Biscuit Mix Cookies

A little before Christmas I posted a recipe for biscuit mix that could be used for holiday gift giving. However, I only gave one packet of mix left, and was left with lots of biscuit mix for my family's use. I love the biscuits that this mix makes - they're light and fluffy, with a perfect biscuit flavor. But the book where I got the recipe also gives a whole lot of other recipes to use this mix, and I thought it would be fun to give some of them a try.

This is a recipe for basic sugar cookies. The book gives lots of variations, which I'll also give. I chose to do a chocolate chip variation. The kids and I have been snacking on these as fast as they came out of the oven. Jeff's lucky he got home when he did, much longer and there wouldn't have been any left!

Basic Biscuit Mix Cookies
3 cups biscuit mix*
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk or water
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla, lemon, or almond extract

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease baking sheets. Combine biscuit mix and sugar in a medium bowl. Blend well. In a small bowl, combine milk or water, egg, and extract. Add to dry ingredients. Blend well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Makes 30 to 36 cookies. I got 36 exactly.

Variations
Flavor Drop Cookies: Add 1 cup nuts, raisins, small gumdrops, chocolate chips (pictured), butterscotch chips, or dates. For coconut cookies, add 1 1/2 cups shredded coconut. For peanut butter cookies, add 1/2 cup peanut butter. For orange cookies, omit extract and add 1 tablespoon orange peel and 1/2 cup raisins. For molasses cookies, substitute 3 tablespoons molasses for milk or water and add 1/8 tsp. mace (or nutmeg).
Shaped Cookies: Decrease milk or water to 3 tablespoons. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Rolled Cookies: Decrease milk or water to 3 tablespoons. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Sprinkle with sugar and cut into shapes. Place each about 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.


*Biscuit Mix Recipe (can be doubled if you know you'll use lots - we use lots)
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup instant nonfat milk powder
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. shortening

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, baking soda, and milk powder. Stir with a wire whisk to blend. Using a pastry blender to blend in shortening until evenly distributed. Store in airtight container.

*I don't know if this would work with commercial biscuit mixes like Bisquick, but I assume it would since this biscuit mix is supposed to be interchangeable with any recipe calling for biscuit mix.