Update: I made this recipe again last night, also cutting it in half. It was much better this time. The changes I made were simple but great. I added a half tsp of nutmeg and doubled the vanilla. When you so not roll them in sugar but just press the balls to flatten and bake it makes a good Lofthouse-type soft/cake-y cookie. Original: I halved the recipe. It wasn't the BEST cookie I've ever had, but I rated it 5 stars since it held up to last minute changes. I didn't know I was out of vanilla so I substituted almond. My boyfriend liked the flavor, but since I wanted a traditional sugar cookie I wasn't impressed. I ended up being a quarter cup short of granulated sugar so I subbed brown sugar. I was pleased the cookie stood up to the occasion. I decided to make some of the cookies "special" by placing M&Ms on top of the balls. They formed PERFECTLY shaped cookies. I also cut the mini fun sized snicker bars into quarters (NOT the larger fun sized ones) and pushed them into the uncooked cookie balls and then pressed the sides up to reform the ball. They came out EXCELLENT! I also rolled some of the balls in dried coconut powder (really more like minced coconut rather than a fine powder) Those were ALSO delicious. They came out so gorgeous. I'm definitely doing that again. My guests loved them and loved testing the special ones. This is a good standard sugar cookie that I look forward to experimenting with in the future. Recommend adding candies and such for a little bit of fun.
***Update: Made these again as the recipe states. I added a little more peanutbutter and a little more flour as many reviews suggested. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla extract. They were so good that when my boyfriend took them to work his boss offered to buy a dozen more. Now that's a good Classic Peanut Butter Cookie! *** Original review: I made these cookies tonight and it was a complete failure. But that was due to my own stupidity rather than the recipe. I ended up using NO brown sugar at all, so I cut the recipe in half. The result was a very crumbly cookie with a slightly saltier flavor than a normal cookie. The cookies were SUPER crumbly. I thought maybe it was because peanut butter adds extra fat, thus extra crumblyness. Also my second batch (I didn't know about the sugar until a few minutes ago) I made smaller.... and they totally burned even though I put them on for a minute less. However despite all the craziness in the kitchen tonight, the unburnt cookies STILL turned out tasty and no one complained, or even noticed after they set for a while. So I gave them five stars.
I made these a few nights ago. At first I was disappointed. I took a bite and thought "Oh no, this wasn't what I was expecting at all!" But then I frosted them (I don't usually care for frosting). I used vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and a little milk for the very firm frosting but tasty frosting. I made several intricate designs on the cookies so the next day I felt like I was obligated to eat them. And they were MUCH better the next day. Still soft, a little chewy and oh so good. I even had substituted brown sugar for the white (I was out). These are now my FAVORITE sugar cookie. However, I'll say that not everyone was in love with them as I was. Where as the chocolate chip cookies and peanut butter cookies are usually gobbled up so fast its hard to keep them around, these stayed around for a few days. But even after that they were still soft and delicious to me. I think its a perfect recipe for someone who likes a slightly less sweet than usual cookie. And still yummy for those who like the sweeter ones.
I made this, and it came out too tacky. So I tossed it, and omitted the shortening and it hardened quickly but not too quickly. Next time I'll try to use half the shortening, and using butter instead of shortening so I have more time to work with it on each cookie before it gets hard.
These were okay, but I wouldn't gush about them. I thought the cookies were tasty and spicy, but they were definitely not nearly chewy enough for me. They were dry and crispy on the outside and tender/chewy on the inside but I was definitely looking for something that was a lot more chewy and tender. Also I do not think I would add as much cloves next time. On a side note they were pretty sweet for me, and I don't usually have issues with sweetness. I would add less sugar next time.
This recipe was pretty tasty. I thought it could use a bit more dill flavor so I added a smidgen of dill pickle "juice" and it perked it up a bit. Hopefully my family enjoys them tomorrow on Easter!
This was a great recipe. I ended up adding some celery seed, a bit more hot sauce, and some chives. It was really tasty. Classic, but jazzed up.
I followed this recipe entirely as posted. I found it to be a little greasier and more crumbly than what I was looking for, but it tasted great. Everyone who tried the cookies said they were very yummy. Next time I may try another recipe or use less butter. Letting the cookies rest on the sheet and using parchment paper helped the cookies keep their perfect shape. Update- These cookies were MUCH better after they rested a day or two. We wolfed them down then. :)
This recipe was delicious. After cooking it as the instructions suggested it, it was yummy. But I thought it would be perked up by adding a splash of Maple Syrup. I also juiced the orange I bought to zezt and thus came up with half a cup of orange juice. I added Simply Orange juice to top it off and let the kids watch as the cranberries popped and foamed. They loved it. It was a great, simple, but also traditional recipe that helped them feel like they contributed to our meal in a major way. Can't wait to eat it tomorrow with all the holiday fixings!
This was pretty yummy. But far from the best that I felt like it could be. I think there are a few things that could definitely enhance the cookie, maybe a splash of orange liqueur or almond extract? I also would be tempted to add finely chopped dried pineapple, mango, or papaya. But over all the base recipe was pretty tasty on its own. I did have a bit of trouble with the oven temp and cook time. Both my smaller scoops of cookie dough (1.5 TBSP) and double scoops needed longer time at 375. About two for the little ones and 4 for the larger ones. However it could be my oven. Next time I'll take them out a bit later for certain.
As other reviewers I omitted the egg. I also used a touch less butter and a heavy hand with the Italian Seasoning. I used less mushrooms because I was splitting them up with a second dish. I used this in a baked ziti dish with sauteed chicken breast. It turned out okay, but my boyfriend let it stay in the oven a bit too long, bringing it to a boiling point and thus separating the fat away. It was delicious before that. And still okay after that so I had to give it 5 stars. If you bake it make SURE you don't allow it to boil. I had intended only on browning a bit of sprinkled cheese on top.
Update: I've made these several times and I can tell you that the best way is this: 1. Use salted butter instead. 2. Do not cut in the butter til it resembles crumbs. Cut it in til it's about the size of small peas/half a pea. 3. Do NOT need it what so ever. After cutting the butter in, pour the milk & egg mixture over the dry and stir til it just comes together. 4. Dump the biscuit mixture onto a floured surface, sprinkle with flour and then pat it flat to about 3/4 of an inch thick. 5. Cut the biscuits as desired and bake 8 minutes, remove and let rest. These are the keys to getting TENDER, FLAKY biscuits that have a good flavor. The original instructions are good, but if you make these changes the biscuits are wonderful. Note: I usually cut my dough into wedges like scones. Original Review: As other suggested, I used butter instead of shortening. But I do that with pretty much all recipes. I'm not a fan of shortening at all. The most I go is 50/50 on a recipe. Anyway... I added a bit of pepper to the recipe because I was using the biscuits to top a casserole. Other than the pepper and butter I followed the recipe closely. I used an organic egg and skim milk and kneaded it about 25 times. I oiled the top with some grape seed oil and they turned out delicious. Golden brown. Light. Tender. So tender. They were PERFECT with the casserole filling (ground lean turkey+mixed veggies+can of golden mushroom soup+minced onions+herbs+S&P). Family wolfed it down with pleasure!
