C is for Cookie....

Oh yes....now for the most important part of a Christmas cookie exchange: cookies.

This was my second year hosting an exchange. It's so much fun! I told the girls that "cookie" was a loose term, that it could be a dessert bar, or fudge, or anywhere else their imagination took them. Everyone emailed me their recipe(s) and I put them in a little packet for everyone to take home. There were some awesome recipes today!!!

Here were my creations! I made 3 different kinds, I thought as the hostess it wouldn't hurt to make some extra! I thought they all came out great (nothing like tooting my own horn, huh?). The Potato Chip Cookies was that one recipe with a huge question mark at the end of it because had no idea how good, or not good, they'd be. But I was intrigued, and, in the end, it was well worth the gamble. The Gingersnaps were labor intensive and the smell of straight molasses makes me sick, but the final product was worth the time and the nausea. I was happy with how the lemon bars tasted (and I'm not even a big lemon fan) but thought they were a little "too done" around the edges. Next time I think I'll shave a couple of minutes off of the bake time in the final step.

Ok, enough of my blabber....without further ado...here they are!

Luscious Lemon Bars (sorry for the shadowy picture)
(from myrecipes.om)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 large eggs
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Powdered sugar

Combine 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup powdered sugar.
Cut butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly. Firmly press mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.

Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Whisk eggs in a large bowl; whisk in 2 cups sugar and lemon juice. Combine remaining 1/4 cup flour and baking powder; whisk into egg mixture. Pour batter over crust.

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until set. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into bars, and sprinkle evenly with additional powdered sugar. Yields 2 1/2 dozen



Potato Chip Cookies
(from allrecipes.com)

1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups crushed potato chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.


Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, fold in the potato chips and walnuts.


Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an unprepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.



Gingersnaps
(from allrecipes.com)

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir the mixture to blend evenly, and sift a second time into another bowl.

Place the shortening into a mixing bowl and beat until creamy. Gradually beat in the white sugar. Beat in the egg, and dark molasses. Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture into the shortening mixture; stir to thoroughly blend. Sift in the remaining flour mixture, and mix together until a soft dough forms. Pinch off small amounts of dough and roll into 1 inch diameter balls between your hands. Roll each ball in cinnamon sugar, and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in preheated oven until the tops are rounded and slightly cracked, about 10 minutes. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.