Easy Shortbread Cookies and Drop Sugar Cookies

Quick Cookie Recipes with Traditional Homemade Taste

© Theresa Bledsoe

Dec 11, 2008

When life gets busy, it's easy to resort to ready-made cookies. But no matter how they are packaged, or how neatly they are decorated, the commercial variey can never quite take the place of those warm, fresh-from-the-oven cookies like Mom made.

The following flavorful cookie recipes require no rolling and no cutting. For shortbread cookies, simply drop spoonfuls of dough and bake. Follow the same procedure for the sugar cookies, but mist the bottom of a drinking glass in water or oil and press into colored sugar before flattening cookies for a simple decorate-as-you-go technique.

Never Fail Drop Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• additional granulated or tinted sugar for topping, if desired

Directions:

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir well.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs by hand until well blended.
3. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla and lemon zest and mix well.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until well blended.
5. Chill, covered for at least 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
7. Drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
8. Grease the bottom of a 3 inch flat-bottomed glass and dip glass in the additional sugar.
9. Press the top of each cookie lightly with the glass to flatten.
10. Repeat the last two steps until all of the cookies have been flattened.
11. Bake cookies 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Watch cookies carefully to prevent over-browning.
12. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.

If you prefer cookies with a butterscotch flavor, substitute 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar for the granulated sugar and omit the lemon zest. Continue with the rest of the recipe as indicated.

These cookies also freeze well. Makes about 4 dozen.

Easy Shortbread Cookies

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons of butter or margarine
• 6 Tablespoons confectioner's sugar
• 1 beaten egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar.
3. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat well.
4. Add flour and mix completely.
5. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (You can also shape the dough into a log, chill and slice, or roll dough on a floured cloth and cut with cookie cutters if you prefer.)
6. Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Recipe may be doubled if desired. Cookies can also be dipped or drizzled with melted chocolate.

Note: After baking, the cookies can be crushed and used to make a crumb crust for pies.

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