Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies

One of my favorite foods is peanut butter (beaten out only by ice cream).  When I was younger, my go-to lunch was a peanut butter sandwich – simple yet perfect.  I decided to look for a recipe this week that incorporated my love of peanut butter, but wasn’t just a plain Jane peanut butter cookie. 

If you’re looking to treat a peanut butter lover in your life, you can’t go wrong with this cookie.  With the addition of cocoa powder and chocolate chips these cookies definitely live up to the “fudge” part of their name, while allowing the peanut butter to shine through.  People at work loved these cookies and even asked me for the recipe.  Anytime someone loves a cookie enough to request the recipe I know it's a keeper.

Peanut Butter Fudge Cookies (adapted from The All-American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett)

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, broken up

2 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut butter (I used a mix of smooth and crunchy)

1 ½ cups packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

                                                                                                               

Preheat oven to 350°.

In a small bowl, microwave the unsweetened chocolate on 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir well and continue microwaving, stirring at 30-second intervals.  Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts and let the residual heat finish the job.

In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.  In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on low, then medium speed, beat together the melted chocolate, peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar, and cocoa powder until well blended.  Add the butter and beat until very well blended and smooth.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Beat or stir in the flour mixture, then the chocolate chips, just until incorporated.  Chill the dough for about 15 minutes.

Scoop the dough by tablespoonfuls onto lined baking sheets.  Using the tines of a fork, firmly press down each ball horizontally and then vertically until the ball is about ½ inch thick.

Bake the cookies for about 8 to 11 minutes, or until just barely firm in the center.  Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let stand until completely cooled.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies

The warm weather has arrived in the Northeast, which means we’re officially in the swing of barbeque season.  This is by far my favorite time since Dennis considers himself a grill master in training so he takes over most of the cooking.  We had a few friends over Memorial Day weekend and I was looking for a cookie that we wouldn’t be too full to eat after pigging out on hot dogs and hamburgers.  This cookie is from Cooking Light but it definitely doesn’t taste “light.”  It gets some sweetness from the dried strawberries, but it’s also filled with semi-sweet and white chocolate chips.  I ordered the dried strawberries from Nuts.com, but if you can’t find them feel free to substitute in your dried fruit of choice.  These cookies make the perfect ending to any summer day.

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from Cooking Light)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup regular oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

3/4 cup coarsely chopped dried strawberries

1/3 cup white chocolate chips

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, and salt; stir with a whisk. Place sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended. Add strawberries and chips; beat at low speed just until blended.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lined baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on pan 1 minute. Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire racks.

Chocolate Shortbread Fingers

The month of May has been rather hectic for us, which hasn’t left much time for baking.  This past weekend we had a wedding where we stayed overnight so by the time we got back on Sunday I was looking for something that wouldn’t take long to whip up.  These Chocolate Shortbread Fingers fit the bill as they have a minimal number of ingredients and only bake for 20 minutes.  Plus it’s always nice when you can just throw one baking sheet in the oven and be done with it.

I appreciated the simplicity of these cookies – nice and chocolaty with hint of cinnamon.  They’re not as gooey as Dennis would like (they are shortbread, after all), but the flavor is spot on.  When you’re looking for a simple but attractive cookie to feed a crowd, it would be hard to beat these.

Chocolate Shortbread Fingers (adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook)

3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons flour

4 ½ tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder (I used 3 tablespoons of Dutch-process, then used this Black Onyx cocoa for the rest to really bring out the chocolate flavor)

Heaping ½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup superfine sugar (I just took regular granulated sugar and put it in the food processor for about 30 seconds)

Granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 325.  Butter a 12 x 8 inch rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper, leaving a 10inch overhang on long sides.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda until combined. 

In a mixer beat the butter and superfine sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.  Add flour mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Spread dough evenly in the prepared pan, either with an offset spatula (this always gives me problems) or patting down with your fingers using Saran wrap.  Chill in the fridge or freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.  Prick dough all over using a fork and bake until just firm to the touch, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.  While still hot, cut the shortbread into pieces.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar. 

Salted Oatmeal Cookies

This past Sunday was Greek Easter, one of the tastiest holidays out there.  By the time we arrived delicious Greek appetizers like spanakopita were already laid out and waiting to be devoured.  Dinner consisted of a variety of meats, as well as the famous Greek dish pastitsio, grilled vegetables...need I go on?  You would think that after all that food no one would have room for dessert, but that's just crazy talk.  I knew when I was looking for a recipe that it had to be something on the lighter side.  Marshmallow-topped brownies need not apply.

I had oatmeal left over from last week's recipe so I went on a search for something different to do with it.  I stumbled across this recipe from the Washington Post which is based on a beloved cookie from Teaism, a tea house in D.C.  I'm a big proponent of the sweet-salty combo so I jumped at the chance to work that into a cookie.  The original recipe didn't call for chocolate chip cookies but how can you go wrong adding chocolate?  I ended up splitting the dough in half and adding chocolate chips to only some of the cookies, but next time I think I'd make them all chocolate chip.

This cookie was gobbled up by my family, as well as my co-workers.  Everyone commented on how much they loved the mix of salty and sweet and I have to agree. If you're looking for a spin on a traditional oatmeal cookie, I can't recommend this highly enough.

Salted Oatmeal Cookies (adapted from TheWashington Post)

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour

2 cups rolled oats (not quick-cooking)

Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter for a few minutes on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sugars, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon, beating until the mixture is well blended. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs and vanilla extract, mixing until well incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour and oats, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary and mixing just until they are incorporated. At this point I put half the dough into a bowl, while I added chocolate chips to the other half and mixed briefly.  Cover the bowls with plastic wrap and chill the dough for at least an hour before baking.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets.  Scoop the dough into balls and place about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Sprinkle sea salt generously on top of each ball of dough, as you would sugar. Bake 1 sheet at a time for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies are puffed and beginning to turn golden, being careful not to overbake. (The cookies should have a tender interior.) Transfer the cookies, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Every once in awhile I try to make something on the healthier side.  You can only eat so many marshmallow-laden treats (though I’m sure Dennis would disagree).  I knew I wanted to do something banana-based, so when I stumbled upon a recipe for Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies I knew I had found a winner.

If you like oatmeal cookies then I think you’ll really enjoy these.  They have that chewiness that you expect from an oatmeal cookie, with just a hint of banana.  Chocolate chips are always a welcome addition but you could leave them out or substitute something else (walnuts, peanut butter chips?).  I did wish these had a bit more banana flavor so I think you’d be fine using a banana and a half to amp up the banana flavor.  These make a great afternoon snack or maybe even a special breakfast treat.

Banana Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies (from Two Peas and Their Pod)

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large very ripe banana, mashed
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugars, mix until smooth. Add in vanilla extract and egg. Next, add the banana. Beat well.

Slowly add in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Remove cookies from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Makes about 2 ½ dozen cookies.

Irish Soda Bread Cookies

Apparently I just can’t be trusted to plan ahead for holidays, as I woke up on St. Patrick’s Day and realized we had no Guinness in the fridge and no Irish Soda Bread in the freezer.  Whoops.  Luckily I came across this recipe for Irish Soda Bread Cookies, which was not only a breeze to make, but also provided me with some extra cookies to bring into work on Monday.  As Dennis put it, “These taste just like Irish Soda Bread, only in cookie form.”  I couldn’t have said it better myself. 

Irish Soda Bread Cookies (adapted from AllRecipes)

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup buttermilk (I never have buttermilk so I just used ¼ cup milk combined with just shy of a teaspoon of lemon juice.  Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes)

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in raisins.

Mix in beaten egg. Pour in milk and mix with a fork to make a soft dough (may need a little more milk).

Scoop out teaspoonfuls of dough and put onto lined cookie sheet. 

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until slightly browned.

Chocolate Surprise Cookies

I don't know why I even ask Dennis what he wants for a weekly treat because inevitably his response involves chocolate or marshmallows.  I thought I had exhausted most of the possibilities to put these two flavors together, but when I saw this recipe from Martha Stewart I couldn't resist trying it out.

This recipe might look a bit complicated (I had a bad experience with frosting once) but it’s fairly simple and the final result is a knockout.  I worried that the cookie might be too sweet, but it provides a perfect contrast to with the marshmallow and chocolate frosting.  I love the fact that this recipe can be adapted to your tastes also.  If you don’t want marshmallows, maybe throw in a peanut butter cup or Hershey kiss.  They are called Surprise Cookies after all!

Chocolate Surprise Cookies (from Martha Stewart)

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

12 large marshmallows, cut in half horizontally

Chocolate Frosting for Surprise Cookies:

2 cups confectioners' sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place confectioners' sugar in a medium bowl. Whisk in butter and cocoa powder. Add milk and vanilla, and whisk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk, and vanilla, and beat until well combined. Add reserved flour mixture; mix on low speed until combined.

Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, drop dough onto ungreased or lined baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies begin to spread and become firm, 7 to 9 minutes.

Remove baking sheets from oven, and place a marshmallow, cut-side down, in the center of each cookie, pressing down slightly. Return to oven, and continue baking until marshmallows begin to melt, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

Spread about 1 tablespoon of frosting over each marshmallow, starting in the center and continuing outward until marshmallow is covered.

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies

The Thursday before Valentine’s Day I realized I had no heart cookie cutters.  Uh-oh.  Luckily my wonderful husband didn’t balk at paying for extra-fast shipping so I could have them by this weekend.  Of course he knew what his reward would be, a batch of cookies baked up just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Roll-out cookies bring back memories of Christmas and rolling out sugar cookies with my Mom.  Those cookies were typical sugar cookies: crispy, buttery, perfect topped with some sprinkles and dunked in milk.  These cookies are the opposite of those, cakey and moist with a deep chocolate flavor.  I topped some with turbinado sugar to give them a bit of crunch which Dennis said he appreciated.  The best thing about this recipe is that it’s adaptable for any holiday (or lazy weekend).  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Turbinado sugar or sprinkles (optional)

Whisk dry flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Roll out cookie dough on floured counter or Silpat (I found rolling it out on the Silpat much easier – you just have to do the dough in batches to fit it on the mat). Cut into desired shapes.  Top cookies with turbinado sugar or sprinkles if you so desire.  Bake on a lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes, until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints

I’ve mentioned numerous times that Dennis loves raspberry and chocolate (Exhibits A,  B, and C).  And originally I was planning to make a lighter treat this week to welcome in the New Year and help us recover from gorging on Christmas cookies.  But then I came across this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprint cookies and I put my “healthy” plans to the side.  There’s always next week, right?

I’m not the biggest fan of chocolate (blasphemy, I know) but even I had to admit these cookies were insanely good.  The actual cookie was so fudgy it resembled a brownie more than a cookie.  The raspberry preserves helped balance the sweetness of the cookies and you were left with one killer flavor combination.  I’ve already been instructed to add these to the “Must Make Again” list. 

Chocolate Raspberry Thumbprints (Adapted from All American Cookie Book)

6 ½ ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, broken up

1 stick unsalted butter

2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons raspberry preserves

1 ¾ cups flour

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a large, microwave safe-bowl, microwave the bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate and butter on full power for 1 minute.  Stir well.  Continue microwaving on 50% power, stirring at 30-second intervals.  Stop microwaving before the chocolate completely melts and let the residual heat finish the job.  Let cool to warm. 

Stir the sugar into the chocolate mixture until well blended.  Using a spoon beat in the eggs, one at a time.  Stir in the vanilla.  In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat the 2T raspberry preserves on 50% power until just fluid, about 1 minute.  Stir the preserves into the chocolate mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.  Add the flour mixture and chocolate chips to the chocolate mixture and stir just until well blended.  Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 ½ hours or up to 8 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 325.  Line several baking sheets or coat with non-stick spray.

Use a cookie scoop to shape balls of dough, then place on the cookie sheets.  Press a well into the center of each ball and place about ¼ teaspoon of preserves in each well. 

Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or just until they feel firm when pressed in the centers.  Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and let stand 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

On the hunt for another cookie to add to my Christmas cookie binge, I came across this recipe from Eat, Live, Run.  Peppermint is the quintessential Christmas flavor that only improves when chocolate is added.  The original recipe called for putting white chocolate on top but wanting to make them a bit more colorful I smashed up some candy canes also.  Have I mentioned that a mallet can be one of your most handy kitchen tools? 

My holiday baking spree resulted in 4 varieties of cookies so for these I actually mixed the dough the prior weekend, then froze the dough balls.  You can just place them on a cookie tray to freeze them, and then place inside a freezer bag once they’re completely frozen.  I ended up not even using all of the frozen cookie balls so once we finish all of the Christmas cookies (probably around Valentine’s Day) then I can bake up a fresh batch.  Enjoy these and happy holidays!

  

Chewy Peppermint Cookies (adapted from Eat, Live, Run)

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp peppermint extract

2 eggs

1 tbsp instant coffee

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

4 candy canes, crushed

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add peppermint extract.

In another bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, coffee, baking powder and salt. Add to wet ingredients and fold in chocolate chips.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto lined sheet trays and bake for 12 minutes. Let cool completely.

Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave (stirring after each 30 second interval) and scoop into a small plastic bag. Snip off end and drizzle cooled cookies with white chocolate.  Sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.

That reindeer looks hungry.

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Is it possible to improve upon a chocolate chip cookie?  This recipe answers that question with an emphatic “Yes!”  The original idea from Bread & Butter included bananas, but I left that out since I wasn’t sure how people would react to banana in their chocolate chip cookies.  But her idea of putting a dollop of Nutella in the middle of each cookie – genius.  I started off putting a bit too much Nutella in the thumbprint, which led to a few of them falling apart.  So just use a light hand with the Nutella.  Oozing out the top is a-ok; not so much when it’s coming through the bottom of the cookie.

Dennis moved these to the top of his favorite cookie list, the sort of comment that makes my heart go aflutter.  Make these for family, for co-workers, for friends, for yourself.  Just make them.

Nutella Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies (adapted from Bread & Butter)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Nutella

Preheat the oven to 325°. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper or Silpat.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended.

Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.

Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough by the spoonful onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Put a small thumbprint in each cookie, then drop in some Nutella.  Cover up the Nutella with some more cookie dough, pressing lightly so it adheres to the bottom part.

Bake cookies for 10 to 12 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Soft Ginger Cookies

One of my favorite flavors is gingerbread, whether it’s found in a latte from Starbucks or a freshly baked treat.  For Thanksgiving this year I was tasked with bringing a dessert (surprise, surprise) so I wanted to find something that people would want to eat after stuffing themselves silly with turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes….

Our cookie preference is always for chewy versus crispy, so I knew I didn’t want a traditional gingersnap but something that was softer.  Google to the rescue!  This recipe from All Recipes was exactly what I was looking for, not to mention that it provided enough cookies so I could leave some for my parents while we were able to hold onto a few ourselves.  I made a few changes to the original recipe, subbing in brown sugar for half of the white sugar and increasing the spices slightly to really bring out that gingerbread flavor.  I also rolled the cookies in turbinado sugar, which provided a nice contrast between the crunchiness of the sugar and the softness of the cookie.  I absolutely loved these cookies, enough that they’ll be added to the regular rotation.  Try them out!

Soft Ginger Cookies (adapted from All Recipes)

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 heaping teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and white and brown sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in turbinado sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased or Silpat covered cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.  Place the remainder of the dough in the refrigerator in between batches so it’s easier to handle. 

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.

Makes about 32 cookies.

Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Cookies

After making these last week I still had half a box of Rice Krispies left over.  I didn’t want to make Rice Krispie treats again so I went on a hunt for a cookie I could throw them into.  Success!  This recipe originally called for just butterscotch chips but I thought throwing in some chocolate chips would help cut the sweetness of the butterscotch.  These cookies do take a bit of time to make as they have to chill before baking.  But I just made sure I cleared a space in the fridge then threw the trays in there while I let the oven pre-heat.  I don’t think these are cookies you really want sitting around for a few days as the Rice Krispies lose some of their crunchiness and become chewier.  So if you make them just plan on sharing so you won’t have to worry about that. 

Butterscotch-Chocolate Chip Rice Krispies Cookies (adapted from Baking Blonde)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup butterscotch chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, beating until combined. Mix in hot water and vanilla. Add flour mixture, in two batches, beating just until combined. Using a wooden spoon, fold in butterscotch chips and Rice Krispies. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. or longer. 


Preheat oven to 375. Scoop out tablespoons of the dough and roll into balls. Place all balls on one baking sheet, and chill at least 30 min. Remove from fridge and place 12 balls on cookie sheet at a time. Bake until the middle looks just set and the edges begin to turn a light golden – about 8-12 minutes. Remove and let sit on the sheet for a minute. Move cookies to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles were not a cookie I grew up with.  But last year I tried my hand at Snickerdoodle Blondies and loved the cinnamon sugar combination.  So when I was looking for a treat to pull us out of our Halloween candy coma I thought something simple would be best.  These cookies come from The All American Cookie Book by Nancy Baggett, one of my favorite cookbooks to flip through. 

My first batch came out rather large – like giant cookies.  But for the other batches I put the dough in the fridge, letting it chill for a bit.  I also made my scoops a bit smaller and the cookies came out a bit thicker and spread less.  These were a big hit.  They had the perfect hint of cinnamon and sugar.  My co-workers gobbled them up, and my boss even named them one of his favorites.  I’m definitely adding these to the Christmas cookie rotation.

Best Ever Snickerdoodles (The All-American Cookie Book)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 Tbs light corn syrup

2 large eggs

2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup sugar combined with 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon for topping

Preheat oven to 375º and line baking sheets with a silicone mat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda, salt and nutmeg, set aside.  In another large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and corn syrup together until well blended and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla, beating until well blended and smooth.  Beat in half of the flour mixture until evenly incorporated.  Stir in the remaining flour mixture just until combined.  Let the dough stand for 5-10 minutes.  Mix together the additional sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Roll portions of the dough into generous 1 1/2 inch balls with lightly greased hands (dough will be soft).  Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar.  Place on the baking sheets, spacing about 2 3/4 inches apart. 

Bake the cookies 8-11 minutes, or just until light golden brown at the edges.  Transfer the baking sheets to a wire rack and let stand until the cookies firm up slightly, about 2 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. 

Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies

I’ve always loved Whoppers.  Something about the crunchy malt surrounded by chocolate made them something I looked forward to getting when I went trick-or-treating (many, many years ago).  These cookies combine those beloved Whoppers with some extra malted milk powder, cocoa and chocolate chips.  How can you turn down a cookie with all of those goodies?

These cookies came together pretty easily and they make a big batch.  I brought a bunch into work but had enough left over that I froze some.  In the original recipe it mentions that these would go great with coffee in the morning.  Hmm, I don’t know about that but Dennis said they do make an excellent match with ice cream.  And if you do have them for breakfast, don’t worry.  I won’t tell.

Chocolate Malted Whopper Cookies (from Baking by Dorie Greenspan)

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup instant malted milk powder

1/4 cup dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

11 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup milk

2 cups malted milk balls, coarsely chopped (You can also put some saran wrap over them and smash with a mallet)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.

Sift together flour, malted milk powder, cocoa, baking powder and salt - set aside.

Beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 3 minutes, until very smooth.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each one.

Beat in the vanilla.

Reduce mixer to low add 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Pour in the milk & mix.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well.

Put mixer on low and add in the malt balls and the chocolate.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2" apart.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. Cookies are done when they’re puffed and slightly soft to the touch.

Makes about 36 cookies.