Chocolate Bailey's Butter Cookies

A little chocolate and a hint of Bailey's makes this smooth, buttery cookie even harder to resist. Drizzle a little green icing (flavored with Bailey's of course) to make it a wee bit of a St. Patrick's Day celebration.


1 c. unsalted butter
2/3 c. granulated sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp Bailey's Irish Cream

pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and Bailey's. Mix in dry ingredients.

Drop rounded tablespoons onto a lightly-greased baking sheet. Bake until cookie looks "dry" -- about 10-12 minutes.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.

Irish Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookies

These are the best oatmeal cookies I've ever eaten. They bake to a picture-perfect golden brown yet retain a light, airy texture. Choose a flavorful honey, a little better than average or something scented with lavender, to really make this cookie stand out.

Irish Cranberry-Oatmeal Cookie

3 Cups uncooked Irish-style oatmeal (Old Wessex brand)
1 cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
Dash salt
1 cup honey
¾ softened butter
½ tsp vanilla
1 egg
½ dried cranberries

Heat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment (or lightly grease). Combine dry ingredients, mix well. Mix honey, butter and vanilla until smooth. Add egg. Blend in dry ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Stir in cranberries. Places rounded spoonfuls of cookie batter onto cookie sheet. Bake approx. 10 mins. Cool.

Makes 50 cookies.

Holiday Scotch Shortbreads

Both my father's Scotch-South African mother and my mum's Irish-Canadian mother used to make shortbread cookies every Christmas. There is no hand-me-down recipe that we can find among the worn and grease-stained note cards my grannies assembled. Instead, here is the recipe my mother has been using since the 1960s which produces the loveliest, butteryest shortbread cookies this side of the Atlantic.

Holiday Scotch Shortbread Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups sifted flour

chopped candied cherries

Cream butter and sugar together and work in flour. Chill. Roll out about 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured board. Cut into circles using a cutter or a sherry glass and place piece of cherry in center. Bake in slow oven, 325degrees F, until golden.

Makes approx 60 cookies.

Spiced Sugar Cookies a la Jackson Pollack

These are a little more interesting than your traditional sugar cookies -- not only aesthetically but flavour-wise. The dash of cinnamon in the dough and the lemon extract in the glaze make these cookies stand apart at parties. Add some food coloring to the icing to make them holiday appropriate or to pay greater homage to America's favourite Abstract Expressionist.


Spiced Sugar Cookies a la Jackson Pollack
For Glaze:
1/4 tsp Lemon Extract
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
1-2 tbsp milk

For Cookies:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon (depending on taste)

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3.Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

4. Mix glaze ingredient together, adding more or less sugar/milk until you have a thick liquid, runny enough to drizzle over cookies. Once cookies have cooled, go Jackson Pollack on the cookies and add your artistic spin. Allow icing to set before serving.

Super Peanutty Peanut Butter Cookies

My Father is not a fan of peanut butter, but even he can't stop eating these chock-full-of-peanut-butter cookies. It's best to use an all-natural peanut butter that hasn't been refrigerated yet. If the dough is too crumbly (which can happen depending on the oil content of your peanut butter)you can add an extra egg white to moisten.

Super Peanuty Peanut Butter Cookies
1 Cup All Natural Peanut Butter, chunky
1/4 cup butter, softened
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt (depending on salt content of your peanut butter, you may not need this)
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour

Place PB and butter in mixed bowl, with flat beater beat until mixture is smooth. Add sugar, brown sugar, egg and vanilla. Mix. Gradually add remaining ingredients. Mix until blended.

Roll dough into 1-in balls. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press flat with fork in a criss-cross pattern to ¼-in thickness.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Yields 3 dozen cookies.

83cals, 4g fat per cookie

AlleyKat's "Blueberry Cobbler To-Go" Blueberry Oat Cookie

This recipe makes the best cookie I've ever eaten -- a blueberry oat cookie with a hint of lemon and the spice of ginger (the photo is my finished product). I modified this from a Blueberry Oat cookie recipe from allrecipes.com which used only vanilla extract and cinnamon instead of ginger (this seemed too oatmeal-cookie-like and thus too autumnal for such a lovely summer fruit). A fruit-filled cookie that vanishes before they've had time to cool.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp Lemon Extract
¼ tsp Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and flavoring. Combine oats, flour, ginger, salt, baking soda and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the blueberries.
2. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.