Cookies

Some of Krusteaz’s Cookie Mixes

Since I am gluten-free (health reasons – body dictated/brain didn’t get a vote) and I write a lot of gluten-free reviews and recipes on Get Cooking, I always like to point out when a product or recipe is NOT gluten-free – in the vein of it’s always better to be overly safe than uncommonly sorry. These cookie mixes from Krusteaz are not gluten-free, although Krusteaz does have a great line of gluten-free products, including a gluten-free flour that is as big a staple in our kitchen as I am. More about their gluten-free products in the next post.

These beautifully quick & ridiculously easy cookie mixes are a dream come true for those who bake a lot at Christmas and throughout the year.

I received these cookie mixes for taking part in Krusteaz’s National Cookie Day promotion. As a human cookie monster, I had the day marked on my calendar and jumped at the chance.

While Krusteaz Gluten-Free flour is a constant in my life (even listed on the side under my “Can’t live without”s), I had NO idea they made so many mixes. This opens up a whole new world, if we’re being honest. Their gluten-free mixes are on my radar, now, so watch for reviews of them in the future.

As for the mixes you see in this post, they could not have been easier to make and bake. The thing that came to my mind was how IDEAL they are for both…

• busy bakers with a million and one things to do
• bakers who have eager “little hands” ready to help

These mixes don’t even require a mixer (you can use your hands AND put those little eager hands to work!). When you use mixes, it frees up the list of ingredients needed for the cookies – allowing you to go crazy with the decorating.

Decorated Christmas Cookies

Little hands and big hands, alike, love getting artsy! When I’m decorating cookies, it takes me back to decorating them with my mom AND to decorating them with my own three daughters when they were little.

When they were little, nothing. My youngest helped me with a batch just a few days ago. Girl talk over cookies… there’s nothing like it.

A Few Icing Suggestions:

• If time is an issue, it’s perfectly okay to use icing from a tub. Vanilla or cream cheese are delicious on cookies.
• Marshmallow Cream is fun and yummy on cookies (kids, especially, love it). It’s bright white color (Marshmallow Cream is on the cookie in the picture above with a Christmas tree in the middle) stands out in a crowd of cookies and, let’s keep it real here, it’s as easy as it gets. Open the jar, insert knife, spread. When icing with Marshmallow Cream, start in the middle of the cookie and gently spread outward.
• I actually didn’t do it this time around, but you could easily use the Krusteaz Shortbread Cookie Mix and make a Quick & Easy version of Almond Scandinavian Bars. Simply bake the cookies and ice (Stir together 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and 3-4 teaspoons of milk. Drizzle on top of the cookies and top with chopped almond slices).
• The Krusteaz Shortbread cookies have a recipe on the back for Raspberry Thumbprints that look as delicious as they are beautiful.
• On the back of the Krusteaz Butter Vanilla Sugar Cookies is a GREAT recipe for icing (See Below). These cookies can be baked and cut with cookie cutters with a simple tweak to the recipe on the back. Complete, easy instructions are provided. While they make gorgeous cut-out cookies, these cookies couldn’t be any more beautiful than they are, as pictured on the front of the box.

Krusteaz Iced Cutout Sugar Cookie Icing: In a small bowl, stir together 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 TBS warm water, 1 TBS light corn syrup, and 1/4 almond extract until well-blended and smooth. If adding food coloring, start with a few drops until desired shade is achieved.

Krusteaz Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookies – A Work of Art All By Themselves!

The Triple Chocolate Chunk Cookie Mix makes beautiful and delicious cookies that need no introduction or decorating. You could, of course, perch a reindeer, Santa, or elf on top to make them extra festive but.. personally… I love them just like they are.

The Snickerdoodle Cookie Mix will be a sure favorite with everyone – Everything you need to make them is provided in the box. I added more red sugar to the coating mixture (cinnamon sugar) to make them even more festive.

Kids Helping in the Kitchen

Kids love to help make Christmas cookies and the time spent with them will be among your most cherished memories. Naturally, adults should always supervise every step and keep little hands from being burned.  One of the first things I thought of with these cookie mixes were how simple they’d be for kids to make “all by themselves” (which of course means with adult eyes nearby!). Again, these mixes don’t even require electric mixers – and the measuring is as minimal as it gets.

Their favorite part might just be icing and decorating the cookies and adults should allow them complete freedom to decorate the cookies however they want. If their idea of “beautiful” is a polka dot haphazard mixture of colors you would’t personally have ever selected…. applaud them and tell them how proud you are of their creativity. Better yet, take pictures of their works of art and put them all over your social media!

Not only are there endless color options for icing, you can find a crazy selection of decorations these days. Take your time and look around at several different stores.  I found the adorable little green trees (pictured below) at Kroger and I threw just about every box into my cart. They’re just too cute perched on top of the Snickerdoodles.

You’ll also want to grab a few icing in tubes for borders or swirly patterns.  Make no mistake about it, I’m all about the swirl.

As I said earlier, Marshmallow Cream stands out in a crowd! Maybe it’s just me, but I think it makes a gorgeous, shiny, icing.

Other fun ideas for topping cookies:

• Crushed candy canes or peppermints
• M&M’s (Mini M&M’s are especially cute on cookies)
• Nuts
• Colored Sugar
• Dried Fruit (a bigger hit with adults than kids… trust me, here)

 

A Few Extra Cookie-Baking Tips:

Whether you’re using Krusteaz’s great cookie mixes or a recipe, below are a few tips for smoother sailing.

• Always read through a recipe or instructions entirely before beginning.
• When softened butter is called for, be sure it’s really, really, really soft. IF you soften it in the microwave, be sure to do so in intervals of just a few seconds. Melted butter isn’t going to do you or the cookies any good.
• If the recipe calls for butter, use butter… not margarine.
• Always place cookie dough on cool cookie sheets. If you place them on warm sheets, they’ll spread like… oh, nevermind.
• As a general Cookie Rule, place cookies containing leavening 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Unleavened cookies can be placed 1-1/2 inches apart.
• Unless otherwise instructed, remove cookies immediately from cookie sheets after they come out of the oven, as they will continue to cook if they’re allowed to hang out on the pan.
• Cool cookies on a wire rack for the best air circulation.
• When baking, use the middle oven rack.
• I’ve become obsessed with using parchment paper – it’s a bakers best friend… okay, second, behind butter.
• Pre-Heat your oven for at least 10 minutes before cooking.

If you have to eat gluten free, thanks to Krusteaz Gluten Free Flour, you can bake any darn cookies you want. See my Gluten Free Cranberry Pecan Cookies for inspiration.

More Information:

• I have found Krusteaz products at Kroger, Meijer, and (of course) on Amazon. See where to buy Krusteaz on their website for your own personal stores.
• Follow Krusteaz on Twitter.
• Follow Krusteaz on Facebook.
• Follow Krusteaz on Instagram.
• Follow Krusteaz on Pinterest.