Peanut Butter Cookies

from Joy of Cooking

2/3 cup butter softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 cups peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda

Preheat oven to 375.  Mix butter, sugar, and brown sugar.  Add eggs, peanut butter, and vanilla.  Mix in flour and soda.  Roll in balls, and press flat.  Bake on lined cookie sheet 10-12 minutes.

Toffee Squares

from my mom

All 3 of my kids like these!  (Yes, they are almost as picky about dessert as they are about protein and vegetables).  I can't stop eating them... which is probably why I don't make them very often.  (But I think of this recipe every time I have an extra egg yolk).

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt until blended.  Pat into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  It will be soft, but nicely browned.  Remove from oven.  Immediately place separated chocolate chips on top.  Let stand until soft and spread evenly over surface.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Cut while still warm.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Baking Beauty

I finally tried cornstarch in chocolate chip cookies, and it totally worked!  Soft and chewy without any shortening.  I found this recipe on pinterest, and figured I didn't need to post it on the blog because I can find it there.  Then I had a chocolate chip cookie craving, and the link wouldn't work!  It's working now, but I'm posting here just in case.  I haven't tired making these in my mixer yet because the girls have more fun mixing with a spoon (and I love my little helpers).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 TB cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars together.
Mix in egg and vanilla.
Mix in flour, cornstarch, and baking soda.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop onto ungreased pans.
Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Snickerdoodles

from my mom

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 TB sugar
2 TB cinnamon

Heat oven to 400.  Mix butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and eggs.  Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt.  Shape dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into balls.  Mix 2 TB sugar and cinnamon.  Roll balls in cinnamon sugar.  Place apart on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.

Tri-Level Brownies

from my mom

Adam can't believe I would add oatmeal to something as sacred as a brownie, but these are the brownies I grew up with.  And I like them.  Sometimes I double the crust and use 1/2 whole wheat flour.

1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
6 TB butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 TB cocoa
1 TB oil
1 egg
2/3 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

for fudge frosting:
2 TB butter
3 TB cocoa
1 TB oil
1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
hot water

For bottom layer, stir together first 5 ingredients.  Stir in 6 TB melted butter.  Pat in 7x11 pan.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

For middle layer, combine sugar, 1/4 cup butter, cocoa, and oil.  Add egg.  Beat well.  Stir together 2/3 cup flour, baking powder, and salt.  Add to chocolate mixture alternately with a mixture of the milk and vanilla, mixing after each addition.  Fold in nuts, if desired.  Spread batter over baked layer.  Continue baking at 350 for 25 minutes.  Cool.  Frost with fudge frosting and cut into bars.

For Fudge Frosting
Combine butter, cocoa, and oil in small saucepan, and melt over low heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Blend in how water (about 2 TB) to make almost pourable consistency.

Graham Crackers

Click here for the recipe from Weelicious

I don't have dark brown sugar, so I used light brown sugar and added molasses the first time I made these.  They were good, and reminded us of gingerbread.  I left out the molasses the second time, and they were still good, and not so gingerbread-ish.  I cut in the butter with my pastry blender (or I may have used my hands) because I don't have a food processor.

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

Combine, and boil for 1-2 minutes (start timing after it reaches a rolling boil)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

Remove from heat and add:

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups oatmeal

1 cup peanut butter

Drop on waxed paper to cool.  (You can put your wax paper on top of newspaper to prevent the wax from sticking to your counter.)

Chocolate No Bake Cookies

Combine, and boil for 1-2 minutes (start timing after it reaches a rolling boil)
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
3 tsp cocoa

Remove from heat and add:
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter

Drop on waxed paper to cool.  (You can put your wax paper on top of newspaper to prevent the wax from sticking to your counter.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These probably aren't the best Pumpkin Cookies, but the recipe worked perfectly when I had 1 cup of pumpkin leftover from something else. I'm posting it so I can find it again (and remember all the changes I made).

1/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup applesauce

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup pumpkin puree

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/8 tsp ginger

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the margarine, applesauce, and sugar.

Add the egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.

Mix flour, baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and ginger together.

Combine flour and pumpkin mixtures.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop onto cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.

Magic in the Middle Cookies

Magic in the Middle Cookies from King Arthur Flour Website

Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions
• Preheat oven to 375* Lightly grease (or line with parchment) 2 baking sheets
• The Dough:
o In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt
o In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy.
o Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well
• The Filling:
o In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth
o With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 1” balls.
• Shaping the Cookies:
o Scoop 1 TB of dough, make an indentation in the center with your finger, and place one peanut butter ball inside
o Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together covering the center
o Roll the cookie to smooth it out.
o Repeat with remaining dough and filling
• Roll each rounded cookie in sugar, and place on prepared baking sheets ever 2 inches
• Grease bottom of a glass, and use it to flatten each cookie to about ½ inch thick.
• Bake for 7-9 minutes, or until they’re set and you can smell chocolate.
• Cool on rack.

Peanut Butter Cornflake Cookies

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
5 cups corn flakes

Heat sugar & syrup just to boiling. Remove from heat & stir in peanut butter. Pour over cereal & spread in pan, or on wax paper. Cool, cut, & serve.

Snappy Ginger Cookies

Click Here

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Cream together:
½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Mix in:
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
½ tsp salt

Bake at 375* for 7-10 minutes.

Lentil Oatmeal Rasin Cookies

Lentil Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Cream together:
11/2 cups butter softened
2 ½ cups brown sugar
1 cup sugar

Add:
4tsp vanilla
5 eggs
11/2 cups lentil puree (2 c water per cup lentils cooked till soft, then mashed)

Combine & Add:
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 cups wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda

Add:
5 cups quick oats
2 cups raisins
2 cups nuts (optional)

Cook at 375* for 5-10 minutes.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
5 cups flour
1 tsp soda
¾ cup sour cream
2 tsp baking powder

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla.

Add dry ingredients. Roll out thick and cut into shapes.

Bake 8-10 minutes (barely done and not brown at all) at 350.

Cool and frost.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened--almost melted
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk-chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
1/4 cup toffee chips

Directions:
Cream softened butter and sugar w/wooden spoon. Add eggs. Mix in salt, vanilla and baking soda. Mix in flour. Mix in cocoa. Fold in chips.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on pan for 5 minutes before removing. They will be gooey but if you keep in oven too long they will over bake and be too hard. Store in airtight container.