• Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie

    Recipe adapted from Caroline Chambers’ What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking,

    Ingredients:

    • 1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
    • 12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
    • 1 c. brown sugar
    • 1/3 c. granulated sugar
    • 1 egg
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 TBSP vanilla extract
    • 2 c. flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
    • 1 1/2 tsp. flaky salt
    • Vanilla ice cream for serving

    Directions:

    1. Melt butter in a 10-12 inch oven proof skillet over medium low heat, swirling butter often, until the butter foams, then cook until the milk solids drop tot he bottom and begin to brown, 5-8 minutes total. If butter starts to bubble and spit, reduce heat. Remove skillet from heat and allow butter to cool for 30 or so minutes.
    2. Once the butter cools, add the brown sugar and granulated sugar to the skillet and stir to combine. Stir in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
    3. Pile the flour, baking soda, and salt on top of the butter mixture. Use your fingers to sift the baking soda into the flour, then stir it into the butter mixture (it will seem like too much flour, but keep stirring until combined).
    4. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using your hands, press the dough to the edges of the skillet and smooth out the top. Sprinkle with flaky salt.
    5. Allow dough to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to allow the flour to hydrate before baking, if you can.
    6. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325F, and bake for 20-30 minutes, until the cookie is light golden bust still very soft looking in the center. A 12 inch skillet will need less time while a 10 inch skillet will need more time.
    7. Top with ice cream and eat immediately or let cookie cool for about 20 minutes and scoop into bowls or slice into pieces.

    Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie:

  • Lemon Sugar Cookies

    Recipe adapted from Modern Honey.

    Ingredients:

    • 1 c. cold butter, cut into cubes
    • 2 c. sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 tsp. vanilla
    • 3 lemons, zested
    • 1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice
    • 3 c. flour
    • 1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
    • 1/4 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • Sparkling crunch sugar

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350*.
    2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar for 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest and stir to combine.
    3. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix just until combined.
    4. Drop dough onto light colored baking sheet.
    5. Bake for 9-11 minutes (usually 11 minutes). Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with sparkling crunchy sugar.

    Lemon Sugar Cookies:

  • Easy Peasy Hamentashen

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    This hamentashen recipe is so easy.  I’ve got a family recipe that calls for the dough to be refrigerated overnight, and whenever I look at that recipe I just want to make these cookies right now!  So this easy recipe is perfect and tasty too!

    This recipe is from allrecipes.com.
    Ingredients:

    • 1 (18.25 oz.) package moist yellow cake mix
    • 1 c. all-purpose flour
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 TBSP water
    • 1 c. pie filling or Solo filling, any flavor

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets or use parchment paper.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix and flour. Stir in the eggs and water to form a stiff dough. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch round circles and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Place a teaspoon of filling into the center of each cookie and pinch the sides to form three corners. Moisten with water if necessary.
    3. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheets before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

    Easy Peasy Hamentashen:
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  • Chocolate Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

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    Have you seen the new dark chocolate mint chips by Nestle.  I absolutely love mint, so I knew these were right up my alley!  -s is the cookie baker in our house, so he found a chocolate chocolate chip cookie recipe on Food Network, and used that recipe to make these most delicious cookies!

    If you love chocolate and mint you’ll love these cookies!  If you love thin mints, you’ll love these cookies!

    Ingredients:

    • 2 1/4 c. flour
    • 1 tsp. salt
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 2 sticks butter, softened
    • 1 c. granulated sugar
    • 1 c. packed brown sugar
    • 2 eggs, beaten
    • 1 TBSP vanilla
    • 1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
    • 1 10 oz. bag of dark chocolate mint morsels

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
    2. In a bowl stir together flour, salt, and baking soda.
    3. In another large bowl stir together butter, both sugars, eggs, vanilla and cocoa. Gradually stir flour mixture into butter mixture and mix until combined. Stir chocolate chips and stir to distribute evenly.
    4. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets and bake about 10 minutes. Cool on a baking rack.

    Chocolate Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies:

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  • Oatmeal Scotchies

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    -s loves oatmeal scotchies.  He whipped up a batch this afternoon, and the cookies are delicious, with the added bonus of making the house smell heavenly…kind of like one of those really yummy smelling candles.  The recipe is courtesy of Nestle.

    ***If you are making a double recipe do one recipe at a time, because there is too much dough for the mixer to handle a double all at once***
    Ingredients:

    • 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
    • 3/4 c. sugar
    • 3/4 c. brown sugar
    • 2 large eggs
    • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 3 c. quick or old-fashioned oats
    • 1 2/3 c. (11 oz. package) butterscotch morsels

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375.
    2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl.  Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in oats and morsels.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
    3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies; 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

    Oatmeal Scotchies:

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  • Oatmeal Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies

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    These cookies were really good, although I thought the toffee kind of got lost in the cookie, so maybe add more toffee bits than the original recipe calls for.  This recipe is adapted from the oatmeal toffee cookies found in the December 2008 issue of Cooking Light.

    Ingredients:

    • 3.4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
    • 1 c.  old-fashioned rolled oats
    • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
    • 1/4 tsp. salt
    • 3/4 c. packed brown sugar
    • 1/4 c. butter, softened
    • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 1 large egg
    • 1/3 c. (or more) almond toffee bits
    • 1 c. chocolate chips
    • Cooking spray

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350°.
    2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Stir in toffee bits and chocolate chips.
    3. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on 2 baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on pans 1 minute. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

    Oatmeal Toffee Chocolate Chip Cookies:

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  • Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies

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    One of -s’s coworkers requested that we make the grand prize 2008 Pillsbury bake-off recipe: double-delight peanut butter cookies.

    I thought they tasted very good. They are kind of a cross between a peanut butter cookie and a snickerdoodle. -s didn’t really care for them too much, but our daughter LOVES them.

    I found them to be a bit labor intensive…first you roll the peanut butter into balls, then cut the cookie dough, then put the cookie dough around the peanut butter balls, then roll again, then roll in sugar mixture then flatter with a glass…repeat 24 times.

    Ingredients:

    • 1/4 c. dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped
    • 1/4 c. granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
    • 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
    • 1/2 c. powdered sugar
    • 1 roll (16.5 oz.) refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough, well chilled.

    Directions:

    1. Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix chopped peanuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon; set aside.
    2. In another small bowl, stir peanut butter and powdered sugar until completely blended. Shape mixture into 24 (1-inch) balls.
    3. Cut roll of cookie dough into 12 slices. Cut each slice in half crosswise to make 24 pieces; flatten slightly. Shape 1 cookie dough piece around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely. Repeat with remaining dough and balls.
    4. Roll each covered ball in peanut mixture; gently pat mixture completely onto balls. On ungreased large cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Spray bottom of drinking glass with CRISCO Original No-Stick Cooking Spray; press into remaining peanut mixture. Flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness with bottom of glass. Sprinkle any remaining peanut mixture evenly on tops of cookies; gently press into dough.
    5. Bake 7 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Store tightly covered.

    Double-Delight Peanut Butter Cookies:

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  • Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

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    This afternoon I had an urge to make some cookies. I looked in the pantry to see what I had on hand, and I came up with the most delicious recipe. The base recipe is Quaker’s Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, but instead of raisins, I added coconut and white chocolate chips. I also cooked the cookies longer to get a much more crispy cookie. These were a hit!

    Ingredients:

    • 2 sticks of butter, softened
    • 1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
    • 1/2 c. white sugar
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 tsp. vanilla
    • 1 1/2 c. flour
    • 1 tsp. baking soda
    • 1 tsp. cinnamon
    • 1/2 tsp. salt
    • 3 c. old fashioned oats
    • 1 c. grated coconut
    • 1 c. white chocolate chips

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 350.
    2. Cream the butter with the brown and white sugars in an electric mixer.
    3. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine.
    4. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt and mix well.
    5. Add the oats, coconut, and white chocolate, and combine.
    6. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool one minute on cookie sheet and then remove cookies and let cool completely on a wire cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.

    Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies:

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  • Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

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    I love to cook, but cookies are definitely -s’s domain! The original source of this recipe I believe is Betty Crocker. Over the years -s has changed it up a bit, primarily the amount and type of chocolate. These cookies are just to die for!

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
    • 1/2 c. brown sugar
    • 1/3 c. butter, softened
    • 1/3 c. shortening
    • 1 egg
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • 1 1/2 c. flour
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 12 oz. chocolate chips (use one kind or do 1/2 dark and 1/2 white chips)

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 375.
    2. Mix sugars, butter, shortening, egg, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients.
    3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from cookie sheet.

    Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies:

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  • Mexican Wedding Cookies

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    These cookies are just delicious. We found this recipe years ago at a Texas cooking site and have been making them ever since. They are easy to make, and since there’s no egg in the dough, it’s a great recipe for kids to help make.  Both of our kiddos like to taste as they cook, so this recipe is great for that, and they are a real crowd pleaser.

    Ingredients:

    • 1/2 c. butter, room temperature
    • 1/2 c. shortening
    • 2 c. powdered sugar, divided
    • 1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp almond extract
    • 2 c. sifted flour
    • 1/4 tsp salt
    • 1 c. finely chopped pecans

    Directions:

    1. Preheat oven to 325F.
    2. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, shortening, and 1 c. sugar in a large bow. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts.
    3. Gradually add the flour and salt. Use your mixer for the first cup of flour, and work in the remaining cup of flour and the finely chopped pecans with a wooden spoon. Dough will be stiff.
    4. Form dough into balls (1 level tablespoon each). Place on an ungreased baking sheet, 1 inch apart. Bake on middle oven rack until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
    5. Let cookies cool a bit then while they are still warm, place the remaining powdered sugar in a shallow dish. Roll the cookies in the sugar to coat completely. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

    Mexican Wedding Cookies:

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