Carole Bloom CCP

Following a few foolproof baking tips will make baking cookies a fun and delicious experience. If you run out of an ingredient while making cookies, you can find a substitution, or you can reduce the fat in your favorite cookie without compromising its quality. Adding icing to your cookies makes them even more fun.

If you want to top off your cookies with a sweet, creamy icing and keep them looking as great as they taste just follow these handy tips to ensure that your frosting efforts are a success: Be sure that cookies are completely cool before applying icing or it will melt. Test the consistency of the icing. If it’s too thick, thin with a few drops of water.

Baking cookies is fun right? It is if you take the time to prepare yourself and your kitchen. Go through these steps to help you get set up and make great cookies: Set aside enough time to enjoy the cookie-baking experience. Read through each recipe thoroughly so you know what to do. Check to make sure that you have all the ingredients needed to make the recipes you choose.

Pofer cookies not only taste delicious, but also look beautiful. Using a round fluted cookie cutter gives them an elegant appearance, because of the scalloped edges. Plus, the preserves glisten like jewels in the center of the sandwich cookie, making them hard to pass up. If you don't want to sandwich them together, they’re delicious on their own.

Although these date pinwheel cookies take a bit of work, they’re worth it. To make your date pinwheel creation a bit easier, you can make both the filling and the dough in advance and put them together before baking. Preparation time: 12 1/2 hours, including chilling Baking time: 12 minutes Yield: 3 1/2 dozen 3/4 cup pitted dates 1/4 cup walnuts 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 1 orange 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Roughly chop the dates and walnuts.

These yummy squares can satisfy any lemon craving. A soft lemon topping sits on a crunchy cookie base. Although these cookie squares aren’t complicated to prepare, they take a little extra effort because you have to prepare a crust and a topping. But they’re well worth it. Preparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: 45 minutes Yield: 24 2-inch squares 2 large lemons 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup, plus 3 to 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar Pinch of salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking powder Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Florentines are a favorite Old World cookie. Although preparing Florentine cookies requires several steps, you won't regret the extra time, especially when you see the satisfied smiles on the faces of family and friends lucky enough to sample them. Preparation time: 30 minutes Baking time: 10 minutes Yield: 20 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter 2/3 cup sugar 2 tablespoons honey 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 cups sliced almonds 2/3 cup finely diced candied orange peel 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

These yummy gingersnap cookies are great year-round, but gingersnaps’ full-bodied flavor seems to taste best when it’s cold outside. The use of both ground and crystallized ginger makes the flavor really sing. Credit: Ed Carey/Cole Group/PhotoDisc Preparation time: 45 minutes Baking time: 12 minutes Yield: About 4 dozen 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 egg at room temperature 1/3 cup dark molasses Sift the flour with the baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon, and cloves into a bowl.

Linzer cookies, a European specialty, are really beautiful, besides being delicious. The Linzer cookies’ scalloped edges made by round, fluted cookie cutters give them an elegant look, and the preserves glisten like little jewels in the center of the sandwich, making them hard to resist. Preparation time: 3 1/4 hours, including chilling Baking time: 10 minutes Yield: 3 1/2 dozen 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (1 1/2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup sugar 2 cups finely ground almonds 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 eggs 4 cups all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 1 1/4 cups apricot or raspberry preserves 1 cup confectioners' sugar Using a mixer, beat the butter in a large mixing bowl, about 2 minutes.