quickly, pour white chocolate over firm bittersweet chocolate layer; spread to cover. Immediately sprinkle with remaining crushed peppermints. Chill just until firm, about 20 minutes.

Lift foil with bark onto work surface; trim edges. Cut bark crosswise into 2-inch-wide strips. Using metal spatula, slide bark off foil and onto work surface. Cut each strip crosswise into 3 sections and each section diagonally into 2 triangles. (Can be made 2 weeks ahead. Chill in airtight container.) Let stand 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Peppermint Bark

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges

I think that I eat Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches more now than when I was a kid. They're cheap, delicious, don't require refrigeration and fill you right up. When I saw this recipe this month I was excited to take the PB&J to the dessert level. You can use any jam you wish but blackberry is actually a pretty solid choice.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup creamy (smooth) natural peanut butter (made with only peanuts and salt)*
• 1/2 cup sugar
• Large pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup blackberry jam

• Spray bottom of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with nonstick spray. Beat butter and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and salt and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Add flour; beat on low speed just until blended.
• Transfer 1/3 cup dough to work surface. Shape into 1/2-inch-thick disk, place on plate, and freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Press remaining dough evenly over bottom of prepared pan. Spread jam over dough in pan, leaving 1/3-inch plain border. Refrigerate while dough disk freezes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Using large holes of box grater, grate frozen dough evenly over jam. Bake shortbread until dough edge is deep golden and grated dough on top looks dry and baked through, about 50 minutes. Cool shortbread completely in pan.
• Release pan sides. Cut shortbread into wedges.
• Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Shortbread Wedges

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

My friends Lindsay and Sean just celebrated their wedding anniversary with an overnight trip to San Francisco. There she said they shopped until they dropped and wound up at Tom's Cookie stand in the basement of Macy's. The first thing she saw were their Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies. She grabbed a couple and was in heaven. So when they returned from their short trip, she attempted to make her own. This is the recipe she used and she managed to make them even better.

Important to note, she used no mixer, melted/softened the butter and used milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet. She says the semis are too sharp for the malt. Lastly, the malt is essential. Malt is hard to find but it's the key ingredient so go for the hunt or order online.

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cut into pieces

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/2 cup malt powder

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and cream with the butter. The mixture will look a bit grainy. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat together until fluffy. Add the malt powder and mix at low speed just until combined. One-third at a time, add the flour mixture, beating after each addition just until combined. Gently mix in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons onto the baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your cookies.

The cookies will be flat. Let cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.

Malted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peanut Toffee

I made this homemade toffee and bagged them in plastic bags with pretty ribbon and notecards for my guests to take home with them after my dinner party. Cooking candy reminds me of my high school chemistry class. It's like an experiment. Very easy and tastes delicious.

Peanut Toffee

Butter baking pan and put on a heatproof surface.

Bring butter, sugar, and salt to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat, whisking until smooth, then boil, stirring occasionally, until mixture is deep golden and registers 300°F on thermometer, 15 to 20 minutes.

Immediately stir in whole peanuts, then carefully pour hot toffee into center of baking pan. Spread with spatula, smoothing top, and let stand 1 minute, then immediately sprinkle chocolate on top. Let stand until chocolate is melted, 4 to 5 minutes, then spread over toffee with cleaned spatula. Sprinkle evenly with chopped peanuts, then freeze until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes. Break into pieces.

Cooks' note: Toffee keeps, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks.

Peanut Toffee

Recipe of the Week: Old School Oatmeal Cookies

My brother in law made these staple cookies this weekend and they were fantastic. He added golden raisins.

QUAKER'S BEST OATMEAL COOKIES

3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

1 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt (opt.)

3 c. Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add to butter mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie, 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling rack. Store in tightly covered container. 4 1/2 dozen.

OATMEAL COOKIE SQUARES: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13"x9" pan. Bake about 25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely; cut into 1 1/2" squares. Store in tightly covered container. 4 dozen.

VARIATIONS: Add any one or combination of two of the following ingredients, if desired: 1 cup raisins, chopped nuts, or semi sweet chocolate, butterscotch or peanut butter flavored pieces.

Recipe of the Week: Old School Oatmeal Cookies

Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

I am a peanut butter lover. I eat it plain, on ice cream, on apples, on chocolate, on sandwiches, on... just about anything. That is why the recipe of the week is for my favorite cookie, Peanut Butter Kiss.

No one has made this recipe more than my aunt, Kristi Brown, and her kids. They have a plate of these at their house at all times.

PEANUT BUTTER KISS COOKIES

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

1 egg

2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients. Roll into balls, roll balls in sugar. Bake on cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Top with chocolate Kiss immediately upon removal from oven.

Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies