St. Patty's Green & White Chocolate Chip Cookies

7/8 Cup butter (1 3/4 stick), softened
3/4 Cup white sugar
3/4 Cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 Cup all-purpose flour, bleached preferred
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C. green & white chocolate swirled morsels

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Add soda and salt; mix well. Add flour; mix well by hand or use a dough hook. Add chocolate chips and combine until evenly distributed. Make dough into small balls. Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown and no longer wet on top. Approximately 7-11 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

Who doesn't love a good snickerdoodle?! Buttery, cinnamon-y, sugar-y goodness?  These will smell up your kitchen to high heaven before they are even finished baking!

2 3/4 cups flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter flavored shortening

8 tablespoons softened butter, salted

1.5 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, soda, tartar and salt into a bowl.
With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry mixture and beat until smooth.
Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 inch balls, then roll in cinnamon sugar. Space them evenly on ungreased cookie sheets (about 12 to a sheet.
Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 9 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Yields approximately 3 dozen.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Mrs. Fields - Eat Your Heart Out)

1 cup of brown sugar

3/4 cup of white sugar

1 cup of margarine

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 cups quick oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

16 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream together sugars and margarine. Add eggs and vanilla. In a separate container combine the dry ingredients (except chocolate chips) and then gradually add them to the sugar mixture. Blend well. Add the chocolate chips and stir by hand to blend.

 

Drop by tablespoons onto a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes. Cookies should look slightly unbaked in the center when you take them out. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 minute and then remove and let cool on wax paper or foil. Very best when hot right out of the oven!

Burnt Butter Frosted Banana Cookies

I've posted this before, but now I have a (not very appealing) picture - and these are a summer time favorite.  Serve fresh off the pan, or refrigerate or freeze for a cooler treat.  Yum!  If you like banana bread, you will love these.  The burnt butter frosting adds a really rich and creamy touch!

1 stick softened butter (1/2 c.)
1/2 C shortening (butter flavor)
1 Cup sugar
2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
Cream together butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla.
ADD:
3 cups of flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

CHILL FOR ONE HOUR, use melon ball scooper to place on cookie sheet.

BAKE 350 FOR 10 MINUTES. Cool.

BURNT BUTTER FROSTING
1 stick (1/2 c.)  butter (melted on stove until golden brown-watch and stir).  Take off heat and add:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2-4 Tbsp hot water (1 Tbsp at a time until desired consistency) add powdered sugar if necessary. REFRIGERATE OR FREEZE

Malted Blondies (a.k.a. Best Cookie Bars EVER)

Can I make you a promise with this recipe?  My promise is this.  You will not be able to eat just one.  These have a secret ingredient that adds an addicting element that you cannot resist.  Think soft, chewy, chocolatey, with a hint of toffee and malt.  My cousin, (shout out to Miss Liz!) made these for a recent family gathering, and I didn't tell her this at the time, but I ate three of them.  You will love these. 

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons malted milk powder (look in the coffee section of the grocery store)
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup malted milk balls (like Whoppers or Maltesers), coarsely chopped
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven preheats, place your walnuts in the oven, and set the timer for 15 minutes, or until you start smelling walnuts.  Remove and let cool.  Meanwhile, butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 inch baking pan. If you like, line the pan with a parchment sleeve (I do mine in well-greased tin foil, with the parchment underneath) to make the removal and cutting of the bars easier.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and malted milk powder.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and dark brown sugar on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl, and beat in the eggs and vanilla until well-blended. Add the dry ingredients in two additions on low speed and beat until just combined. Mix in the malted milk balls, chocolate chips and walnuts. Give the batter a final folding by hand with a spatula to make sure there are no dry pockets and the batter is evenly mixed. It will be very thick. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it evenly.

Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the bars are deeply golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack in the pan for 20 minutes before removing the bars to a cutting board and cutting them into 24 squares. Once they cool completely, they can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days.

Makes 24 bars.

Adapted from A Piece of Cake Blog

Chocolate Mint Crinkle Cookies

Need a last minute holiday treat to share at a party (or eat all by yourself?!)  These are a cinch to whip together, and have just the right amount of chocolate with a hint of mint!  Enjoy!

 (adapted from tootsie.com)

2 ¼ c. all-purpose flour, sifted

¾ c. cocoa, sifted

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ c. shortening

½ c. unsalted butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. Mint Chocolate Baking Chips (if you don't have this, you can substitute with 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract, and then add 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips)

3/4 c. powdered sugar

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.

With a hand held or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter until creamy. Add the sugars and continue beating until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth. Fold in the mint chips.

Roll the dough, by hand, into a 1 ½ inch balls. Roll the balls in the powdered sugar to fully cover ball. Flatten the balls gently into ½” thick disks and place about 2” apart, spacing them evenly on un-greased baking sheets. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set 1 minute on baking sheet. Remove from sheet and move to wire rack to cool completely.

Yields: 3 Dozen Cookies

PBX Cookies (Peanut Butter Criss Cross)

Have you started dreaming up cookie ideas for your holiday cookie exchange yet?  No?  Why not, don't the rest of you plan your life around cookie exchanges?  Well, here's ones I'm adding to MY list.  And there's a story behind it...

So, this awesome young lady that I know offered to babysit for an ENTIRE Friday night for me in exchange for my making a plate of her favorite cookies.  Are you kidding me?  Deal.  The only problem?  She wanted peanut butter.  I don't do peanut butter.  I don't not like it, but I, by no means, really enjoy peanut butter, so I was a little flustered.  Nonetheless, I pushed through my mental block, did some research on the best peanut butter cookies - and here's what I came up with!  

They were beautiful, soft and chewy with a little crunch from the sugar sprinkled on top.  And -ME- of all peanut-butter loathing people rather enjoyed them with a tall glass of ice cold milk.  Yum. 

3/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 cup (1 stick) butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar, (+2 TBS. for sprinkling on top of dough)
1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Combine peanut butter, shortening, sugars, milk and vanilla in large bowl.

Beat with hand mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Add egg. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, baking powder and soda.

Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Drop on greased baking sheet with a melon scooper.

Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.
Bake at 375ºF for 8-9 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown.  Let cool 5 minutes on pan.

Yields about 3 dozen cookies.  Freeze some dough if you don't want to make them all - they last about 3 months in the freezer!

Soft & Cakey Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

While I'm on a pumpkin kick (I couldn't just let me leftover pumpkin from my pumpkin chocolate chip bread go to waste!), I thought I'd share (or re-share) a yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe.  It's quick and delicious, with just the right amount of pumpkin spice to chocolate chip ratio.  Freezes well too, so you can make some now, and make some when you need a sugar rush after Halloween.

1 c. butter flavored shortening (1 stick)
1 c. sugar
1 c. canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream above ingredients together.

1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Sift dry ingredients and combine with creamed mixture.

Add 6 oz. (half a regular-sized bag) of your favorite chocolate chips
Mix well, roll into balls, place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Yields 3 dozen.

Chocolate Walnut No Bake Drop Cookies

Almost everyone has tasted no-bake cookies before.  Some people like them with peanut butter, some people don't.  I am one of the ones who doesn't (if you like peanut butter, omit the walnuts in recipe below, and add creamy peanut butter).  However, I do like nuts, so I added some walnuts instead, and WOW.  Easy and addicting (not necessarily a good combination)...

Mix in a saucepan:
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 stick margarine
Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat.  Stir in :
3 cups Quick oats
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix well.  Let rest for 3-5 minutes (no more) in pan and then drop onto wax paper. 

Coconut Pecan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Stole this recipe and modified a bit from my Aunt Melanie, who happens to be the Cookie Queen.  They are worth every ounce of energy and extra calories.  I made some with toasted coconut on top, and some without.  Either way - delicious.

1 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oats
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. flaked coconut (optional)


Cream together softened butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix flour, oats, salt, soda and baking powder together. Blend into butter mixture. Mix in remaining ingredients. Spoon the dough onto the cookie sheet and then put a 1/2 tsp. of flaked coconut onto the top of the dough.  Bake on un-greased cookie sheet. 350 degrees 8-10 minutes. Or until just browned around edges.  Let sit on pan for 5 minutes, then put on cooling rack.

Marriage Sugar Cookies

I do not like these sugar cookies. I call them marriage sugar cookies for two reasons.  First, these cookies have sometimes saved my marriage.  They have been my peace offering to my more-than-patient husband when I have been a not-so-nice wife.  If you stop by my house and see this dough chilling in the fridge, you can assume that my mister is deserving of something extra special.  These cookies are a symbol of my admission to him (let it not be an admission here, just to him) that perhaps my cookies are not better than his mother's cookies - or at least to his taste buds.  Don't worry, I have already begun conditioning my own children to believe that my cookies are best. 
Second, marriage is something that's easy to get into - these cookies are a cinch to whip together, but to perfect the dough, it has to chill and set, you get my drift?  Sometimes you don't see things coming.  Like the lemon flavor, for example.  It just does not do it for me.  However, my husband LOVES these cookies.  And because I love him, I make them for him all the time (what, are you accusing me of being a not-so-nice wife and owing him?).  Anyway, if you like sweet and flaky with a hint of lemon, you might....just might...enjoy my husband's all-time favorite.  Cringe. 

Now if you want a really GREAT cookie....CLICK HERE.

1 lb. butter
2 C. sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. baking sodia
1/4 tsp. salt
6 C. flour

Cream sugar & butter until fluffy.  Add eggs, vanilla and lemon.  Sift dry ingredients into bowl while beating.  Mix until incorporated.  Chill (overnight is best).  Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough about 1/4" thick on floured surface.  Bake 8 minutes, remove from oven and let sit on pan for at least 5 minutes.  Remove to wire rack.  Cool entirely.  Frost.

Cookie Glaze:
Powdered sugar
add milk to get desired consistency
add a drop of vanilla
add food coloring if desired
stir until smooth.
Glaze cookies

Yields: a lot.

Oatmeal Cinnamon Chip Cookies & a Mega Cookie Freezing Tip

With fall in the air (already? no!), I have started my cravings for apples and cinnamon.  Add that to my constant craving for a warm cookie, some extra cinnamon chips in the pantry, and a never ending supply of butter from Costco and VOILA!  A new cookie recipe!

*Make sure to check out my tip for cookie making/freezing below*

1 c. butter (2 sticks), unsalted
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/3 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. oats
1 10 oz. bag cinnamon chips
3/4 c. golden raisins *optional, next time I'll try apple bits*
1/2 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350.  Beat butter and sugars until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix until creamy.  Add flour, salt & baking soda, mix well.  Stir in oats, chips, raisins and walnuts - batter will be nice and thick.  Scoop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.  Remove from oven, leave cookies on sheet for 2 minutes, then remove to cool on wire rack.

Cookie Dough Tip:

I like to ALWAYS have some cookies ready to pop in the oven, because I like to eat them fresh. So...

1) Make a double batch of cookies (or a single, I just like to have more).  Bake the ones you want for now.  With the remaining dough, scoop out with your melon scooper onto waxed paper.

2) Label some heavy duty aluminum foil (or double wrap with regular foil to prevent freezer burn), wrap tightly and freeze.  Will keep for 3 months in the freezer.  I do this with almost every cookie dough recipe I have.  So, chances are...if you're at my place and we need a quick cookie fix, we take them out of the freezer, let them thaw counter top for a few minutes while the oven is preheating and we'll be chowing down on the warm, homemade morsels in no time.

Fudgie Nut Cookies

All I can say is, "Think warm, fudgie brownie with nuts" (omit the nuts if you don't like them - I made half with and half without).  If you really want to splurge, top it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. DELISH.  I froze half the dough and made them later.  YUM.  Great idea for a Memorial Day BBQ, or just because you like chocolate cookies.

2 sticks salted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray large baking sheet.
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the butter mixture and stir until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts.

3. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes, until the tops are set. Remove from the oven and leave on pan for at least 10 minutes.  Then move to cool on a wire rack. Once cooled, store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.

Fruit Pizza Bars

This was a little concoction of my own, and I must say, it was GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD.  Sweet, cream cheesey (new word, look it up) and somehow tastes a little like crack (not that I've ever had it) - it's the only way I can describe to tell you that I couldn't get enough of it.  I came up with it after I had tons of egg yolks leftover after my couple attempts at Angel Food Cake.  Plus, I had about a zillion strawberries I had to use up before they went bad.  Try it.  You will like it, and if you don't, I will be extremely surprised.

Pizza Bar Crust

1 cup salted butter (2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon butter extract (or use more vanilla, or try lemon or orange for a citrus kick)

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Separately, beat egg yolks and add extracts.
Add beaten egg yolk mixture to creamed butter and sugar. Blend well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and cream of tartar).
Add dry ingredients to creamed butter, sugar and egg mixture, mixing until well blended.
For Fruit Pizza, press mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. (or for cookies form into balls about the size of a walnut and roll balls in sugar, place on greased cookie sheet or parchment lined cookie sheet, and slightly flatten.)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes - 20 minutes, or until brown around the edges.  Let cool entirely.

"Pizza Sauce":
1 block softened cream cheese
1/2 tub of whipped topping
1 c. of powdered sugar

Mix well - and put on cooled bar.  Cover with strawberries (or fruit of your choice) until you can't see anymore of the "pizza sauce" - I used about 2 cups of sliced strawberries.  Slice into bars.  Serve at room temperature, or chilled.

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies w/ Golden Raisins & Walnuts

Print Recipe HERE

It's official, these are my all-time favorite cookies. I love them. They taste chewy in the middle, crunchy on the outside, with a hint of caramel flavor and walnuts up the wazoo with sweet golden raisins (way better than brown raisins, in my opinion).  They are delish.  If you're a fan of oatmeal cookies, these are for you. 

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix until fluffy:
1 cup salted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
Add one at a time:
2 eggs
Add:
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Mix together and add:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
By hand, stir in:
3 cups quick oats
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup golden raisins (or substitute for chocolate chips if you prefer)

Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove and let cool on pan for 5-10 minutes, then cool completely on wire racks (or eat warm!)

Persimmon Cookies

What's a persimmon, you ask? Looks sort of like a tomato. Known to the ancient Greeks as "fruit of the Gods". Fits in the berry family, surprisingly. Famous around autumn time. Makes a really tasty cookie.

Try Out This Recipe (fits in the pumpkin cookie family):
2 ripe persimmons, pureed
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease or line one baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
Cream the butter or margarine with the sugar. Beat in the egg and persimmons. Add the flour mixture and mix until combined, stir in the chopped nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 to 15 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Stuffed Cupcakes

All she had to say was chocolate chip cookie stuffed, and I knew I had to try it. Jenny, over at Picky Palate, came up with an amazing combo. I'm kicking myself! Why didn't I think of that?! I don't usually love cupcakes. Usually being the key word, because I will make these again - no question. I'll cut & paste the recipe here, but check out her blog for the gorgeous pictures. I ate mine without frosting, and used my own very favorite chocolate chip cookie dough recipe, and they were FABULOUS. Thanks for a great recipe, Picky Palate!

1 box butter/yellow cake mix
1 small box instant chocolate pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup vegetable oil
1/2 Cup sour cream
Your Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz softened cream cheese
1 stick softened butter
3 Cups powdered sugar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, oil and sour cream into a stand or electric mixer. Beat on medium speed for close to 2 minutes or until well combined. Scoop into 24 paper lined cupcake cups just over 1/2 full. Next, press 1 Tablespoon prepared cookie dough into the center of each cupcake batter. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until toothpick comes out mostly clean from center. Let cool completely.
2. Place cream cheese and butter into mixer, beat until well combined. Slowly add in powdered sugar until good frosting consistency then spread with cream cheese frosting or chcolate ganache.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

*These are just like those peanut butter bars with chocolate frosting that you used to find in your elementary school cafeteria! Yum!

3/4 C. butter, softened

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. brown sugar

1 egg (large)

2 tsp. vanilla

3/4 C. creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 C. flour

1.5 C. oats

Frosting: 1 C. milk chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 8x8 glass pan13x9x2 inch pan. Beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add egg, vanilla, and peanut butter and beat until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined. Press mixture evenly into pan and bake 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. (Note: Will be underbaked.) While still warm, evenly distribute chocolate chips. When chips have melted spread into a thin layer.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

I love these little powdered sugar delights!

1 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 t. water
2 c. flour, sifted
1 c. almond or pecans (I used pecans)
1/2 c. powdered sugar

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add sifted flour and nuts, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours. Preheat oven to 325. Shape dough into balls or crescents. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Roll in powdered sugar. (the powdered sugar sticks better if the cookies are still slightly warm when you roll them.)

Easy Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Or...if you like, white chocolate macadamia nut, or cranberry macadamia nut with white chocolate. You decide! This recipe is super easy and very good. Found it on sister's cafe.

1 white cake mix
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup cranberries*
1/2 cup macadamia nuts

Mix ingredients together. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes, or until edges are starting to golden and top is not shiny anymore.
*To mix things up, substitute cranberries or macadamias with white chocolate chips