Shaped Cookie Recipes
Grab Your Rolling Pin and Cookie Cutters! These shaped cookie recipes will make you the hit of any party! They are among the most fancy and flavorful cookies you could bake. They are not difficult to do, but they make a big impression with everyone. Shaped cookies are perfect for getting the kids involved in the Christmas baking! With a simple butter cookie recipe, some cookie cutters, and a divided batch of icing, their imaginations will soar - Be sure to set aside some time to make one or two of these super shaped cookie recipes for your family - what a wonderful way to make some memories! Auntie Pat's Best Kolacky
If you have never tried one of these shaped cookie recipes, this is the one for you. They aren't your typical kolacky! Mom had one crippled arm, and so could not do all the folding and such associated with regular kolacky, and so developed this variation. The dough is soft and flaky, and the fillings are nearly endless, but super simple. This is one of my favorite shaped cookie recipes, both to make and to eat! This is also one of the best shaped cookie recipes for making ahead and freezing. Simply stick the rounds in the freezer (see below), and pull out to bake when ready! 1 package cream cheese (8 ounces) Blend the first four ingredients into a stiff dough. It should be only slightly sticky. Separate into fist-sized balls. Roll the balls out on a floured board (with a floured rolling-pin) until dough is about ¼ inch thick. Using a round cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or the top of a 2 inch round glass, floured, cut out circles. Place the circles about ½ an inch apart on a sheet of waxed paper. Keep layering paper and cookies until all the dough is used up. The dough may be frozen as is at this point, and used for up to 6 months. If you are going to do this, get a box with a lid, layer the cookies etc in there, cover, and wrap the entire box with plastic wrap before putting it in the freezer. To bake: place rounds on an UNGREASED cookie sheet about an inch apart. Dot with about ½ teaspoon of jam or preserves in the center, and bake at 350° for about 15 minutes. Cookies will still be very light when done, but lightly browned on the edges. Cool on a rack, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve. The finished cookies will only last a couple of days before going terribly stale, so make and freeze what dough you wish, and bake only as needed.
Grab your can of Christmas sprinkles and a rolling pin! Rolled out and cut into ½ inch squares, this is one of the fast shaped cookie recipes, but still packs huge taste into the tiny bite-sized cubes. Very few ingredients, two-step prep and quick oven time will make this one of your favorite shaped cookie recipes, too! 1¼ cups all-purpose flour Make a stiff dough from first three ingredients, then add sprinkles and knead into a ball. Roll out to about ½ inch thick, and cut into ½ inch cubes. Place the cubes on an UNGREASED cookie sheet (or roll and cut right on the sheet itself to save another step!!!) and bake at 325° for 12 to 15 minutes, or until bottoms just begin to look golden. Tops and sides of cookies should not change color at all, but to test, they should feel firm and light when pressed. (Like dried bread.) You can cool these on the pan, or on foil right on the countertop. Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 weeks.
Perfect make ahead shaped cookie recipes again! We used to make these Thanksgiving weekend, and bake several times between then and Christmas. They are great for any time you need a fast dessert, but don't have time to bake from scratch! No rolling pin required for these, they are rolled into logs and stored in the fridge until needed. Wrapped well in waxed paper, the raw dough will keep for about 3 months. 1 cup vegetable shortening Cream together all ingredients except the nuts. When well blended, add pecans and mix in well (it'll take a bit of muscle). Divide into 8 to 10 equal parts. Roll each part into a log about 2 inches in diameter, about 6 to 8 inches long. You can square them up simply by flattening them on all four sides with your hands before - or - after wrapping. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate. (If you plan to keep a couple for more than 3 weeks, wrap again in plastic wrap to seal in moisture, and to seal out odors and flavors.) When ready to bake, slice ¼ inch pieces from the log, and place cookies on a GREASED cookie sheet, about an inch apart. They will plump, but only spread a little. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool on a rack, then serve. No need to store finished cookies - these are ready anytime, so just bake what you need each time!
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