By Lydia Bolen

 

Cookie Delights for Your Valentine!

 

February is a perfect month to experiment with new cookie recipes. Valentine’s Day is a good excuse to get out your cookbooks and choose a new cookie recipe your family will love.

 

Old family favorites are my go-to recipes, but it is also fun to experiment with new, fresh ideas. Since we all love cookies, most recipes make several dozen so your cookies will be plentiful to share.

 

Chocolate is always the most popular flavor for Valentine’s sweets. Shake it up this year with Chewy Sugar Cookies, Strawberry Cake Cookies and my Grandmother’s Pecan Crispies.

 

Happy Baking! These recipes will make every cookie lover happy!

Chewy Sugar Cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat baking sheet.

Cream together butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add egg and mix until well combined.

Stir in flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.

Scoop cookie dough by the tablespoon full and roll in a ball.

Add granulated sugar to a large bowl for rolling cookie dough in before baking. Place each ball of cookie dough into the bowl of sugar and roll to coat well. Place each cookie dough ball onto baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Lightly press each cookie down. Bake for 8–10 minutes or just until lightly browned.

Yields 36 cookies

 

 

Strawberry Cake Cookies

• 1 box strawberry cake mix
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, oil, and vanilla. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together cake mix and baking powder.

Add egg mixture to cake mixture and stir all together until all the dry cake mix lumps disappear.

Fold in white chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon full onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Allow to cool and transfer to wire rack.

 

 

Pecan Crispies

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a mixing bowl beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add eggs and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Stir into butter mixture.

Fold in chopped pecans.

Spoon 1 1/2-inch balls of dough onto baking sheets and bake 12–14 minutes or until golden.