Farm House Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• combine wet ingredients and blend well.1-2 minutes.
• sift dry ingredients together and combine with wet ingredients. Mix well.
• chill dough at least 1 hour for ease in rolling out.
• roll out on thoroughly floured surface -- to a little less than 1/2" thick.(if you like a thicker cookie).
• cut out with desired cutters, brush off excess flour. gently --.
• bake at 350* for 12 minutes.
• cool on sheets 5 minutes. Then remove to wire rack to cool completely.
• frost with your favorite icing.

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of oven; preheat to 350°.
• Grease several large baking sheets or coat with nonstick spray.
• In a large heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring, until completely melted and runny; remove from heat.
• Thoroughly stir the oats and 1 tablespoon water into the butter.
• Let stand for 5 minutes so the oats can hydrate.
• Vigorously stir in the sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until thoroughly incorporated.
• Vigorously stir in the egg and raisins, then the flour until very well blended.
• If the dough is very soft, stir in 1-2 tablespoons more flour.
• If it is still soft, let stand to firm up for 5 minutes.
• In a large bowl, vigorously stir the brown sugar into the butter until well blended, mashing out any sugar
• Using a 1 1/2-inch spring-loaded scoop or heaping measuring tablespoon, form the dough into uniform mounds, spacing about 2 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheets.
• Using your fingertips, pat down the mounds just slightly.
• Bake one sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes or until the cookies are barely firm in the center tops , tinged with brown, and slightly darker at the edges.
• Transfer the baking sheets to wire racks; let stand until the cookies firm up for 3 minutes.
• Using a wide spatula, transfer the cookies to the wire racks; let cool completely.

Steps:

• For the sugar cookies: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together just until combined, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt and beat a moment more, just to bring together.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour. Beat just until it comes together. Form the dough into equal-sized balls (about 24). Cover in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough balls out to a 1/4-inch thickness. With a lightly floured cookie cutter, cut the cookies out in desired shapes and transfer them to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake until the cookies are very light golden brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely before decorating with royal icing.
• For the royal icing: Combine the confectioner's sugar, meringue powder and vanilla in a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer running on low speed, very gradually beat in 1/2 cup water, checking the consistency once most of the water has been added. Beat until the icing holds a ribbon, adding more water as needed. If too loose, add more sugar.
• If coloring the royal icing, add a few drops of food coloring to the finished icing and slowly mix until completely incorporated.