"Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies"

Wow!  It's been too long!  OK, so honestly, I think I took a very long sabbatical from cooking!  Just ask my family!  I, like most mom's with small children, feel like a short order cook.  One wants a grilled cheese, one cereal, the other corn dog, spaghetti, quesadillas!  You get the picture, or perhaps live with this madness!  So, instead of cooking, we ate out!  Well, I'm sick of eating out!  So, here we go again! Thanks to Pinterest, I have found so many wonderful recipes!  SIDE NOTE... Have you discovered Pinterest yet?  If not, get right on it!  NOW!

Here is a cookie recipe that I found and LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!!  Trust me!  MAKE THESE RIGHT NOW!  You're welcome!

"Best Ever Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies"

(see above link for recipe and picture info.)

3/4 c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

2 tsp. cornstarch

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy and light in color. Add egg and vanilla and blend in.

Mix in flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Stir in chocolate chunks.

Using a standard-sized cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges. (The tops will not brown, but do NOT cook longer than ten minutes.)

Let cool, on the sheet, on a wire rack for five minutes. Remove from baking sheet and let cool completely. Makes approximately 3 dozen. Try not to eat them all.

Oatmeal and Brown Sugar Cookies

So, I know I said that I was going to try and only put up recipes that are good for you, but I couldn't resist this one!  Sorry about that, I really am! BUT, they are so good and super easy.  ENJOY!

OATMEAL AND BROWN SUGAR COOKIES

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1 cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 cups old-fashioned oats

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar and butter with electric mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and eggs until well blended.

On low speed, beat in all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and baking powder, scraping bowl occasionally, until well combined. Stir in oats.

On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies to about 1/2-inch thickness.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

We had a cookie decorating party last week. There was lots of fun to go around.  I do believe however, more was eaten than decorated, but that's what its for, RIGHT?!  I must say the decorations are top notch!  The recipe was great and we had a ton of fun!  Thanks Piercy's for joining us!

Pretty sure this one above weighed 5 pounds!

GINGERBREAD COOKIES

6 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 tablespoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup shortening, melted and cooled slightly

1 cup molasses

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift together the flour, baking powder, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon; set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together the shortening, molasses, brown sugar, water, egg, and vanilla until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, until they are completely absorbed. Divide dough into 3 pieces, pat down to 1 1/2 inch thickness, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. When the cookies are done, they will look dry, but still be soft to the touch. Remove from the baking sheet to cool on wire racks. When cool, the cookies can be frosted with the icing of your choice.

Cheesecake cookies... full of yummy, festive goodness!

I made this yummy goodness yesterday and I have already had a bunch of people ask for the recipe! So here it is.... They are festive and oh so easy to make.  But warning...you won't be able to eat just one! 

CHEESECAKE COOKIES

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1 box (4-serving size) cheesecake-flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

3 oz white chocolate baking bar, coarsely grated

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, dry pudding mix, oil and egg until soft dough forms.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Using thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make indentation in center of each ball. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon jam into each indentation.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes; sprinkle with white chocolate.

Try this sugar cookie!

I am a sucker for a good ,soft, yummy sugar cookie!  After all, if you are going to go to the trouble of making them, they BETTER be good, right?!  Well, leave it to Martha to make a really good cookie!  We made these last year and they were a hit!

Citrus Sugar Cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for working

1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for decorating (optional)

1 large egg plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Royal Icing, and desired decorations, such as colored sugars

ROYAL ICING

4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

5 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a food processor, combine flour, baking powder, and salt; pulse to mix. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sugar, eggs, and lemon zest and process until mixture resembles wet sand.

Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface; knead several times until dough comes together. Divide into 3 portions; flatten each into a disk. Roll each disk to an 1/8-inch thickness between sheets of parchment. Stack dough (still in parchment) on a baking sheet; refrigerate 20 minutes. (To store, wrap in plastic and freeze on sheet, up to 2 weeks. Thaw until pliable before using.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, with racks in middle and lower thirds. Working with 1 dough sheet at a time, peel off parchment (save for baking). With lightly floured cutters, cut dough into desired shapes and arrange, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets (reroll scraps, if desired). Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Bake until cookies are set but still pale, 7 to 9 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool completely. Using a spoon, frost cookies with icing; decorate with sugar, if desired.

Leftover Halloween Candy?! Make COOKIES!

If your home is like our's,  then your kids got a TON of Halloween candy, and I really don't want them munching on it for the next couple of months.  SOOO, we unwrap it, chop it up and MAKE COOKIES!  Then we can deliver them to neighbors or just for fun to friends and teachers.

Halloween Candy Cookies

3 2/3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups chopped candy bits (such as Butterfingers, Baby Ruths, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, m&m's, jelly beans, OR WHATEVER you have leftover.

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugars together with a mixer until very light, about 5 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add vanilla.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour mixture and mix until combined.  Stir in candy bits.

Drop dough by tablespoons onto baking sheet.  Bake 15- 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes.  Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Makes about 4 dozen really yummy cookies! 

Recipe from here. 

Flourless Double Chocolate Pecan Cookies- Gluten and wheat free

I have a bunch of friends who have either a wheat allergy or celiac disease. If you have ever tried to live this lifestyle, you will find that EVERYTHING has wheat and you really have to search for good recipes! So, I have found some great WHEAT FREE recipes for them and you. Even if you don't have these concerns, TRY these! They are wonderful and oh sooo yummy! I thought I would start with a very chocolate goodie! ENJOY!

3 cups confectioners' sugar
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (or other type of nut)
4 large egg whites, room temperature

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa, and salt. Stir in chocolate and pecans. Add egg whites and stir just until incorporated (do not overmix).
Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets. Bake until cookie tops are dry and crackled, about 25 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer sheets to wire racks and let cookies cool. (recipe and pic found here.)

Orange Cookies

ORANGE COOKIES

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2/3 cup orange juice

3 TBS. orange zest

Preheat oven to 375. Beat sugar and butter until fluffy. Add sour cream and eggs; beat well. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and orange juice and orange zest. Blend well. Drop by spoon on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and cool.

ORANGE FROSTING

1/4 cup softened butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 TBS. orange zest

2-3 TBS. orange juice

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients; beat until smooth. Frost WARM cookies.

(recipe from Lisa Jensen, picture from here.)

Nutella Cookies

I didn't make these with nuts, but you can add them if your heart desires! ENJOY!
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
Sift together flour, salt and baking powder and set aside. Cream butter, Nutella and both sugars, beat in vanilla and egg. Stir in flour mixture, blending well. Shape mixture in 3/4 inch balls. Place on greased baking sheets and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. (recipe from Niki Sepulveda)

Carrot Cake Cookies

FILLING:

2 ounces bar cream cheese, room temperature
2 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

FOR THE COOKIES:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup packed, finely grated, peeled carrots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non stick spray.

Make filling: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat until combined. Cover; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make cookies: In a large bowl, whisk together butter, sugars, and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until combined. Mix in oats and carrots.

Drop dough by level tablespoons, 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten with the palm of your hand. Bake until edges are crisp, rotating baking sheets halfway through, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Turn half the cookies over, bottom side up; dollop each with about 1 teaspoon chilled cream-cheese filling. Top with remaining cookies, pressing gently to spread filling to edges. Serve immediately. (recipe and picture from marthastewart.com)

Lemon Stampers

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
2 cups all-purpose flour

In large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in sugar and lemon peel. Gradually stir in flour. Cover; refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm.

Heat oven to 375°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls about 2 inches apart. "Stamp" balls to about 1/4-inch thickness using a potato masher, the bottom of a glass, the bumpy side of a meat mallet, the end of an empty spool of thread or a cookie press, dipping first into additional sugar.
3. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
FILLING:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until edges are set. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Combine filling ingredients in a small mixing bowl; beat until smooth. Spread on the bottom half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Store in the refrigerator.

Double Chocoalte Chip Cookies

PERFECT FOR CHOCOLATE CRAVINGS!
1 package Devils Food cake mix
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Beat half of the dry cake mix, butter, vanilla, and eggs in large bowl until smooth. Stir in remaining cake mix and chocolate chips. Put onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Do not over bake!