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Ginnie's Cookies

 

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A Message from the Cookie Lady...

I have been making cookies for Golden State Squares since the fall of 1992 when I joined the beginner's class. We have refreshments at our Wednesday night classes and at club dances on the first Saturday of the month. Below are a few of the recipes that I bring often that have become favorites among our members. Check back here to see the new favorites show up as I experiment on my willing guinea pigs! You can e-mail me at GBMiller@aol.com if you have a cookie recipe request.

Chocolate covered hugs, Ginnie :>


Chocolate Chip Cookies

Serving Size: 36

Preparation Time: 1-hour

Oven 375 degrees

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar -- lightly packed
1/2 cup Crisco shortening -- (1/2 Crisco Stick)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter – softened & halved
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup pecans -- (to 1 cup)
1 cup chocolate chips

Food processor method:

15 minutes before baking, place rack in center of oven and pre-heat to 375. Have ungreased cookie sheets ready. Insert metal blade: process flour, baking soda, and salt for 3 seconds; remove and reserve. Process egg, sugars, shortening, butter, and vanilla for 30 seconds, stopping once to scrape the bowl. Spoon reserved dry ingredients onto batter in circle, then add nuts and chocolate morsels and pulse 4 times. Run spatula around inside of bowl and pulse 2 more times, just until ingredients are combined. Do not over process. Using one tablespoon of dough for each, drop cookies on cookie sheets, spacing them 2" apart. Bake until lightly browned -- about 10 or 12 minutes. Turn pan once during cooking for more even browning. Let cookies cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet then gently transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Mixer method:

Mix the dry ingredients well with a fork. Chop the nuts. Cream the shortening, butter and both sugars. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in the chopped nuts and chocolate chips.

Notes:

I use a 1-1/4 inch mini ice cream scoop to put the dough on the cookie sheets. After scooping out a sheet full use the round side of the scoop to press down the center of the scoop - this helps the cookie to cook completely in the middle.

Depending on your oven it may take a little more or less time for the cookies to get done. I like them well browned and crunchy, a shorter cooking time will yield a softer center to the cookies.


Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies

Serving Size: 60

Preparation Time: 1-hour

Oven 375 degrees

3 whole eggs -- beaten
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup raisins -- or more
1 cup shortening -- Crisco
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups oatmeal -- regular, uncooked
1 cup walnuts -- chopped
2 1/2 cups flour

Combine first 3 ingredients and allow to stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Sift dry ingredients. Cream shortening and sugars, add dry ingredients (except oatmeal and walnuts) and then blend in egg mixture. Stir in oatmeal and walnuts. The batter will be stiff. Drop by heaping teaspoons (or tablespoons for larger cookies...see note) onto greased or parchment covered baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 10 - 15 minutes depending on the size of the cookies. For softer, chewier cookies, bake for the shorter amount of time. Turn the cookie sheet once during baking to insure even browning. The cookies should be lightly browned.

Notes:

Makes 5 dozen cookies when using 1 1/2" mini ice cream scoop...and one cup of nuts. I use one Crisco "stick" for the shortening, a heaping cup of raisins, and a heaping cup of chopped walnuts. Bobbi's favorite!

This is not a family recipe — it is one that I adapted from Jackie Olden's recipe. She used to do the food news hour on KNX1070 and has written many cookbooks.


Salted Peanut Cookies

Serving Size: 30

Preparation Time: 1hr 30min

Oven 350 degrees

1 cup sweet butter -- room temperature
1 cup Crisco -- one stick
2 cups dark brown sugar -- packed
2 ex-large eggs -- slightly beaten
1 cup corn flakes -- crushed
2 1/2 cups regular oatmeal -- uncooked
3 cups flour
2 cups spanish redskin peanuts
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Mix together (or sift) the flour, soda, baking powder; set aside. Cream the butter and the sugar, add the slightly beaten eggs, the vanilla and the almond extract. Next add the flour mixture and then the corn flakes and oats. If you don't have a large, heavy duty mixer it may be better to add the corn flakes and oats by hand. This makes a very stiff dough. Fold in the peanuts by hand trying not to break them up too much.

Grease your cookie sheets or use aluminum foil or baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spoon tablespoon size blops on the sheet about 2 inches apart. Press down the centers of the blops to help them spread a bit. Bake for about 12 minutes (the edges start to get brown). Remove cookies to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before storing in cookie tins. These freeze fairly well...for a month or two.


Orange Butter Cookies In Chocolate

Serving Size: 72

Preparation Time: 1-hour

Oven 375 degrees

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup sweet butter -- softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ex-large egg
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons orange peel -- grated
     
  ***Glaze Frosting***  
6 ounces chocolate chips
1/4 cup Crisco
3 tablespoons light corn syrup

Heat oven to 375°. In large bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg. Blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in flour, baking powder, salt and orange peel. Roll dough into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten with bottom of glass dipped in sugar to 1/8 to 1/4" thickness. Bake at 375° for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets.

GLAZE: In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine glaze ingredients, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from heat. Pour glaze into a small glass measuring cup; set in a pan of hot water. Dip 1/2 of each cookie into glaze; scrape off excess chocolate with straight side of a spreader. Place dipped cookies on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Chill until glaze is set, about 10 minutes (in freezer). Remove from freezer and place in single layers, seperated by wax paper in cookie tin, store in the refrigerator until about 1 hour before you want to serve them.


Mexican Wedding Cakes

Serving Size: 48

Preparation Time: 0:30 hr

Oven 350 degrees

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups walnuts -- finely ground
1 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar -- (3 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350°. Cream butter and sugar, add vanilla, almond extract, then flour and walnuts. Use a 1" ice cream scoop (or roll into 1" balls) drop on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove to cooling racks. Makes 4 dozen.

Notes: This is double the original recipe. The original also only used 3T of powdered sugar in the mixture and then dusted the cookies with powdered sugar while still hot. The original recipe called for grinding the walnuts in the meat grinder. I have found that pulsing them in the mini-cuisineart works perfectly.

If you sift the powdered sugar to get out the lumps be sure to measure by weight or measure before sifting.


Last Revised: February 05, 2003