Fluffy Oatmeal Cookies

I found this recipe for oatmeal cookies and then altered it to my liking. I prefer to use half shortening and half butter for a fluffier cookie. They. Were. Great...So great that Ross was supposed to take them to work and we ended up eating them all on our own :\  I definitely need to keep track of this recipe!

You'll need:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats
Optional: Chocolate chips, raisins, nuts

Make them:
1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour. 

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Using a small ice cream scoop, place dough onto cookie sheet. You could also roll into tablespoon sized balls.  

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dreamsicle Cookies

Tonight I decided to mix up my typical chocolate chip cookie recipe. I wanted something bright and fresh since it's starting to feel springy outside. So, I added some orange zest, orange extract, {even more} vanilla extract and white chocolate chips! Major success. 

Like, Hubby-kept-sneaking-into-the-kitchen-to-grab-another success.

image source for above pic

Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening...I use butter flavored, but I'm sure any will do
1/2 cup REAL butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tsp orange extract

Zest from one medium sized orange
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups white chocolate chips


1. In a large mixing bowl of your stand mixer, beat the shortening and butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Then add sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. 

2. Beat in the eggs, orange zest, orange extract and vanilla extract until combined. 

3. Beat in as much of the flour as you with the mixer. If necessary, stir in remaining flour by hand. Stir in white chocolate pieces. 

4. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet.
5. Bake cookies in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Healthier Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I wanted to make some cookies that I wouldn't feel as guilty about making, so I looked around at several recipes and this is what I came up with. They are surprisingly great! I don't even think that Ross will know that they are packed with good-for-you ingredients! And of course, I had to snap some pictures of my cute little satisfied customer.

You need:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup applesauce
  
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1 cup raisins, dried cranberries or other dried fruit
• 1 cup chopped nuts, optional
  

Make it:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the applesauce, egg, then stir in the vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and wheat germ; gradually stir into the creamed mixture.
4. Drop by rounded spoonfuls, a couple of inches apart, onto cookie sheet(s).
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

White chocolate and cranberry cookies

These are festive looking yummy little cookies!

Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 bag of white chocolate chips
1 bag of dried cranberries

1. In a large mixing bowl beat the shortening and butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds until well combined. Then add sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you with the mixer. Stir remaining flour. Stir in chocolate and cranberries.

2. Drop dough (I use a mini ice cream scoop) on to greased cookie sheet.

3. Bake cookies in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Seriously, the BEST peanut butter cookies ever

This is my recipe for the best peanut butter cookies ever. I've been tweaking it for a while and now I think it's pretty perfect.


INGREDIENTS:

1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 bag of Reese's peanut butter chips
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

DIRECTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 375. Cream together butter, peanut butter, vanilla and sugars. Beat in eggs.
2.In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add slowly into batter. Fold in peanut butter chips.
3. I use a mini-ice cream scooper to make evenly sized cookies or you can roll into 1 inch balls. Put on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes (in my oven, 11 minutes is perfect) or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

The Perfect Sugar Cookies

So, since we are having a boy, I am slowly being introduced to the world of Star Wars. It's a long story but, I lost a bet and will now have to watch the oldest three movies. Blah. Well, Ross' mom sent us some cookie cutters yesterday to "help" get me acquainted. My best friend, Sarah, is a sugar cookie-making master so, I used her recipe. The dough was so easy to work with, tasted yummy and made amazing little Yodas and Darth Vaders (something I NEVER thought I'd say). Here's her recipe. Thanks, Sarah!


Sarah's Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

* 3 cups plain flour
* 2 tsp baking powder
* 1 cup sugar
* 2 sticks softened butter
* 1 egg
* 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
* 1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined. Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on baking sheets (no need to spray the cookie sheet!)and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.


And now the wonderful ICING recipe:

* 1 cup confectioners' sugar
* 3 teaspoons milk
* 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
* 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

In a bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. I'll also add a splash of more milk or almond extract to thin the icing down if needed. I usually go with the almond because I absolutely LOVE almond extract. If you touch the icing with your finger tip, you want it to hold a peak for about 10 seconds, and then flatten down. Divide into separate bowls and add your food colorings!

Now to decorate, you can either use the little plastic bottles they sell at craft stores on the baking isle, or you can use icing bags and pipes. I use both. If you use the bags, make sure you have a #1 or #2 tip, otherwise the icing is just going to pour out the tip and make a mess. Trust me. I know.

Now when you're decorating, just outline your cookie, let it dry, and then "flood" the desired area in with more icing. Happy baking!

The BEST Peanut butter cookies

This is my version of a recipe that I got off of Allrecipes.com
I altered the amount of flour and peanut butter to make them more fluffy. These are amazing and the dough is pretty awesome too!

***I like to dress mine up with some extra peanut butter chips or heath bits (or both---eek).***

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

DIRECTIONS
1.Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.
2.In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
3.Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets. Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

Cara's Cakies

It has been raining solid for days now, so naturally we are staying in the house this weekend. That being said, I have cooked a lot! I made Leslie's famous chocolate chip cookies (with white chocolate chips, as per Ross' request), Gnocchi with Pesto Cream Sauce and these delightful little cookies. Ross called them cakies, since they are made with cake batter...I quite like the name! I got the recipe from this lovely lady, Cara! You will notice in the picture that one of them has sprinkles....my favorite food! I am of the philosophy that sprinkles, added to anything sweet, only makes the dish better! You should test my theory :)

Here is Cara's recipe...I added the notes about sprinkles

1 box cake mix (I've tried strawberry, chocolate, pineapple and lemon... chocolate and lemon are the biggest hits my fav is pineapple)
1 box cream cheese (thawed a bit)
1 stick softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
powdered sugar
sprinkles

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla and egg. Add cake mix (and sprinkles). Refrigerate for 2 hrs (or freezer for an hr). Roll into balls and roll the balls in powdered sugar (or sprinkles if you are obsessed with them like me). Bake for 12 min at 350. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (and more sprinkles).

Leslie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

A dear sweet friend of mine, Leslie, gave me her recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are, hands down, the best I have ever had. Ross loves them (of course) because he typically eats cookies with milk every night before bed. Today I added Heath Bar crumbles and they were fantastic!! You can see my prized pink KitchenAid mixer in the background!

Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter (THE REAL STUFF PEOPLE!)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips

add nuts optional

1. In a large mixing bow beat the shortening and butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. I swear using a mixer is key to yummy cookies. Then add sugar brown sugar, and baking soda. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the eggs, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you with the mixer. Stir remaining flour. Stir in chocolate pieces, and if desired nuts.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake cookies in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Thin Mint Knock-offs

So we all love when the Girl Scouts come knocking on our doors and we get to stock up on their amazing cookies....especially those Thin Mints. The only problem is that these girls only come once a year! I have a solution. These are my version of Thin Mints. I'll admit that it sounds like an odd combination, but trust me...they are a hit!



Ingredients:
Ritz crackers
Andes mints baking chips
Crushed peppermints (optional for garnish)
Wax paper

Directions:
Melt chocolate mint chips slowly over double boiler or low heat. Once melted, dip Ritz crackers in chocolate. Place covered crackers on wax paper. Sprinkle peppermint crumbles on top to make it look pretty. Let crackers cool and devour! I like to store them in the freezer....yummy!!