I dont really like them. They taste kind of bland to me. What do you guys do to spice up the flavor?

I added almond to the recipe. Maybe try some lemon or orange zest. I have a recipe that has the zest and it add something to the cookie. I think the blandness is good if you add royal icing which is pretty sweet so you don't have a really sweet cookie. A lot of people I know like a less icky sweet cookie.

What is NFSC?

I just finished making a batch and have to say that I too feel they are bland. I am going to "rev" them up with the whatever icing I choose. Fo I used cookies with the cream cheese in them and they are better. In their I like the flavor of gingerbread and maybe I will use those all year. There are some flavored shortbreads out their too. I also just finished the Linzer cookies from baking 911 and love them. They are a lot of work. The chocolate cookies from Toba Garretts book are a nodge better than the no fails. Guess if you want decorated cookies you have to give up some flavor. I am on a cookie quest now.

Not sure what you are talking about. Care to tell us?

Hoping it's the No Fail Sugar Cookie since I responded to that!

I might get rotten eggs thrown at me - BUT I think the NFSC demand salted butter *and* the salt in the recipe (I think there is salt in the recipe). The salt makes them taste rich - like a shortbread - to me. With unsalted butter I thought they were bland, too!

I think the nice thing about NFSC is that they hold their shape and don't break when you try to decorate them. And I find they are sooo easy to make--of course my KA does all the work--lol

I bake them with margarine and use 1tsp of almond flavoring and 1 tsp of vanilla. I think they are really good!!

Thanks All. I am doing some cookies for Breast Cancer awareness and made some of the bland ones. They do hold their shape well. Tomorrow I will make a batch with some flavorings.

Sorry I wasn't trying to be rude. I have been responding to a lot of posts and just tried to shorten it down a bit.

I hope I didn't upset anyone. Again I'm sorry. I would never try to be rude.

Often when reading a post one does not read it in the same voice the writter wrote it and therefore it comes off sounding bad.

I will try to be better at my posts.

Joanne

Oh it didnt sound rude to me at all,JoanneK. I guess since I am going to put fondant on them that will help but my kids are just eating them up plain like they are going out of style. I ate one and was just like eating bread to me lol. I think I might add a different flavor to it instead of vanilla

I find them delicious with or without the icing the only problem I have with them is I find them to crumbly to roll. I have put them in the micro wave for a bit and that works and I have also added a few drops of water and that also works but was wondering if I'm doing something wrong or if there should be a little liquid in the recipe as I have heard other people have t he same problem that's where the tips of mircro wave came from

I just posted something under 'cookies' re: taste. Someone else asked also. I find them bland, but with icing it balances it out. Still not a sweet cookie. I also use margarine and almond extract. When it sits for a couple of days (since it takes that long to ice and set) they improve with taste.

I add Fiori di Sicilia. Makes them delicious!!

Oh I'm happy you didn't think I was being rude either. I felt like a little kid being scolded by my mommy for a minute

Joanne

did not seem rude to me. Sounded like you were just posting a short answer vs me, who writes a book for simple question--lol

I also find after they sit a day or two they taste better.

I need to find my joy of Christmas cookies recipe and post it--it is very good and easy.

didn't sound rude to me either! I am going to experiment with flavors as well. i will let you know if I find a good one!

i was going to ask the same thing....is there a place on this site which gives the definitions of all the abbreviations that i see on here?

What is fiori di sicilia? What flavor is this?

It is an orange-vanilla flavor. Its really light, not overpowering. I love it. I actually started another post on here a few days ago about adding it to NFSC.

JoanneK, You are way to hard on yourself.

I add a little more vanilla, and some almond extract- which I think makes a TON of difference. I made some a while back without almond since I ran out, and they weren't nearly as good.

I don't make them anymore, too dry for me. I am on a quest like fearlessbaker but I tried Sarah's sugar cutouts from Baking 911 with the Special Dark (I only make chocolate) and they are awesome.

Zamode, I just finished Sarah's Linzer cookies. There are a few versions of them the beside traditional rasberry jam. They are from a 1979 Family Circle Magazine.They are really good too. Also, there is BC recipe that I tried from www.kitchencollectibles.com. to get to the recipe just type Pam's Buttercream recipe and when the page comes up just look around and you will see it and you can get into their archives. For others that don't know about the site they have lots of things for cookie decorating.

Well I tried a little orange,vanilla and almond extracts. We shall see how that turns out. It smells awesome at least,lol

Ewwy. I don't like the NFSC taste either. So it amazes when friends and clients love them! LOL. I wouldn't make them anymore if it wasn't for people asking me about them. I would really like a "sugary" sugar cookie but haven't found a recipe that holds its shape as well as the NFSC. Any suggestions?

I love the NFSC and so far everyone I have given them to say they love them too.. I use salted butter though and add vanilla and always put almond extract in my icing .
Liz