Soft Cocoa Sugar Cookies

I'm on a soft cookie binge and these cocoa cookies definitely hit the spot. They are tender and soft, with a lovely sugar coating and have a perfect cocoa flavor that's not too chocolatey. Dave really liked these because the chocolate wasn't overpowering and they still had the best parts of a soft sugar cookie. And the sugar coating on the outside gives a nice crunch to house all the soft cookie goodness.

Stuffed Cherry Blossom Cookies

I love a cookie with a surprise inside. Whether it's an Oreo tucked inside, a cheesecake filling, or even peanut butter cream, there's something fun about biting into a cookie only to find a little something unexpected. And usually a sweet sugar cookie doesn't get to play those games. But these perfectly flavored sugar cookies with vanilla and almond extracts are getting in to the action, hiding a lovely maraschino cherry inside a soft cookie. Yum. Rolled in sugar for a little extra sweetness, these cookies are fun and festive and sure to please. I've got a few cherry-lovers on my cookie tin list and I know they are going to love these.

Amish Sugar Cookies

Ok, so get ready for more cookies. It's official--I've completed the holiday cookie baking and came in at a total of 112.5 dozen cookies, which will go out to our friends and family in the next couple of weeks, but I still have some candy that I want to make and include. This year I finished a few weeks early since we'll need the space back in the freezer so I can prep a bunch of meals for when our little guy arrives sometime next month. These were one of the first cookies I added to this year's list as an alternative sugar cookie, and I love them. They have a nice crispy outside, but are still a soft, sweet sugar cookie that definitely compliments the holidays. The trick to these cookies is a combination of butter and sour cream as well as a combination of granulated and powdered sugars. Sprinkled with some colorful red sanding sugar, I think these would be perfect for Santa, don't you think?

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

How pretty are these little guys?  Of course these are dressed up for holiday cookie tins, but you can use any color sugar you like for your special occasion.  But more important than being pretty, these cookies are exactly what a Christmas sugar cookie should be--crisp and airy and perfectly sweet.  A mixture of cream cheese and butter gives these sugar cookies a consistency I haven't had from other drop sugar cookie recipes I've tried.  I'm thrilled with how these turned out and they were super easy.  Let's see: pretty, delicious and easy.  Yeah, that equals a win.

Sugar Cookie Bars

So what exactly does 21 pans of brownies and bar desserts look like?

Yup.  It's a lot.  But Madaline and Ernie report that the nearly 250 people at their event enjoyed them all, thrilled that they could choose two, which helped narrow the options from the six different treats I made, which included Cakey Brownies, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, Swirled Blondies, Oatmeal Cranberry Bars, traditional Rice Krispies Treats and these Sugar Cookie Bars, which were a huge hit with the kids thanks to the colorful sprinkles.  And these bars are very tasty.  Soft and sweet like a firm sugar cookie, these bars have a nice texture and really taste amazing.  While typically I would have gone for the vanilla frosting smeared on top, knowing that these bars would be served on a hot August night in a camp setting, the frosting just didn't seem fitting.  Instead, sanding sugar in a rainbow of colors worked to impart a little crunchy sweetness and a little fun.  Super tasty and so easy, I look forward to making these bars again.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Sweet, soft, and chewy cookies. And pretty yet, too!  While I really enjoy a rolled, shaped and frosted sugar cookie, sometimes I just want a dropped sugar cookie, maybe with some colored sugar.  These totally fit the bills, so I made them for an afternoon work meeting.  They were met with much appreciation.  To the point that after the meeting, I asked one of the attendees if he wanted to take any home for his young sons.  He said, "No, I already had 4!"  I said, "Not for you, the boys!"  His response: "Oh, yeah, the boys."  Guess if the cookies are good enough you forget that you have children, they're pretty good.

This is one of the essential recipes from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, the Essential Chewy Sugar Cookie.  It's a basic recipe that can be adapted in to loads of different flavor combinations, but before I attempt a variation, I wanted to master the basic.  This is a simple recipe, bringing together the perfect blend of flavors to the ultimate in soft and chewy sugar cookies.  I especially liked the use of nutmeg, which offered another level to the sweetness without making it taste like a spiced cookie--very subtle.  I also added a half teaspoon of Princess Cake and Cookie Flavor, in lieu of one teaspoon of vanilla, which lent a light and citrus-like flavor to the cookies.  It's a bakery emulsion that is thicker and bakes out more slowly than regular extract, keeping the richness of the flavor.  I'd gotten it from King Arthur Flour on a recommendation to add into the various layers of flavor.  Enjoy the simplicity of this recipe, roll them in some pretty colored sugar, and treat yourself to a sweet afternoon.