Recipe Talk

A long time ago I found a recipe for cookies that I loved. It was in a magazine, but I am unsure of which, or of the exact ingredients. Family Circle or Woman's Day are the two most likely.

I think they may have beed called "Mint moldable cookies" or something similar.

They were for a spring/ Easter theme. It was this mint dough that you could food color portions of and shape (like clay) into all different shapes and bake. It worked best if they were flat-ish shapes, but you could even make little snowman shapes and bake 'em. I made all diferent sorts of animals and flowers. These were NOT cookie-cutter cookies. You actually shaped this dough with your fingers.

They were not only lots of fun, they were delicious. It was a pale dough that took well to coloring with a light mint flavor, slightly similar to a mint sugar cookie dough but different.
The recipe was from scratch, the only ingredient I am sure of is mint extract.

If anyone can find or knows where to find this recipe I will be VERY grateful. This was possibly the best cookie recipe I ever tried.

Farmyard Friends

Mold a merry menagerie with this peppermint dough. If dough sticks to
fingers, cover and chill till firm.

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 cup butter or margarine

2/3 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. peppermint extract

Paste or liquid food coloring

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine and shortening with an electric
mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat till fluffy. Add
eggs and peppermint extract; beat well.

Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining
flour mixture by hand (dough should be stiff). Cover and chill dough for at least 2
hours.

To color and shape dough, divide dough into portions--one for each color that you

want to use. Knead food coloring into each portion, adding it slowly till dough
becomes desired color.

On an ungreased cookie sheet, form dough into animal shapes about 1/4 inch
thick (see shaping directions, below). Working with the dough as you would clay,
start by molding the animal s body. Decorate as suggested in the shaping
directions. Arrange cookies about 1 inch apart on cookie sheets.

Bake in a 300 [degrees] oven for 18 to 20 minutes or till edges are firm and
cookies look set, but bottoms are not brown. Transfer cookies to wire racks to
cool. Makes about twenty-five 3-inch cookies, but yield varies depending on which
shapes are made.

Shaping directions for Farmyard Friends cookies

Striped Pig: For the body, flatten a 3/4-inch colored ball of dough to about 2 1/2
inches. For the white stripe down the middle of the body, shape a 3/4-inch-wide,
very thin strip of untinted dough. Roll a small colored ball for head. Use colored
and untinted doughs to make legs, tail, ears, eyes, and snout. Attach these
pieces by pressing them gently onto the body and head. (For spotted pig, shape
body with white dough and add spots with black or other darkcolored dough.)

Roly-Poly Lamb: For the body, roll untinted dough into small balls (varying sizes)
and lay on cookie sheet, touching each other. Use a small round ball of tinted
dough for head and small ovals for the feet.

Holly Horse: For the body, flatten a 1-inch oval of untinted dough horizontally to
about 2th inches across. For the neck and head, place a heartshaped piece of
dough upside down next to the body. For the neck wreath, twist together two
1/8-inch-thick ropes of colored dough. Use colored and untinted doughs to make
legs, tail, mane, spots, and eye. Use the tines of a fork to mark mane and tail.

Lucky Duck: For the body, flatten a 3/4-inch oval of dough horizontally to about 2
inches across, shaping the back top corner into a slight point. Attach neck and
head in the same color dough. Use two or three different colors of dough for eye,
beak, feet, and neck ribbon.

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CREAM CHEESE CHRISTMAS MOLDING DOUGH
COOKIE

3 oz. pkg. cream cheese, completely softened

1/2 c. butter, completely softened

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla or almond

Combine ingredients in large bowl. Stir by hand until well blended.

1 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add to cream cheese mixture, stirring by hand until dough forms a ball.
Knead in bowl or on floured surface, 1 to 2 minutes, adding additional flour until smooth, pliable and not sticky. (Dough is easier to shape the more it is handled.)

Roll dough out on a floured board to cut with cookie cutters. Put shapes on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until edges are light brown: thin shapes - 10 to 15 minutes; thick shapes - 15 to 22 minutes.

Cool 5 minutes. Remove from cookie sheets. Store cooled cookies. Refrigerate leftover dough up to 2 weeks. Makes 2 dozen 2 1/2 x 1/4 inch cookies, depends on size of cookie cutter shapes.

Decorate cookies: Frost with a Buttercream Frosting then decorate with any of the following: chocolate pieces, sprinkles, nuts, raisins, cinnamon candies or colored sugars.

Tip: Cream cheese and butter may be softened using an electric mixer.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

2 1/4 c. confectioners' sugar

1/4 c. softened butter

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbsp. milk

Food coloring, optional

In bowl, beat together sugar, butter, vanilla and milk until smooth. If necessary, add more milk until frosting is spreading consistency.

-------------

Molding Dough Cookies

Chocolate Mint Creams

These cookies have been delighting readers since first appearing in 1985. Look for
the mints at candy stores, food gift shops, or department stores.

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

6 Tbsp. butter or margarine

1 Tbsp. water

1 6-oz. pkg. (1 cup) semisweet

chocolate pieces

1 egg

1/2 to 3/4 lb. pastel cream

mint kisses

Stir together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a medium saucepan cook and
stir brown sugar, butter or margarine, and water over low heat till butter or
margarine is melted. Add chocolate; cook and stir till melted. Pour into a large
mixing bowl; let stand for 10 to 15 minutes or till cool.

Using a wooden spoon, beat egg into chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour mixture
till well mixed. (Dough will be soft.) Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours or till easy to
handle. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie
sheets. Bake in a 350 [degrees] oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and
immediately top each cookie with a mint kiss. Return to the oven and bake about
2 minutes more or till edges are set. Swirl the melted mints with a knife to "frost"
cookies. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool till mints are firm. Makes about
48 cookies.

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Kris Kringles

Orange and lemon peel bring a welcome taste of sunshine to this pick.

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp. finely shredded lemon

peel (set aside)

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp. finely shredded

orange peel

Dash salt

1 slightly beaten egg white

2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

13 whole candied red or green

cherries, halved

In a medium mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on
medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat till combined. Beat
in egg yolk and lemon juice till combined. Stir in flour, orange peel, salt, and
lemon peel. Cover and chill for 1 hour or till easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in egg white and then roll in walnuts.
Place on greased cookie sheets. Press a cherry half into each ball. Bake in a 325
[degrees] oven for 20 minutes or till lightly browned. Transfer cookies to wire
racks; let cool. Makes about 26 cookies.

======

Santa's Whiskers

The "whiskers" are the shreds of coconut that give these holiday favorites prom their name.

3/4 cup butter or margarine

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup finely chopped

candied red and/or green

cherries

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

3/4 cup shredded coconut

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine with an electric mixer on
medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and beat till combined,
scraping side of bowl. Beat in milk and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of
the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour by hand. Stir in
candied cherries and pecans. Shape into two 8-inch-long rolls. Roll in coconut.
Wrap in plastic wrap or waxed paper; chill for 2 to 24 hours.

Cut rolls into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place slices 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie
sheets. Bake in a 375 [degrees] oven for 8 to 10 minutes or till edges are golden
brown. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool. Makes about 60 cookies.
===
Swirled Mint Cookies

These dainty cookies make a light finish to a hearty holiday feast.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract

10 drops red food coloring

10 drops green food coloring

Sugar.

Stir together flour and baking powder; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat butter
with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup
sugar; beat till fluffy. Add egg, vanilla, and extract; beat well. Add flour mixture;
beat till well mixed. Divide into three equal portions. Stir red food coloring into one
portion, stir green food coloring into another, and leave remaining portion plain.
Cover; chill about 1 hour or till easy to handle.

Divide each color of dough into four equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll
each portion into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope. Place one red, one green, and one
plain rope side by side. Twist together. Repeat with remaining ropes. Chill for 30
minutes. Cut ropes into 1/2-inch-thick slices for larger cookies or 1/4-inch-thick
slices for smaller ones. Carefully roll into balls, blending colors as little as
possible. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to
1/4-inch thickness with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.

Repeat with remaining dough. Bake in a 375 [degrees] oven till edges are set
(allow 8 to 10 minutes for larger cookies; 6 to 8 minutes for smaller ones). Transfer
cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes about 72 (2 1/2-inch) or 144 (1 1/4-inch)
cookies.

WOW. Thank you. I like owe you my life... ok maybe not quite that but boy, does that make me happy. I've been looking for this for YEARS.

Thank you so much.

4 CHRISTMAS COOKIES IN 1

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4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. sugar

1 lb. butter

1 c. finely ground almonds

Mix all together by hand. It must be done by hand until
soft and pliable.

Cookie I:

Take small pinches of dough, form into crescents
and

place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 300
degrees for about 15

minutes. Roll, while warm, in powdered sugar.

Cookie II:

Make the crescent in Cookie I and then dip half of the
cooled cookie in the following chocolate icing.

3/4 c. chocolate chips or mint
chips

1 tsp. butter

2 Tbsp. light corn syrup

1 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chips with butter in double boiler over
hot, not
boiling, water. Add corn syrup and vanilla, stirring well.

Keep warm while dipping cookies.

Cookie III:

Take small pinch of dough, form into a ball and
place on

ungreased cookie sheet. Rub a little butter on
bottom of a

juice glass and dip in granulated sugar or
crushed peppermint

candy. Press on cookie. Bake same as Cookie I.

Cookie IV:

Bake cookies same as Cookie III, but when cool, frost

with Caramel Frosting:

1/4 c. butter

1/3 c. dark brown sugar

2 Tbsp. evaporated milk

1 c. powdered sugar

Melt butter and sugar. Boil over low heat for 2
min-
utes, stirring constantly. Add milk and pinch of salt. Stir
until it boils. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. Add
powdered sugar and blend until right consistency.