Recipe and photo courtesy of Jen Tilley fromHow to Simplify.
For these Butter Pecan Cookies, the texture is crisp and lightyet the butter when its combined with the pecans is what creates the rich cookie flavor reminiscent of butter pecan ice cream. It calls for six ingredientssalted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, organic unbleached white all purpose flour, pecans, and a pinch of salt. The balls of cookies are flattened with a cup before baking, making it the perfect choice for a fun activity with little ones.
These Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies are gluten free, grain free, paleo, and soy free. Theyre also dairy free, as they use coconut oil in place of butter. Substitute butter for an end result that is nutritious and delicious thanks to the blanched natural almond meal.
Carrot cake is known for its amazing spices like nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon. In this recipe, it takes a twist by being turned into moist and tender cookie sandwiches loaded with sweet carrots, vanilla, raisins, and butter. And then theres the fillingmascarpone cheese, powdered sugar, pure vanilla extract, and unsweetened coconut flakes.
These cookies are soft and thick, made creamy with a layer of sweet orange icing. As an added bonus, they include a blast of all things orange: orange zest, orange extract, and orange juice. Butter is included in both the cookies themselves as well as the frosting.
These sugar cookies are the ultimate ode to Vermont, a place known for its maple syrup (the recipe creator actually uses maple syrup from the trees in her backyard). With a cookie made from sugar, softened butter, maple syrup, egg, organic unbleached white flour, and baking soda and a frosting made with powdered sugar, maple syrup, and milk, these easy cookies are quick to make and quicker to eat!
In Maine, the changing of the seasons is celebrated by taking advantage of the ability to harvest certain foods (like blueberries). These cookies give appreciation to the famous Maine blueberry and use butter in both the cookie batter and the blueberry cream filling.
The strong flavor of molasses is balanced out with the creamy taste of butter, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and ginger in this recipe for Old-Fashioned Molasses Cookies out of the Bobs Red Mill Baking Book.
The flavor of butter works beautifully in this recipe, alongside ingredients like prickly pear and orange. In these thumbprint cookies, a few of Arizonas native ingredients (including pecans) come together with cactus jelly for a unique and amazing treat.
For a perfectly chewy oatmeal cookie, combine butter, sugar, eggs, and rolled oats with cranberries and white chocolate chips. The sweetness of the sugar and white chocolate in combination with the mild flavor and texture of rolled oats is all brought together by the butter.
Snickerdoodles are known for their crispy edges and tender centers, in combination with their sweet and cinnamon-dusted taste. This particular recipe is found on the bags of Bobs Red Mill Cane Sugar, and is given its classic texture through a cup of softened butter.
These apple pie stuffed snickerdoodles celebrate all things apple and upstate New York. They incorporate a mix of butter and shortening to ensure that they are both tall and flavor-filled. Pair that with a hint of cinnamon and light brown sugar, and you just may have a new cookie favorite.
These cookies are crispy on the edges, soft in the middle, and a perfect blend of sweetness and saltiness. Its a recipe from Michelle in Missouri that uses strictly shortening (no butter) in combination with sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt, chopped walnuts, and semi-sweet chocolate chips.
These beautiful lavender shortbread cookies are perfect for tea parties or springtime birthdays. Theyre small, not too sweet, and adorned with an edible flowercreated mostly with butter and a bit of shortening to hold their shape.
These old-fashioned oatmeal cookies are made with shortening, brown sugar, and quick cooking rolled oats before being dipped in a simple glaze of heavy cream and powdered sugar. As an added bonus, they can also be used for making ice cream sandwiches.
The crunchy Biscochito originated in New Mexico and is a shortbread-like cross between sugar cookies and snickerdoodles. This recipe is made with an equal mix of shortening and butter, so you still get the benefits of both.
For these festive gingerbread cookies, all you have to do is mix together your flour, sugar, and spices before cutting in the shortening. Once combined, youll have delicious gingerbread cookies to share with family and friends.
These unique and tasty candy-like cookies use butter in the cookie batter, heavy cream in the caramel, and shortening mixed with semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate drizzle. To achieve the perfect drizzle, the chocolate and shortening are placed in a plastic zippered bag to soften and then melt.
These cookies are dense but moist, rolled in walnuts and topped with icing made from powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and whipping cream. The dough is made with an equal mix of butter and shortening, vanilla extract, brown sugar, organic unbleached white all purpose flour, salt, eggs, and of course, walnuts.
For these cookies, shortening is combined with sour cream, sugar, and flour before being rolled out or dropped onto a cookie sheet. In this recipe, the shortening helps the cookies to puff up a bit for a chewy texture just waiting to be frosted and eaten.
With cookies, most recipes youll find will call for some sort of fat. Whether you choose to go the route of butter (for natural flavor and a crispy texture) or shortening (for a tall cookie that refuses to fall), we hope your baking adventure leads you to all things delicious and delectable.
Whatever ingredients you choose, were sure youll find the right balance for your cookie-creating needs.
Happy baking!
