Chewy Chocolate Cookies

I have had about 6 similar recipes for this cookie, but this is my favorite one. The recipe never fails me, always works! It also happens to be my husband's favorite cookie of all time. So yeah for that. Great for satisfying a mean chocolate fix. I found this on Picky Palate once upon a time.

1 3/4 c. flour

1 1/4 c. cocoa powder

1 c. granulated sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. baking soda

1 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition. Add the salt and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until fluffy but still soft. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Girl Scout Samoa Cookie Bars

As I promised my dear sister, I made these bars this morning. She found this recipe on Baking Bites (where I believe you can find recipes for most of the girl scout cookies). Then she promptly sent it to me and demanded that I make them. I'm not sure why, it's not like she lives within driving distance to come and eat the entire pan with me while we watch LOST tonight. So I suppose that task will be up to Colin. I doubt he'll have a problem with that. Anyhow, back to the cookie bars. AWESOME!!!! I mean come on they are Samoas. Of course they are incredible. The only thing I would change in the future is to make the cookie layer a little thinner.

For the cookie base:

1/2 c. sugar

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 large egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9"x13" pan or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

For the topping:

3 c. shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

12 oz. good-quality chewy caramels

1/4 tsp. salt

3 Tbsp. milk

10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are OK)

Preheat oven to 300 F. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast for approximately 20 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring every 5 minutes. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the cookie base. Using the spatula, spread the topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large kitchen knife. Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

I noticed that I have only posted sweet sugary things for quite a while. I do cook actual meals but I refuse to post a recipe without a picture. Mostly because I refuse to make a new recipe without a picture. How the heck am I suppose to know if I've screwed it up if I don't know what it is suppose to look like. And since it gets dark here at 4:30 p.m. (no I'm not exaggerating) that kind of puts a damper on the lighting issue. So until the days get longer, desserts it is. I've been itching to make these cookies since I first saw them on My Kitchen Cafe. Today the stars aligned. The babes was taking a nice long nappy and the 2 year old was immersed in Yo Gabba Gabba so I whipped up a batch. Actually half a batch which made just short of 3 dozen. I don't want to say that they were disappointing but they left me wanting more cheesecake flavor. Next time I might up the amount of cream cheese in the recipe. I am weird though so you may love them just the way they are. Don't get me wrong, these are very good, I think I was just craving actual cheesecake today.

3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. graham cracker crumbs

2 cans (20 oz.) cherry pie filling

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, butter and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and mix until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners. Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, then roll the balls in cracker crumbs. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using a tablespoon measure, make an indentation in the center of each ball. Place 3 cherries in the dimple. Bake until golden brown around the edges, 12 to 14 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Kissy brownie bites

I know that these are not an original idea. In fact we made a cookie version of these for my sister's wedding reception. I needed a quick treat to take to neighbors so I threw them together and they were quite delightful.

1 fudge brownie mix (I use Betty Crocker)

1 bag mint truffle Hersey Kisses

Mix brownies according to instructions on box. Grease mini muffin pan and "flour" using cocoa powder. This eliminates the crusty white junk when using flour. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full with brownie batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 13 minutes. I like mine slightly undercooked. Remove from oven and immediately push a kiss into the center of each brownie. After they sit for about 5 minutes, I like to put the in the freezer until they are chilled. This gives them a more chewy texture. Remove from pan with a fork or spoon.

Soft Gingersnaps

My dear friend brought us a darling homemade gingerbread house the other night. The smell of the gingerbread has been haunting me ever since. These hit the spot for my craving. Soft and chewy instead of the traditional "snap" and oh so yummy. The recipe comes from The Sisters Cafe.

2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. shortening

2 eggs

1/2 c. molasses

4 c. flour

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cloves

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 pkg. white chocolate chips (optional)

Combine first 4 ingredients and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined. Roll dough into 1" balls and roll in sugar. (crystal or raw sugar is prettiest) Bake at 350 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes. Yields about 7 dozen cookies.

Raisin Filled Cookies

This is a sentimental treat for me. My mom use to make these cookies for my dad when he went deer hunting. Dad is not a big hunter, so it was rare that we got these little lovelies. Being that it is now November, I haven't had these in over a year and I can't just run over to my mommy's house and beg her to make them for me anymore, today I braved the task and made them. I was terrified that they wouldn't be as good if mom didn't make them but surprisingly enough after the first bite a flood of childhood memories came rushing back. Despite my elder sister's opinion these are awesome! The sugar cookie recipe is from Picky Palate but the filling is mom's original.

Sugar Cookie Recipe:

Filling Recipe:

3 c. Raisins

1/4 - 1/2 c. water

1 1/4 c. sugar

Puree raisins into a paste in blender or food processor adding water as needed to process. Pour puree into medium saucepan and add sugar and remaining water (if any). Simmer on LOW heat, stirring occasionally, allowing the filling to cook down and become candied for about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow filling to cool completely before filling cookies.

Using round cookie cutter or cup cut 3" circles out of the rolled out dough. Drop 1 tsp. of filling into center of circle and fold in half pinching the edges of the dough together to seal. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9 to 11 minutes depending on thickness of dough. Remove from pan and allow to cool on rack. These can be frozen after they are baked and are really good to eat straight out of the freezer!

Danish Wedding Cookies

⅔ c. walnuts

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour

¼ tsp. salt
1 c. powdered sugar for rolling or sifting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Toast Nuts: Place nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 minutes, or until lightly brown and fragrant. Cool. Once the nuts have cooled completely place them, along with 2 tablespoons (25 grams) of the flour from the recipe, into your food processor, fitted with a metal blade, and process until they are finely ground (but not a paste). Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the remaining flour and salt and beat until combined. Stir in the nuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 1 hour or until firm. Form the dough into 1 inch (2.54 cm) balls and place them 2 inches (5 cm) apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 12 - 15 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies start to brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the confectioners' sugar on the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar). Store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookies (Picky Palate)

2 c. sugar

1 c. butter, softened
3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. sour cream

6 c. flour (more if needed)
2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt

In an electric mixer, cream the sugar and butter. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream until well combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt until well combined. In 2 batches, place in plastic wrap in a disc shape and chill for at least 2 hours for best results. Once chilled, roll and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 350º F for 9 -11 minutes depending on how thick you cut your cookies. Remove and let cool. Frost and decorate as desired

Milky Way Cookies (Picky Palate)

2 sticks butter, softened

¾ c. sugar
¾ c. brown sugar

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

2¾ c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt
1 pkg. mini Milky Way candy bars (about 40), coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350º F. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla until well combined, scraping edges with a spatula. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to wet along with the chopped candy bars. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until cooked to your preference. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

2/3 c. granulated sugar

2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
½ c. butter, softened

½ c. shortening
1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

2 eggs
3 c. old-fashioned or quick oats

1 c. flour
1 c. raisins or chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375º F. In a large bowl, beat all ingredients except oats, flour and raisins with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in oats, flour and raisins. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack to avoid over baking. Yields about 3 dozen. (Betty Crocker)

Chocolate cookies with Vanilla chips

2-3 c. flour

¾ c. baking cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt

2½ sticks butter, softened

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Stir together: flour, cocoa, baking soda & salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well and gradually add flour mixture. Stir in vanilla chips. Place tsp. size drops of dough on parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350º for 8-9 minutes.

Chocolate chip cookies

This is by far one of my favorite recipes and it came from Betty Crocker herself. These cookies are so yummy buttery that I have to immediately give them away or my waist grows another 10 inches.

1½ c. butter, softened
1¼ c. granulated sugar
1¼ c. brown sugar, packed

1 Tbsp. vanilla

4 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt.

1 (24 oz) bag chocolate chips

Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs until light and fluffy. Gradually stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. When well combined, stir in chocolate chips. Drop 1” balls of dough onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes or until light brown.