A Winter Cookie Recipe

Author: Gabriella Gometra
When stuck in the house during the cold season, why not help your child make this easy and delicious recipe? This is a great way to bond and you can even select some festive tins in which you can take this treat to a Christmas party, Valentine's Day party or even give a couple to Grandma for a gift.

This easy recipe is called Glove and Mitten cookies. To make this delightful treat all that is needed is ½ cup sugar, ½ shortening, ½ cup molasses, 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 egg and some powdered sugar frosting.

Once you have gathered together all of the ingredients, you will start by beating the shortening in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer on either high or medium speed for 30 seconds. Now you are going to add the cloves, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, and sugar and beat this mixture until all the ingredients are well combined.

Next, beat in the egg and molasses until combined. Once that is complete, beat in as much flour that you can, using the mixer on medium speed. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and then stir any left over flour using a wooden spoon. You are now ready to divide the dough into thirds. Once divided, cover and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until the dough is easier to handle. While the dough is chilling, trace your child's or children's hands onto cardboard or heavy paper to create the mitten and glove shapes. Make sure to even the shapes out and then cut them out. Set to the side for now.

After the dough has chilled, roll one-third of it onto a greased cookie sheet at a quarter inch thickness. Your rolling pin should be dusted in flour to prevent sticking. Place the glove and mitten patterns on the dough leaving a three-quarter inch distance between cookies. Cut along the patterns with a knife and remove any excess dough. By doing it this way, instead of rolling the dough on your counter and attempting to move the cut cookies to the sheet, the cookies will retain their shapes. Now bake the cookies at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes or until the cookies have set.  Allow the cookies to cool for two minutes. Once they have cooled for a few minutes move them to a rack and allow them to cool completely. Repeat until all the dough has been baked. Now you are ready to make the powdered sugar frosting and decorate.

To make the powdered sugar frosting you will need to stir together in a small mixing bowl 2 tablespoons of milk and 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar. Stir in the rest of the milk 1 teaspoon at a time until the icing is a smooth consistency. Now separate in several portions adding drops of food coloring. If you need a thicker frosting just add a little bit of powdered sugar. If using the hands of more than one child as patterns it is fun to keep their cookies straight by writing their names or initials in icing on their own cookies. This recipe will yield 18 cookies depending on pattern size. Make some cups of hot chocolate and the kids will have a treat perfect for when they come in from playing in the snow and cold.

Learning To Pick The Best Cookie Sheets For The Cookie You Want

Author: Alonzo Green
Anybody who takes the time to make cookies from scratch obviously wants the cookies to come out perfectly and taste delicious. Mixing ingredients is almost unheard of these days with just about everything being available in pre-mixed or pre-made packages. Most people simply buy a roll of cookie dough, slice it, and stick it in the oven for 15-18 minutes. However, for the individuals out there who still take the time to make their own cookie dough, it's important to know the differences between all the types of cookie sheets available in stores today. There are a multitude of them, and believe it or not, they all yield different results.

Insulated Non-stick Cookie Sheet
Most insulated cookie sheets are made to be non-stick, and because insulated sheets are sometimes on the more expensive side, they tend to resist scratches, chipping, and peeling. Insulated cookie sheets are basically two sheets that have been connected around the edges, which creates a small pocket of air that cannot escape. The air inside of the pocket heats to the set temperature of the oven when the insulated cookie sheet is placed inside.

Insulated cookie sheets are very reliable for evenly baked cookies. Because the air inside the sheet heats to the temperature of the oven, it allows all the cookies on the sheet to cook and brown at the same rate. The evenly heated air prevents the cookie sheet from being hotter in certain spots, which is a common occurrence with regular cookie sheets. In addition to yummy cookies, most insulated cookie sheets are easy to clean because of their non-stick surfaces.

Aluminum Cookie Sheets
Aluminum cookie sheets are very commonly used. Aluminum conducts heat well which is why cookie sheets made of this material usually produce an evenly baked cookie. The only down side to aluminum is that it sometimes prevents cookies from reaching the perfect shade of brown.

Cookie sheets made of aluminum are very sturdy and they won't rust even if they have to be soaked in water for and extended period of time. Heavy aluminum baking sheets are better to use than the thin types that are available for less money. Thin aluminum sheets can bend and/or warp in a hot oven which can cause cookies to cook unevenly.

Non-Stick Cookie Sheets
When non-stick cookie sheets were invented, a whole new world of baking emerged. The ease of cleaning a cookie sheet with a non-stick surface is amazing, and it practically eliminates the need to butter the sheet before cooking. Washing a non-stick cookie sheet is a breeze and hardly requires anything but a quick scrub.

Non-stick cookie sheets have a surface coating that makes them easy to clean, yet they are still able to produce delicious cookies. Keep in mind that the darker the non-stick surface, the quicker the cookies will brown. Therefore, it's important to read the instructions that come with the cookie sheet to find out if the manufacturer recommends that the oven's cooking temperature be lowered to compensate. It may be necessary to lower the temperature of the oven by about 25 degrees.

In conclusion, cookie sheets can be made of a number of different types of materials, or even a combination of materials. Every cookie sheet will yield a different end result for the same exact cookie recipe. The darker the cookie sheet, the faster the cookies will brown because a dark cookie sheet absorbs heat more readily and transfers the heat directly to the cookies. Aluminum cookie sheets are good conductors of heat but are not good for ensuring that the cookies will brown. Insulated cookie sheets will ensure evenly baked cookies no matter how they are spaced on the sheet. For best results, try out a cookie recipe on all three types of sheets and determine which yields the desired results.