Paula's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Brown Butter Icing, recipe follows
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease 1 or more cookie sheets. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, shortening, and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until mixture is light in color. Add buttermilk. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice; stir into creamed mixture. Fold in oatmeal, raisins, walnuts, and vanilla, blending well. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto cookie sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Brown Butter Icing.
Brown Butter Icing:
1/2 cup butter
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons water
Directions:
In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in 3 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in enough water (3 to 4 tablespoons) to make an icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Nutty Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Ingredients:
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnut pieces
1 to 2 cups mini-marshmallows
3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes, toasted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and mix to incorporate. Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts.
Pour into an ungreased 9 by 13-inch baking dish, spreading the dough into the corners as necessary and bake until puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes in the dish. Pour the Chocolate Icing over cooked chocolate chip cookies. Sprinkle with marshmallows and coconut and let sit until firm, about 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve.

Chocolate Icing:
1/2 pound semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons dark corn syrup, plus more to taste

Directions:
In a large bowl, place the chocolate and set aside.
In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream and corn syrup and bring to a boil. Pour the cream mixture into the bowl of chocolate and immediately whisk together until smooth.

Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches Stuffed with Grape Jelly Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup peanut butter Grape jelly ice cream, recipe follows

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream the butter well in a mixer with a paddle attachment. Add the sugars and continue to mix well. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Sift the flour with the baking soda and the salt then add it to the mixer and blend. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Roll into 1/2-inch balls and place on a greased sheet pan 1-inch apart. Press a fork down on the surface lengthwise then crosswise to make a grid pattern. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes at 400 degrees until light golden brown. Let cool on the pan.
Place a small scoop of grape jelly ice cream on the bottom (flat) side of a cookie and top with another cookie to make a sandwich. Place in the freezer and repeat with the remaining cookies.

Grape Jelly Ice Cream:

1 quart vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup grape jelly
Fold grape jelly into vanilla ice cream, leaving some streaks of jelly. Freeze until ready to use in the sandwiches

Muesli Cookies

Ingredients:
3 cups toasted muesli
1/2 cup plain flour
3.5 oz butter, melted, cooled
1/3 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat oven to 340 F. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Combine muesli and flour in a bowl. Whisk butter, honey and egg together.
Add butter mixture to oats and mix well. Set aside for 15 minutes. Roll spoonfuls of mixture into balls and place on trays, 1 inch apart. Flatten.
Bake for 10 mins. Swap trays halfway through. Cool for 10 mins transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Ginger Marmalade Cookies

Ingredients:
3.5 oz butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg, lightly whisked
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup ginger, lemon and lime marmalade
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat for 3 minutes or until brown. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool to room temperature.
Combine butter, sugar, egg and vanilla essence. Add flour and salt, and stir until just combined. Roll heaped teaspoonsful of mixture into balls. Place onto trays about 2 inch apart to allow room to spread. Flatten slightly with a spatula.
Use back of a teaspoon to make a small indentation in the centre of each cookie. Fill the indents with a little (about 1/3 tsp) of the marmalade.
Bake in preheated oven, swapping trays halfway through cooking, for 12-14 minutes or until golden. Set aside for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Kourabiedes

Here are Greek Christmas cookies yule love - and so will the rest of the family.
Makes

Ingredients:
9 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
2/3 cup icing sugar, sifted
1 egg yolk
1 cup plain flour, sifted
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
2.5 oz slivered almonds, toasted, finely chopped
Whole cloves (about 20)
Icing sugar, extra, to dust

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Use an electric beater to beat the butter in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the icing sugar and egg yolk. Beat until well combined.
Fold in the flours until just combined. Stir in the almonds.
Roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls. Roll the balls into 3 inch lengths on a lightly floured surface. Form into crescent shapes. Place on the tray. If desired, set half of the dough aside to make star-shaped biscuits. Press out until about 2cm thick on a lightly floured surface. Use a 2 1/2 inch star cutter to cut out biscuits. Place on the tray.
Insert a clove into the centre of each biscuit. Bake for 15-20 minutes or just until light golden. Transfer the warm biscuits to a wire rack over a baking tray. Dust with a little icing sugar. Set aside to cool completely. Dust generously with more icing sugar.

Orange & Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup cranberries

1/4 cup mixed peel
2.5 oz caster sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 eggs

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Sift flour and baking powder into a large bowl, then rub in the butter until it resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in fruit, sugar and zest. Add eggs, stirring together, until you have a stiff dough.
Place walnut-sized mounds of the mixture on a greased baking tray, leaving space for spreading between each one. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Fig, Orange & Fennel Cookies

Ingredients: (serves 8)
Melted butter, to grease
3 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup dried figs, chopped
1 tbs finely grated orange rind
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
3/4 cup plain flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Brush a 3 x 10 inch bar pan with the melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper, allowing the ends to overhang the sides.
Use an electric beater to whisk the egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Add the sugar 1 tbs at a time, whisking after each addition until the sugar dissolves.
Use a large metal spoon to gently fold in the figs, orange rind and fennel seeds until just combined. Sift the flour over the egg mixture and gently fold in until combined.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until firm and cooked through. Turn onto a wire rack and set aside for 11/2 hours to cool.
Preheat oven to 285 F. Use a serrated knife to cut the loaf into 1/4 inch-thick slices. Place the slices in a single layer on 2 baking trays. Bake in preheated oven, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until dry and crisp. Set aside on the trays for 30 minutes to cool completely. Serve with coffee.

Pecan Maple Palmiers

Ingredients:
2/3 cup pecan nuts

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 sheets frozen ready-rolled puff pastry, partially-thawed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Place pecans in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add maple syrup and process until well combined.Place 1 pastry sheet on a workbench. Spread with half the pecan mixture. Starting from the side closest to you, tightly roll pastry until you reach the centre. Repeat with the other side. Using a sharp knife, cut roll into 1cm-thick slices (see note). Place palmiers on trays, allowing room for spreading. Repeat with remaining pastry and pecan mixture.Bake palmiers for 10 minutes. Swap trays over in oven. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until puffed and golden. Serve warm or cold

Chocolate Raisin Cookies

Ingredients
7 oz milk or dark chocolate
5 oz butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups gluten-free plain flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
3.5 oz raisins, roughly chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 340 F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Chop half the chocolate. Place chopped chocolate into a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Heat, stirring with a metal spoon every minute, for 2 to 3 minutes on MEDIUM (50%) power, or until melted. Set aside to cool.
Using electric beaters, beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add egg and beat well. Stir in melted chocolate.
Sift flour and baking powder over butter mixture. Stir gently to combine. Chop remaining chocolate. Stir into butter mixture with raisins. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until firm.
Roll tablespoonfuls of mixture into balls. Place onto trays, allowing room for spreading. Flatten with the back of a metal spoon. Bake for 15 to 20 min, or untill golden brown, swapping the trays around once. Let stand for 5 min before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Oat and Macadamia Cookies

Ingredients (serves 4)
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup plain flour, sifted
2/3 cup dessicated coconut
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup macadamias, chopped
2 tablespoons golden syrup
4.5 oz unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon bi carb soda

Directions:
Preheat oven to 340 F. Place oats, flour, coconut, sugar and macadamias in a bowl and stir to combine. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and set aside.
Place golden syrup and butter in a saucepan over medium heat and heat until melted and combined. Stir bi carb soda into 1 tablespoon hot water, then add to the golden syrup mixture (it will bubble). Pour the mixture into the oats and stir until combined.
Place tablespoons of mixture onto baking trays lined with baking paper and press down slightly, allowing room for spreading. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Eclairs with Custard Cream

Ingredients:
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 oz butter, chopped
1/2 cup plain flour
2 eggs, lightly whisked
4 oz dark chocolate melts, melted

custard cream:
2 tbs custard powder
2 tbs caster sugar
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cup thickened cream

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F . Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Place the milk, water and butter in a medium non-stick saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the butter melts and the mixture comes to the boil. Remove from heat. Add the flour and use a wooden spoon to stir until mixture forms a ball and comes away from the side of the pan. Flatten mixture over base of pan and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly.
Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Use an electric beater to gradually beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until mixture is thick and glossy. Place a 2cm diameter plain nozzle into a clean piping bag and spoon in the mixture. Pipe 10 thick lines, about 10cm long, about 1.5 inch apart, on the lined tray.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Use a small knife to make a cut into side of each eclair and return to oven for a further 10 minutes. Turn oven off and leave eclairs inside to cool until required.
Meanwhile, to make custard cream, combine custard powder and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Gradually stir in milk and cook, using a wooden spoon to stir, for 2 minutes or until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a large heatproof bowl. Cover the surface with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill. Use an electric beater to beat the custard until smooth. Add the cream and continue beating until soft peaks form. Place a 2cm diameter plain nozzle into a clean piping bag and spoon in the custard cream.
Use a sharp knife to cut each eclair lengthways, without cutting all the way through. Use your fingers to remove any soft pastry inside. Pipe custard cream into each eclair. Spread the top of each eclair evenly with the melted chocolate and place in the fridge for 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.

Easy Vanilla Slice

Ingredients:
1/2 cup custard powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup cream
2 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
8 oz vanilla cookies (28 biscuits)
1 1/2 cups pure icing sugar
2-3 tbs passionfruit pulp

Directions:
Place the custard powder and caster sugar in a saucepan. Add enough of the cream to make a smooth paste.
Place the saucepan over a medium heat. Gradually add the rest of the cream and the milk, mixing until well combined. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla essence. Cover the custard with plastic wrap. Cool.
Spread a heaped tablespoon of the cold custard on a crispbread. Top with another crispbread. Transfer to a tray. Repeat. Chill for 30 minutes.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl. Add enough of the passionfruit pulp to make a thick icing. Spread each slice. Allow icing to set.

Stained-Glass Cookies

Ingredients
4 oz soft unsalted butter
2 oz caster sugar
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1-2 tbs milk
1 small bag boiled lollies
Icing sugar, to dust

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl until pale and creamy. Sift in the flour and stir in the milk.
Use your hands to form the mixture into a soft dough and roll it out onto a lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter to cut into shapes. Cut a 1/5-2/4 inch circle from the centre of each biscuit.
Carefully transfer the biscuits to the lined tray. Place a boiled lolly in the centre of each hole and bake biscuits in the oven for 15 minutes. Set aside on the tray to cool. Dust with icing sugar.

Malt Vanilla Cookie

Ingredients
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthways
9 oz butter, chopped
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 cups plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup malt powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Scrape seeds from the centre of each bean half. Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla seeds until pale.
Add flour and malt to butter mixture. Mix until dough comes together in a ball. Knead on a floured surface until smooth. Cut in half. Pat each half into a circle.
Roll each portion of dough out between 2 sheets of baking paper to 1/4 inch-thick. Using a 1.5 inch -round cutter, cut out biscuits. Place onto trays. Press remaining dough together and repeat until all dough has been used. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until firm.
Use the tip of a large star-shaped piping nozzle to make an indentation into centre of each biscuit. Bake for 20 minutes, swapping trays halfway through, or until biscuits are light golden. Cool on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

Fortune Cookies

Ingredients
2 oz unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 eggwhites, at room temperature
1/3 cup plain flour
45 messages on 1 x 2 inch pieces of paper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place butter and sugar in a bowl. Using a wooden spoon, combine well. Add eggwhites, 1 at a time, stirring until smooth. Stir in flour and a pinch of salt until smooth.
Using an 3 inch pastry cutter as a guide, trace 4 circles, 1.5 inch apart, on to a sheet of baking paper. Flip paper over and place on a greased oven tray. Using a metric measuring spoon, spoon a slightly rounded tsp of mixture on to each circle. Use the back of a spoon to spread batter to fill circles.
Bake for 6-7 minutes or until cookies begin to brown around edges. Working quickly, slide a spatula under each cookie to loosen, then place a message on top of each. Fold hot biscuits in half to enclose, pressing edges together, then bend in half the other way, over the edge of a glass, to create crescent shapes. Hold for a few seconds. Place on a wire rack to cool.
Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Linzar Cookies

Ingredients:
3.5 oz butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 2/3 cups plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon pinch ground cloves
1/2 cup apricot or strawberry jam

Directions:
Using an electric mixer, beat butter, vanilla and sugar until well combined. Add egg and mix well. Sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves over butter mixture. Stir until mixture forms a dough. Knead gently to bring together.
Place dough between 2 sheets baking paper. Roll out until 3mm thick. Place in freezer for 10 minutes or until firm. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using a 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut as many biscuits as you can from the dough. Press unused dough together. Re-roll and cut into more biscuits. Divide biscuits equally between 2 trays. Freeze for 5 minutes or until firm to the touch. Using a 1 inch round cutter, cut a hole from the centre of biscuits on 1 tray.
Bake biscuits with cut-out shapes for 6 to 8 minutes and whole biscuits for 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden. Allow biscuits to cool for 5 minutes on baking trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Just before serving, spread jam over whole biscuits. Sandwich cut-out biscuits on top.

Triple Choc Cookies

Ingredients
4.5 oz butter, chopped
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
2 tbs cocoa powder
4.5 oz milk choc bits
4.5 oz dark choc bits

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line base of 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Using electric beaters, cream butter, vanilla and brown sugar in a large bowl until smooth (do not overbeat). Beat in egg.
Sift flours and cocoa together. Add flour mixture and choc bits to butter mixture, stir well to combine.
Place tablespoons of mixture onto prepared trays, leaving about 2 inch between each. Bake, in batches, for 12-15 minutes or until just firm on the surface. Stand cookies on tray for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Macadamia Cookie Stars

Ingredients
9 oz butter, softened
2/3 cup White Sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups White Wings Plain Flour
1/2 tsp MasterFoods Ground Cinnamon
1/2 cup finely chopped Ducks Macadamia Nuts
7 oz Nestle White Melts, melted, to decorate
1/2 tsp MasterFoods Ground Cinnamon, extra, to decorate
Silver cachous, to decorate

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325° F. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Place butter, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. Add flour, cinnamon and macadamias, and stir until well combined.
Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until firm.
Place dough between two sheets of non-stick baking paper and roll out to 1/3 inch thick. Use a variety of sizes of star-shaped pastry cutters to cut out shapes.
Place shortbread on prepared trays and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked. Set aside on trays to cool.
When cool, decorate shortbread with melted White Melts. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cachous as desired.

Apricot & Coconut Choc Cookies

Ingredients (serves 25)
1 cup plain flour
1 cup, firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup diced dried apricots
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
4.5 oz butter, melted, cooled
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 cup dark choc bits

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking trays with non-stick baking paper. Sift the flour and sugar into a large bowl. Add the oats, coconut, apricot and pecans and stir until well combined. Make a well in the centre.
Whisk together the melted butter, eggs and vanilla in a small bowl. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until well combined.
Use your hands to roll heaped tablespoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Place balls, 2 inch apart, on prepared trays. Press 3 choc bits into each ball, then flatten slightly until about 2.5 inch round.
Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool completely.

Pistachio White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
1 egg, at room temperature
1/2 cup light olive oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup plain flour
1/2 cup self-raising flour
3/4 cup pistachio kernels, chopped
7 oz good-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
2 oz good-quality white chocolate, melted

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, beat egg, oil and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Sift flours over oil mixture. Add pistachio and chopped chocolate. Mix until well combined.
Using 2 teaspoons mixture at a time, roll mixture into balls. Place on baking trays. Using a fork, press dough to flatten slightly. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, swapping trays after 8 minutes, or until biscuits are light golden. Stand for 5 minutes on trays before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Drizzle biscuits with melted white chocolate. Allow to set. Serve.

Walnut & Chunky Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients
4.5 oz butter, softened
1/2 cup, firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups plain flour
7 oz good-quality dark cooking chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups walnut halves, coarsely chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Use an electric beater to beat butter and sugar in a medium bowl until well combined. Add the egg and beat until combined. Sift the flour over the butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined. Add the chocolate and walnuts, and stir to combine.
Use your hands to roll tablespoonsful of the cookie mixture into balls. Place the balls, 2 inch's apart, on prepared trays. Use a fork to flatten slightly. Bake in preheated oven, swapping the trays halfway through cooking, for 20 minutes or until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool on the trays for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Patchy Bear Bikkies

Ingredients
1/4 cup custard powder
2 cups plain flour
1/2 cup icing sugar mixture
7 oz butter, chilled, coarsely chopped
3 tbs water
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the custard powder and half the flour, icing mixture and butter in the bowl of a food processor and process until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of water and process until the dough just starts to come together. Turn onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
Meanwhile, place the cocoa powder and the remaining flour, icing sugar and butter in the bowl of the food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the remaining water and process until the dough just starts to come together. Turn onto a clean work surface and knead until smooth. Shape into a disc and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to rest.
Place a sheet of non-stick baking paper on a clean work surface. Arrange alternate pieces of custard dough and chocolate dough on the baking paper and press together to form 1 piece of dough. Cover with another sheet of non-stick baking paper and roll out until 1/4 inch thick. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Use a teddy bear-shaped pastry cutter to cut biscuits from dough. Place on the lined tray. Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill. Bake in oven for 12-15 minutes or until light golden underneath. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool on the tray before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Double Chocolate Sprinkle Cookies

Ingredients
9 oz butter, softened
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
9 oz packet white choc bits
13 oz packet milk choc melts
1/3 cup hundreds and thousands

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and condensed milk until light and creamy. Add flour and mix on low speed until dough almost comes together.
Stir in choc bits. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls and place on prepared trays. Bake, 1 tray at a time, for 12 minutes or until light golden. Stand cookies on trays for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Place choc melts in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) in 30 second bursts, stirring every 30 seconds with a metal spoon, until smooth. Spoon melted chocolate into the centre of each biscuit. Sprinkle with hundreds and thousands. Allow to set. Serve.

Starfish Cookies

Ingredients
3.5 oz unsalted butter
3 oz caster sugar
3 oz brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 oz plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup milk
1 3/4 oz chopped walnuts, lightly roasted
3.5 oz good-quality dark chocolate, chopped
5 oz rolled oats
3/4 oz pitted dates, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F , line two large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Cream butter and sugars until pale. Add the egg and vanilla and stir to combine. Sift in flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt. Add milk, then stir in nuts, chocolate, oats and dates.
Form into 12 balls, then, using damp hands, form into 12 starfish shapes. Place on trays and bake for 12-15 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

Creme de Menthe Cookie

Ingredients
9 oz oreo biscuits
1 oz melted unsalted butter
2 tbs creme de menthe
A few drops of green food colouring
1 pints vanilla ice-cream
1 oz dark chocolate, melted

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the biscuits in a food processor and process until fine crumbs. Add the melted butter and combine.
Place six 4 x 1.5 inch round moulds on a flat baking sheet. Pack the biscuit crumbs into the base of each, letting some mixture come halfway up the sides. Bake in oven for five minutes, then cool completely.
Add the creme de menthe and food colouring to the vanilla ice-cream mixture during the final beating or just before finished churning in ice-cream machine. (If using bought, soften in fridge for 15 minutes, then beat in creme de menthe and food colouring.)
Fill moulds with the ice-cream and smooth the tops. Freeze until firm.
Wash and dry the leaves thoroughly and brush the underside of the leaves with the chocolate. Refrigerate until hard. Peel away the leaf and discard.
To serve, carefully push the ice-cream cakes from the moulds onto serving plates and decorate them with the chocolate leaves.

Fudge Brownie Cookies

Ingredients
4.5 oz butter, chopped
7 oz milk or dark chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons self-raising flour
3.5 oz white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup desiccated coconut

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Place butter and dark chocolate in a heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every minute with a metal spoon, or until melted and smooth. Stir cocoa into warm mixture. Cool for 5 minutes.
Stir in eggs and sugar. Sift flours over mixture. Stir to combine. Fold in white chocolate and coconut. Roll heaped tablespoonfuls (see tip) into balls. Place on trays, allowing room to spread. Bake, 1 tray at a time, for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are a little cracked. Stand for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Apricot & Oat Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup brown sugar
7 oz diced apricots
1 cup plain flour
2 tbs golden syrup
1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
4.5 oz butter, melted, cooled
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
Combine the rolled oats, sugar, apricots and flour in a bowl. Place the golden syrup, bicarbonate of soda and 1/4 cup boiling water in a small heatproof bowl. Stir until well combined. Set aside for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the butter.
Add the golden syrup mixture to the dry ingredients until well combined. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls. Place on the lined trays about 4cm apart. Bake, swapping the trays around once, for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining mixture.

Choc-Chip & Apricot Bites

Ingredients:
7 oz light cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 tbs caster sugar
1 x 15 oz can apricot halves in natural juice, drained, reserving 2 tsp juice
12 choc-chip & apricot cookies
Directions:
Combine the cream cheese, sugar and reserved apricot juice in a medium bowl. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill.
Arrange 3 cookies on each serving plate. Top each cookie with a dollop of cream-cheese mixture and an apricot half. Serve immediately.

Cookies & Cream Slice

Ingredients
12 oz Oreo biscuits
5 oz unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp powdered gelatine
14 oz cream cheese
10 oz thickened cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup caster sugar
7 oz white chocolate, melted, cooled slightly
Melted dark chocolate, to drizzle
Directions
Line a 1.5 inch-deep, 7 x 10 inche lamington pan with plastic wrap.
Place 8 oz of the biscuits in a food processor and process into fine crumbs. Add the butter, process to combine, then press the mixture into the base of the pan. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle the gelatine over 1/4 cup cold water in a heatproof cup. Place the cup in a pan of gently simmering water and stir the gelatine to dissolve.
Place the cream cheese, cream, vanilla and caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat until smooth. Stir in the gelatine mixture and melted white chocolate.
Roughly chop the remaining biscuits and stir through, then pour the cream cheese mixture over the chilled base.
Cover with plastic wrap and return to the fridge to set overnight.
Drizzle with the melted dark chocolate just before serving, then slice in the pan.

Blackberry-Pecan Thumbprints

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1/4 cup blackberry jam

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 F

In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt, set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Using a mixer on medium speed, beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and bead on low speed until the yolk are completely Incorporated, scraping down the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula. Slowly add the flour mixture and beat on low speed just until Incorporated.

Put the pecans in a small bowl. Scoop up a rounded tablespoonful of the dough, then roll the dough between the palms of your hands into a ball. lightly roll the dough ball in the pecans to coat it completely and place on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough spacing the dough balls about 2 inches apart.

Using your thumb, press an indentation about 1/4 inch deep in the center of each cookie. Carefully spoon about 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake until the cookie bottoms and edges are lightly browned. 20-25 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then, using a wide metal spatula, transfer to wire racks to cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days

Pecan Praline Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
35 graham crackers
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
Place crackers on ungreased 10 x 15 sheet cake pan, covering bottom.
Bring sugar, margarine and cream of tartar to a boil. Add nuts. Pour mixture oven the top of the crackers.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).
Bake for 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes, and remove from pan while still warm.

Kitchen Sink Cookies

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg white
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts
2 ounces dark chocolate, cut into chunks Cooking spray
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine butter, oil and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed, stopping occasionally to scrape down bowl, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add applesauce, egg white and vanilla and mix to combine. Add flour, oatmeal, salt and cinnamon and mix just until just combined. Add cherries, apricots, walnuts and chocolate and mix to combine.
Spray 1 baking sheet with cooking spray. Using 1 tablespoon cookie dough at a time, roll into balls and place 2-inches apart on baking sheet. Press cookies down with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly, as cookies will not spread as much as cookies with more butter. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until lightly browned but still soft. Remove from oven and cool on racks.

Giant Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups firmly packed soft brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
12 ounces milk chocolate chips
Method
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Line 2 large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high for 5 minutes until pale. Add the egg and vanilla and beat for a further minute. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into the bowl. Add a pinch of salt, then use a wooden spoon to carefully fold in the flour until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Roll 2 tablespoons of the mixture into a ball, then flatten slightly onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Repeat, leaving a fair amount of space between each biscuit to allow for spreading. (You may need to bake the cookies in batches.) Bake for 15-20 minutes (the biscuits should have just started to darken at the edges but will still be a little soft). Remove from the oven and use a palette knife to lift biscuits from trays, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Girl Scouts Think Maybe You Should Go For Their Low-Cal Cookies

After 81 years spent fattening us up with their many irresistible cookie varieties, the Girl Scout organization is dropping some not-so-subtle hints that perhaps keeping a dozen boxes of Samoas in our locked desk drawer isn’t the healthiest way to make it through the winter. So for the first time they’ll be peddling sugar-free chocolate chip cookies and another low calorie cookie option: Cinna-Spins™. (Pictured.)
Each carton of Cinna-Spins™ will contain five 100 calorie packs of the “crispy cinnamon swirls”, but Fit Sugar warns that not all scouts will have them for sale. Incidentally, has anyone ever bought these things from an actual, verifiable Girl Scout? We've always gotten our hook-up from one of our co-workers. Of course they do have a myspace page, but do these kids actually get out and pound the pavement anymore? Or do Mommy and Daddy do all the legwork these days?

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Blondies

Ingredients:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped, or 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Lightly butter an 8-inch square baking pan with sides at least 1 1/2 inches high. Using an electric mixer or mixing by hand, beat together the sugar and egg until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and butter and beat to mix well. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt and add to the butter mixture, beating until just incorporated. Do not over mix. Using a spoon, stir in the pecans and white chocolate.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and use a flat metal spatula or a butter knife to smooth the top. Bake the blondie's for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is dry and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached (not wet, but not perfectly dry). Remove the pan from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut the blondie's into 2-inch squares. The blondie's can be stored, well wrapped, at room temperature for up to 3 days (these seem to get better as they sit) or frozen for up to 2 months (thaw before serving).

Classification of Cookies

1. Drop cookies are made from a relatively soft dough that is dropped by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. During baking, the mounds of dough spread and flatten. Chocolate chip cookies (Tollhouse cookies), peanut butter cookies, and oatmeal cookies are popular examples of drop cookies.
2. Refrigerator cookies are made from a stiff dough that is refrigerated to become even stiffer. The dough is typically shaped into cylinders which are sliced into round cookies before baking.
3. Molded cookies are also made from a stiffer dough that is molded into balls or cookie shapes by hand before baking. Snickerdoodles are an example of molded cookies.
4. Rolled cookies are made from a stiffer dough that is rolled out and cut into shapes with a cookie cutter. Gingerbread men are an example.
5. Pressed cookies are made from a soft dough that is extruded from a cookie press into various decorative shapes before baking. Spritzgebäck are an example of a pressed cookie.
6. Bar cookies consist of batter or other ingredients that are poured or pressed into a pan (sometimes in multiple layers), and cut into cookie-sized pieces after baking. Brownies are an example of a batter-type bar cookie, while Rice Krispie treats are a bar cookie that doesn't require baking, perhaps similar to a cereal bar. In British English, bar cookies are known as "tray bakes".
7. Sandwich cookies are rolled or pressed cookies that are assembled as a sandwich with a sweet filling. Fillings may be with marshmallow, jam, or icing. The Oreo cookie, made of two chocolate cookies with a vanilla icing filling is an example.
8. Fried cookies including traditional cookies such as the krusczyki, rosettes and fattigmann as well as a newer American trend of deep-frying ordinary drop cookie dough.
9. Cookies also may be decorated with an icing, especially chocolate, and closely resemble a type of confectionery.

Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores

Ingredients:

Canola oil
3 bananas
10 store-bought chocolate chip cookies (the larger the better)
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup small marshmallows
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Brush grill with canola oil.
Cut the bananas in half, lengthwise and grill, skin side down just until warm. Remove warmed banana from the skin and cut again in half.

For assembly: On a piece of aluminum foil, place 1 cookie. Top evenly with banana slices, marshmallows, chocolate chips, graham cracker crumbs and top with another cookie. Wrap foil around the sandwich and place on the grill until warmed through and melted.

Low Country Cookies

Filling:
1 (16-ounce) box graham crackers
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup or 3 (1/2-ounce) cans shredded coconut
Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 tablespoons milk

For the filling: Line a 13 by 9-inch pan with whole graham crackers. Melt the butter in saucepan and add sugar. Beat the egg and milk together; add to butter mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add the nuts, coconut, and 1 cup graham cracker crumbs. Pour over the crackers in the pan. Cover with another layer of whole graham crackers.
For the topping: Beat all the ingredients together and spread over top layer of crackers.
Chill. Cut into squares.