Christmas Cookies and Tips

When I said "Christmas cookies", I know you didn't expect to see Christmas trees and Santas with icing, naaaaw, Ya Homeboy don't play that!  I'm talking bout real cookies that people really enjoy, Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal (with walnuts and raisins), Brownies, Shortbread.  Who said these can't be Christmas cookies...you make them during the Christmas time...they are Christmas Cookies.  Yeah and remember, never stray far from the chocolate family. Let your friends give you the reindeer cookies, keep the "good cookies" at your crib! 
Now, because you have decided to bake your own here is my advice on getting the desired results to get your perfect cookie out of your favorite recipe.
  • Flat If you want your cookies on the flat side, you can do some or all of the following things: Use all butter, use all-purpose flour or bread flour, increase the sugar content slightly, add a bit of liquid to your dough, and bring the dough to room temperature before baking.
  • Puffy For light, puffy cookies, use shortening or margarine and cut back on the amount of fat; add an egg, cut back on the sugar, use cake flour or pastry flour, use baking powder instead of baking soda and refrigerate your dough before baking.
  • Chewy Try melting the butter before adding it to the sugars when mixing. Remove cookies from the oven a few minutes before they are done, while their centers are still soft but are just cooked through. The edges should be golden. Use brown sugar, honey or molasses as a sweetener. Let cookies cool on the pan for several minutes after baking before transferring to cooling rack.
  • Crispy For crisp, crunchy cookies, use all butter and a proportion of white sugar. Use egg yolks in place of a whole egg. Cookies should be baked completely. Let cool on the baking sheet for one minute before transferring to a cooling rack.


Shortbread Cookies (Sugar Free)

If you use salted butter, you don’t need to add salt to the recipe.


Here is what you need
  • 5 tablespoons (8 g) Splenda
  • 1 cup (225 g) Unsalted Butter
  • 1.5 cup (200 g) Flour
  • Pinch of Salt
Here is what you do
  1. Leave the butter out of the refrigerator until it softens but remains chilled.
  2. Break the butter into nut sized lumps with a wooden spoon.
  3. Add the Splenda.
  4. Cream the butter with the Splenda.
  5. Add the flour and the salt.
  6. Mix well. Finish mixing the dough with your hands. This is a somewhat crumbly dough that benefits from a bit of hand kneading.
  7. Shape the dough into a log.
  8. Cool the dough log in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
  9. Heat the oven at 300 °F (150 °C)
  10. Slice the log into 1 cm (1/2”) thick rounds.
  11. Place the rounds on a baking sheet.
  12. Bake for approximately 30 – 45 minutes, or until the shortbread only just starts to turn golden at the edges.
  13. Cool on a rack.
Note: The cookies will not brown as readily as they would if sugar was used. Be careful not to overcook them waiting for the edges to brown.

Chocolate Chip

Here is what you need
        1 cup butter, softened
        1 cup white sugar
        1 cup packed brown sugar (light brown or brown sugar Splenda blend)
        2 eggs
        2 teaspoons vanilla extract
        3 cups all-purpose flour
        1 teaspoon baking soda
        2 teaspoons hot water
     1/2 teaspoon salt
        2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
        (Optional)  1 cup chopped walnuts
Here is what you do
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and (optional) nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto an un-greased cookie sheet.
  3. Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Here is what you need
      1/2 cup butter, softened
      1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
         1 cup packed light brown sugar
      1/2 cup white sugar
         2 eggs
         1 teaspoon vanilla extract
   1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
        1 teaspoon baking soda
        1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
     1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
     1/2 teaspoon salt
        3 cups rolled oats    
        1 cup golden raisins
Here is what you do
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes until light and golden. Do not "over bake". Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Make sure you get some, because they don't last long!