Jewel Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins, nuts, cherries and pineapple; mix well. Shape into 2-in. rolls; wrap in waxed paper or foil. Freeze at least 2 hours. , Cut into 1/4-in. slices; place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Steps:

• Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, orange juice and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in 3 cups coconut. Refrigerate until easy to handle, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. Shape rounded tablespoons of dough into balls; roll in remaining coconut. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in the center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Bake until edges are light brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute. Using the wooden spoon, enlarge any indentations that may have narrowed or closed. Remove cookies from pans to wire racks. Fill with preserves; cool completely.

Steps:

• Line an 8x4-in. loaf pan with plastic wrap. In a large bowl, beat melted butter and sugars until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in cherries and almonds. Transfer to prepared pan. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours or until firm., Preheat oven to 350°. Invert dough onto a cutting board; remove plastic wrap. Cut dough crosswise into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Steps:

• Cream butter, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
• Stir in flour.
• Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven 375 degrees.
• Roll dough into 1-inch balls and dip in egg white.
• Roll in nuts.
• (Cookie dough ball, not you!).
• With floured thimble or thumb, press center of each cookie.
• Bake 10- 12 minutes, or until delicate golden brown.
• Cool on rack.
• Place 1/2 teaspoon jelly in center.

Steps:

• COMBINE flour and sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until coarse crumbs form. Add beaten egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until dough holds together.
• SHAPE into small balls using half teaspoonfuls. Place 1-inch apart on cookie sheet. Make small indentation in center of each cookie. Chill 20 minutes.
• HEAT oven to 350 degrees F. Fill each cookie with scant 1/4 teaspoon jam, jelly or preserves. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until just golden around the edges.
• For added sparkle, unbaked cookies may be rolled in coarse bakery sugar crystals before being placed on cookie sheet to chill.

Steps:

• COMBINE flour and sugar in large bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until coarse crumbs form. Add beaten egg yolk and vanilla. Mix until dough holds together.
• SHAPE into small balls using half teaspoonfuls. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Make small indentation in center of each cookie. Chill 20 minutes.
• HEAT oven to 350°F Fill each cookie with scant 1/4 teaspoon jam, jelly or preserves. Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until just golden around the edges.
• For added sparkle, unbaked cookies may be rolled in coarse bakery sugar crystals before being placed on cookie sheet to chill.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Form level teaspoons of dough into balls and arrange about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. With your thumb make an indentation in center of each ball of dough and fill with about 1/4 teaspoon jam.
• Bake cookies in batches in middle of oven until edges are pale golden, about 12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets 2 minutes and transfer to racks to cool completely. Cookies may be stored between layers of wax paper in airtight containers up to 6 weeks frozen.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and lime zest; set aside.
• In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add the egg yolks, and combine well.
• Next, mix in the almond extract, and the lime juice.
• Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and mix well.
• Add the water to make the dough come together more easily.
• Add the green food coloring and work through the dough to get even color.
• Lay the chopped pine nuts out in one layer on a plate.
• Pinch off chunks of the dough and roll them between your hands to form 1 inch balls.
• Roll the dough balls in the pine nuts to get them evenly coated, and then place them on parchment paper lined baking sheets.
• Take your index finger and make an indent into the middle of each dough ball.
• Carefully drop 1 teaspoon of the raspberry preserves into each indent on your cookies.
• Bake for about 35 minutes, or when the pine nuts start to lightly brown on the edges.(Your cookies may bake quicker, my oven is not the best, just use your best judgement folks).
• Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for a couple minutes.
• Then transfer the cookies to cooling racks to cool completely before lightly dusting them with the powdered sugar. Enjoy!

Steps:

• Set butter aside in a large bowl to soften.
• In another bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg.
• Set aside enough cherry halves so that there is enough to top each cookie with one.
• Add remaining fruit and walnuts to a third bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the flour mixture to the fruit and stir until it is coated with flour and mixed well. (This helps separate the fruit and keep it from sticking together.).
• After butter has softened, beat butter, sugar and eggs until creamy. Mix in buttermilk and vanilla.
• Add half of flour mixture and mix well. Add remaining flour and mix.
• Note: At this point, make sure everything is mixed well because the mixture will be very stiff and hard to stir after adding the fruit.
• Stir in half of the fruit mixture into the cookie dough. Add remaining fruit and mix.
• Refrigerate dough for an hour or more (may be refrigerated overnight).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls on non-stick or lightly greased cookie sheet. Top each cookie with one reserved cherry half.
• Bake 12-15 minutes, until almost no imprint remains when touched lightly with finger.
• Remove and cool.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks and vanilla together, set aside.
• Combine the flour and granulated sugar in a food processor/mixer and process just to blend. With the machine running, add the butter 2-3 pieces at a time and process until the mixture looks crumbly. With the machine still running, add the egg yolk mixture and process until blended and the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
• Turn dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and shape or roll it into a flat disk about 3/4 in thick. Wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about one hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Line a miniature muffin pan with paper liners or line a cookie sheet with parchement paper.
• For Cookie Cutters: on a lightly floured surface, with a cold rolling pin, roll out the dough to 3/4 in thick, cut cookies out and place on baking sheet about 1 in apart.
• For Muffin Liners: with lightly floured hands, shape the dough into ¾" balls and flatten a little then place the balls into the muffin liners about 1 in apart.
• Using the end of a wooden spoon dipped in flour, make an indentation in the center of each cookie, but do not press all the way through the dough. Using a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, fill each indentation with about ¼ teaspoon jam.
• Bake the cookies until the edges are golden, 15-20 minutes.
• Let the cookies cool completely in the pans on wire racks. Transfer the cooled cookies to wire racks and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Steps:

• Place 2 oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Food Processor Method
• Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then whisk to mix evenly. In a food processor with the metal blade, process the sugars for several minutes until very fine. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Add the peanut butter and process until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and process until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse in just until incorporated.
• Electric Mixer Method
• Soften the butter. Into a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine well. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugars until well mixed. Add the butter and peanut butter and beat for several minutes, until very smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture just until incorporated.
• For Both Methods
• Scrape the dough into a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. (This keeps the dough from cracking when shaped.)
• Measure the dough into a 1 1/4-inch cookie scoop or 2 level teaspoons and roll it between the palms of your hands to shape 1-inch balls. Place the balls 1 1/2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. As soon as you roll each ball, use your index finger or the handle of a wooden spoon to make a depression going down almost to the cookie sheet in the center of each ball.
• Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned and set. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through the baking period.
• Cool the cookies on the sheets for a few minutes or until firm enough to lift. Use a small, angled metal spatula or pancake turner to transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely. If necessary, while the cookies are still hot, use the greased handle of a wooden spoon to deepen the depressions.
• Fill the centers with the cherry preserves or milk chocolate toppings.
• Cherry Preserves Topping
• In a microwave oven or a saucepan, heat the preserves until boiling. Strain the jelly into a small heavy saucepan. Place the cherries remaining in the strainer in the centers of the cookies. If some are crushed, piece them together.
• On medium heat, boil the jelly for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly until, when it is dropped from the stirring spoon, the last drops gather to form one large sticky drop that hangs from the spoon. The jelly will be reduced to about 3/4 cup. Allow the jelly to cool about 1 minute or until the bubbling stops. Spoon heaping 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoons over each cherry.
• Milk Chocolate Topping
• Break the chocolate into squares and place them in the top of a double boiler. Set it over hot but not simmering water. The water must not touch the bottom of the double-boiler insert. Stir until the chocolate begins to melt. Return the pan to low heat if the water cools, but be careful that the water does not get too hot. Stir the chocolate until smooth, and cool it until it is no longer warm to the touch. (The chocolate may be melted in a microwave oven if stirred every 15 seconds. Remove it before it is fully melted and stir, using residual heat to complete melting). Whisk in the softened butter. The mixture will immediately thicken. Do not overwhisk. Use a reclosable quart-size freezer bag with one corner cut off to pipe the chocolate into the centers of the cookies or use a small metal spatula to spread on a dollop. You can also use a coupler with a number 22 star decorating tube to pipe the chocolate decoratively into the centers. Allow the chocolate to set until firm.
• Store:
• Cookies filled with chocolate can be stacked in an airtight container at room temperature. Cookies with cherry centers need to be placed in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature. Do not cover the surface of the cookie with plastic wrap as the cherry center remains slightly sticky.
• Keeps:
• 1 month if filled, several months unfilled.
• Smart Cookie
• • For the best texture and flavor, be sure to use commercially prepared peanut butter such as Skippy and not homemade or health food varieties, which are less smooth.
• • The dry ingredients are sifted together because baking soda has a tendency to lump.
• • Using superfine sugar will result in fewer cracks in the cookie's surface. It can be prepared easily in a food processor by processing granulated sugar for a few minutes or until it is as fine as sand.
• • These cookies are much lighter than the usual peanut butter cookie, despite the high amount of peanut butter, because there is less flour, which offsets the bulk of the peanuts.
• • For a more delicate flavor and a finer, less "sandy" texture, that does not crack, try a batch using half the amount of peanut butter. The cookies will also be flatter and crisper.
• • Cherry preserves, straight from the jar, can be placed in the center of the unbaked cookie and baked in it, but the cookie is far less attractive.
• • Allow the cookie sheet(s) to cool completely before using for the next batch.
• • Distribute the cookies evenly around the cookie sheet. Avoid crowding the cookies into one section of the cookie sheet, leaving a large area bare.
• • For a delicious variation that will enable you to pack the cherry variety without their sticking together, top the cherry centers with melted chocolate. Use 3 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and 2 ounces of finely chopped milk chocolate. Melt the bittersweet chocolate as indicated for the Milk Chocolate Topping. Scrape it into a small container, immediately add the finely chopped milk chocolate, and stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Use a small spoon to cover the cherry center with the chocolate or pipe it from a reclosable quart-size freezer bag with a small piece cut from one of the corners of the bag. Place the cookies in a cool place or the refrigerator for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate is set and no longer shiny.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 cup granulated sugar with butter until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; mix until well combined. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture; mix until a dough forms. Turn dough out onto work surface and divide into quarters. Form each quarter into a 5-inch disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and transfer to refrigerator. Let chill until firm, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, place lychees in the bowl of a food processor; process until very smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan along with raspberry jam and prosecco. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until jam mixture has reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Transfer cooled jam mixture to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a medium petal decorating tip (such as a Wilton No. 104).
• Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick baking mats and set aside. Place a piece of parchment paper over the heart-shaped template and trace; cut out heart shape. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one piece of dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using a 5-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 2 heart shapes; transfer to prepared baking sheet.
• Place parchment paper template over one of the cut out hearts and, using the sides of a metal ruler or the back of a knife, score lines to divide the heart into 7 sections (see template). Using an offset spatula, gently press down on the sections of the heart cookie that are to be filled with jam (see template). Repeat process with remaining pieces of dough. Outline indented areas with jam mixture. Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly to cover area. Transfer cookies to refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer cookies to oven and bake until edges are golden brown, 10 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Divide royal icing evenly between two bowls. Using a toothpick, add two drops pink-rose gel coloring to one bowl of icing; stir until well combined. If icing is not pink enough, add a few more drops of food coloring until you have created a light-pink color. In the remaining bowl of icing, add 3 or 4 drops of pink-rose gel food coloring using a toothpick; stir until well combined. Using a toothpick, add 1 drop of sky-blue gel food coloring; stir until well combined. Keep adding drops of blue food coloring until icing is a raspberry color. Transfer each bowl of icing to a disposable pastry bag fitted with a round tip (such as Wilton No. 3).
• Cut out pieces of parchment paper about the same size and shape as the jam-filled areas of the cookie; spray each piece with nonstick vegetable cooking spray and cover jam areas. Using the light-pink royal icing, outline the pink areas of the cookie (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Sprinkle with pink pastel sanding sugar to cover.
• Using the raspberry royal icing, outline the raspberry areas of the cookie (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Sprinkle with raspberry sanding sugar to cover. Peel parchment off jam-filled areas and let cookies dry completely.