Best Marys Bell Cookies Recipes

MRS. B'S CHRISTMAS BELLS

Steps:

• Make the Dough: Beat the brown sugar and butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the corn syrup, egg, cream, and lemon zest. Whisk together the flour, instant espresso, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; gradually add to the butter mixture, and beat at low speed until combined. Shape the dough into a flat disk; wrap with plastic wrap. Chill the dough until firm, at least 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Make the Filling: Stir together the brown sugar, maraschino cherry juice and butter until blended; stir in the pecans.
• Roll the dough to 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter. Place the dough circles 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
• Place 1/2 teaspoon of the filling in the center of each dough circle. Shape into a cone by folding the edges of the dough to meet over the filling; pinch the edges together. Place 1 cherry half at the opening end of each bell for the clapper.
• Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Cool on the pans for 5 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

MARY'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; blend into the creamed mixture. Cover and chill for at least two hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Divide the dough into two parts. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of the dough out to 3/16 inch in thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Sprinkle cookies with plain or colored granulated sugar.
• Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

MARY'S SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix sugar and butter. Add egg and flavorings; mix thoroughly. Measure flour. Stir dry ingredients together and blend in. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Divide dough in half and roll 3/16" thick on lightly floured surface. (I roll it between two sheets of parchment.) Cut with cookie cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet or, if using parchment paper to roll out cookies, just place the parchment paper with cut cookies right onto a cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes or until delicately golden. Makes 30 (3") round cookies.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat butter, sugar, milk and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Frost cookies and add sprinkles, if desired.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F.
• Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
• In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

SILVER BELLS

Steps:

• Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough into quarters. Shape each into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 2 hours., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-1/2-in. bell-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Bake until edges begin to brown, 12-15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. If desired, tint with food coloring. Spread over cookies. Let stand until set; brush with shimmer dust.

MARY'S BELL COOKIES

Steps:

• Make filling:
• Stir together brown sugar, butter, and 3 tablespoons cherry juice until combined, then stir in pecans. Set cherries aside.
• Make cookies:
• Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whisk together flour, ginger, baking soda, salt, and coffee.
• Beat together brown sugar and shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 6 to 8 minutes. Add corn syrup, egg, and cream and beat until combined well.
• Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture, then mix until combined.
• Roll out one third of dough between 2 sheets of wax paper to 1/8-inch thick (about 15 by 11 inches). Chill dough on wax paper on a baking sheet until slightly firm, about 10 minutes. Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutter and transfer with a metal spatula to 2 ungreased large baking sheets, spacing them 1/2 inch apart. Roll out, chill, and cut remaining dough in same manner. Reserve scraps.
• Center 1/2 teaspoon nut filling on lower half of each cookie, then, using spatula, fold sides in toward center to form a cone. (Dough may crack along fold; part of filling will be exposed.)
• Stem and quarter cherries. Place 1 cherry quarter over exposed filling on each cookie to make bell clapper.
• Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are pale golden, 12 to 16 minutes total. Transfer to racks to cool completely.
• Reroll scraps, then make more cookies in same manner (reroll only twice), baking them on cooled sheets.