No matter how much I love cooking, there is always a special thrill when I make something that I know has one of my kids or auntlings are going to get excited about. That’s why I love these cloud cookies so much :). They got their name from my nephew, Austin, over fifteen years ago. I’ve always been a fan of meringue cookies and I whipped up a batch when Austin was over at my house and decided to stir some chocolate chips into them before baking. Austin waited patiently while they cooked and then took one bite and declared them just like clouds – with the added bonus of chocolate chips!
So if you want to be the cool aunt/mama/grandmama/daddy/uncle who knows how to bake chocolate chips into clouds…I got ya covered today!
You’ll need: Chocolate Chips, two eggs, sugar, Cream of Tartar, a bit of salt, and some sprinkles if you’d like to add a little sparkle to your clouds...I mean cookies.
Crack your eggs and separate the whites from the yolk. Add in a pinch of cream of tartar and your salt.
There are all sorts of gadgets that do this but I just use my hands. Usually, I crack the egg and just gently tilt it until the white pours off, saving the yolk in the shell. You can also pour the entire egg into your hand and spread your fingers slightly to allow just the white to slide through while the yolk remains.
Or you can get one of those gadgeterators that lets you pour the egg into it and the white comes out of little spout on the bottom.
Whichever way you go, make sure you don’t get any of the yolk (the dark orange part) in this because our meringue won’t fluff up if we have yolk in it.
Beat your egg whites until soft peaks form.
Okay so what this means is that you need to beat them on high with an electric mixer for a few minutes. They will start out getting frothy and then begin to get foamy, and eventually turn white like this. As you keep on beating, they will start to hold their shape a bit, meaning you’ll see ripples remain in them where the beater has been.
Stop your mixer and pull your beaters up. Where your beaters came out of the egg whites a point will come up. If that droops back down again (kinda like the top of a dairy queen ice cream cone), you have soft peaks.
Add in your sugar and beat it some more, unit the sugar is well incorporated.
It will get thick and glossy like divinity.
Oh my, I need to do a post on how to make divinity, don’t I? Oooh Mama has a great recipe for it…
Stir in chocolate chips
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
Place spoonfuls onto the greased baking sheet.
I do about a well rounded teaspoon…or whatever size I’m in the mood for 🙂
A lot of my cooking is centered around my mood. Good thing I try to pick good moods out of the bucket each morning!
Allow your clouds to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container, or just hand them to the kids in your life and watch them disappear!
Enjoy this super easy cookie!
Chocolate Chip Cloud Cookies
Ingredients
2Egg Whites
PinchCream of Tartar
3/4cupsugar
1-2cupschocolate chips
1/4teaspoonsalt
Colored sugar sprinklesoptional
Instructions
In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt until soft peaks form.
Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold in chocolate chips.
Drop by level tablespoonful onto greased baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, if desired.
Bake at 300 for 20-25 minutes or until meringues are dry and crisp.
Cool on baking sheets for two minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
When the weather gets a chill and family comes to visit, we like to fire up our oven and make all sorts of yummy treats for one another. Today I’m sharing my top 14 cookies to make before the end of 2019 (if possible!). Many of these are family favorites and some recipes are ones we’ve been making since before I was born. All of them are dearly loved. I hope you find a few you’d like to try and I pray that you create special memories with the ones you love in the process.
Classic Cut Out Cookies
We’ve been making these since I was just a little girl. These days we use lots of fun shapes and blue and white icing with an array of sprinkles.
Busy Week Cake Mix Cookies
Need to make a big batch of cookies with as little fuss as possible? This Cake Mix cookie recipe offers endless quick and easy options!
3 Ingredient Oreo Cookie Balls
Three ingredient Oreo Balls are always a top recipe on Pinterest each year!
Mama’s Pecan Thumbprint Cookies
Mama’s Pecan Thumbprint Cookies are and old fashioned favorite.
Easiest Red Velvet Cookies
Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies are what I go to whenever I am bringing cookies to a party or event. People are always surprised to see our beloved cake in cookie form!
Snowball Pecan Nougat Cookies
These Snowball Pecan Nougat cookies are sold in stores this time of year, but once you try homemade you’ll be spoiled!
World’s Best Chewy Sugar Cookies
If you love the chewy sugar cookie from those cookie stores, you’ll love these!
Iced Oatmeal Cookies
Iced Oatmeal cookies will thrill the traditionalist on your list! (like me)
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies
Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies are my husband’s favorite.
Tender M & M Oatmeal Cookie Bars
I love a good bar cookie and this simple recipe is my favorite! It begins with baking mix (such as Bisquick) and tastes of butter and brown sugar!
Butter Pecan Shortbread Chippers
Shortbread lovers will flip over Butter Pecan Chocolate Chippers!
Classic Spritz Cookies
These classic spritz cookies are surprisingly simple to make!
Soft Ginger Cookies
These soft ginger cookies are my daughter’s favorite!
Chocolate Chip Cloud Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cloud Cookies begin with eggs and sugar – simple ingredients create a magical cookie light as clouds!
Amid the hustle and bustle this time of year, may we keep our focus on our blessings of faith, family and friends and give the gift of time to each whenever possible.
This easy basic sugar cookie recipe is a delicious classic that every home cook needs. Once you have the basic sugar cookie dough, the possibilities are endless for holiday treats. Just follow these simple step by step photo instructions.
‘Tis the season for… COOKIES. So here is an excellent quick and easy basic sugar cookie recipe that even the cookie rookie can handle.
I love a good sugar cookie with icing, so I’m suggesting a starting spot for that but use your skill and imagination for creative shapes and decorations.
My Rating
This is an excellent cookie.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for Easy Basic Sugar Cookies
Sugar cookies are not and can not be made into health food. Don’t even try.
The butter needs to be the best butter you have. So real butter, not fake. A few recipes will suggest salt-free, but your normal butter with salt will be fine.
The last butter note is it needs to be soft. Room temperature is fine or even a little softer with a few seconds in a microwave. This soft butter will whip better with the sugar and give a nice soft texture.
This recipe has two eggs, so it holds together better than some recipes.
The two other ingredients of note are the baking powder needs to be aluminum-free to avoid any aftertaste, and the real vanilla will make a real difference.
Baking Sheets
Plain baking pans will work fine, but I like to add some parchment paper or baking mats. Use the baking sheets you have but the thickness, material, and even the color can affect the cooking time some. See the section on cooking time.
The Dough
The final dough should have a texture close to Play-Doh. Not sticky and wet but also not hard.
If the dough is sticky and wet, add a little flour. If dry, than a touch of milk.
Flour is usually recommended to help roll out the dough. Use powdered sugar instead. It will just blend in and no danger of flour spots on your beautiful cookies.
Cooking Time
Cooking time will vary some. The usual thickness cookie will be about 8 minutes while if you go thicker, it may take a minute or two more.
Other variables are your baking trays and your oven.
Do not overcook sugar cookies. Look for the edge of the cookies turning a bit brown, and they are done.
Allow the cookies to sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes before moving to the cooling rack.
Storage of Cookies and Dough
The dough can be refrigerated for 2-3 days before use. It should be sealed tightly since it can pick up flavors from other foods easily. Raw dough can also be frozen for 2-3 months.
After cooking, the cookies are really good for about three days. Sealed airtight, they are very good for a week. After that, they will start to dry some. Two weeks is about the maximum time.
Start with 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter. Soften a little either by resting at room temperature or 10-15 seconds in a microwave.
Add one cup sugar to the butter in a larger bowl. Cream together with a mixer.
Add two eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
Add 2 1/2 cup flour, one teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep baking sheets. I suggest covering with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Dust a prep area with some powdered sugar. I used a larger baking mat for my area. Form the dough into a ball and place it on the mat. Flatten and then roll out with a rolling pin. Use lots of powder sugar on the mat and top of the dough to prevent sticking. Roll to a thickness of about 1/4 inch or a bit thicker.
Cut with a cookie cutter. Here I’m using boring 3 inches round since I couldn’t find the Christmas cutters.
Layout on a cookie sheet, keeping them about one inch apart. They will spread out during cooking. Work quickly reusing the scraps and keep dusting the surface and dough with the powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Continue to cut cookies until done.
Bake until the edge of the cookies is starting brown a little. About 7-8 minutes. Do not over bake.
Remove from oven and allow to sit for a few minutes then move to a cooling rack.
After cooled, it is time for decoration. I went with a simple glaze. Mix one cup powdered sugar, one tablespoon butter, two drops vanilla, and 3-4 teaspoon milk. Add a few drops of food coloring of choice. Mix well.
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Easy Basic Sugar Cookies
This easy basic sugar cookie recipe is a delicious classic that every home cook needs. Once you have the basic sugar cookie dough, the possibilities are endless for holiday treats. Just follow these simple step by step photo instructions.
Start with 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter. Soften a little either by resting at room temperature or 10-15 seconds in a microwave.
Add one cup sugar to the butter in a larger bowl. Cream together with a mixer.
Add two eggs and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Mix well.
Add 2 1/2 cup flour, one teaspoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prep baking sheets. I suggest covering with parchment paper or a baking mat.
Dust a prep area with some powdered sugar. I used a larger baking mat for my area. Form the dough into a ball and place it on the mat. Flatten and then roll out with a rolling pin. Use lots of powder sugar on the mat and top of the dough to prevent sticking. Roll to a thickness of about 1/4 inch or a bit thicker.
Cut with a cookie cutter.
Layout on a cookie sheet, keeping them about one inch apart. They will spread out during cooking. Work quickly reusing the scraps and keep dusting the surface and dough with the powdered sugar to prevent sticking. Continue to cut cookies until done.
Bake until the edge of the cookies is starting brown a little. About 7-8 minutes. Do not over bake.
Remove from oven and allow to sit for a few minutes then move to a cooling rack.
Optional Frosting
Mix one cup powdered sugar, one tablespoon butter, two drops vanilla, and 3-4 teaspoon milk. Add a few drops of food coloring of choice. Mix well.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
An easy recipe to cut half. But I want more cookies.
Room temperature or slightly softer butter is important to get the right texture.
Real butter is not required but you will be happy if you do. Salted is fine.
Use real vanilla if possible.
Never use alunimun containing baking powder for anything.
The dough should have a texture close to Play-Doh. If stick and wet, add a bit of flour. If dry, the a touch of milk.
I suggest a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Thinner will cook faster and thicker will take longer.
I recommend powdered sugar, not flour, on the surface when making out the dough and on the top as your roll out the dough.
You oven and the pans will also affect cooking time so watch the lower edge of the cookie for a hint of brown. Usually about 8 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK.
Allow to cook on the tray for a few minutes before moving to the cooling rack.
Good at room temperature for about 3 days. Sealed air thight for 7 week really well but up to 2 weeks. They will freeze well for about 3 months.
Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days but can easily pick up odors from the refrigerator. Dough can also be frozen for about 2-3 months.
Nutrition includes optional frosting.
Check Out Other Great Recipes
Make it Perfect First Time and Every TimeDon’t miss out, check the full post above. Almost every recipe includes easy step by step photo instructions so you can visualize yourself cooking this recipe along with helpful tips and options.
Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Originally Published December 3, 2014. Updated with greatly expanded discussion and refreshed photos.
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