Cookies for the family with Oakhurst

When I was coming up with what to write about for what will probably be my last recipe post of 2019, I figured who better to include then those who have been my biggest supporters this past year.  And what better way to thank them than by baking them their favorite cookies and serving it to them with their favorite holiday drink!

I like to say that everything I know when it comes to creativity, decorating and being in the kitchen comes from my mom. So basically, if it wasn’t for what my mom has taught me over the years, I wouldn’t have half the creative energy to put into this blog! My mom’s favorite drink this time of year is 100% eggnog! I remember growing up, she always had a carton in her fridge and served it to us with a little dash of freshly grated nutmeg. I brought her over a carton of Oakhurst Eggnog and she was absolutely beside herself! I also included a plate of one of her favorite Christmas cookies: Chocolate Crinkles. 

Chocolate Crinkles

•     3/4 cup vegetable oil
•     3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
•     2 cups white granulated sugar
•     4 eggs
•     2 tsp vanilla
•     2 cups flour
•     2 tsp baking powder
•     1/2 tsp salt
•     additional 1/2 cup granulated sugar
•     1 cup confectioners sugar

1.     In the bowl of a stand mixer mix together your oil, cocoa powder and 2 cups granulated sugar until everything is well blended. Add you eggs and vanilla and beat well.
2.     Slowly add in the flour, baking powder and salt. Once everything is mixed up, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours or over night.
3.     Preheat oven to 350.
4.     Using your small cookie scoop, roll balls of dough, roll dough into your additional reserved 1/2 cup granulated sugar, then roll it in the confectioners sugar. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet a couple inches apart. Bake for 8-9 minutes or until they are puffed, crinkled, and are set (firm to touch). Let cool and at a tray or freeze the rest!

NOTES

1.     Rolling the chocolate dough ball into the granulated sugar before the confectioners sugar keeps the cookies from absorbing all of the confectioners sugar leaving you with pretty white powdered crinkles! 

My dad is my sounding board.  I can’t even count the amount of phone calls I’ve made to him this year that start with “ok dad, I have an idea” or “what are your thoughts on this?”. I’m very blessed to have such a close relationship.  On top of running crazy ideas by him he is also my taste tester. Plus, he provides the family with our own personal farmers market for 9 months out of the year…perfect for ingredients for all the recipes that find their way onto the blog! For Dad it’s all about the hot cocoa topped with Oakhurst Whipped Cream. I knew I could get dad to be in some pictures for me when I promised him a steaming cup of hot cocoa and Pecan Tassie Thumbprints!

Pecan Tassie Thumbprints

For the cookies

•     1 cup dark brown sugar
•     ¾ cup butter, softened
•     1 egg
•     1 tsp vanilla extract
•     2 cups flour
•     1 tsp baking powder

For the filling

•     1 egg
•     ¾ cup dark brown sugar
•     1 tsp vanilla
•     1 TBSP melted butter
•     1/8 tsp salt
•     ¾ cup chopped pecans (pretty finely chopped)

36 whole pecans

1.     Preheat oven to 350. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.     Beat brown sugar and butter until nice and fluffy. Add your egg and vanilla and combine. Carefully add in your flour and baking powder and mix until a smooth dough forms.  

3.     Using your small cookie scoop to make even size balls.  Roll each ball and place at least 2” apart on your baking sheet.  Use your thumb to create an imprint in each dough ball. I also found using the small end of a melon ball scooper created the perfect little indents for the filling.  

4.     For the filling: Mix together the egg, sugar, vanilla, butter and salt until well incorporated.  Add your chopped pecans.

5.     Carefully fill each indent with your filling mixture. Be sure to not overfill as they will spread a bit. Once filled top each cookie with a whole pecan.

6.     Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly brown and the filling has set.  Let cool. Can freeze for later!

Finally, there was no question what I’d be baking for my husband. Any time I need to thank my husband for his help it has to be a plate of frosted sugar cookies. He says he likes my recipe the best; especially the frosting.  My secret? I use Oakhurst Heavy Cream instead of milk. It creates the most fluffy, spreadable frosting to top any cut out cookie shape. And as far as the blog goes, none of this would be in existence if it wasn’t for Lou, my own personal tech guy.  Whether it’s a complete redesign, tweaking the way something works, or those scary days when everything disappears…he has my back!

Frosted Sugar Cookies 

For the cookies

•     1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
•     1 cup butter softened
•     1 egg
•     1 tsp vanilla extract
•     1/2 tsp almond extract
•     2 1/2 cups flour
•     1/2 tsp baking powder

For the frosting

•     4 cups powdered sugar
•     4 TBSP Oakhurst heavy whipping cream more or less for desired consisteancy
•     1/2 tsp vanilla extract
•     1/2 tsp almond extract

Colored Jimmies (or sprinkles) for decorating

Instructions

FOR THE COOKIES

1.   Sift the powdered sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the softened butter and cream together. Add the egg and extracts and mix until well combined. With the mixer off add the flour, soda and cream of tartar and slowly mix until combined.
2.   Form the cookie dough into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours. To quickly chill leave the dough in the mixer bowl without forming into a ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator. The dough will be the perfect consistency in as little as 20-30 minutes.
3.   Working with half the dough at a time, on a floured surface roll dough to just shy of 1/4″ thick. Using the cookie cutter of your choice cut out shapes. Reroll dough as needed refrigerating for 15 minutes or so if dough becomes too warm and soft.
4.   Place cut out cookie dough 2″ apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate unbaked cutouts for 10-15 minutes before baking.
5.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 7-8 minutes until just starting to turn a light golden color. Remove from oven and let firm up on the baking sheet for only a minute (the bottoms will continue to cook so don’t wait too long). Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely on a wire rack.

FOR THE FROSTING

1.   Sift the powdered sugar into a bowl. Add about 2 Tbsp of the Oakhurst Heavy Whipping Cream, as well as the 1/2 tsp each of vanilla and almond extract. Stir together adding the rest of the heavy cream, 1 Tbsp at a time, until desired frosting consistency is reached. I usually add the full amount and the results are almost a whipped consistency.

 EASY DECORATING

Pour your colored jimmies onto a plate. Frost the cookie with the white frosting. While the frosting is still wet press the frosted cookie into the jimmies making sure all areas are covered. 

So just like I couldn’t do what I do without these 3 important people in my life, I also couldn’t get my holiday baking and entertaining on without the holiday trio from Oakhurst Dairy: Eggnog, Whipped Cream and Heavy Whipping Cream… I’ve always used Oakhurst over the years but I’ve really fallen in love with their brand as my go to dairy in all my family baking.  The quality really surpasses the other options and with such quality ingredients I know my recipes will turn out time and time again. 

Oakhurst Eggnog is sweetened with sugar and none of that high fructose corn syrup. It’s smooth, creamy and perfectly sweet. You can serve it straight out of the carton or like I said my mom does, with a dash of freshly grated nutmeg.  A staple in our fridge this time of year!

You already know my love of Oakhurst Whipped Cream. While this has a front row on a shelf in our fridge this time of year, it is used all year long: on top of waffles, smoothies, pie and of course hot chocolate! Oakhurst has been the brand of whipped cream our family has always purchased. Why? Well because it tastes like the real stuff!

And Oakhurst Heavy Cream is the perfect choice for when I make my homemade whipped cream, to add richness to frosting for my sugar cookies or any other recipe that calls for heavy cream.

Be sure to check out this perfect trio at your local grocery store and get more information about all the products Oakhurst offers at oakhurstdairy.com