Host Mary Ellen Pinkham shares a basic cookie batter recipe that, with just a few modifications, can be used to make a variety of delicious cookies.
Basic Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Preparation:
Cream butter, eggs and sugar together in a mixer. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and mix together. Slowly fold the flour mixture into the butter mixture until the dough is an even consistency.
Divide the dough into four equal amounts, and start each recipe below with one of the quarters. With just a few additional ingredients, this batch of basic cookie dough can be used to make caramel, lemon, espresso and ginger cookies.
Caramel Cookies
Ingredients:
dough
1 tsp. maple extract
1 cup chopped pecans
32 caramel candies
1/2 cup whole milk
caramel
pecans
Preparation:
- Add one teaspoon of maple extract and one cup of chopped pecans to the basic dough and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour, then roll out the dough and cut out the cookies. Bake at 375 degrees for five to seven minutes.
- While the cookies are baking, melt 32 caramel candies with 1/2 cup of whole milk. When the cookies are done, top each one with a dollop of caramel and a pecan half.
Lemon Cookies
Add one tablespoon of lemon extract to the dough, mix well and bake. Top the cookies with commercial white frosting and a sprinkling of lemon zest.
Ginger Cookies
Add one teaspoon of ginger and 1/2-teaspoon of vanilla extract to dough and bake. Top with orange marmalade.
Espresso Cookies
Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and one teaspoon of instant espresso and bake. Top with chocolate frosting.
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