rainbow sprinkles cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/4 tsp. baking powder

3/8 tsp. salt

1 1/2 butter, at room temperature

3/4 cups sugar

1 large eggs and 1 large egg yolk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 bottle of rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.  In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk together to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla.  With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed.  Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.

When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball.  Roll the ball in thr rainbow sprinkles until covered.  Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart.  Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set.  (Do not overbake!  The edges should be no more than very lightly browned if at all.)  Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

pistachio macarons

Pistachio Macaron Batter:

• 1 ¼ cups confectioner's sugar
• 4 oz pistachios
• ¼ cup plus 2 tbsps egg whites at room temperature
• pinch of salt
• ¼ cup sugar
• a few drops of green food coloring (optional)

Pistachio Filling:

• 1 1/2 oz pistachios
• 1 c confectioner's sugar
• 6 tbs softened butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Process the pistachios with powdered sugar until you get fine pistachio flour. (I processed for 3 1-minute intervals mixing with a spatula between each.)
In a greaseless bowl, combine the egg whites with the pinch of salt. Beat on medium power until soft peaks start to form. Increase the speed, gradually beat in the sugar and continue to whip until stiff and firm peaks form, about 2 minutes. Sieve the pistachio flour and fold it into the egg whites in two batches, mixing with a spatula just until no streaks remain. This will seem to be a lot of pistachio flour for the amount of egg whites you have, but it will work out.  If you want your macarons more green add some food coloring.
Scrape the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip. Pipe 1" circles of macaron batter about 1" apart on parchment lined baking sheets. Rap the baking sheets firmly on the table to remove air bubbles. Let rest for about an hour until the macarons develop a skin. Bake for 10 minutes.
For the filling, process the pistachios and the confectioner's sugar just like you did for the macaron batter. Cream this with the softened butter until uniformly mixed.
Cool the macarons completely before you remove them from the parchment. Pair similar sized ones and glue them with some pistachio filling.

chocolate chip cookies

ingredients:

1 ½ cup butter (very room temperature)

1 ¼ cup granulated sugar

1 ¼ cup brown sugar

1 tbs vanilla

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1 1/2 tbs baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups walnuts, chopped

1 24 oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips

 directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter with sugars in a large mixing bowl with a sturdy wooden spoon, this should take about 10 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Sift the dry ingredients together in another bowl and gradually add to the creamed mixture.  Mix together until just barely incorporated.  Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts.  Spoon out onto cookie sheets, about 2 oz of dough per cookie and bake for 13 minutes.

*note: if you want your cookies to be more uniform in shape roll in your hands before putting them on your ungreased cookie sheet

the best oatmeal raisin cookie

Recipe:
1 cup butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 Tbs vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinammon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 cups oatmeal (quick cooking or old fashioned, not instant)
1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat to 350 F

Beat the eggs and vanilla in a small dish.  Add the raisins and let sit for at least 1 hr, up to 2 hrs.

Cream butter and sugars with mixer. In a seperate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinammon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir the dry ingredients until well blended. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well. Now add in the egg and raisin mixture.  Then add oatmeal.  Form into balls on cookie sheet.  Bake 10 minutes.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 2-5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to completely cook. 

Makes 4 dozen small cookies.