Chewy Sugar Cookies

When it comes to a good sugar cookie, I definitely fall under the category of "can't stop at just one." You think I am kidding, but alas, I only wish I were. One of the problems with sugar cookies though... they take forever to make from start to finish. There's the rolling and the cutting and then the frosting! I swear, I may be the slowest sugar cookie maker in the world!!

Luckily, my sister seems to be able to make them in about half of the time that I can. It must be because she has double the amount of children and has learned to get things done more efficiently. At any rate, she made these the other day, and I contributed by frosting them (the easiest way I could!) and eating them. I took one for he team and ate about a dozen. So, you know, no one else had to go into a sugar coma. I'm nice like that.

Even though they may take a few extra minutes to make, I promise they are worth every bite. Or all 238 bites, depending on the kind of self control ya have.

Chewy Sugar Cookies

2 Cups Butter, softened

2 Cups Sugar

4 Eggs

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Baking Powder

Dash of Salt

6 Cups Flour

With an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix until incorporated. Add remaining ingredients and mix until the dough comes together. 

Roll portions of the dough out, on a floured surface, until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out in desired shapes and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. You don't want to over cook these babies... take them out before they get brown. When cookies have cooled, frost with your favorite frosting, or the recipe that follows.

Perfect Sugar Cookie Frosting

4 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter, softened

5 TBSP Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla

Food Coloring, optional

With your electric mixer, blend the butter and powdered sugar together until smooth, or little powdered sugar balls start to form. You just want the sugar and butter to incorporate together well. Once you've done this, gradually add in the milk and vanilla and mix until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired. This is a great frosting to put in a bag and pipe over a cookie the way I did {lazy mom frosting! So much faster!!}, or frost the entire cookie how you normally would.

Delicious... Enjoy! 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

You can always use another cookie recipe, right?

These oatmeal cookies are the perfect combination of a slightly crisp outside, but a perfectly chewy middle. The addition of the chocolate bar really adds to the cookie, so don't skip it!

I might have had a couple for breakfast the morning after I made them... I justified it because of all the oatmeal!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Light Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
2 1/2 Cups Oatmeal
4 oz. Chocolate Candy Bar, cut into small pieces
12 oz. Milk Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugars and mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and incorporate well. Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder,  and oatmeal. Stir in chocolate chips and candy bar chunks.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to get golden brown and the centers look set. Makes about 36 cookies.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know I'm totally off season here posting a pumpkin recipe in May but hopefully you won't mind when you make them and discover how delicious they really are. :)  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cookies

3 cups sugar

1 cup shortening
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
1 large package chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add eggs, pumpkin and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients until blended. Add to pumpkin mixture.  Add chocolate chips & nuts.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes.  Cool on rack.

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 packages of cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Cream together cream cheese & butter.  Add vanilla.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  Can be stored in the fridge if you have extra.

I hope you enjoy!!

Whole Wheat Molasses Cookies

These tasty treats are one of my all time favorite cookies I got from one of my all time favorite people (Lori Paulsen). Ginger snaps are big in my family, but I don't like snappy cookies, so I wanted one that was soft and chewy. I couldn't have been more thrilled to find this gem years ago and have been making it ever since. I realize everyone has different tastes and if you don't like molasses cookies you will probably not like these. However, if you are not sure I would give it a go. They are melt in your mouth delicious. Just be careful about how long you bake them. If baked too long, they will harden.


1/3rd to 1/2 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Mix wet, then add dry ingredients. If the dough is too stiff, add 1 TBsp milk, up to 5 times. Bake 350-375 for 6-8 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

My cute Visiting teacher brought these over to me last week and they were so good I had to get the recipe. This is a soft snickerdoodle recipe which I like better than the last one I posted. I just had to have the recipe. So I mixed up a batch, popped them in the oven and froze them for an event. (they freeze and re-thaw quite well). Lets just say they did not even last in this house for 24 hours before they mysteriously all dissappeared.


1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix the first 4 wet ingredients, then add the dry ingredients. Roll into balls. Roll in a mixture of cinnamon sugar (2 TBsp sugar + 2 tsp cinnamon)Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes (will vary depending on your altitude).

Lime-Glazed Coconut Snowballs

Recipe from A Bountiful Kitchen who adapted it from Two Peas and Their Pod

Butter Cookie Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1-2 teaspoons grated lime zest
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into sixteen 1/2-inch pieces, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature

Glaze
1 tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
3+ tablespoons lime juice
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, pulsed in food processor until finely chopped, about fifteen 1-second pulses (I just used shredded coconut straight from the bag and it worked just fine)

In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, mix flour, lime zest, sugar, and salt on low speed until combined. With mixer running on low, add butter 1 piece at a time; continue to mix until mixture looks crumbly and slightly wet, about 1 minute longer. Add vanilla and cream cheese and mix on low until dough just begins to form large clumps, about 30 seconds (longer for me...).  Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake in 375-degree oven until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Cool.
Beat cream cheese and 2 tablespoons lime juice in medium bowl until combined. Mix in confectioners' sugar until smooth, adding remaining lime juice as needed until glaze is thin enough to spread easily.  Dip tops of cookies into glaze and then dip into coconut. Set cookies on baking sheet; let stand until glaze dries about 10-20 minutes.

Cookies & Cream Brownies

I have some friends who keep telling me I should stop posting deliciously fattening recipes on this here blog {you know who you are!}.  I keep thinking...  "if I was a good friend, I would listen to these skinny girls".  But then, I come across a recipe so sinfully delightful that I cannot {CANNOT I say}, keep it to myself.

See, I think a better friend will share the recipe with you...  and then join you as you eat it!

Now, what do you say we go get chubby together!?

Cookies & Cream Brownies

1/2 Cup Butter, softened
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 TBSP Cocoa Powder
1 1/4 Cups Flour
1/4 tsp. Salt
2 Cups Milk Chocolate Chips*, divided
1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
20 Oreo Cookies


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 8x8 inch cake pan {or use the awesome cooking spray that has flour already in it!} 


In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until nice & fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Add vanilla & stir.
Add cocoa powder and mix until combined.
Add flour and salt, mixing until batter is smooth.
Fold in 1/2 cups chocolate chips.

Spread mixture into prepared pan. Sink 9 oreos into the batter and gently press. Bake for 25-30 minutes. While brownies are in the oven, crush the remaining oreos and set aside. When finished baking, remove brownies from oven and sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate chips and crushed oreos evenly on top. Return to oven and bake for about 3 minutes.

While brownies are in the oven, put your peanut butter and remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Melt together until a smooth mixture forms... about a minute and a half. When brownies are done, remove from oven and pour peanut butter mixture on top. Spread with a spatula and gently tap on the counter, making sure the chocolate gets into every crevice. This chocolate mixture is what will bind the brownies together. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

when ready to eat, let brownies sit at room temperature for a few minutes before slicing. If the cookies are a little crumbly and spill, its ok. Trust me, these things are so good you won't even care how they look when all is said and done!

Also, if you are a very smart person, you will get ride of these very soon after slicing into them...otherwise you will find yourself going back for seconds...

and thirds...

and lets face it, fourths.

*I recommend using a high quality chocolate chip. It really does make all the difference. I just can't stand waxy chocolate!!


recipe source: howsweeteats

Oreo Cake Mix Cookies

A while back, Emily posted the recipe for the easiest cookies known to man: Cake Mix Cookies,
I was talking to my friend this week and she said she had made some and added oreos to the batter. I decided to try them out and I thought they were delicious... and quiet addictive. Now this isn't the kind of dessert you would serve the Queen of England, but they are tasty, quick, and my little girl loved them!

Oreo Cake Mix Cookies

1 Box White Cake Mix
2 Eggs
1/3 Cup Oil
1 Sleeve Oreo Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix cake mix, eggs, and oil until it forms a smooth dough. Roughly cut Oreo cookies in large chunks {about 4 pieces per cookie}. Add to dough and gently stir.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheets. Cook for about 12-14 minutes, depending on your over {mine seemed to take a little longer than I expected. Just watch them because you want them soft!}

When cookies have cooled completely, either eat, or add a glaze/frosting of some sort. I was going to make an Oreo frosting, but decided to use up the rest of some vanilla glaze I had. Turned out great!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Cookie Dough + Cheesecake.


Seriously, I don't even know what else to say.


So lets just say that this dessert is AMAZING, and if you want an incredible treat to share, this would be the way to go! It takes a little time and effort, but it is well worth the wait!! Just trust me on this one.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Crust:
4 TBSP Butter, melted
2 1/2 Cups Chocolate Cookie Crumbs 

Filling:
4 {8-ounce} Blocks Cream Cheese, @ room temperature
1 Cup sugar
4 Eggs
1 tsp. Flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup Sour Cream 

Cookie Dough:
½ Cup Butter, softened
½ Cup Sugar
½ Cup Light Brown Sugar, packed
2 TBSP Milk
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

An additional 1 cup mini chocolate chips to fold into the batter with the cookie dough balls

Garnish:

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks {add powdered sugar to sweeten} 

Mini chocolate chips, for sprinkling

For the cookie dough: In a medium bowl, combine the butter and sugars for the cookie dough. Add the  milk, vanilla and blend. Mix in the flour, salt and the chocolate chips. The dough will be fairly soft. Gently roll the dough into small balls and put them on a lined plate or baking sheet. Put them in the freezer to harden while making the rest of the cheesecake.

For the crust: Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan with softened butter. In a medium bowl, combine the butter with the chocolate cookie crumbs. Press onto the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the prepared pan.

-->

For the cheesecake: Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and flour until smooth. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix just until blended. Don't over mix!

Pour half the batter into the prepared crust. Gently stir in the cookie dough balls and the additional 1 cup mini chocolate chips into the remaining batter. Pour into the pan, spreading the batter to the sides of the pan and evening it out across the top. Bake the cheesecake at 325 degrees for one hour. Turn off the oven and prop the door open several inches. Let the cake sit in the oven for an additional 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled (ideally, overnight). To serve, cut into slices and top with whipped cream and mini chocolate chips. Will make 12 generous servings!

**I baked mine the same way I bake our PB cheesecake... in a water bath. the water bath will help prevent cracking on the top of the cheesecake, and since I was actually selling slices of this cheesecake at a service auction, I wanted it to look perfect.

recipe source: melskitchencafe.com

Check out our other great recipes!

Snickerdoodles

Here is another version of snickerdoodles cookies. I am not a big fan of crunchy cookies, so this one is totally soft!


1 cup margarine (I used butter and they were still soft)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3 3/4 cup flour
2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 ts soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter

Roll balls into cinnamon-sugar mixture (approximately 1 inch). Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 7-10 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

We made these yummy cookies a few weeks ago for a Valentine's Day treat. My friend had dropped some by for us and I loved them. So of course I needed the recipe. Ironically, after she emailed the recipe to me, I took one look at it and realized I already had the same exact recipe in my recipe book from my mother-in-law. I had never made them though so I didn't know how tasty they were! I have since made them and can tell you they are delightful! Also, you will want to use the wheat flour like the recipe calls for. They are just not the same when you use regular white flour.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie's

1 Cup Butter, softened
1 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 Cup White Sugar
2 Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/4 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 Cups Quick Cooking Oats
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips (or M&M's)

Preheat oven to 325 Degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt into a different bowl and then stir into the butter mixture until just blended. Mix in the oats and the chocolate chips.

Use a spoon or ice cream scoop to drop dough onto prepared sheets. Bake for 11-13 minutes. allow cookies to sit on sheet for a few minutes than transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

I know you have all probably made these a hundred times but I made them on Sunday and realized we didn't have a recipe on our blog for them so I was going to add one.  I have seen many variations to this recipe.  This one comes from the Hershey's Baking Calendar they put out for 2010.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Hershey Kisses

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended.  Add sugars and beat until fluffy.  Add egg, milk and vanilla.  Beat well.  Stir together the flour, baking soda and salt and then gradually beat into the peanut butter mixture.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls.  If you desire you can then roll them in white sugar (I opt not to do this part).  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Immediately press Hershey Kiss into center of each cookie.  The cookie will crack a bit around the edges.

Cool  and enjoy.

*Now, this recipe says it will make approximately 48 cookies.  I find this to be a huge exaggeration.  I doubled the recipe and got 60 cookies total...and my cookies were the same size as the ones the calendar advertises.  :)

Oreo Brownie Bites

Ok, so i saw this on a blog a few weeks ago, and now for the life of me I cannot remember which blog it was! So I apologize to the blog world for not crediting this back to who ever you are! {Liberty... who was it??}

Anyway, these are a really fun, fast, and easy treat. My husband and 3 year old actually helped me make them... and their pan turned out way better looking then my pan did! The original post says to get one of those wilton pens to do the decorations on top, but I was just going to the store and decided to improvise. I bought some of this stuff, and it worked great:

I know they aren't gorgeous, but that wasn't really the goal on this particular evening. I am sure you can make these much fancier, but for my purposes the glaze worked just dandy.

Oreo Brownie Bites

1 Package Oreo Cookies {I actually used peppermint cookies and it took more than 1 package}

1 Box Brownie Mix, made according to package directions

Glaze of some sort

Sprinkles

Make brownie mix according to package directions. Generously spray 2 muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray. Take Oreo's and dip them in the brownie batter, shaking off the excess if there is too much, and place 1 cookie in each muffin holder. Bake @ 350 degrees for about 12-14 minutes... depending on your oven. When cooled, decorate and enjoy. Tasty and ridiculously easy!!

Triple Chunk Cookies

Here's another delicious chocolate chip cookie. They are big and chunky, and trust me, that's how they are supposed to be. The recipe calls for milk chocolate, white chocolate, and semi-sweet chocolate, but you can easily substitute if one of these chocolates doesn't appeal to you. I also didn't add nuts to mine because I find that most people prefer cookies without nuts. This recipe comes from one of my young women at church... she is an awesome baker!

Triple Chunk Cookies
{makes approx. 3 dozen}

4 Cups Flour
1 tsp. baking Soda
1 tsp. Baking Powder
3 Sticks Butter, softened
1 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 Eggs
1 TBSP, Vanilla + 1 tsp.
1/4 tsp. Salt
1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Chopped Nuts {optional}


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift dry ingredients in a medium size bowl & set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer, cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to cream. Slowly add dry ingredients while continuing to mix, until all incorporated. Add chocolate chips  {& nuts if using} and mix by hand. Form into large balls and slightly flatten. Bake on parchment covered baking sheets for 12-14 minutes. Cool on wire racks... they won't really flatten out much in the baking process, so you will want to give them a good amount of time to cool down since they will be thick!

Double Chocolate Macaroons

These are European macaroons, more meringue-like than chewy, coconut American macaroons.

Macaroons

75g/2.5 oz plain chocolate, chopped

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

200g/7.5 oz caster sugar

125g/4.7 oz ground almonds

2-3 drops almond essence

Chocolate Filling

110g/4 oz white chocolate, chopped

100ml/approximately 3.75 fl oz double cream

2 baking sheets, lined with non-stick baking parchment

Makes 8 pairs

Put the plain chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of steaming but not boiling water and melt gently (do not let the base of the bowl touch the water).  Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until smooth.  Let cool while making the rest of the mixture.  Put the egg whites into a spotlessly clean, grease-free bowl and, using and electric whisk or mixer, whisk until stiff peaks form.  Gradually whisk in the sugar to make a thick, glossy meringue.  Using a large metal spoon, fold in the ground almonds, almond essence and melted chocolate.  When thoroughly blended, put 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread to a disc about 5cm across, repeat with the rest of the mixture, spacing the macaroons well apart.

Bake in a preheated oven at 300F/150C/Gas 2 for 30 minutes until just firm.  Remove from the oven and let cool on the trays for about 2 minutes or until firm enough to transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  When cold, peel the macaroons away from the lining paper.

To make the filling, put the white chocolate and cream into a small, heavy-based saucepan and heat very gently, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.  Remove from the heat, let cool, then, using a wooden spoon, beat until thick and fluffy.  Use to sandwich the macaroons together and set aside for at least 1 hour before serving.  Store in an airtight container.

Best eaten within 5 days.  Not suitable for freezing.

We just used whipped cream to fill them.

Chocolate Mint Cookies

These cookies are DeLiCiOuS!!

And when you see the ingredient list, you will know why... lets just say there is nothing "light" about these beauties {but I actually use light butter. Yay me!}. The base is a rich chocolate cookie, but the mint comes in when you add an Andes mint on top and let it melt. So delicious!! I imagine that other small chocolates would be good as well... Rolos, anyone?! Enjoy!

Chocolate Mint Cookies

3/4 Cup butter

1 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar

2 TBSP Water

2 Cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

2 Eggs, beaten

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

Large bag of Andes Mints, unwrapped and set aside

Melt butter, brown sugar and water in sauce pan over medium heat. Do not boil. Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted and incorporated. Cool for about 15-20 minutes. Pour chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl, and add 2 beaten eggs. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix together and chill for about an hour.

When mixture is cool, remove from fridge and roll into 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls. Place on a greased

{I use a silpat mat} cookie sheet & bake @ 350 for about 11 minutes. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, place an unwrapped Andes Mint on top of each cookie. Allow mint to heat up for a minute, then using the back of a spoon, gently spread the mint around the top of the cookie. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow cookies to cool completely and the mint to harden back up. Then eat them to your hearts content... trust me, they are so good for you! :)

** You can also use the little Peppermint Crumbles on these as well. They are soft, not actual candy canes. You can find them by the chocolate chips @ the grocery store. OR, if you are not a fan of mint {my little friend Alana told me it was like eating toothpaste}, a Rolo or a miniature Reeses Peanut Butter Cup could also work. The possibilities are endless!

Cake Mix Cookies

I don't know if any of you have seen these. . . Seems to me like something that has been around for a long time, and I am just now catching on to. They are a great treat to bake when you are in a rush, and they turn out every time. Also, there are endless possibilities with these as well so get creative!


Makes 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

1 box cake mix (any flavor)
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs

DIRECTIONS:

Pour cake mix into a mixing bowl. Add oil & eggs, and mix well.
Roll into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased pan (I flatten them just a touch).
Bake at 350 for about 7 minutes (adjust accordingly).


A few extra ideas to get you going:

-Make ice-cream sandwiches by putting your favorite ice-cream in between two cookies. Wrap individually with plastic wrap and freeze. (lemon cake with strawberry ice-cream, devil's food cake with rocky road. . . )

-Make home-made oreos by using a chocolate cake mix with white frosting in the middle of two cookies.

-Rainbow cake mix topped with rainbow chip frosting.

-Add chocolate chips, nuts, raisins. . .

Never Fail Sugar Cookies

When it comes to sugar cookies, everyone has their own taste for what they like. As for me, I think I have found my perfect sugar cookie. I don't like my sugar cookies fluffy and cakey, or crisp. I like my cookies dense, moist and chewy. And that is just what I found in these babies! Yum! Credit goes to my neighbor Natalie Thurman, who I got this recipe from. (Her mother has been making these for years).

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups sugar
2 cups softened butter
6 eggs
6 tsp baking powder
7 cups flour
4 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Cream sugar & butter. Add eggs & vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Put in plastic wrap in fridge for 2 hours before baking. Bake at 350 for 4-5 minutes. (My oven produced perfect cookies at 7 minutes).

**Roll your cookies out somewhat thick as they do not rise much, if any.

**Makes around 7 dozen.

Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Bars

This recipe comes from a book my friend Jen Purdy put together for me, of all her favorite recipes. It was an awesome wedding gift, I love it! She's a wonderful cook.

1 C shortening

¾ C sugar

¾ C brown sugar packed

2 eggs

1 t vanilla extract

2 ¼ C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

2 C miniature marshmallows

1 C chocolate chips

(¾ C chopped nuts)

Cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in marshmallows, chips (and nuts, if desired).

Spread into greased 9" x 13" pan. Bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Heart Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now don't let the title deceive you. Yes, these cookies are probably better for you than some recipes, but they are still cookies. So don't think they are sugar free and nasty. Oh no my friends, these things are delightful. These are some of the chewiest & most delicious chocolate chip cookies I have ever had. I got the recipe from my friend Meagan about a year ago and thought they were awesome. I have wanted to make them many times since, but my food processor lid decided to break, leaving me food processor-less. Well, this last week, my awesome husband fixed the problem for me, and I could make these cookies again!

Now I realize some of you will look at this recipe and think it looks weird, but trust me. THEY ARE AWESOME. I mean it... you will love them if you give em' a try. Oh, did I mention they are vegan cookies? No? Oops. Its true though. If you use vegan chocolate {ok, I didn't. I love me some guittard chocolate chips}, then these babies are a totally vegan treat!

Heart Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 TBSP Canola Oil

2 Cups Walnuts

1 Cup Light Brown Sugar {i did half raw, half brown}

1/2 Cup Water

2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Oat Flour

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Cinnamon

2 Cups Rolled Oats

1 1/2 Cups Semi Sweet Vegan Chocolate Chips {or not vegan. if you are like me}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or spray with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Blend walnuts in food processor for 30 seconds, or until a fine meal forms. Add canola oil through feeding tube and blend for about 2 minutes more, until mixture has the consistency of natural peanut butter. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the food processor so all the walnuts are nicely incorporated. Transfer to a bowl.

Whisk together the brown sugar and 1/2 cup water in small saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Pour sugar mixture over walnut butter, add vanilla, and stir until no lumps remain.

Whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a separate bowl. Stir oat flour mixture into walnut mixture and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. When mixture has cooled, mix in oatmeal and chocolate chips.

Shape dough into 2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Flatten cookie with the bottom of a drinking glass that has been dipped in water. Bake 8-11 minutes, or until cookies start to look brown and tops look dry. Cool 3 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies.