"Cornofstarchy" > wrote in message
news:5yQnf.104653$ki.24399@pd7tw2no...
> Yay so many replies ^_^ Thanks for replying. Some answers to questions...
>
>
> Um, I'm looking at chocolate chip, caramel, raisin oatmeal, peanut
> butter, and maple. I'm also going to bake some biscotti but those can be
> as hard as rock lol. They're going to be "gifts" this year which saves
> me the trouble of having to think of what to get for each person. I
> mean, everyone loves baked goods! 
>
> I tend to use vegetable oil (cause we usually don't have butter or
> margarine sticks around). Is that bad? =/
Since you are making cookies to give as gifts, I would suggest that you make
tasty cookies and not limit your search to soft cookies. As for the fat you
use, I would use the fat that is specified in the recipe. Some cookies rely
heavily on butter for flavor. If the are for giving and butter is
specified, I would buy some and use it.
Here are a couple idea that are easy and well liked. The coconut kisses are
moist and soft. The bar cookies are chewy. The jumbles are like an
outrageous tollhouse cookie.
Coconut Kisses
3.5 cups (9.75 oz) shredded coconut
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Preheat oven to 350F
Line cookie sheets with foil of parchment
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Using a scoop or a spoon, form mounds that are 1 inch high by 1.5 inches in
diameter.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cookies are light golden. (there will
be some white spots.)
Transfer to a rack to cool
(you can mix in some chopped red and green candied cherries to make them
more seasonal)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
Chocolate Caramel Chews
Topping:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla
Base
1 cup All-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
3/4 cup light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 350F
9x13 metal pan, grease sides
Combine first 5 ingredients and using a mixer, combine well. With the mixer
on low, add the melted but and mix until combined.
Scrape into prepared pan. patting mixture into the pan, and bake for 10
minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle on chocolate and nuts.
Drizzle caramel mixture on top (see below) and return to oven for 20
minutes.
Allow to cool, in the pan, on a rack. Loosen from pan and invert on plastic
wrap. Turn upright on a cutting board and cut into pieces.
Place cookies on paper towels for 15 minutes to absorb excess butter.
TO MAKE CARMEL TOPPING
Have a greased, 2 cup, heatproof measuring cup near the rang.
Combine sugar and corn syrup in a heavy pan and bring to a boil, stirring
constantly. Stop stirring and allow to come to a deep amber. The candy
thermometer will read 370F. Remove from stove and carefully stir in butter
and cream. Return to the stove and continue to boil until thermometer reads
240F - about 1 /2 minutes.
Pour caramel into prepared cup and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes or
up to 1 our. Stir in vanilla after 10 minutes.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Dream Bars
6 ounces Semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
6 ounces milk chocolate
6 ounces white chocolate
12 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups (16 double) cinnamon graham cracker crumbs
1 1/3 cups (4 ounces) shredded coconut
3 cups (12 oz) pecan halves
1 2/3 cups (15 oz) sweetened condensed milk
preheat oven to 350F
10 x 15 x 1 jellyroll pan, bottom and sides lined with foil
Place butter in pan and put in preheated oven for about 5 minutes to melt.
Remove from oven and tilt pan to coat with melted butter.
Spread crumbs in pan, mixing with spatula to moisten. Press oven bottom of
pan and about 3/4 of an inch up the sides of the pan
Sprinkle coconut over crumbs
Reserve 1 cup of pecan halves and coarsely chop the rest
Scatter the chopped nuts over the coconut.
Scatter the chocolate over the nuts.
Slowly pour the condensed milk evenly on top.
Arrange the reserved nuts in 5 long rows, spacing them 1 1/2 inches apart
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and press with a spatula to make sure
the nuts adhere to the base.
Return to the oven for 20 - 30 minutes for until the milk bubbling between
the nuts in the center of the pan is pale golden
(Over baking will make the cookies bitter)
Cool completely in the pan on a rack
Invert onto a cookie sheet and peel of the foil
Re-invert and cut into pieces.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Jumbles
3/4 cups Pecan halves (2.5 oz)
1 1/4 cups unbleached whole almonds (8.5 oz)
1 cup + 2 tablespoons All-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1 large egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (6 oz)
1 1/2 cups raisins
Preheat oven to 375F
ungreased cookies sheets
Place pecans and almond on separate sheets and bake for about 7 minutes or
until they have a toasted aroma. Cool completely and chop separately into
very coarse pieces.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt.
In another bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add
the egg and vanilla and beat until well blended.
Add the flour, and on low speed, mix until just well combined.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins.
Empty the batter into the bowl with the nuts, raisins, and chocolate and mix
well with a spatula.
(there will be just enough batter to cement the pieces together!)
Drop the mixture in 1 1/2 inch mounds onto the baking sheets, about 1 1/2
inches apart.
Bake for about 12 -15 minutes until the cookies are barely soft.
Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a
rack to cool.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies.