Pumpkin Nut Cookies with White Chocolate

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 10 ounces white chocolate chips
  
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the pumpkin puree until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Fold in the white chocolate and pecans. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.
3. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing to cool on wire racks.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick-cooking or regular rolled oats, uncooked

1-3/4 cups (11-oz. pkg.) HERSHEY'S Butterscotch Chips

Heat oven to 375°F.

Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips; mix well. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto un-greased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Earl Grey Tea Cookies

These are from Martha Stewart.
Makes about 8 dozen

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tablespoons finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves, (from about 8 bags)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 (8 ounce) sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

Directions
Whisk together flour, tea, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Put butter, sugar, and zest in the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low; slowly mix in flour mixture until just combined.
Divide dough in half. Transfer each half to a piece of parchment paper; shape into logs. Roll in parchment to 1 1/4 inches in diameter, pressing a ruler along edge of parchment at each turn to narrow log and force out air. Transfer in parchment to paper-towel tubes; freeze 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut logs into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake until edges turn golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks.

Giant Ginger Cookies

These cookies are SOOOO yummy! They really satisfy a craving for ginger.

Preheat oven to: 350 degrees
Makes: about 24 big cookies

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teapsoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
3/4 cup turbinado sugar

In a medium bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the 2 cups sugar. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs and molasses untilcombined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture.

Shape the dough into 2-inch balls using a 1/4 cup measure or scoop. Roll balls in the 3/4 cup turbinado sugar. Place 2 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased cookies sheet.

Bake in a 350 oven for 11 to 13 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned and tops are puffed (do not overbake). Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

From The Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook

Lemon Sandwich Cookies

from Everyday Food, May 2007
These are basically a lemon shortbread cookie with lemon icing in the middle. Yummy!

Notes:

• Makes 3 Dozen
• Requires at least one hour to chill in fridge
• What I did differently: I added some fresh lemon juice to the filling for more lemon flavor and then a little more powdered sugar to achieve the desired consistency.
• Be sure to pat the dough out in a very thin layer before chilling to help with rolling the dough out. I had a bit of a hard time rolling it out but I think my dough was too cold.
  

Ingredients:

For cookies:
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

For filling:
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
1 to 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, confectioners' sugar, lemon zest, and salt until combined. With mixer on low, add flour (dough will be stiff); finish mixing with a wooden spoon.

2. Turn dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap; pat into a disk about 1/2 inch thick. Wrap, and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

3. Unwrap dough; place on a lightly floured piece of parchment or wax paper. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough about 1/8 inch thick (if dough cracks, let it warm up slightly).

4. Cut out cookies with 1 1/2 inch round cutter (re-roll scraps once, chilling if too soft). Place 1 inch apart on two baking sheets; sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake until barely beginning to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

5. Form sandwiches: Place about 1 teaspoon Creamy Lemon Filling (below) between two cookies, sugared sides facing out; squeeze gently.


Creamy Lemon Filling

In a small bowl, mix cream cheese and zest until smooth. Gradually add 1 cup of confectioners' sugar, mixing until smooth. Mix in remaining sugar as necessary to create a firm but spreadable filling.

Maple-Walnut Spice Cookies

Cookies:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tbs maple syrup
1 large egg

Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbs maple syrup
1 tbs fat-free milk
2 tsp butter, softened
top with: 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (or pecans!) toasted

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. To prepare cookies, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour through cloves in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
3. Place brown sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add 2 tbs. syrup andegg; beat until well blended. Beating at low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined.
4. Spoon batter evenly into 30 mounds (about 1 tbs) 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 5 mintues. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
5. To prepare frosting, combine powder sugar, 2 tbs syrup, milk, and 2 tsp butter, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Spread frosting evenly over cooled cookies. Working quickly, sprinkle cookies with nuts. Yield: 30 cookies. Serving size: 1 cookie; calories=98, fat 3.3 g, fiber 0 g.