Biskut / Cookies

CHOCOLATE COOKIES
-----------------

Ingredients :

400g butter (I used margarine)
1 egg white
200g icing sugar (might need more if you're not putting any topping on top)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
500g flour
50g cocoa powder

Method :

1. Cream butter and icing sugar.
2. Add in egg white and vanilla essence and continue beating. I did it manually.
3. Add in cocoa powder.
4. And finally add in enough flour till a soft dough is formed.
5. Roll to about 1 cm thick and cut using the cookie cutters of your choice.
6. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 C for 20 -25 minutes.
7. Once cooled, decorate as you like.



CRUNCHY CHOCOLATE CHIPS COOKIES
--------------------------------

Ingredients :

(A)
250g margarine
160g castor sugar
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

(B)
230g flour
20g cocoa powder
100g chocolate chips
50g Nestum

Method :

1. Sift flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
2. Cream margarine and sugar. Add in egg yolk and vanilla essence.
3. Add in Nestum and chocolate chips. Mix well.
4. Add in the sifted dry ingredients. Mix till well combined.
5. Spoon a teaspoon batter onto the baking tray layered with greaseproof paper. The cookies will expand slightly when baked.
6. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 165 C for 25 minutes or till done.
7. Leave the cookies to cool on the cooling rack before storing them in an air-tight container.

BUTTER COOKIES
--------------

Ingredients :

75g butter
50g castor sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
150g cake flour (remove 1 tablespoon)
a pinch of baking powder (I used 1/8 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon milk powder

1 egg white
Dry Demerara sugar for sprinkling (I don't have this, instead, I used colored sugar. Please check Note #4)

Method :

1. Cream butter, sugar and salt till pale and fluffy.
2. Add in egg yolk and vanilla. Beat till well incorporated.
3. Sieve in the flour, baking powder and milk powder into the creamed mixture till well combined. Mixture will be breadcrumbs like and will form dough easily. Put dough into a plastic bag and roll it into a flat sheet. Chill in the fridge till harden before cutting out the cookie.
4. Cut out the cookie with cutter.
5. Brush on some egg white and sprinkle dry demerara sugar on the surface.
6. Bake on a lined tray at 180C for 10 minutes. (I used fan oven and baked the cookies at 150 C for 20 minutes.

PLAIN COOKIES
-------------

Ingredients :

250 g margarine
140g castor sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
410g cookies flour

Method :

1. Sieve flour and baking powder. Set aside.
2. Cream margarine and sugar. Add in egg yolks one at a time. Add in vanilla essence. Continue beating.
3. Add sifted dry ingredients till a soft dough is formed.
4. Keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5.. Roll to the thickness desired. Cut using a cookie cutter. Arrange on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper.
5. Bake in a preheated oven till golden brown. I used fan-oven at 150 C for 30 minutes.
6. Leave to cool completely before decorating with fondant or royal icing.

SOFT BUTTER COOKIES
--------------------

Ingredients
• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
1. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients until fully absorbed. Cover dough, and chill for 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. On a clean floured surface, roll out small portions of chilled dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are barely brown. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.



ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES
--------------------

Ingredients
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.