Cocoa-Coffee Crinkles

Yield: about 42 cookies Prep 35 mins Chill 1 hr Bake 350 8 mins per batch ingredients cup butter, softened 1 cup packed brown sugar 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 egg whites 1 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder directions 1. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, the 2/3 cup cocoa powder, the coffee crystals, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg whites. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a small bowl combine granulated sugar and the 2 tablespoons cocoa powder; set aside. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Shape each ball into a 1 1/2-inch log; roll logs in sugar, reserving remaining mixture. Place logs 2 inches apart onto cookie sheets. 3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Sprinkle cookies with the remaining sugar mixture.

Sugar Cookie Recipe

A few tips: Chill the dough thoroughly before rolling it out. Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Ingredients: 8 oz unsalted butter (2 sticks) 1 cups granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling

1 tsp salt (table salt, not Kosher salt) 1 large egg cup milk, plus more for washing tops of cookies 1 tsp vanilla extract (or see variation below) 1 Tbsp baking powder 6 cups cake flour, or 5 cups pastry flour, or 5 cups all-purpose flour, sifted Preparation: 1. Let all the ingredients come to room temperature before you begin. 2. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar and salt on low speed. 3. Note: The longer you cream these ingredients, the more air you'll incorporate, giving you a lighter cookie. If you want a chewier cookie, cream only enough to combine the ingredients. 4. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and mix until blended. 5. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a separate bowl. 6. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until they're combined. 7. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Be gentle with the dough while wrapping it. Overworking the dough will toughen the cookies. 8. Preheat oven to 375F. 9. Prepare your baking sheet pan by greasing it with butter or shortening or lining it with parchment paper. Or use a silicone baking mat, which is my favorite technique. 10. Unwrap the chilled dough, transfer it to a lightly floured workbench or butcher block and use a rolling pin to roll the dough out quite flat: about one-eighth of an inch thick. 11. Cut out the cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Remember, cut them as close together as you can. 12. Using a pastry brush, wash the tops of the cookies with milk and sprinkle the tops with sugar. 13. Bake 8-10 minutes or until the edges and bottoms of the cookies are barely beginning to turn golden brown. 14. When the cookies are cool enough to handle but still warm, remove them from the pan and cool them on a wire rack. You can eat them as soon as they're cool enough that they won't burn your mouth. Or if you'll be storing them, make sure they've cooled thoroughly first.

Old-Fashioned Peanut-Butter Cookies

Makes 36 cookies| Hands-On Time: 30m| Total Time: 1hr 15m Ingredients 2 cups variety) 1 1/2 cups 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (not the all-natural granulated sugar packed light brown sugar

2 2 2 1/2

large eggs teaspoons teaspoons teaspoon

baking soda pure vanilla extract kosher salt

Directions 1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. Using an electric mixer, beat the peanut butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, baking soda, vanilla, and salt. 3. Roll heaping tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. With a lightly floured fork, press the dough to a -inch thickness, making a crisscross pattern on top of each cookie. 4. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the edges are set, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

Almond Biscotti
Makes 44 cookies| Hands-On Time: 30m| Total Time: 2hr 50m Ingredients 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 2 teaspoons pure almond extract 3 large eggs 1 1/2 cups roasted almonds, coarsely chopped Directions 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 2. In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, butter, and almond extract until just smooth. One at a time, beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and almonds and mix until just incorporated (do not overmix). Refrigerate the dough, covered, until firm enough to handle, 30 to 60 minutes. 3. Heat oven to 350 F. Divide the dough in half and shape into two 12-by-2-inch logs (about inch thick). Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until just golden around the edges and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the loaves to a rack and cool for 15 minutes. 4. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into -inch-thick slices. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until dry and crisp, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool completely on the baking sheet. Store the biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Ultimate Peanut Butter Cookies

Yield: Yield about 80 cookies (serving size: 2 cookies) Cost per Serving: $.13 Recipe Time Cook Time: 16 Minutes Prep Time: 35 Minutes Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter Preparation 1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat to 350F. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. 2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter with both sugars for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to medium and add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth and well combined. Beat in peanut butter. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low and beat in flour mixture in 2 batches, until just combined. 3. Form dough into 1-inch balls and place on baking sheets. Flatten each ball by pressing with tines of a fork in a crisscross pattern. Bake, switching pans halfway through, 14 to 16 minutes, or until golden brown on bottom and barely colored on top. Cool on pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. With a spatula, carefully transfer cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.