Specialty Cookies: Butter Tart Cookies

These cookies take a little extra effort, but they're definitely worth it. They are rich and buttery with a sweet filling that tastes just like a butter tart. Despite being more work than a regular cookie, they are infinitely easier than an actual butter tart, so try serving these at your next gathering instead.


Ingredients


For the Cookie
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup dark corn syrup
1 egg yolk
1¼ cup all purpose flour


For the Filling
¼ cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
¼ cup powdered sugar
⅛ cup butter (do no substitute margarine)
1½ tbsp dark corn syrup
1 egg white, slightly beaten


Preparation


Start by making your cookie dough. Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add corn syrup and egg yolk and blend well. Stir in flour and mix until all flour has been fully incorporated. Cover dough and place in the refrigerator.


Now make the filling. Toast the pecans by heating the oven to 350°F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes, until nuts are slightly browned. Watch the nuts closely. They can burn easily You want them just slightly browned, not dark. Allow nuts to cool for 5 minutes.


In a small saucepan, combine powdered sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, then remove immediately from the heat. Stir in toasted pecans. Set aside.


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from fridge and shape into 1-inch balls. Place these on a prepared cookie sheet. They should be about 2 inches apart. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and brush lightly with egg white. Using the handle of a small spoon, carefully make a deep indentation of each cookie. Fill this indentation with the filling.


When all cookies are filled, return them to the oven and bake for an additional 9 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then cool completely on wire racks.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. They can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

Drop Cookies: Chocolate Pixies

These delicious cookies are mostly melted chocolate and eggs. This makes them light and even a little custard-like. When melting the chocolate, use low heat and stir constantly. If you're not careful, the chocolate will scorch.


Ingredients


¼ cup butter (do not use margarine)
½ cup chocolate chips
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
½ cup walnuts or pecans, finely chopped
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
powdered sugar


Preparation


Melt the chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring almost constantly. Stir until smooth, then remove from heat. Place flour and sugar in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add walnuts, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. Add the eggs and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.


Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the chocolate is completely incorporated. You should have a slightly wet dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour for easier handling.


Heat oven to 300°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the powdered sugar, covering the dough completely. Place on prepared cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 18 minutes, until cookies are set. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and cool on wire racks.


This recipe will give you about 3 dozen cookies. They'll keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.

Drop Cookies: Snickerdoodles

The name "snickerdoodle" has been used to describe a few different types of cookie in recent years, but traditionally it refers to a cinnamon-coated cookie that originated in New England. These are simple and quick to make, so if you're having people over unexpectedly, serve these warm from the oven. They'll be a hit.


Ingredients


1½ cups sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon


Preparation


Heat oven to 400°F. Cream together 1½ cups sugar and butter in a large bowl. Add vanilla and eggs. Blend well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Combine until you have a soft dough.


Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll these balls in the cinnamon sugar and place them 2-inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet.


Bake cookies for 10 minutes, until cookies are set. Remove immediately from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.


This recipe makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Drop Cookies: Chocolate Bonbons

Get ready to fall in love with these Chocolate BonBon Cookies—sweet, soft, and dusted in sugar while still warm from the oven! In this video, we walk you through our easy step-by-step recipe and directions for making these delicious homemade cookies from scratch. Perfect for any home baker, these cookies come together quickly with simple ingredients like milk chocolate chips, vanilla, and all-purpose flour. They’re the ideal treat for holiday baking, weekend snacks, or anytime you’re craving something chocolatey and comforting.

This cookie recipe is part of our ongoing Andersen Acres kitchen series where we focus on cooking at home with farm-style simplicity. Whether you're into homesteading, hobby farming, or just love trying out new baking recipes, these Chocolate BonBon Cookies are sure to become a family favorite.

Watch to learn how to mix, shape, bake, and sugar-coat each bite-sized cookie for the perfect finish. With easy directions and no fancy equipment needed, this recipe is accessible for beginners and rewarding for seasoned bakers alike.

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with your fellow food lovers!

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Drop Cookies: Butterballs

As the name suggests, butter is the defining ingredient in this shortbread-type cookie. Don't substitute margarine. Margarine doesn't give the same flavor, which makes a butterball made with margarine no butterball at all.


Ingredients


½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup almonds, finely chopped
pinch of salt
powdered sugar


Preparation


Heat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and blend well. Add flour, almonds, and salt. Combine until you have a soft cookie dough.


Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Place these on a prepared cookie sheet. Do not flatten. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until cookies are set and the bottoms are golden brown. Allow cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute. Place extra powdered sugar in a shallow dish and roll warm cookies in the sugar before placing the cookies on a wire rack to cool completely.


This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Specialty Cookies: Meringue Buttons

These tiny meringue buttons are delightful on their own or as a garnish for other desserts. Try placing them on top of cakes and cupcakes, or using them to top cookies. You can make them larger or smaller, if you wish, depending on what, exactly, you intend to do with them.


Ingredients


2 egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar
½ cup sugar
1 tbsp cocoa powder


Preparation


Heat oven to 200°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Do not use wax paper. It smokes in the oven. Do not use foil. It sticks to the meringue.


In a small bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric beater at medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar 1 tbsp at a time, beating at high speed, until all sugar is dissolved and you have stiff and glossy peaks. Do not attempt to use meringue that does not form soft peaks in this recipe.


Fit a decorating bag with a decorating tip of your choice. I've used a plain decorating tip for the buttons in the picture, but you can use something with more of a pattern to it, if you desire. Pipe the meringue onto the parchment paper. You can make them larger or smaller, as you desire. My meringue buttons are about 1 inch across. If you make them this size, you'll get 50 to 60 buttons. Larger buttons will result in fewer cookies.


Bake meringues for 45 to 60 minutes, until meringues are firm and lightly browned. It is important not to allow them to over bake, so watch for the browning once they have been in the oven for 45 minutes. when you see the bottoms start to brown, remove from the oven.


Allow meringues to sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove carefully with a spatula. Place on a wire rack and allow to cool completely.


Sprinkle meringues with cocoa powder before serving. When meringues are completely dry, you can store them loosely covered at room temperature, but do not place them in an airtight container.

Drop Cookies: Cookie Sandwiches

These cookies have a delicate caramel flavor. Use only butter, not margarine, in the filling. Margarine will not develop the same richness of flavor that butter will. In the cookie itself, however, you can use margarine if you like.


Ingredients


For the Cookies
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour


For the Filling
2 tbsp butter
1¼ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp milk


Preparation


Cream brown sugar and butter together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and blend until smooth. Mix in flour until you have a soft dough. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to make handling the dough easier.


Heat oven to 325°F. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on a prepared cookie sheet. Flatten these balls with a fork dipped in flour. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Remove immediately from the cookie sheet and cool completely on wire racks.


When cookies are cool, it's time to make the filling. Place the butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until butter is golden brown. Remove from heat and immediately mix in all other filling ingredients. Blend until smooth, then allow to cool slightly. Don't allow it to cool completely or it will become too hard to spread.


Spread about 1 teaspoon of filling on the bottom of one cookie. Top with a second cookie, making sure the bottom of the cookie is the side that touches the filling. Press cookies together slightly, then set aside on a wire rack. Repeat with other cookies.


Allow all cookies to sit until filling is set.


This recipe makes about 12 to 18 sandwich cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Drop Cookies: Orange Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are soft and tender. They also melt in your mouth as they combine the delicate flavor of oranges with the sweetness of chocolate. This recipe uses semi-sweet chocolate, but you can substitute milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or even white chocolate. If using white chocolate, you might even want to dye it different colors based on the occasion. Use your imagination.


Ingredients


For the Cookies
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1⅓ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
2 tbsp orange zest


For the Glaze
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup


Preparation


Heat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg and blend well. Add remaining cookie ingredients and combine until you have a soft dough. Shape into 1-inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet. Flatten slightly. You can use the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to do this if you want.


Bake cookies for 8 minutes, until cookies are slightly browned. Cook 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to wire rack and cool completely.


While the cookies are cool, prepare the glaze. Using a chocolate melter or saucepan on the stove, melt all glaze ingredients together, stirring occasionally. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper. Dip half of each cooled cookie into the glaze. Allow excess chocolate to dip back into glaze. Set cookie on wax paper. Repeat with remaining cookies.


Allow glaze to set completely. This can take 2 to 3 hours on the counter. You can shorten this process considerably if you place the cookies in the refrigerator. Either way, don't serve the cookies until the glaze is fully set.


This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies. They will keep for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container. If storing, place wax paper between layers of cookies so the glaze doesn't cause them to stick together.

Drop Cookies: Chocolate Sugar Cookies

These cookies are tender and delicious and so chocolaty. Store them in a single layer to prevent crushing.


Ingredients


½ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking powder


Preparation


Heat oven to 325°F. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg. Blend well, then add flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Combine all ingredients until a soft dough forms. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheet. Keep cookies at least 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.


Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until just set. Cool for 2 minutes, then remove from baking sheet and cool completely on wire racks.


This recipe makes 18 to 24 cookies, depending on the size.

Shaped Cookies: Tropical Cookie Tarts

These cookies actually look like mini pies. They're baked in a muffin pan and make excellent party food. Pineapple jam can be a little hard to find, but you can substitute apricot if you need to. They're not really hard to make, but they do require a little patience. If you try to remove them from the muffin pan too soon, they'll far apart. So don't  rush the cooling process.


Ingredients


For the Cookies
1 cup all purpose flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ tsp vanilla


For the Filling
½ cup pineapple jam
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
¾ cup coconut, shredded or flaked


Preparation


Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-muffin pan with a light coat of baking spray to prevent sticking. In a large bowl, combine all cookie ingredients until you have crumbly dough. Finish mixing the dough by hand until you have a smooth ball of dough. Press this dough into the 12 muffin cups, dividing the dough evenly. Press the along the bottom and up the sides of each cup.


In a small bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Gently spoon this mixture into the dough-lined muffin cups, dividing it equally between all 12 cups. Bake the cookie tarts for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crusts are a light golden brown. Cool in pan for at least 20 minutes.


When the cookies are mostly cool, turn the pan upside down over a wire cooling rack. If the cookies don't slide out on their own, tap the bottom of each cup with the handle of a table knife. Tap firmly and the cookies should slide out.


Turn cookies over and allow to cool completely before serving. These cookies can be kept for up to 4 days if stored in an airtight container.

Drop Cookies: Brown-Eyed Susans

These peanut butter and chocolate cookies are delicious. The trick to these cookies is to have the chocolate kisses already unwrapped and ready to go. They must be pressed into the hot cookies the very minute they come out of the oven.


Ingredients


½ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup peanut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1¾ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
sugar in a shallow dish
36-48 milk chocolate kisses


Preparation


Heat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, cream together butter, peanut butter, and both white and brown sugar. Add milk, vanilla, and egg and blend well. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt until you have a stiff dough.


Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in the sugar you have in the shallow dish. Place cookies on a prepared baking sheet at least 1 inch apart. Do not flatten. Bake for 12 minutes, until cookies are just golden brown.


When you take the cookies out of the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie, pressing down until the cookie cracks around the chocolate. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool completely before serving.


This recipe makes between 2 and 4 dozen cookies, depending on exactly how large you decided to make your cookies. After they are cooled and set, they will keep for up to a week if you store them in an airtight container.

Drop Cookies: Peanut Butterscotch Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are tasty, but peanut butterscotch cookies are divine. The addition of butterscotch chips gives these classic cookies a delightful upgrade. Serve them with milk for a fun afternoon snack.


Ingredients


½ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1¾ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 cup butterscotch chips


Preparation


Heat oven to 375°F. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and blend until smooth. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold in butterscotch chips.


Scoop by rounded tablespoons and rolls into balls. Dip the tines of a fork into sugar and use the tines to flatten the cookies slightly. The traditional crisscross pattern is formed by using the fork twice, but you are not required to use the traditional pattern. You can make up your own pattern, either using a fork or something else in your cupboard. The bottom of a glass works well. Whatever you use, dip it in sugar first to prevent sticking. In the picture, I've used a holiday tea cup to mark the tops of my cookies.


Bake your cookies for 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.


These can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Drop Cookies: Peannut Butter Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are a classic. They're delicious and fun. The forked pattern on the top is traditional, but it's not strictly necessary. I like the forked pattern not just because it's pretty, but because everyone can easily identify the peanut butter cookies on a tray of many cookies. But you can skip it, if you like.


Ingredients


½ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1¾ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
sugar (optional)


Preparation


Heat the oven to 375°F. Beat sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, milk, vanilla, and egg and blend until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt until you have a soft dough. Using 1 tablespoon of dough at a time, roll dough into balls. Place these balls at least 2 inches apart on a prepared cookie sheet.


If desired, flatten slightly using the tines of a fork dipped in sugar. Crisscross the fork to give the cookies the traditional peanut butter cookie look. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove immediately from cookie sheet and cool on wire racks.


This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies. These cookies will keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.

Fried Cookies: Rosette Cookies

Deep fried dough is one of the sinful delights we all crave. Whether it's doughnuts, funnel cake, or anything else we find at a fair, our taste buds do a little dance of happiness. You can make these things at home, if you like.


Rosette cookies are tasty and easy to make, but you will need some supplies that might not be in your cupboard. While the ingredients are simple and found easily enough in your pantry, you'll also need a deep fryer and rosette molds. If you don't have a deep fryer, you can use a pot of oil on the stove. Either way, you'll need to keep track of the oil temperature, so get a good deep fry thermometer. If your deep fryer has temperature control, you won't need the thermometer.


Rosette molds are metal shapes that attach to a rod. They are plunged into hot oil to create the delicate rosettes. You can find them at some specialty shops, or you can buy them online. Try Amazon, searching for a rosette set. Sometime you'll find a rosette and timable set, which includes patty shell molds. They're not overly expensive, and they're great fun.


Ingredients


2 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla


Preparation


Beat eggs lightly in a shallow pan that is slightly larger than your rosette mold. Add other ingredient and beat until smooth. Don't overbeat, but don't leave lumps in the batter either. Your batter should look very much like pancake batter. Place the batter in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This will give you crisper rosettes.


Heat oil to 375°F. Place the rosette mold in the hot oil and leave it there for at least 3 minutes to heat. 5 minutes is better, at least for the first cookie. Remove batter from fridge while the mold is heating. Remove the mold from the oil, allowing excess oil to drip back into the deep fryer.


Dip mold into the batter, but only to the depth of the mold. You don't want the batter on top of the mold or the cookie will be difficult to remove. Hold the mold in the batter for 30 seconds to allow the batter to adhere to the hot oil. Place mold, with batter, into the fryer. The oil will bubble. When bubbling slows down and the rosette is a delicate brown, the cookie is done. Lift the mold out of the oil.


The cookie may fall right off the mold as you life the mold out. This is okay, and even ideal. It makes the cookie much easier to remove. Simply grab some tongs and fish it out of the oil. Allow excess oil to drip off the cookie, then allow cookie to cool on a wire rack. Place a few paper towels under the rack to catch any oil.


If the cookie doesn't come off the mold, use a fork to gently remove it. Be careful or you'll damage the cookie. When the cookie is free, place the mold back in the oil for a minute to reheat. Continue making cookies until you have no batter left.


If desired, sprinkle cookies with powdered sugar. You can even add a little cinnamon.


Cookie can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days once they're completely cool and dry. You can even freeze them for up to 2 weeks. If you want to recrisp the cookies, heat in a 300°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

Sliced Cookies: Sweet Molasses Rounds

These sweet and tender cookies can be made with either light or dark molasses. I prefer dark, but it really doesn't matter. The spices in this cookie mimic a hearty gingerbread, so almost everyone will like this. The dough is very tender, so it will require at least 2 hours in the freezer before slicing.


Ingredients


½ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup molasses
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp ginger


Preparation


Beat sugar, molasses, butter, and egg in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add all other ingredients and blend until you have a smooth and slightly wet dough. Turn dough out onto a piece of wax or parchment paper. Roll into a log that is 12 inches long. Flatten ends. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until dough is set, about 2 hours.


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove dough from freezer and unwrap. Slice into ½-inch rounds and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are set and browned at the edges. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire racks.


This recipe makes 24 cookies. They will keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

Sliced Cookies: Chocolate Nut Rounds

The cinnamon in this recipe brings out the flavor in the chocolate, making for a delicious cookie that anyone will like. You can chop the nuts more finely than I did, though I like the look of the larger chunks. You can also omit the nuts entirely, or use a different nut.


When melting the chocolate and butter, you can use a pot on the stove or a chocolate melter. I prefer my little chocolate melter, but you can use whatever you prefer to melt the chocolate. A fondue pot would work as well. Allow the chocolate the cool for at least 5 minutes before you add it to the dough to avoid cooking the eggs.


Ingredients


½ cup butter
½ cup chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2¼ cups all purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp cinnamon
½ cup walnuts, chopped


Preparation


Melt the butter and chocolate together over medium heat until chocolate is smooth. Do not cook longer than necessary. Remove from heat and allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


Place sugar, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl. Blend well. Add chocolate and blend until smooth and fluffy. Add flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Blend until a damp dough forms. Fold in walnuts.


Turn out the dough onto a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap. Shape the dough into a log that is 12 inches long. Wrap in the wax paper and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour.


Heat oven to 400°F. Remove dough from freezer and unwrap. Use a sharp knife to cut dough into
½-inch rounds. This will give you 24 cookies. Arrange these on a prepared baking sheet, keeping the cooking at least 1 inch away from each other.


Bake for 8 minutes, until cookies are set and browned a bit around the edges. Cool on pan for 1 minute, then cool completely on wire racks.


These cookies will keep for up to 6 days if kept in an airtight container.

Cutout Cookies: Easy Shortbread

Shortbread really is the be all and end all of the cookie world. It is what all cookies aspire to be. It's also often though to be difficult to make. It really isn't. It is, in fact, incredibly simple. There are only 4 ingredients in this version, and you don't even have to roll out the dough if you have a shortbread mold.


What is a shortbread mold? Well, it's simply a clay or earthenware mold that you press shortbread into so that it bakes up nice and pretty. There are also newer pans made of metal, some even with nonstick coatings. If you like shortbread, it's well worth having one. I absolutely love the 9 that I have. You can get them in different designs at most bake ware stores. There are even more designs available online.


If you don't have a shortbread mold, you can roll out this dough on a lightly floured surface and cut it with cookie cutters. Be gentle, though. You don't want it too thin. Bake as directed.


You can make shortbread in different flavors using this recipe. Simply substitute the vanilla for a different extract. Try lemon, mint, or maple, to start. They're all delicious. You can even use natural food dyes to change the color of the dough to correspond to the flavor. Yellow can be used for lemon, green for mint, and so on. If you do want to use dye, add it to the butter when you first start making the cookies. It won't blend as well if you add it later.


Ingredients


½ cup butter, softened (do not use margarine)
⅓ cup powdered sugar (also called icing sugar)
¼ tsp vanilla (or other extract)
1 cup all purpose flour


Preparation


This is a simple recipe that takes no time at all to prepare. Heat oven to 325°F. Spray your shortbread mold with cooking spray to prevent sticking, but keep it light. Too much cooking spray will spoil the dough. A light coating is all you need. Set the mold aside.


Place the butter in a large bowl. Add any coloring you wish, or none at all. Cream the butter with an electric mixer until it is light and fluffy. Add the sugar and vanilla. Blend well. Work in the flour with your hands. Be gentle. You don't want to overwork your dough.


Form a ball with the dough and place it in the center of the shortbread mold. Press it firmly into the pan, working out from the center. Press it down hard enough that it truly molds to the pan. You want the pattern in the mold to transfer to the dough.


Prick the surface of the dough with a fork to prevent the formation of air bubbles. Bake for 30 minutes, until the dough is lightly browned and pulls away from the sides of the pan slightly. Make sure the browning extends to the very middle of the pan. The dough should definitely be cooked throughout, or it will not come out of the pan.


Let the shortbread cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cookie with a knife, then turn the pan onto a cutting board. If the shortbread doesn't come out immediately, tap it several times. Don't be tempted to pry it out of the pan. It will only break. Tap the sides, even bang the cutting board a little, but don't pry it directly from the pan.


Once the shortbread is free of the mold, use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread according to the pattern in the mold. My mold makes triangle-shaped cookies. Yours may make square. Cut accordingly.


This recipe fills one standard-size shortbread mold. My mold makes 8 triangle cookies. Some molds make 12 square cookies.

Sliced Cookies: Licorice Snaps

There's no actual licorice in these licorice snaps. Instead, a combination of anise seed, cinnamon, and cloves is used to approximate a licorice flavor. These cookies spread a lot when baking, so make sure you leave at least 2 inches between cookies.. If you don't, you'll end up with a giant cookie that you'll actually have to cut apart to eat.


Ingredients


½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp anise seed
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup pecans, chopped


Preparation


Place sugars, butter, and egg in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add all other ingredients and blend until you have a soft dough. It will be sticky. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours for easier handling.


Remove dough from fridge and shape into a 12-inch long roll. Wrap this roll in plastic wrap or wax paper. Place in the freezer for at least 4 hours. Overnight would be better. You want the roll to be completely frozen before you try to slice it.


When it is frozen, heat the oven to 375°F. Slice the dough into ½-inch rounds. Place these rounds onto a prepared cookie sheet, keeping them at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from cookie sheets immediately and cool on wire racks.


This recipe will make 2 dozen cookies. They will keep for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container.

Sliced Cookies: Butter Almond Cookies

These cookies are great for anyone who like almonds or cinnamon sugar. They are soft and delicious, but make sure you use butter. Margarine doesn't give the same taste in this delicate icebox cookie.


Ingredients


½ cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 tsp almond extract
1 egg
1¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 pkg sliced almonds
1 egg, slightly beaten
¼ cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon


Preparation


Place butter and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl and cream together. Add egg and almond extract and blend until fluffy. Stir in flour and baking powder. Mix until you have a soft dough. Turn out the dough onto a piece of wax paper and shape into a 12-inch log. Wrap log in wax paper and place in the freezer until set, about 1 hour.


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove log from freezer and slice into ½-inch rounds and place round on prepared cookie sheet. Press three slices of almond on the top of each cookie. Brush the top of each cookie with beaten egg. Combine ¼ cup sugar with cinnamon until you have cinnamon sugar. Sprinkle a little cinnamon sugar on top of each cookie.


Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges of cookies are golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then cool completely on wire racks.


This recipe makes 2 dozen cookies. They will keep for up to a week if stored in an airtight container.

Sliced Cookies: Cranberry Orange Pinwheels

These cookies are pretty and delicious. Make sure to cook the filling long enough for it to set, then let it cool completely. You'll also have to fully freeze the log before slicing. Otherwise you'll just have a complete mess on your hands.


Ingredients


For the Filling
1 tbsp corn starch
¾ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
¼ cup orange marmalade


For the Cookies
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1¾ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp orange zest
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp allspice


Preparation


Place all filling ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly so the cranberry sauce doesn't burn. Boil until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled.


Meanwhile, cream together brown sugar, butter, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients and mix until you have a soft dough. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour. This will make the dough easier to handle.


Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into an 8x16-inch rectangle. Spoon chilled filling onto the dough and spread carefully with the back of a spoon. Keep the filling about ½-inch away from all edges. This will give the filling room to spread as you roll up the dough.


Starting on one 16-inch side, roll up the dough like you would a jelly roll. Don't roll it too tightly or all the filling with squeeze out. Be gentle, almost turning the dough over itself without adding too much pressure. Smooth out the roll and wrap in parchment paper. Freeze until the roll is frozen through, at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.


Heat oven to 375°F. Remove roll from freezer and carefully slice the roll into ½-inch rounds. Arrange these rounds on a prepared cookie sheet, keeping them at least 1 inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes, until the edges have browned. Let cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then cool completely on wire racks.


This recipe makes 32 cookies. They will keep for at least 4 days if stored in an airtight container.