Winter is here, making it the perfect time to find cozy, indoor activities. Personally one of my favorite thing is baking cookies with my family. Here are delicious recipes that are popular with people at Hampton Bays High School that you can enjoy with your whole family and share with others.
“Famous Chocolate Chip Cookies” by Mrs. Meyer and Chef Curtis
These cookies are the perfect amount of chewy and hardness in a cookie. These cookies are quickly eaten whenever made by culinary teacher Chef Curtis. They are the best chocolate chip cookies to leave out on Christmas Eve and to have with a cup of milk while watching Christmas movies with your family. I can personally say these are the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten.
Ingredients
- 2 sticks of butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- As many chocolate chips as you’d like
Instructions
- Beat together butter and sugar until well incorporated, then slowly add in flour and salt.
- Fold in chocolate chips.
- Take 2 tbsp of dough and pinch it into a flat log.
- Then bake on a nonstick baking sheet at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until just barely golden brown, they will be crumbly so let them sit.
“Snickerdoodle Cookies” by Mrs. Meyer
This is a very popular recipe in the school and snickerdoodle cookies are perfect for all occasions with their sweet cinnamon and vanilla taste and chewy texture with hard crust. Mr. Burger is one of the many that greatly enjoy the snicker doodle cookies. According to Mr. Burger, “These cookies are phenomenal and taste fantastic!” When served at various events for the Hampton Bays community people try to make sure they are always the first in line for these cookies.
Ingredients
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar (light brown sugar will work, too)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Cinnamon Sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking pan with parchment paper or a non-stick baking mat.
- In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients – flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.
- In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (hand-held mixers work too), cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Next add vanilla extract and eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Scrape down sides of the bowl as necessary.
- With mixer on low-speed, gradually add the bowl of dry ingredients and mix until incorporated, do not over-mix though.
- Cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Can also place in the refrigerator if you plan on making the cookies later. You have to chill the dough, it is much easier to roll into a ball if it is chilled a little.
- To make the cinnamon sugar, mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Measure about 1½ tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball and then roll in cinnamon sugar and place on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes (mine baked for 9). You do not want to over bake as snickerdoodle cookies are known for their soft and chewy texture. Cookies will look puffy when they are done, remove from oven and let cool slightly on baking sheet then move to cookie sheet to cool completely. Cookies will flatten a little as they cool.
“Crispy Gingersnap Cookies” by Handle the Heat: Tessa Arias*
If you love cookies that are more on the crispy than chewy side these cookies are perfect for you. Every bite from these cookies are always a nice, satisfying crispy crunch, and has the perfect amount of sweetness in every bite. This recipe is also very simple to make; if you need a quick cookie this is perfect for you.
Ingredients
- 1/2 sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar, plus 1/2 cup (100 grams) for rolling
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup (113 grams) unsulphured molasses (NOT blackstrap)*
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons baking soda**
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 1/4 cups (286 grams) all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment to beat the butter, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the molasses and egg and beat until combined. Add in the salt, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and flour, and beat until combined.
- Place the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow dish. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2 tablespoon balls and roll in the sugar before placing on the baking sheet, leaving plenty of room for spread. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are spread and the surface looks crackled.
- Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 7 days
*This recipe was printed with permission from the author
“Chocolate Crinkle Cookies” by Ms. Boyle
This recipe is from one of our own teachers from Hampton Bays High School, Ms. Boyle. Ms. Boyle’s grandmother’s recipe is a family favorite of hers and is perfect for the winter season as they look like they have snow on top. She and her loved ones make these for the holiday season and it brings them together “They now bring me joy as I get to create new memories with my own family.”
These cookies are sweet chocolatey goodness. They have a crinkly exterior with a fudgy interior. Ms. Boyle recommends to put peppermint on the top to make it more festive.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil (or Crisco lard)
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl mix together the sugar, cocoa powder, and oil. Beat on medium speed until well combined and shiny.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating until well combined. Beat in the vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring to combine. Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and mix on low speed just until combined.
- Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. (We let it chill while we make other doughs and then bake them for under 4 hours chilled and they’re still delicious!)
- Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl.
- Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop the chilled dough and roll into roughly one-inch balls. Roll the dough balls in powdered sugar until well coated and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. (Only coat as many dough balls as you can fit on the baking sheets at one time. Refrigerate the remaining dough balls and roll in powdered sugar just before baking.)
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are firm and the center is puffed but still appears slightly wet. Let them cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
