Servings : Makes 5 dozen
These are the simplest of cookies, quick and easy to make, and just about everyone loves them. I've added melted dark and white chocolate on them and sprinkled with some pistachio and almond flakes, but one can just sprinkle sparkling sugar or make a simple glaze icing and spread it on them and then decorate with sprinkles.
Ingredients
- 1 cup margarine/butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla essence or almond extract
- chocolate for spreading
- flaked nuts for garnishing
Instructions
Cream sugar n margarine/butter, add the egg and vanilla and beat or whisk well. Sieve the flour and salt with baking powder then add it in. Mix together but do NOT knead, just stir until the dough comes together then lump it up and turn it out from the bowl. (If the mixture feels too stiff add some milk or cream a tsp. at a time).
Refrigerate the dough for an hour, wrapped in cling film. Remove, divide into 2 balls and roll out one at a time to about quarter inch thickness. If the dough is sticky, dust the surface very lightly with flour or return the dough into the fridge to chill a bit more before proceeding.
Then, using cookie-cutters, cut out the shapes you like. Place on a tray lined with greaseproof paper. Stick the tray again into the fridge for about 30minutes whilst you pre-heat the oven. This helps the cookies retain their shapes, so they will not spread out too much during baking.
Preheat the oven at 180C. Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until the edges are starting to turn golden and the bases are starting to turn color.
Remove the tray from the oven, let the cookies sit on the tray for just 2 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt some chocolate and apply over the cookies and sprinkle the flaked nuts.
You can store these in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks, though there is no way they will last that long…LOL! 😛
Enjoy! 🙂
Delicious! Love it!
W/Salaam, I speak English, Arabic, Swahili and some French. 🙂
do you add castor sugar or normal sugar
Normal sugar, but you can use castor if your regular sugar is too grainy.
Asalam aleykum. I hav a cookie press,can I use it for this recipe or is there a special recipe for cookie press. I wana make cookies for eid.
W/Salaam, I believe you can use a cookie press for these.
my dough kept falling apart when it came out of fridge what did i do wrong???
Sounds like the dough was a bit too dry, simply add a bit of milk and mix together to rectify that. 🙂
assalamu alaikum i like ur recipies
Salaam Fauzia,
I do not have a oven right now. I just moved in to a new place. Is there any possibility of making them without an oven. Please let me know!
Thanks,
Nisha.
W/Salaam, yes you can…use my ‘Stove top baking’ method.
Hi Fauzia,
Can you please guide me on that. I think that method is to make cakes. So, how do I place different cookies foe baking.
–
Nisha.
Hi, yes the method is for cakes but the SAME method can be used for pizzas, breads, buns, cookies and a wide range of other goodies.
Salam pls sister fauzia if one doesn’t have a grease proof paper to line d try what should one use?
W/Salaam, you can simply grease the tray and use it directly.
Salam,I make it,it really taste gud nd my hubby lyk it too,may God reward you
Hi apu can I use Veg oil instead of butter/margarine..
Hi, no this recipe needs either butter or margarine.
Salam pls for d chocolate how do I make it using cocoa powder(d one used for chocolate cake) or is it being sold like that?or can I use Nutella?
W/Salaam, simply melt any chocolate and use.
Hello Fauzia,
Can I put jam on top of these cookies and then bake ? I mean can I use this recipe to make Thumbprint cookies?
Hi, yes you can.
Thank you 🙂
can you please explain what is “stove top method”?
http://www.fauziaskitchenfun.com/category/stove-top-baking/
Assaam sister
Assaam sister
can i totally leave out vanilla essence/almond extract as these are made up of 35% alcohol. the process of the extraction more alcohol is obtained where i live.there is an alternative process however where i live acohol is extracted or added. will they still taste okay.
more info http://www.muslimconsumergroup.co.uk on full details for sisters and brothers.who want to know more about what we can and cannot consume.
jazakallah
W/Salaam, actually there are
W/Salaam, actually there are many many versions of halal vanilla available in most muslim shops/online. Not all vanilla essences contain alcohol. If you can get your hands on a halal brand, use it otherwise use fresh vanilla powder or place vanilla pods in your sugar tin to give the sugar the desired flavour.
Assalamualikum Miss.Fauzia 🙂
Assalamualikum Miss.Fauzia 🙂
First off, thanks a ton for all your amazing and no-fail recipes that turn out perfect every time!
Secondly, I own a gas oven and face a huge problem while baking any sort of bread or cookies. The base tends to turn hard and crisp and the middle part remains slightly uncooked even though I bake it on the top rack. But my cakes turn out perfect every time when I bake them in the middle rack.
I really want to try out this recipe but am apprehensive about it. Could you please help me out? I will be really grateful 🙂
W/Salaam, thank you! Try
W/Salaam, thank you! Try baking them on the middle rack and do not bake until the cookies are crisp, they normally harden as they cool. Make sure you remove the cookies from the cookie sheet on to a rack so they air out and cool from underneath too
Salam,Fauzia
Salam,Fauzia
I tried this recipe and the cookies came out great 😀 Sent them to my kids school and they were a hit! I have been making cookies using some well known cookie mix and these were way better than those..Thank you so much 😀
Salam….u r recepies r g8,,,
Salam….u r recepies r g8,,,, i tried i do try them on and off….. this s my practical xperience and taught by a v, xperienced chef the nore u use ur palm 2 kneed the best r the results,,,,, means no gleutin realease,,,,i applly 4 pie crust, danish cookies, non khatai etcetc,,,, m i correct…….??????..me pray 4ur eman sehat dene and dunavi taraqi,,, talibidua
W/Salaam, thanks. Yes for
W/Salaam, thanks. Yes for cookies and tarts and pies, it is best to use minimal force during kneading to give a good crumbly result.