Italian Pignoli Cookies

Of all the cookies that are around in the world for the tasting, these Pignoli cookies rank the highest on my list of true favorites! I have a friend of Italian heritage who will (every once-in-a-blue-moon) make these cookies for a party or something, and she always makes just a few extra for me! A true delight these little cookies!

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces, weight Pignoli (pine Nuts)
• ½ cups Granulated Sugar
• ½ cups Confectioners Sugar
• ¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 dash Salt
• 8 ounces, weight Almond Paste
• 2 whole Egg Whites
• ½ teaspoons Almond Or Vanilla Extract

Directions: Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line 2 cookie sheets with Silpat liners or parchment. Place pine nuts or pignoli in a shallow dish.

Combine granulated sugar, confectioners sugar, flour and salt in a medium bowl and lightly toss.

Place almond paste in a mixing bowl of an electric mixer and mix to break up. Add beaten egg whites and mix on low speed until smooth. Add almond extract and flour mixture and beat until flour is blended in, about 30 seconds. Do not over-beat.

Using a teaspoon or a scooper, scoop up a rounded spoon of dough and push the dough side into the pine nuts so that they stick to the dough.

Ease dough out of scoop so that pine nuts are facing up on baking sheet. Place 2″ apart and re-apply any loose nuts.

Bake cookies for about 25 minutes. Use a shorter baking time if you like soft cookies and a longer baking time if you like them chewy. Cool 1 minute and remove to a rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners sugar.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Happy Baking & Bon Appétit!

Recipe Credit

Magic Cookie Bars

Greetings everybody! So sorry for the lack of posts lately…holidays, birthdays, weddings and graduations all come flooding in around this time of year, & thing have gotten kinda’ crazy because of that! 😉

This recipe is great because it’s not too time consuming, and for the most part, you *should* already have everything you need for them in your cupboard! Perfect for bringing to that summer event you are invited to at just the last minuet!  Hope you Enjoy!  🙂

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup margarine (melted)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 & 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 & 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a 9 x 13 inch pan pour in melted margarine. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the margarine. Next place the chopped nuts over the crumbs, and spread the chocolate and butterscotch chips over the nuts. Add the coconut over all, and pour the milk evenly over the top.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly brown on top. Cool at least 20 minutes then cut into desired sized bars.

Bon Appétit!

Recipe & Photo Credit

TeaTime Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Hi Everybody,

A few evenings ago it was raining and stormy outside, making it a rather dreary evening inside as well, so i decided to try making these lovely little cookies to cheer me up and to my delight, they came out splendidly! I hope you all enjoy this recipe! 🙂

Ingredients:

• 1-½ cup Butter, Room Temperature
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1  Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 3-¼ cups Flour
• ¾ cups Jam (any Kind)

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, then vanilla and salt, mixing well. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour and mix until it just comes together.

Roll the dough into small balls(which may be a little difficult) then place on a lined baking sheet a few inches apart (cookies will spread). If the dough is hard to work with, refrigerate it for 30 minutes.

Using the back of a utensil, or your thumb, create a hollow in each cookie for the jam. Fill with jam. (but don’t over-do it! this is a less-is-more type of thing)

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes; the edges will be set, but the cookies should not be browned at all, and will not look done. Let the cookies cool for 1 minute on the sheet before moving them to a cooling rack.

If desired, fill with more jam and enjoy your cookies with a nice glass of milk or sweet cup of tea.

Bon Appètit!

Chewy Chocolate Caramel Bars

These gooey bars of chocolaty goodness are a lovely change to an ordinary brownie recipe. Make sure to follow the directions closely and you will end-up with a very special treat! “This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook- try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!”
― Julia Child, My Life in France

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: one 13X9″ baking pan

 Ingredients:

• 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (56 grams) diced cold butter
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
• 1 cup (80 grams) cocoa
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup (168 grams) melted butter
• 5 oz (1 small) can evaporated milk
• 14 oz caramels, unwrapped
• 1 1/2 cups (226 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 12-14 extra caramels

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350F.
2. Line a 13X9 baking pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In a food processor add the flour and cold diced butter. Pulse a few more times until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs and all the butter is cut in. You can also use a pastry blender, a fork or rub the butter and flour with your hands.
4. Add the sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and whisk to combine.
5. In a large mixing bowl add the dry ingredients mix and pout the melted butter on top. Add 1/3 cup of the evaporated milk and mix until well combined. The dough it’s going to be similar to a light crumby cookie dough.
6. Spread 2/3 of the dough in the prepared baking pan and set aside. Refrigerate the remaining dough until needed.
7. In a small saucepan place the remaining evaporated milk and the unwrapped caramels. Stir continuously over low heat until the caramels are melted. Pout over the cookie dough base.
8. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the caramel layer.
9. Take the remaining cookie dough out of the fridge and crumble it on top of the chocolate chips.
10. Top with the remaining caramels.
11. Bake for 25 minutes.
12. It may seem bubbly and undone but once cooled the caramel and chocolate layers will set.
13. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Bon Appétit!

Recipe & Photo Credit

Glazed Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Chewy and super yummy – these are the perfect Spring/Summer treat!  🙂

“Spring is the time of plans and projects.”
― Leo Tolstoy,  Anna Karenina

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 stick Butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup Coconut Oil (Or replace the coconut oil by making the recipe with 1/2 lb. Butter total)
• 1 – 1/4 cups packed Brown Sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated Sugar
• 2 Eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose Flour
• 4 cups rolled Oats
• 1 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 10 oz. bag Cinnamon Chips
• 1 cup toasted chopped Walnuts
• 2 cups, soaked & drained Raisins

For the Glaze: Powdered Sugar & Water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Cream together the sugars and butter. Add the vanilla and the eggs one at a time, combining well after each addition.

Combine the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a separate bowl.

Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and blend well. Stir in the chips, raisins and nuts.

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out onto lined baking sheets.

Bake for about 12-13 minutes and remove from oven to cool on sheet.

Make the glaze by combining powdered sugar and a bit of water to a good drizzle consistency.  Drizzle over cooled cookies and allow the glaze to set up.

Bon Appètit!

Easter Nest Cookies

This is a quick, easy, and festive Easter delight! 🙂 Enjoy!

I thought today, instead of a quote I would share a song with you that has encouraged me many times, by Sara Groves. I hope you enjoy it and that your Spirits are lifted and encouraged!

“Add to Beauty” song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMzsTgaDrQo

 

Easter Nest Cookies

• 1 batch of sugar cookies (cut into round circles) https://sweetsixteenscountrykitchen.wordpress.com/2012/06/25/sugar-cookies/
• Butter
• Confectioners sugar
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• Food coloring
• Chocolate eggs

Make sugar cut out cookies and let cool. Frost cookies. Add coconut to a 1-quart resealable plastic bags. Add 2-3 drops of food coloring in each bag, shaking each bag to blend color. I may be necessary to add 1-2 tsp. water to help disperse the color evenly or additional food color until desired color is reached. Sprinkle about a couple tsp. of coconut onto each cookie. Top with three chocolate eggs.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies

 My whole search started about a month ago when i attended a party and there were these Girl Scout Thin Mint Cookies on the dessert table…I adored them and was totally motivated to do whatever i could to replicate the recipe – but then i realized that finding the exact recipe might be more of a chore than i first though. I tried a few different recipes, my hopes rising with each one, but then tuning out disappointed… to dry, to cakey, to cracker like…etc.etc So finally, after a bunch of failures, i found this recipe and it has been the closest to that of the original – I was so excited (still am actually! lol)  I made a few modifications, but i think that they made the cookies better…i mean come-on! Who would want a whole-wheat thin mint??!  They just don’t sound that appealing….do they?  😉

Ingredients: 

• ½ cups Butter, Room Temperature
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ½ cups Cocoa Powder
• ¾ cup Pastry Flour (or substitute with sifted flour and 1 &1/2 Tsp cornstarch)
• 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1-¼ teaspoon Mint Extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cream butter until light and fluffy, then add the powdered sugar and mix until combined. Stir in the salt, vanilla and cocoa powder. Mix until the cocoa powder is integrated and the batter resembles a thick frosting. Add the flour and mix just until the flour is combined, making sure to not over mix.

Form dough into a ball. Knead a few times to bring together, then flatten into a disk between half an inch and one inch thick, cover in plastic wrap then place in freezer for 15 minutes. Remove dough from the freezer and roll it out really thin on a floured surface, about 1/8-inch. Cut cookies using 1 1/2-inch cutter (any shape or design you like, I used the lid to my spice jar which was a perfect size).

Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool completely.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This is to place chocolate coated cookies on to dry.

To make chocolate topping: In a microwave safe bowl; add chocolate and microwave in short 15-20 second bursts; stirring between bursts. Mine took about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the peppermint extract.

Gently drop the cookies, one at a time, into the coating. Turn to coat entirely, then lift the cookie out of the chocolate with the fork and bang the fork on the side of the pan until the extra coating drips off. (I banged mine against the spoon I used to stir the chocolate, that way the cookie wouldn’t fall back into the chocolate) Place on prepared baking rack. Repeat for the rest of the cookies. Place the cookies in the refrigerator or freezer to set.

These will be best eaten from either the freezer or fridge, since they start to get a bit melty when outside.  Yield: 37 Cookies

Recipe slightly adapted from Jen @ Peanut Butter and Peppers & Chicagoist.

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars ~ A Pioneer Woman Recipe

Photo Copyright – The Pioneer Woman

Hey Guys!  I’m so excited to share with you my newest found favorite treat!  Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are perfectly divine, (i’m totally in love=addicted to them) – and i hope you will be too!  😉

Ingredients:

• 1-3/4 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces
• 1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1-1/2 cup Oats (quick Or Regular)
• 1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 jar (10 To 12 Ounce) Strawberry (or any) Preserves (whip them with a spoon first to make them easier to spread!)
  

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 or 8 x 10 baking dish.

Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle half the mixture into the pan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight. Spoon strawberry preserves evenly over the surface, then use a dinner knife to carefully spread it around. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly again. Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan. When cool, cut into squares and serve.

Bon Appètit!

Photo/Recipe Credit – The Pioneer Woman.com

Coconut-White Chip Oatmeal Cookies

A randomly found recipe with some additional tweaking done to it turned-out to be the most amazing, flavorful and rich tasting cookie ever!  🙂

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks Salted Butter, Softened
• 1-¼ cup Light Brown Sugar, Packed
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2-¼ cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 cup Oats, Quick Cooking
• 1-½ cup Shredded Sweetened Coconut
• 1/2 bag White Chocolate Chips (optional)
• 1 package Toffee Bits (8 Oz Package) (optional)
  

Preparation Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large sized bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together the softened butter and sugars. Once they are well combined add in your vanilla and the eggs, one egg at a time, and mix until fully incorporated.

2. In a separate bowl combine your flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir them together to make sure they are mixed well.

3. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Scrape down your bowl and then add the rest of the flour mixture. Blend together until just combined.

4. Add in the oats, coconut and white chips/toffee bits and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined.

5. Using a small scoop, about 1″ size, scoop the batter onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and place the balls about 2 inches apart. Flatten with the back of a spoon or your hand.

6. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes(let me stress: Do Not over-bake!). Then remove them from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then remove them to a cooling rack to let them cool the rest of the way.

Happy Baking & Bon Appetit!  

Candy-Stripe Cookie Sticks

Welcome~

A bend in the road is not the end of the road… unless you fail to make the turn.  ~Author Unknown

If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.  ~Frank A. Clark

This is a festive, Christmas treat, enjoy!

Candy-Stripe Cookie Sticks

• 8 egg whites
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cup flour
• 1 1/4 sticks, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cups plus 2 TBSP. heavy cream
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Red food coloring

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put egg whites and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until foamy. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and salt; mix until just combined. Add butter, cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Transfer 1 cup batter to a bowl (set remaining batter aside). Stir in red coloring until desired color is reached. transfer tinted batter to a pasty bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Secure end of pastry bag with rubber band. Set aside. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of plain batter on a greased 9″ X13″ pan (there will be enough room on the pan for two small rectangle shape cookies spread with a small spatula. Pipe evenly spaced diagonal tinted stripes onto each rectangle. Bake until pale golden  about 4 minutes (don’t overcook!) Immediately loosen edges with a spatula, and flip cookie over after it comes out of the oven, roll cookie into a thin cylinder, Place seam side down on a clean work surface; let cool and set aside. Quickly repeat with second cookie. Repeat process, tinting and baking two cookies on a pan at a time.

*Tip- I found that before rolling each cookie dip your fingers in cold water, that way the heat of the cookie won’t be as hot to the touch.
*Recipe from Martha Stewart’s Cookie Cookbook

Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies

Hi Everybody! 
We found this great recipe for Peanut Butter Cookies over on Tasty Kitchen a few weeks ago, and we have already made several batches per week since then! – They are just that amazing!!!  😉

Ingredients:

• 1 -1/4 cup Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 cup Softened Butter (1 stick)
• 1 cup Peanut Butter, creamy or crunchy, your preference!
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 tablespoon Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degree’s.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand-mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and peanut butter together until smooth and fluffy. Add the sugars and mix until combined. Then incorporate the egg, followed by the milk and vanilla. Gradually add in the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.

Put a few tablespoons of sugar in a shallow small bowl for rolling your cookies. Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out your dough, roll each into a ball and roll each ball in the sugar until coated on all sides. Place them on the prepared baking sheet, allowing room for the cookies to spread out while baking.

Bake for 10-12 minutes , being careful not to over-bake. The cookies will look slightly underdone in the center, but they are not. They will set up as they cool.

Happy Baking & Bon Appétit! 

Soft Lemon-Ginger Cookies

 If you are in the mood for a light lemon and ginger summer treat – go make these cookies!  😉

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Butter, softened

• 1 cup packed Brown Sugar

• 1 Egg

• 3 tablespoons Sour Cream

• ½ teaspoon Lemon extract

• ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract

• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose Flour

• 1 teaspoon baking Soda

• 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar

• 1 teaspoon ground Ginger

• ¼ teaspoon Salt

 Directions: In a small mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Beat in the egg, sour cream and extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, ginger, and salt; gradually beat into the creamed mixture.  Put on cookie sheet 2 in. apart.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minuets or until lightly golden brown. Remove from pan immediately and put on racks to cool.  Yield:  2 Dozen

Happy Baking & Bon Appètit!

Super Simple Sugar Cookies

Well the weather finally cooled down enough last night that i decided it was safe to make some cookies…i wanted the sugar variety, but needed a new recipe, so i started looking and ended-up finding this one…Who knew that you could use Vegetable Oil instead of butter or shortening in cookies!?  ~ These cookies are different than most other sugar cookies i’ve had, they have a softer, fluffy, almost-cake-like texture, but-  Based on my results (the finished cookies)  I would have to say that this recipe has ranked itself pretty high on the list as far as a “family-favorite” at my house! 🙂

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon peel (optional)
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Additional sugar or colored sugar

Directions: In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla and lemon peel until blended. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into egg mixture.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Flatten with a glass dipped in sugar. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 1-2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.  Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

Have any of you used  substitutes for butter or shortening in your cookies before?   Give a shout-out if you have any tried-&true tips or substitutes that you’d  like to share! 🙂

~as always ~       

Happy Baking & Bon Appètit!

No Bake Cookies

Good afternoon, I hope you are enjoying your visit to Sweet 16’s Country Kitchen! 🙂

“The richness of the human experience would lose something of rewarding joy if there were no limitations to overcome.”~Helen Keller

This is a quick and easy treat to make that I got from a cookbook called “What’s For Dinner, Mom?” by: Mrs. Lorrie Flem. Its nice to have a dessert that doesn’t require baking, especially on hot days!

Enjoy!

No Bake Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• dash of salt

Bring to a medium boil and let it boil 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add:

• 3 cups of rolled oats
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/2 cup peanut butter

Drop by spoonful onto plastic wrap or waxed paper. They will set up in about 10 minutes and be ready to eat.

*Picture from: http://www.momswhothink.com/cookie-recipes/no-bake-cookie-recipe.html

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Greetings~

These cookies are a delightful treat, they are a light, lemon sugar cookie, great with coffee or tea. It is an extra special recipe for me because it was a favorite of my Grandpa’s. 🙂

“Each new day is a new beginning- to learn more about ourselves, to care more about others, to laugh more than we did, to accomplish more than we thought we could, and be more tan we were before.” ~Unknown author

Enjoy!

Lemon Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. lemon extract
• 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• additional sugar

In large mixing bowl, cream butter, sugars and oil. Beat in eggs and extract. Combine flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; stir into creamed mixture. (dough will be stiff) Roll into 1″ balls; place 2″ apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press with bottom of glass dipped in water, then in sugar. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Yield: 11 dozen

*picture from: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Lemon-Sugar-Cookies