Wednesday, November 12, 2008

If I Could Bake You a Cookie

If I Could Bake You a Cookie…
It would be heart shaped and covered in chocolate. Delicious and sweet, just like you.

If I Could Bake You a Cookie…
It would be diamond shaped. Sparkling with joyous light, just like you.

Shortbread cookies are super easy to make. Basically one recipe two ways. You can make a ton of them starting now, freeze them and then prepare them with the chocolate cover and drizzle right before you’re ready to put them into pretty little boxes to give away for the Holidays. Be sure and keep some for your self though. They are pretty tasty.

Christmas is the perfect time to show displays of affection. It doesn’t have to cost money, or be difficult, or be a burden to show someone you care. All it has to do is be from the heart, a labor of love. Cookies are so perfect to give to people you care about; your kids, your friends, your neighbors, anyone. Spend your time in the kitchen, not your money in a store. Here are a couple of cookie recipes from my heart to yours. If I could bake you a cookie, they would probably be these.

Chocolate Covered Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cups powdered sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2cups of flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
2 teaspoons shortening

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar together until well combined. Mix in vanilla. Add flour and salt and incorporate well. Wrap in plastic and chill in refrigerator for about a 1-½ hours.

Roll dough between two sheets of waxed or parchment paper. Dip cookie cutter in powdered sugar and cut out shapes. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

Melt chocolate with the shortening. When cookies are cooled, dip each one in the chocolate and place on a parchment covered baking sheet and allow chocolate to set.

Cocoa Shortbread Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cups powdered sugar
1-teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate
2 teaspoons shortening

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Prepare dough and bake the same way as with Chocolate Covered Shortbreads but instead of using cookie cutters, cut out diamond shapes.

Melt white chocolate with shortening. Drizzled cooled cookies. Place on parchment lined baking sheet and allow chocolate to set.
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Quote:
If I eat equal amounts of dark chocolate and white chocolate, is that a balanced diet? Don't they actually counteract each other?
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Aprovecho: A Mexican-American Border Cookbook (Hippocrene Cookbook Library







Mi Chitas Mexican Chocolate Ecookbook

7 comments:

Nazarina A said...

These look so freaking good ! These little sweethearts would melt in anybody's mouths!!! I totally agree with you about making gifts from the heart!

This was the very first cookie I learned how to make with my Grandmother. Shortbread is a typically British cookie and we grew up with the English in South Africa! My recipe is a little different though.

Gloria Chadwick said...

Teresa, These cookies look so good. I love baking cookies for Christmas; I make several kinds of shortbread cookies with my grandsons, then we go around and give them to all the neighbors. Plus we eat a lot of them, too! I make a ton of cookies and also give them to my daughter to take into work to give to all the firefighters at her station.

Jenn said...

Oh, the cookies. We miss the cookies. Almost as much as we miss all of you.

Finla said...

I love making cookies at home. And these looks so beautiful andd delicious.

Anonymous said...

i love your cookies!!! i love giving food as gifts around the holidays. i think it means so much more to people when you give them something you made and are proud of.

Reeni said...

Your so sweet! The cookies look so good. I would love some of these with a cup of tea. You are so right about gifts from the heart, their the best kind!

Megan said...

I love shortbread and if some one gave me a platter of these gems, I would be thrilled! They are beautiful and a great gift!

 

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