Alabama Recipes: Cookies

Why do we eat cookies?

I asked myself this question and came up with a few thoughts. Cookies are small and easy to eat. You only really need one hand. They are fairly easy to prepare and the possibilities for ingredients are endless. They are perfect to make for a quick bake sale, or just to brighten someone’s day. Preparing cookies can be a great way to spend time in the kitchen with kids. The older I get, the more I realize that spending time with my children is far more important than the “stuff” they accumulate. At the end of every day I ask my oldest daughter what was her favorite part of the day. She most always answers when she spent time playing or talking with another person. It’s rarely about “things.” Let that serve as a reminder to get together and spend time with the ones you love. How about starting with making one of the cookie recipes in this issue? Let me know how they taste.

You could win $50!

Upcoming recipe themes and deadlines are:

June Dad’s favorite dish April 15
July Sandwiches May 15
August Cool drinks June 15

Submit your recipes here, email to [email protected] or mail to: Recipes, P.O. Box 244014, Montgomery, AL 36124. Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook for updates throughout the month.

Mary Tyler Spivey is a graduate of Huntingdon College
where she studied history and French but she also has a
passion for great food.

Contact her at [email protected].

Cook of the month:

Jennifer Hallmark, Joe Wheeler EMC

Mama Lander’s Tea Cakes

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt shortening in microwave in large bowl and let cool for five minutes. Mix all ingredients and roll into small balls. Roll each ball in sugar, then press the top with a fork on cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees until lightly brown on bottom. Serves 2 dozen.

Southern Pecan Cookies

• 2 cups of broken pecans
• 1 egg white
• 2/3 cup of brown sugar (light)

Beat egg white until frothy. Add the brown sugar and beat until egg white melts the sugar. Add pecans and stir by hand until well blended. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Drop by teaspoons on a greased cookie sheet (I use Pam spray).  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on cookie sheet before you remove them. Makes 24 to 30 cookies.

Beverly Danford, Pea River EC

Coconut Honey Bits

• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 cup coconut
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 cube butter
• 1 cup flour
• 2 cups Rice Krispies
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Maraschino cherries
• Additional coconut

Cook together over medium heat the honey, coconut, milk and butter. When hot, add flour. Stir until mixture leaves sides of pan. Add Rice Krispies and vanilla. Form balls. Roll in additional coconut. Make a thumbprint on top. Top with 1/2 of a maraschino cherry in thumbprint. Enjoy!

Lorena Wilson, Black Warrior EMC

 Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup crushed pretzels
• 1 12-ounce package chocolate chips

Line a baking sheet or tray with waxed paper. In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine peanut butter and cream cheese. Microwave, uncovered, on high (100% power) for 30 seconds or until mixture is slightly softened, stirring once. Stir in powdered sugar and pretzels. Shape the peanut butter mixture into 1-inch balls. Place balls on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and freeze for 15 minutes or until firm. Place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe container. Microwave at half power or defrost setting for 30 seconds. Stir thoroughly until smooth. Using a fork, dip balls into melted mixture, allowing excess to drip back into bowl. Place dipped balls back on baking sheet. Chill for 30 minutes or until firm.

Robin O’Sullivan, Wiregrass EC

Malted Munchies

• 1 cup butter (no substitutes) softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups malted milk balls, coarsely crushed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. With mixer, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine the flour, baking cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Add crushed malted milk balls to dough and mix thoroughly, being careful not to over-mix. Shape (do not roll) into 1½-inch balls. If you roll, the cookies won’t have that nice crackly appearance. Place cookies 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets or use Silpat baking mat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown on edges. Cool for 1 minute before removing cookies from pans to wire racks.Yields about 3 dozen.

Cyndi McConnell, Baldwin EMC

 Double Chocolate Cookies

• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2¼ cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1½ cups chopped white chocolate

Beat butter until creamy; gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla, beating until blended after each addition.  Combine flour, cocoa and baking soda.  Add to butter mixture until blended.  Stir in chopped white chocolate.  Drop by tablespoon full onto parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes.  Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes.  Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Victoria Black, North Alabama EC

 Catch A Man Cookies

• 1 cup butter
• 1 ¼ cups dark brown sugar
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup chocolate chips

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until melted. Remove from the heat. Add the dark brown sugar and granulated sugar and stir until sugars are incorporated and smooth. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and stir in the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Add the flour, oats, baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt and cinnamon and mix together. Stir in the white chocolate chips and chocolate chips. Roll by hand into 24 medium-size balls, or use a scoop, and place on a light-colored cookie sheet. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the cookies from the refrigerator and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

Pamela Martin, Arab EC

 Orange Slice Cookies

• 2 cups shortening
• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1¼ teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 cups quick cook oats, uncooked
• 1 3½-ounce package flaked coconut (sweet or unsweet)
• 1 bag (about 20 pieces) orange slice candies, finely chopped

With an electric or stand mixer, in a large mixing bowl, cream shortening. Next, gradually add both sugars beating at medium speed until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. In a large bowl, combine flour, soda, and baking powder. Slowly add by thirds to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in water and mix in oats, coconut, and orange slices. Bump up speed to medium to mix the batter just until combined. It will be really thick. Chill batter for about an hour. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 12 minutes or until browned. Dough can be refrigerated up to a week or you can freeze unused dough up to 6 months.

Summer Magnus, Dixie EC

Nutella Cookie Cups

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup Nutella, melted or softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a standard size muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside. In a large bowl, add flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine. Set aside. In another bowl cream together butter and sugars for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat for 2 more minutes. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix until all combined and well-incorporated. Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chips. Place Nutella in a microwave-safe bowl and warm up the Nutella in 30 second intervals in the microwave until you achieve a smooth and runny consistency that is easy to spoon out. Using a medium cookie dough scoop, scoop out 1.5 – 2 tbsp. of cookie dough, flatten it to the bottom of the muffin tin. Repeat with the dough until all 10 of the muffin tin bottoms are lined with cookie dough. Take a tablespoon of the warmed up Nutella and place in the middle of the dough that’s in the muffin tin. Then, take the remaining cookie dough and cover the Nutella layer. You don’t have to push it down hard, it’ll make the Nutella ooze. Just a gentle tap will do. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges are brown. Immediately run a paring knife around the cookie cups when they come out of the oven so you can loosen them for easy removal later.

Pamela LaRue Martin, Arab EC