Hi Everyone,
I have been doing some research re cookies. I pulled out 2 books I have. One is Creative Cookies and the other is The Flower Pot Cookie book. Well low and behold the butter cookie recipes are exactly the same. Anyone uses the recipe??
Kathy
Yep, I use the Four Pot recipe exclusively. Let me tell ya a little change... some almond extract and a little vanilla powder. KAZAAM! Yowza! Rocking good, and hardly change shape in the oven at all. VERY minimal expansion, keeps details wonderfully!
Here it is:
3 cups (1 lb) all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter, room temp
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temp
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour and baking powder together. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat another minute. Add flour gradually and blend until the dough pulls away from the bowl. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for at least an hour. Roll out cookie dough on parchment to prevent using extra flour. Roll dough about 3/8" thick. Bake for 8 minutes or until cookies are a light golden color.
Melvira - Great idea on the vanilla powder! May I ask how much you recommend? I have some unopened Nielsen-Massey (unopened because it was so pricey I am afraid to use it! ), so I would rather not overdo it if you don't mind sharing. Thanks!
[quote="carleen2140"]Isn't that the same recipe as NFSC, only cut in half?[/quote
i just looked and it is. they only difference is the salt and 1/2 tsp baking powder. but otherwise its the same.
UPDATE...
I just made my first batch of cookies using the recipe from the flower pot book. I put the almond extract and vanilla. I dont have vanilla powder. I made it and it was quite soft. I put it in the fridge for 2 hours. It was still soft after that. I rolled out 1/4 of the dough. I left the rest in the fridge. Will make those tomorrow and see how different it is to work with. The 1/4 that I rolled out are cooling now. They look like they held the shape well. Cant wait to taste them. Wont actually decorate till the others are made.
I use heaping teaspoon, but mine isn't the expensive stuff, its just powdered vanilla from CK (probably imitation) so you may want to start with half a teaspoon (or less) if you've got potent stuff. I also add a little salt to the recipe because that's just how I roll. I think cookies taste bad without at least a touch of salt!
I'm surprised that it was soft. If I put it in the fridge for several hours or overnight it's rock hard. I like to use it without chilling sometimes because it's easier to roll and use. Hey... my arms get tired.
mine in the fridge now is hard. it will be nice to work with tomorrow i think. it was way to soft to work with earlier. i tasted the ones i did get to bake off and its not bad. i still have a few other recipes to try out and see what i prefer. bu these are good. so far no one has said otherwise. i also added salt.
You sound a lot like me with regard to sugar cookies. I have gone from recipe to recipe, and this is the first one I've found (with my modifications) that I've gotten the closest to 'pleased with'. The ones that taste amazing won't hold their shape, the ones that hold their shape don't taste that great. And, I hate royal icing so it's hard to make the cookies that look as awesome as some that I see here. I like the flavor of buttercream on sugar cookies but it doesn't look as nice, and definitely can't be stacked. It's all so very frustrating!
why do you hate royal icing though? yes i want to find a great cookie that holds its shape. when i do i will share it with you.
Oh man, if you find that and share I'll be your best friend!!
Honestly, my thing with royal icing is the twangy metallic taste of the meringue powder. I've always hated that. I have one recipe that I can 'stand' when there isn't another way to do it. But I'm just not a fan of it. I also don't really like the crunchiness. I like nice soft buttercream on them. Hehehe.
have you tried the royal icing making it with egg whites and not meringue powder??
we use that icing here in ja on wedding cakes. fondant is fairly new to us so in the earlier days they used the royal icing. they put a bit of lime juice in it to take away from the egg smell. maybe you can try to put a little in the meringue powder royal. maybe it will help.
i found a nice site for cookie cutters. http://www.cincicakeandcandy.com/baking.php
I'm just afraid of uncooked egg whites. I'll have to play around with it. The one I find the best results with is the fondant, but I love how royal looks.
didnt you know that the sugar cooks the egg basically. it will be fine. try it and see and add a tsp of lime or two to cut the smell.
Yah, I know, but it still kind of creeps me out. There is something about it. I'm weird like that.
Thanks, Melvira! I will try the vanilla paste. I have been playing with almond extract, but worry about over or underdoing it and end up swimming in practice dough and about to sell my plasma to buy more butter (okay, not that desparate, but hey, butter is precious!). Do you recommend about the same amount of almond as vanilla? I am just plowing through butter trying to get this right. I agree, there is a trade off in taste for less spreading. I am going to try a recipe that calls for almond paste if I can find it at a good price. I'll post it if it works, but thought I would ask about the amount you like of almond extract in this particular recipe. I did one test and overdid the almond and couldn't get the bitter taste out of my mouth for over a day. Not ideal!
Yah, I know, but it still kind of creeps me out. There is something about it. I'm weird like that.
lol - I know what you mean, I'm the same way too - I just bought some "break free" liquid egg whites from Krogers - they're pasturized, so they should be even safer, right? What about trying them? (If they whip up that is).
Hi Everyone,
I have been doing some research re cookies. I pulled out 2 books I have. One is Creative Cookies and the other is The Flower Pot Cookie book. Well low and behold the butter cookie recipes are exactly the same. Anyone uses the recipe??
Kathy
It's not surprising that recipes would be the same or have slight variations. If it works -- it works. You cannot copyright a list of ingredients. You also cannot copyright methods, such as "cream the butter."
You can, however, copyright "...substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions...."
If you read carefully, all those recipes have varying directions for doing the same exact thing. Cream the butter and sugar, add liquid and lastly dry ingredients.
One big difference will be in the flavors used. Do you prefer vanilla? Is it the "good" vanilla? Almond? Or do you favor citrus?
It all comes down to a matter of preference -- which recipe works for you.
The pastuerized egg whites might be good. Of course, that kind of creeps me out too. I have issues. Hehehe.
I agree that most recipes are similar with just a touch different to go more toward what the person who made it likes. Personally, I do use the whole teaspoon of almond in a batch of the dough, then a full teaspoon of vanilla powder too. I like strong flavors, and this helps the cookies have a nice flavor. I also find it's nice to use citrus sometimes as Honeydukes just mentioned. It tastes nice too! It's all about who you are making them for and what that person likes!
the ones i rolled out and baked didnt get a chance to be iced...we ate them. they are pretty good. my dad suggested a bit more of the almond. i am going to bake off the rest of them tomorrow and ice those. will post my pics.
Thanks, Melvira! I really appreciate your help! I am trying to get good flavor that will hold in particular. With shipping cookies I know they can't be eaten immdiately and I don't like how the flavor seems to 'die off' after a few days. I will give your amounts a whirl! Thanks again for your help! (and my butter budget thanks you as well!)
we have a place here called summer kitchen cafe & they have the most amazing sugar cookies, they are huge & it's 5.00 for 3 of them, but they are so soft & good, I should send some to Mel so she can crack the recipe, I'm dying to have their recipe.(it'd save me over 100 a month in cookies, and i'm not kidding)
Chass, let me know and I will send you my address. I am willing to put myself out there like that to help you out! I will suffer through some of those cookies just to try and help you!
K, I'm not kidding either, I really will send you some. I just gotta figure out how to pack them so you dont get crumbs! they are super soft!!
I swear I am drooling just thinking about it. I hate to imagine the disappointment if I can't make 'em just right... (or if I need a second and third shipment... hehehe) but I'm willing to risk it. Hehehe.
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