WINNER UPDATE.Need your cookie recipes

[redkitty]

blackberries are very full of seeds, but otherwise sound good. Like a thumbprint one? you could use blackberry jam. I know DD wants to make cookies today, probably just choc chip.

First, choco chip is a classic. cant' go wrong with those. Seriously. 

The recipe for the blackberries is actually to use them whole. I was surprised by that. Not as many seeds as raspberries. and K LOVES, LOVES blackberries. I think blueberries could be a good sub in the recipe. The dough itself is pretty basic.  That being said, i have made a few other cookies from this author and have never really liked them.  So maybe these will suck, too.  She does have a watermelon cookie that sounds intriguing, but can't remember which book that recipe comes from.  I think the only fruit K likes more than blueberries is watermelon...she would probably love those as well. 

[merigayle]

Watermelon cookie? interesting. Make the cookies and get back to me i am having a hard time imagining it in my head, first because blackberries are so large, and secondly, so full of liquid. But I do love me some blackberries. They grow in our backyard in the summer! I did not know that until after living here 5 years!

[redkitty]

I found the watermelon cookie recipe...it uses watermelon kool aid for the flavoring.  I think I will make these and the blackberry ones this weekend.  I need to re-read the BB recipe to see exactly waht I need to do and what I need.  I know it said I could use frozen BBs, which is what I plan (not exactly in season right now) and lemon zest.  I hope i remember the watermelon kool aid...

[redkitty]

Just made the black berry cookies.  I have not had any. my DH said they are good when you hit blackberry.  With the berry being so big, there is only 2 BB per cookie TOPS. Some only have one.  I think it would actually just be easier if you made the dough, put it on the cookie sheets and then pressed blackberries into the balls. 

Also made the watermelon cookies.  THey taste like kool-aid.  So not bad if you like kool-aid. But if you don't, you would not like these cookies.  You can use any flavor kool-aid so if watermelon isn't your thing, a different flavor would work.  They are a very pretty pink color, though. 

[redkitty]

http://books.google.com/books?id=IYA6nkaLnXkC&lpg=PA14&ots=Gl1zQjYa5x&dq=all%20american%20cookie%20snickerdoodle%20recipe&pg=PA14#v=onepage&q=all%20american%20cookie%20snickerdoodle%20recipe&f=false

My favorite snickerdoodle recipe.  Hope this link works for you.

BUMP!!!

Seattlegirl...this link won't work anymore...could you please try to find the recipe for me again? I loved those cookies and I KNEW I should have copied the recipe down when I made it. I don't knot the cookbook or I would look myself.  Contest is next week, i want to make these (but also just want to have thsi recipe bcz these cookies rock.0

[seattlegirl]

BUMP!!!

Seattlegirl...this link won't work anymore...could you please try to find the recipe for me again? I loved those cookies and I KNEW I should have copied the recipe down when I made it. I don't knot the cookbook or I would look myself.  Contest is next week, i want to make these (but also just want to have thsi recipe bcz these cookies rock.0

Oh shoot!  I have the cookbook and will type it out for you if I can't find it online.  One sec.

[seattlegirl]

Found it elsewhere online, and doublechecked against my cookbook. (http://eat.at/swap/forum1/115501_I_like_these_Best_Ever_Snickerdoodles_from_The_All_American_Cookie_Book_by_Na)

Best Ever Snickerdoodles
From The All American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett

“Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite sugar cookies, and this is my favorite snickerdoodle recipe. The cookies are large, lightly spiced, and have a pleasantly mild, homey flavor. What makes them truly remarkable, however, is their wonderful texture. Take a bite at the edge of a cookie, and it's mostly crispy. Move closer to the middle, and it's crispy-chewy. Finally, right in the center, it's nearly all chewy. And the best part is that these snickerdoodles don't dry out or lose their munchability during storage.”

2-2/3 cups all purpose white flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
1-1/2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 large eggs
2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar, combined with 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, for topping

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. (375º was too hot for my oven – I lowered the temp to 350º.) Grease several baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray. (I used Silpats.)

In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg, if using; set aside. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the butter, sugar, and corn syrup until well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended and smooth. Beat in half of the flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Stir in the remaining flour mixture until evenly incorporated. Let the dough stand for 5 to 10 minutes, or until firmed up slightly. Put the cinnamon sugar in a shallow bowl.

Roll portions of the dough into generous 1-1/2-inch balls with lightly greased hands (the dough will be soft). Roll each ball in the cinnamon-sugar. Place on the baking sheets, spacing about 2-3/4 inches apart. Using your hand, slightly pat down the tops of the balls.

Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, in the upper third of the oven for 8 to 11 minutes, or until just light golden brown at the edges. Reverse the sheet from front to back halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the cookies to wire racks. Let stand until completely cooled. Let the baking sheets cool between batches to keep the cookies from spreading too much.

Store in an airtight container for up to 10 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

[redkitty]

Thank you!!!!

[badger]

I've got to try that snicker doodle recipe. They are my absolute favorite and I'm always note lookout for the best recipe

[redkitty]

I made the man catcher cookies last night for teh contest (this Wednesday) and I am making the dough for the cinnamon "roll" ones (link in Meri's first post) and the snickerdoodle ones tonight. Probably my favorite snickerdoodle reicpe I have ever found. We shall see how they fair in the contest. 

people at work were teasing me about how I made up rules for the contest...then, as an aside, we got into an argument about what is considered "modified store bought" cookie.  I said after teh discussion "this is why i made up rules...for stupid shit like this." (It was all a light-hearted discussion.)  They did not like that I am allowing pre-made cookie dough to count as "home-made" and thought they should be considered modified store bought.  I really just did not want people to go out to Meijer. or Kroger the morning of and buy a carton of nasty day old bakery cookies and count that as part of the contest. The whole pt of this thing is to be fun...not just bring in whatever shit was on sale.  Put SOME effort into.  Modified cookies can't win Best Overall mainly bcz I think it would suck to lose to a modified cookie (not that these can't be a lot of effort, bcz they can.) 

[merigayle]

I like your rules. I have posted this before but i lost a Halloween cooking contest by ONE vote to a store bought Halloween cake  seriously???!?!?!?!?!?!? I was furious. The person paid the store and that was it?

[redkitty]

I like your rules. I have posted this before but i lost a Halloween cooking contest by ONE vote to a store bought Halloween cake  seriously???!?!?!?!?!?!? I was furious. The person paid the store and that was it?

Exactly.  although I did tell my one co-worker to make these "hamburger" cookies.  It is a vanilla wafer cookies (or sugar cookies if you want to make any of it) stuffed with a chocolate covered mint cookie and then dyed coconut flakes and sesame seeds. You assemble so it looks like a hamburger. So clearly modified, but also a lot of effort.  So you get credit for putting in a lot of effort, but I would still be pissed if I lost to that. 

and again, I also know the people I work with...most would go with the intent  behind the contest, but then you would get the few who phone it in  by buying packaged cookies and that would just sort of bring the mood down (it would, trust me.) The pt is to boost office morale, not be an a-hole. 

[redkitty]

Contest is today.  We had 14 entries 3 of which were mine and one person also had 2.)  So has been a good turn out.  I am predicting I will not win first place with any of my awesome cookies, but won't come in last.  There is this chocolate covered cherry cookie that is just divine (and very rich) and two lemon cookies that are pretty darn awesome. I do not even LIKE lemon cookies and I am going to vote for one of them (you can vote for your top 3.)  voting is at 1. Will update with the results then.

[redkitty]

None of my entries won.  The man catcher cookies got zero votes.  I was told verbally by people who did not know which ones I made that they liked the man catcher cookies but apparently not enough to vote for them.  The snickerdoodles came in 5th.  They were tied with 4 others. 

The top winners were a lemon Ricotta...by far got the highest number of votes, pistachio...also a ton of votes (both made by the same person) and then these chocolate cherry cookies came in 3rd. 

To be honest, every cookie I tried I really really liked.  I voted for the lemon ricotta...not my first pick (you voted for the top 3.)  There were some I did not try due to the fact that i knew I would nto like them (peanut butter, pistachio and ones with coconut.)

Overall, it was a successful contest and I ended up wtih some great recipes from this thread. 

[caribougrrl]

I think it's great you really got into it.  Obviously we all have step up our game to be better support for your next contest.  What's the next contest?

[redkitty]

I think it's great you really got into it.  Obviously we all have step up our game to be better support for your next contest.  What's the next contest?

Well, I don't think we will make it a contest, but we are going to have a Jello mold pot luck.  Bring in your best jello molds.  The rule: It has to be edible.  One of my co-workers said her aunt makes this one jello mold with ingredients that escape me at the moment (I know cheese is one of them), that just sounds awful. She said it is actually really good.  I even have a recipe for some jello mold in my American Heart Association cookbook.  I am sure we will get a lot of fruit jello molds in this one. 

[seattlegirl]

Aw, I wanted you to win!!   But sounds like a fun event with a good turnout.

Are there any leftovers for us? 

[merigayle]

sounds like fun!!!

[CheryG]

I would send you my jello brain mold, but I gave it away last year.

http://www.spirithalloween.com/product/gelatin-brain-mold/

[redkitty]

Aw, I wanted you to win!!   But sounds like a fun event with a good turnout.

Are there any leftovers for us? 

There are actually tons of leftovers. Eating a snickerdoodle right now.  Sure, I will send them?

CheryG...I actually have the brain and a heart mold.  I have founda  recipe for both that makes them edible.  I can also make the heart nad the brain bleed when you cut into it.