BEST EVER SUGAR COOKIES from The Dispatch

These are indeed some of the best sugar cookies I've ever baked. The recipe's from The Dispatch. They're made with equal parts shortening and your choice of butter, margarine, or oil, and I used butter. I made half and added 1/4 c. chopped sweetened dried tart cherries but it wasn't enough. I got 18 dough balls using a 1 T./1.5"diameter cookie scoop. My cold dough baked in exactly 9 minutes in my Brevelle oven. I rolled the dough in sugar too but wish I hadn't because the outside of the cookies is a little too crunchy, so I'll just put sugar on top next time. The outer parts that browned lightly has that particular sugar cookie flavor and these have the right amount of salt and vanilla too.

I give these 5 stars!

SIMPLE RICH CHOCOLATE BROWNIES from Gather For Bread

 

These boxed brownie mix-type homemade brownies are very good and come from Gather For Bread. They're made with oil and Dutch cocoa powder. I made half in a 9.5"x4.5" loaf pan that was lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. I thought an 8" square pan would be too big so I used one slightly smaller. They baked in 29 minutes and were thicker than I'd like so I should have used the 8" pan and will next time. These are very moist but slightly bitter from too much cocoa. Half the recipe used 6 tablespoons of cocoa but probably should have used only 4, so that's what I'll use next time. They could have used a little more salt and vanilla so I'll add more next time.

I give these 4.5 stars and recommend them.

Edit- I've made these a million times since. I make half the recipe in an 8" square foil-lined metal pan that's been sprayed with nonstick spray. It takes exactly 17 minutes in my Breville oven. I use 4 T. Dutch cocoa, not 6, double the salt and vanilla. That version gets 5 stars! The full batch in a 9"x13"stoneware baking pan takes 27 minutes in MY oven.