Lemon meringue kisses

This recipe is based on one that originally appeared in the Toronto Star on Tuesday April 6th, 2004 by Susan Sampson in "Cooking 101."

Ingredients:

• 2 egg whites at room temperatures
  (discard if there is even the slightest trace of egg yolk as the mixture will not stiffen -- no matter how long you beat it!)
  
• pinch salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar (sifted)
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest (I like a pinch more)
  (one medium lemon provides about 2 teaspoonsful of zest)
  
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
  

Method:

• cover baking sheets with parchment paper
• preheat oven to 250 F
  
  
• in a large bowl, beat egg whites and salt with electric mixer until soft peaks form
• add sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating to blend well after each addition
• mixture should have stiff peaks
• gently fold in lemon zest and vanilla
  
  
• drop by heaping teaspoonfuls on to baking sheets
  
  
  
• bake until dry but not brown, about 40 minutes
• cool 5 minutes before removing from baking sheet
  
  
• makes 40 - 50
• (makes about 18 if dropping by tablepoonsfuls)
  

Spice drop cookies

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup mixed peel, chopped
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup red glacé (candied) cherries, chopped
  
• 1/2 cup green glacé (candied) cherries, chopped
• 2 tsp allspice
• 4 cups flour
  
  
• optional: 3/4 cup walnuts (or pecans), chopped
• optional: 1 cup dates, chopped
  

Method:

• preheat oven to 300 degrees Farenheit
• cream together butter, sugare and eggs until fluffy
• add vanilla, allspice and banking soda and mix well
• slowly add flour while mixing
• stop adding flour when you have a thick dough (usually somewhere between 3.5 cups and four cups)
  
  
• drop from teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet
• bake for 12 minutes until golden brown
  

Icebox cookies

I like to make the dough and keep at least one or two rolled dough sticks in the freezer over the holidays. The cookies can easily and quickly be baked should you find yourself hosting unexpected company, or find yourself craving fresh baked cookies!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup glacé (candied) cherries or 1/2 cup almonds

Method:

• cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar and eggs
• add salt, vanilla and baking soda and mix well
• add optional items (chopped glacé cherries or chopped almonds) and mix (glacé cherries shown)
  
• slowly add flour whlie mixing
• stop adding flour when you have a thick dough (usually somewhere between 3.5 cups and four cups)
  
  
• break off a piece of dough and make a roll about 23cm (9") long and 3cm (1.25") in diameter
• flatten sides to make a rectange about 23cm (9") long and 2.5cm (1") high and 2.5cm (1") wide
  
  
  
  
• wrap in waxed paper and place in freezer bag
• refrigerate for at least two hours (until dough is firm) or freeze overnight before baking

Ready to bake?

• preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• remove dough from fridge / freezer
• cut into 5mm (3/16") slices
  
  
  
  
• bake for about 7 minutes or until golden

Makes ~200 cookies of this size.

Double chocolate chip cookies

original recipe by BS via JdG

(photo shows Variation Two)

Preheat oven to 350-375 F

Mixture 1: (use a large mixing bowl)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• beat the butter and add the brown sugar gradually to make a mixture
• incorporate the white sugar
• add 1 egg and mix into the batter
• add the vanilla

Mixture 2: (use a medium sized mixing bowl)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flower (all purpose or cake and pastry)
• 1 tsp baking soda (optional)

• add the baking soda to the flour and mix
  

Mixture 1 and 2:

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups chocolate chips (for variety add 0.75 cups white chocolate and 0.75 dark chocolate chips)

• add mixture 2 to mixture 1, gradually incorporating the flour to make the batter
• incorporate the chocolate chips

• line baking sheets with waxed paper
• make little balls with the dough and press to flatten a bit on the sheet
• bake until golden -- won't take long in a hot oven (10 min) -- try not to overcook
• makes 4 dozen medium sized cookies

Variation One:

• substitute 13 tablespoons of canola oil for one cup of butter
• substitute 1 cup of white sugar for 1 cup brown and 0.5 cup white sugar
• substitute 2 egg whites for 1 egg
• substitute whole wheat flour for white flour

Variation Two (half-recipe of Variation One):

• 7 tbsp canola oil
• 0.5 cup white sugar
• 1 egg white
• 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 - 0.75 cups of chocolate chips
• makes about 40 small sized cookies

Almond cookies

This recipe is based on one that originally appeared in the Globe and Mail on Saturday February 5, 2005 by Lucy Waverman "The Home Chef."

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (sifted or pre-sifted)
• 1/2 cup finely ground toasted almonds
• 1/2 teaspon salt
• slivered almonds (one per cookie -- see notes about quantity, below*)

for glaze:

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon water

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F
• In a large blow, cream together butter, sugar, egg and almond extract
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds and salt. Stir into the creamed mixture
• *to make 30 - 36 cookies (original recipe): Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
• *to make 90-100 cookies (what I do): Shape dough into 3/4 inch balls and place 1.5 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet
• place a slivered almond into the centre of each cookie
• beat together the egg yolk and water in a small bowl to make glaze
• brush the glaze on the cookies
• bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crisp
• cool on a rack

Notes to self:

• the total recipe uses almost all of a 100 g package of slivered, blanched almonds
• the glaze often drips down the side of the cookie -- next time try glazing the cookies on a wire rack before moving them onto the cookie sheet
• also try reducing the heat to 325 F and cooking longer (bottoms tend to scortch -- not sure if it's from the glaze dripping over or the heat is too hot
• alternately, could try using a silpat sheet or putting one cooking sheet on top of another

Spiced Up Ginger Cookies

Haven't tried these yet, but they come highly recommended

It came with this advice for me:
"Believe the cooking time! they won't look done, but after resting overnight you have what you got :)If you make a lot of drop cookies or like gadgets get a #70 disher and drop them straight into a bowl of sugar. "
--

from http://bakingsheet.blogspot.com/2005/07/spiced-up-ginger-cookies.html

"These Spiced Up Ginger Cookies are really good. Certainly the best in recent memory, if not the best chewy ginger cookies I've ever had. They have a lot of spice. They have nice crispy edges when they're freshly baked. They use oil instead of butter so they remain very chewy, even after a few days!I'm reprinting the recipe here. I added a pinch of salt and rolled the cookies in sugar before baking. The rolling could certainly be omitted, but I love the way it looks."

Spiced Up Ginger Cookies
2 cups ap flour
1 tbsp ground
ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp
each ground cardamom and black pepper
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup
vegetable oil
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup chopped candied
ginger
1/4 cup coarse sugar, for rolling
Preheat oven to 350F and line a
baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour,
spices, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and
vegetable oil. Beat in egg and molasses until smooth. Stir in flour mixture
until well combined, then add in candied ginger.
Shape dough into 1 inch
balls, roll in coarse sugar and place on baking sheet. Bake 7-8 minutes until
very lightly browned.
Let cookies cool for 3-5 minutes on cookie sheet, then
remove to a wire rack until cool.
Makes 3 dozen.