Gingered Sugar Cookies

This is a variation on the Sugar Cookie recipe in the Best Recipes Cookbook from America's Test Kitchen.

Ingredients:

2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 c granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract

For the sugar coating:

1 c granulated sugar
2-4 tsp grated fresh ginger
*depending on how flavorful your ginger is, you may need to adjust the amount of ginger.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. In an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter together. Add egg and vanilla.
On low speed, slowly incorporate flour mixture into wet ingredients.
In a shallow baking dish, stir together ginger and flour.
Scoop dough balls with ice cream scoop and coat with ginger sugar. Place at least 1 " apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Rub butter onto bottom of drinking glass or measuring cup. Press each cookie down to flatten slightly. Dip bottom of glass into ginger sugar mixture before pressing cookies.

Bake at 375 for 10 mins.

Cherry White Chocolate Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

2c + 2 Tbs all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1 & 1/2 sticks of butter, melted and cooled to room temp
1 c brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk
2 tsp almond extract

1/2 c white chocolate chips
3/4 c toasted almonds*
1 cup chopped dried cherries (easily found at natural food stores)
*to toast almonds, spread on baking sheet and bake at 375 for 4-5 mins or until browned and fragrant


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.
In electric mixer, beat together sugars and melted butter. Add egg and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
With small ice cream scoop, scoop about 2T each on parchment paper lined cookie sheet.
Bake for 14- 17 mins or until edges of cookies slightly browned.

Velvety Mexican Chocolate Cookies

Hot & Spicy Chocolate cookies... will be featured on the Bake Guru Application for iPhone/iPod Touch


Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cayenne
3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 sticks of melted butter, cooled to luke warm or room temperature
1 egg + 1 yolk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For Chocolate Glaze:
4 oz bittersweet chocolate
4 T butter
2 T light corn syrup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325. Melt butter and allow to cool to about room temperature.
Meanwhile, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cayenne and cinnamon.
In electric mixer, combine melted butter and sugars. Beat until well incorporated. Add egg and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

On low speed, slowly add dry ingredients. With small ice cream scoop, scoop 2T dough each on ungreased cookie sheets. Covering the baking sheets with parchment paper yields the best results.
Bake for 15 mins or until cookies appear dry and cracked on top.

Make the glaze:

In a double boiler, combine chocolate, butter, and corn syrup. Over low to medium heat, stir until completely melted and combined.
While glaze is still very liquid, drizzle over cookies with a small metal spoon. If glaze begins to harden, simply microwave it on low heat for a minute or two.