Cap And Ball Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Roll dough into 1-inch balls. (For marbleized cookies, roll out a 1/2-inch-thick rope each of vanilla and chocolate dough. Pinch 3/4-inch piece from each rope and roll together into a ball.) Roll in finely chopped nuts, crushed candies, or sanding sugar, if using. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing each 1 inch apart.
• For thumbprints: Press a well into the center of each using your finger. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 7 minutes. Remove from oven, and press well again with handle end of a wooden spoon. Bake until firm, 7 to 9 minutes more.For ball cookies: Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees until firm, 14 to 16 minutes.
• Let cool completely. Spoon jam, ganache, dried fruit, or candied orange filling into thumbprints. For chocolate-dipped ball cookies, dip cooled cookies in melted chocolate; sprinkle with candies, and let set in refrigerator.

Steps:

• In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip sandwich cookies into mixture and allow excess to drip off; place on waxed paper to harden., Meanwhile, spread red frosting over half of the bottom of each marshmallow cookie; press off-center onto a chocolate wafer, creating a cap. (See the how-to-photo above.), Pipe a line of frosting where the cookies meet. Pipe stitching lines down sides of marshmallow cookies. Attach an M&M on top with a dab of frosting., On dipped sandwich cookies, pipe stick marks to create baseballs.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift the confectioners' sugar into a shallow bowl, stir in the walnuts, and set aside.
• Beat the shortening, butter, cream cheese, and sugar together in a bowl until the mixture is creamy and thoroughly blended. Mix in the almond extract, vanilla extract, and flour; stir to combine. Scoop up dough by rounded tablespoons, and roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Place the balls about 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies turn slightly golden at the edges, about 6 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for about 1 minute, then roll in the confectioners' sugar-walnut mixture while still a little warm.