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THE SEMISWEET SISTERS

Two sisters who love to bake...

Archives for December 2014

NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

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THE NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE RECIPE

NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I love a good chocolate chip cookie! When I first saw this recipe I was anxious to try it because I love making chocolate chip cookies! You can never have too many chocolate chip cookie recipes in your recipe box!

If you like crunchy crispy cookies then I think you will like this recipe. If you like soft chewy chocolate chip cookies then this is probably not the recipe for you. This recipe reminded me of those Famous Amos boxed cookies they sell at the grocery store. They are really crunchy! I think next time I make these I will make them into little bite sized chocolate chip cookies. These cookies went 50/50, half the people I had taste test them liked them the other half thought they were too crunchy.

NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I omitted the coffee powder when I made them because I didn’t have any on hand. I’m sure it probably helps to give them a unique flavor but if you don’t have any or just plain don’t like the taste of coffee then it’s fine to leave it out.

NEIMAN MARCUS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • ½ cup (one stick) butter, softened
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 ½ teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease cookie sheets, set aside.
  2. Cream butter, brown sugar, & granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light & fluffy. Beat in the egg & vanilla.
  3. In another mixing bowl, wisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Slowly add flour mixture to the first bowl. Lastly, stir in the chocolate chips & espresso powder (if your adding it).
  4. Using an ice cream scoop or a large cookie scoop, drop the cookie dough onto prepared cookie sheets about 3 inches apart. Gently press the dough down with the back of a spoon to make 2-inch circles. If you want the cookies to be more visually appealing, take some extra chocolate chips & press them onto the top of the cookies. 6-8 cookies should fit on each cookie sheet.
  5. Bake for about 20 minutes. The cookies will not brown much in the oven. If you want crispier cookies bake for a little longer.

Recipe source: Neiman Marcus.

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Candy Cane Christmas Cookies Recipe

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Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

I have been making these Christmas cookies for as long as I can remember. My mom and I used to make them when I was little. They are so good and the cutest things ever. I am not a peppermint cookie fan, so that is why I gave you the option of using peppermint or almond extract. I always make mine with the almond, but it’s your call.

Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

I also hate making cookies that you have to refrigerate before you bake, no one wants to wait 5 hours to make cookies. With these you just need to pop them in the refrigerator for 15 mins while the oven is preheating. They are just easier to roll out that way, not so sticky.

And once again I am the meanest mom ever……. I made these with my daughter last week and let her do ALL the work, the twisting and shaping. They came out a little crazy looking, so I didn’t take blog pics of them. Today I try and make a quick batch while she is watching tv. I get to the part where you start twisting and she wanted to help. I told her to let me make one tray and she could make the other, that way I would get some pictures of the ones I made.  Then she tells me that I’m mean and that she doesn’t want to help anyways :)

Candy Cane Christmas Cookies Candy Cane Christmas Cookies Candy Cane Christmas Cookies

Candy Cane Christmas Cookies
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 20
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter soft
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon peppermint OR almond extract
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 2½ cups flour
  • red food coloring
Instructions
  1. In medium size bowl cream sugar and butter together until light and fluffy
  2. beat in egg, peppermint OR almond, vanilla, salt and baking powder
  3. slowly add in flour and mix until combined
  4. remove half of the dough
  5. add red food coloring to the dough left in the bowl and mix until red
  6. preheat oven to 375 degrees
  7. stick red and white dough into the refrigerator for 15-20 min.
  8. roll about a half inch ball of dough in each color into a 4-5 inch rope
  9. twist together and curve the top to make the hook
  10. place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper
  11. bake for 9-12 mins
  12. let cool for 20 mins

 

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Christmas Tree Spritz Cookies

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Buttery, Sugary Christmas Tree Spritz Cookies!

Christmas Tree Spritz Cookies

These are my favorite Christmas Cookies! Every Christmas Eve we make these Christmas Cookies.  When I was young I used to make them in the afternoon then take them over to my Grandma’s house because it was a family tradition to spend Christmas Eve there. Then of course we would leave some of these cookies out for Santa when we got home later that night.

Christmas Tree Spritz Cookies

It’s funny my Dad never did a lot of baking but for some reason he’s the one that taught me how to make these. I was probably 8 or 9 years old when he first taught me how to make them.  As a matter of fact my 8 year old niece made this batch with me, she had a lot of fun learning how to make them. When we were halfway through I asked her if she wanted me finish making the rest & she quickly replied with a “No”. So she made all of them & I think she did a great job with them!

Christmas Tree Spritz Cookies

These cookies are simple to make. You will need a cookie press to make them & the tree pattern disc. Be careful that you push out enough dough for each tree or it will not stick to the cookie sheet like it should. If the dough is giving you problems you could try chilling it for 20 minutes or so in the refrigerator. I never have any trouble with mine coming out nicely but I know some people do. A whole batch makes about 4 cookie sheets worth of cookies depending on how big of trees you make. I forgot to count how many it made but it makes a lot!

If your looking for a cookie press Amazon has the Oxo Good Grips Cookie Press & the Wilton Cookie Press both come with a tree pattern disc.

Christmas Tree Spritz Cookies
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • 1 cup butter, softened (I used salted)
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • a few drops of green food coloring
  • sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Mix butter & sugar together. Stir in egg, vanilla, & almond extract (optional). Add flour, salt, & baking powder & mix well. Add a few drops of green food coloring & mix in.
  3. Scoop dough into cookie press fitted with tree pattern disc. Press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.
  4. Decorate with sprinkles.
  5. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. If you like your cookies soft then bake until cookies are set, if you want them crisper bake until edges are starting to brown.

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