Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

Blogging has taken a backseat in my life. Seriously, there are over 500 recipes on this blog--all delicious! So for me to add a recipe it has got to be excellent. Yes, Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies are excellent! Candise made this recipe and told me how good they were. I made a batch--they were perfect. That was a year ago or about 20 batches. I take them anytime I need to share cookies, I share cookies a lot. I might be known as the Cookie Lady.

In my storage room one will always find several kinds of chocolate; milk, dark, chips, bars, peanut butter chips, white chocolate, drizzling chocolate and now there will always be a bag or two of Andes Mints. One must always be prepared.

I often make these cookies when I have a grandchild helper. They can open mints, eat mints, place mints on hot cookie and then spread melted mints. These cookies freeze beautifully, they thaw in minutes. I made a batch two weeks ago in preparation for a family gathering this week. Guess what? The cookies are all gone, they are such a perfect afternoon or evening treat. Just a bite of wonderful! So I'm making another batch today.

Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

12 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (10.5 ounces)

2 tablespoons water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, I use Ghirardelli 60% Cacao--these are the best!

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (12.5 ounces)

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

Andes Mints, unwrapped about 60

Combine butter, brown sugar and water in a saucepan, cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted, about 3 minutes. Add chocolate chips and stir constantly until melted. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let cool 10 minutes.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a second bowl. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce to low and add flour in 3 additions, mix until just combined. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

Line baking sheets with parchment sheets. Using a small scoop portion dough on baking sheet. Dip the bottom of a small glass in sparkling sugar, slightly flatten cookie. Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes just until cookie is set. Remove from oven and immediately place a mint on the center of each cookie. Let stand until softened, about 5 minutes. Using a small offset spatula spread the melted chocolate over the cookie. Let cookies cool completely. 

Andes Mints can be purchased at Walmart or if you are at Gygi's they come in a bigger box for a great price. Gygi's is always a fun store to visit!

This recipe comes from Our Best Bites--an awesome recipe site.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are my new favorite! My daughter made a batch for me when she last visited. She left some scoops of  cookie dough in the freezer. I would get out a few, pop them in the oven and enjoy warm cookies 15 minutes later. These cookies got me thru recovery from pneumonia, cookies and cheese paninis were the only thing that tasted good. I didn't put the panini maker away for three weeks! Thanks Amber, you saved the day.
Back to the cookies, they are perfect. If you combine a chocolate chip cookie, oatmeal cookie and peanut butter cookie this is what you get. I found it in one of my favorite blogs, Mel's Kitchen Cafe.
I made just a few changes, it's yummy, enjoy!

Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Cookies
2 squares softened butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar (7 ounces)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup quick oatmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2-2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2-2 cups Reese's Peanut Butter chips
In the bowl of a stand mixer put butter, sugars and peanut butter, cream together. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together for 2 minutes until light colored. In a separate bowl combine the flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to peanut butter mixture. Mix gently. Add chips.
Using a medium scoop put cookie dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Dip a small glass into coarse sugar, use this to slightly flatten cookie.
Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes. Cookies will look under done, they will firm up as they cool. Let cool on a cooling rack. This recipe make about 4-5 dozen cookies. Share them, freeze them, eat them!
I like to bake a pan of cookies for immediate consumption. Then I portion the cookie dough on a sheet of parchment, slightly flatten as above. Freeze the cookie balls. When frozen put cookie balls in a freezer bag, label and bake within 6 weeks (they never last that long)! To bake put frozen cookie balls on a parchment lined baking stone. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until just done. Who doesn't love a warm cookie for a bedtime snack! Now that we are empty nesters this is the perfect way to make cookies.
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Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 What--a new cookie?? I couldn't believe I didn't have this cookie on my blog. I checked and drooled as I looked through many chocolate chip cookie recipes. Why is this different?? Well, it has a high butter ratio. Which makes them taste divine.  There is a small amount of oatmeal. This adds to the crunch but doesn't scream, "Hey this is an Oatmeal Cookie".
They are the perfect combination of crisp and chewy. I had the best luck with a small cookie scoop (heaping tablespoon). I tried making a bigger cookie (2 tablespoons) but the dough spread too much. In this recipe smaller is better. Choose your favorite chocolate ---milk, dark, chunk or mini. Don't ruin a good cookie with inferior chocolate! This is a delicious cookie, enjoy and share!
I found the recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Let's Dish!

Crispy, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, 7 ounces
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup  old fashioned oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chips
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugars, beat well about 3 minutes. Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla, mix well. In a bowl stir together flour, oatmeal, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to wet mixture. Gently stir just till mixed. Add chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Using a small scoop place cookie dough on a parchment lined sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. The cookie should be light brown and the edges will be darker. Do not over bake. Let cookies cool for 2-3 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and finish cooling on a wire rack.
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Loaded Macadamia Cookies

My baking adventures are usually fueled by what needs to be used. When you shop at Costco you arrive home with large quantities of individual items. This was great when I regularly fed 8 people. Now we are down to 2, you must pay attention to your food or it will wind up in the compost pile. I hope to never compost Macadamias! So I had a stash of Macadamias in the freezer. Perfect--great start. I also had white chocolate bars. My sweet daughter lives near Chicago. Aldi is a great store with the best chocolate. Dark, white or milk--all delicious. This chocolate is made in Germany. I love it. Amber kindly carries on a good supply of chocolate--thanks Amber, very much appreciated. The recipe called for dried cranberries. Again I had large bags of dried cherries and blueberries from Costco.

These ingredients combined with the addition of oatmeal and a little cinnamon resulted in one amazing cookie. White chocolate is sweet--dried cherries are tart together the are delicious. This could be my new favorite cookie! Thanks to Gold Medal Flour for an excellent recipe.

Loaded Macadamia Cookies
1/2 cup softened butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar (66 grams)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chunks--I purchase a bar of white baking chocolate and chop it
1/2 cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts
1/2 cup dried fruit--I used the remains of a bag of Berries and Cherries. Yummy.
Mix butter and sugar till creamy, about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanila, stir, Mix in flour, oats, salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Stir gently. Add white chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. Do not overmix. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. Scoop dough on parchment lined sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 12-15 minutes.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies.
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Double Chocolate Mint Cookie

In December I searched for Andes Red Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips. By the time I found them I had lost interest in using them. Things like that happen. So it is February and I have a couple of bags of Andes Red Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips that are aging. Red is the color for Valentines Day and mint works for any holiday.
I tried a recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe--I am happy to say the cookies were delicious. They totally would have worked for Christmas treats. I passed them out tonight to our dinner group, they were a perfect Valentine treat. If the red chips are not available the green chips would work great too. I think it is safe to say this cookie works year round!
This cookie is soft and chocolaty with a bit of peppermint crunch. The crunch is not hard like a candy cane--it is perfectly minty and melts in your mouth. The recipe called for semi-sweet chocolate chips. I like to rough chop a bar of Ghirardelli Bittersweet 60% Cocoa Baking Bar. This is my go to semi-sweet chocolate. You can get this in chocolate chips--they are excellent, but I like the variation of a chopped bar. Either way this is the only semi-sweet chocolate I use. Sounds kind of snobby I know, I take my chocolate seriously!
Choose a holiday and make this cookies--they will be a hit. I promise.

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup brown sugar (5.5 ounces)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (3.75 ounces)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour (10 ounces)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (2 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 (4 ounce bar) Ghirardelli 60% Cocoa Baking Bar, rough chopped
1/2 cup Andes Red Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
additional 1 cup Andes Red Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips for dipping
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine butter and sugars (yes, I really do weigh ingredients, it is quick and so much more accurate), beat 2 minutes. Add vanilla and eggs, beat well. In another bowl combine flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Mix gently till flour just disappears. Add chocolate chips/chunks and 1/2 cup Peppermint Chips. Do not over mix.
Use a medium cookie scoop to form a ball. Dip the cookie top in Peppermint Chips. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-13 minutes, cool on a cooling rack. Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies. Share quickly, they are too tempting!
Printable recipe

Chocolate Chocolate Cookies

I forgot how good these cookies were. They are included in Dorie Greenspan's Cookbook,  'Baking From My Home to Yours'. This is one of my favorite cookbooks, it would rank in my top five.
Dorrie calls these World Peace Cookies. A daily dose of this decadent cookie could possibly lead to world peace. Hey, it is worth a try.
I first made this recipe years ago, I was a member of the Tuesdays With Dorrie baking group. We baked our way through this amazing cookbook. I revisited this recipe again--it is still amazing. It deserves to be shared often.
This is a butter-rich, sandy-textured slice and bake cookie. It is simple to make and delicious. These are great warm from the oven or room temperature. I have tried them both ways and I approve. They are also good for breakfast. Serve with a tall glass of cold milk.

Chocolate, Chocolate Cookies (World Peace Cookies)
1 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Penzy's)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
11 tablespoons butter at room temperature

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips (I like Ghirardelli 60% Baking Bar)

Stir together the flour, cocoa and soda.
In a stand mixer beat the butter on medium speed till light and creamy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla. Beat for two more minutes
Turn off the mixer. Pour in the dry ingredients, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour. Do not skip this step or you will have a mess, trust me I know. Pulse the mixer on low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. If most of the flour is incorporated it is safe to remove the towel. Continue to mix on low for about 30 seconds. Just mix until the flour disappears, do not over mix. For the best cookie work the dough as little as possible. Toss in the chocolate bits, gently mix, dough may appear crumbly.
Turn the dough onto a work surface, divide dough in half. Shape into to logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 2 months. No need to thaw frozen dough, just slice the cookie and bake and extra minute.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a sharp thin knife slice the logs into rounds about 1/2 inch thick. Don't worry if the cookie cracks as you are cutting them, just squeeze the bits back into the cookie. Place on sheet.
Bake for 13 minutes. The cookie will not look done nor will they be firm. You will have to trust me on this. Place on a cooling rack until room temperature. Enjoy 30 delicious cookies.
I shared this cookie with several friends--100% positive reviews. I think it would be a great idea to keep a roll of this cookie dough in the freezer--always, for World Peace.
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Almond Chocolate Cherry Cookies

I am well aware that I have 80 cookie recipes on my blog--all excellent. But I think I have a New Favorite Cookie! I saw a recipe for an almond chocolate cookie in the new Taste of Home Fall Baking magazine. I was sure it would be yummy as it had so many fun flavors. I had just purchased some Almond Flavoring from Penzeys. I have been ordering spices from Penzeys for several years, they are fresh and delicious. When a Penzey's store opened just 10 miles from home I was thrilled. Girls weekend included a field trip to Penzeys. I entered the store and felt like I had died and gone to heaven. Heaven will smell like a Penzeys store I am sure.
Anyway--back to these amazing cookies. Chocolate, white chocolate, chopped almonds, almond flavoring--these had to be excellent. I'm sure the recipe in the magazine is good, but I made it better. What goes perfect with almonds and chocolate? Dried cherries do. They added the perfect contrast of sweet/sour. Please add this to your holiday cookie platter.

Almond Chocolate Cherry Cookies (aka favorite cookie)
1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup brown sugar (150 grams--I always weigh brown sugar)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract--use Penzeys
2 cups flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped
3/4 cup dried cherries, roughly chopped
Cream butter and sugars together till light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extract. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture, don't over mix. Stir in chocolate, nuts and cherries.
Using a medium size scoop drop dough on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes. Cool on racks. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.
Printable Recipe
Recipe adapted from a recipe in Taste of Home Fall Baking--this is a great magazine.  My magazine is full of sticky notes!

Disappearing Chocolate Chip Cookies

Do I really need another chocolate chip cookie? I think so because these are just amazing. I would feel guilty if I didn't share this treasure. I had to name them the Disappearing Chocolate Chip Cookies--they will be gone before you know it.
This is a basic chocolate chip cookie with just a few small differences.  A very small amount of cinnamon and toasting the pecans both add to the extra flavor. Melting the butter makes them super easy. How many times have you over micro'd butter? Room temperature is hard to achieve, I am speaking from experience here. You make the cookies in the pan you melted the butter in. Ingenious I say. Try this recipe, be prepared they do disappear quickly.

Disappearing Chocolate Chip Cookie
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips--I like 60% Cocoa Chips by Ghirdelli
1 cup white chocolate chips--I like to take a bar of white chocolate and cut it into chunks
1 cup toasted pecans--toast pecans on a baking sheet in a 350 oven for 7 minutes or till fragrant

In a medium saucepan melt butter. Remove from heat and add sugars. Stir until incorporated and smooth. Chill the mixture for 10 minutes.
Add egg, egg yolk and vanilla,.
Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and oatmeal. Mix well.
Add chips and coarsely chopped pecans.
Using a medium cookie scoop place cookies on a parchment lined sheet--chill for 30 minutes.
Bake at 325 for 14 minutes. Cool the cookie a few minutes then slide on a cooling rack.
Watch out these delicious cookies will disappear quickly!
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Recipe inspired by the Cooking Channel

Peanut Butter Temptations--Cookies for Santa

Sometimes the best place to look for recipes is on the back of the product package. These delicious little gems come right off the back of the Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cup package. They are easy to make, the perfect treat to leave for Santa--and Santa will love them. I know!


Peanut Butter Temptations
about 40 Peanut Butter Cups Miniatures
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Have little helpers remove wrappers from candy. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, peanut butter, egg and vanilla until fluffy. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. Using Pampered Chef small scoop shape dough into a ball and place in an ungreased mini muffin pan. Do not flatten. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until puffed and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Immediately press peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Cool completely in pan. Remove, put on a plate and leave for Santa!
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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie

Candise brought a fresh plate of cookies last time she came to visit. They were the best pumpkin cookies I have ever eaten. They are delicious and simple to make--that is one great combo. These could become your favorite holiday cookie.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sugar

2 cups flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Apple Pie Spice or cinnamon 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups chocolate chips--I used milk chocolate

Mix together pumpkin, egg, oil and sugar. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Mix milk with baking soda and add to wet ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix well. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. 

Drop on parchment lined baking sheet using a medium size cookie scoop. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

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Recipe from I Heart Naptime

 

Chunky Peanut, Chocolate and Cinnamon Cookies

I do love the flavor of warm cinnamon--in fall baking, pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins etc. I do not however usually add cinnamon in baking containing peanuts and peanut butter. But I trust Martha so Emma (my sweet little neighbor) and I decided to make these cookies. Emma loves peanut butter, she doesn't love nuts but peanuts are acceptable. And of course chocolate chips are a given. And we loved them!! We decided these just could be our new favorite cookie.
Thanks to Martha Stewart Cookies--we stepped outside our comfort zone and found a delicious cookie.

Chunky Peanut, Chocolate and Cinnamon Cookies
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1 cup light brown sugar--7 ounces
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (I used half milk chocolate and half semi sweet)
2/3 cup roasted, salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a bowl mix together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
Put butter and peanut butter in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add sugars and mix 2 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture, mix until just combined. Fold in nuts and chocolate chips. Refrigerate until dough is firm about 20 minutes.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking stone (I used a Medium Pampered Chef Scoop). Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes until just golden. Cool on wire racks. Makes 5 dozen cookies.
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St. Patrick's Day Craft

 

My sweet neighbor gal knocked on my door--apron in hand wanting to know if we could bake today. Emma likes making cookies as much as I do. I was ready with a fun food project that is easy and tasty. Kids can do more than just watch--Emma was happy to separate mini M&M's, dip Oreo's, decorate and clean up. This project takes under an hour--it is fun for the entire family.

 Supplies needed:
Oreo Cookies--we chose Mint because we were going with a green theme, you really could dip any cookie or pretzel. How about dipping Thin Mints--yummy.
White, Milk Chocolate or Semi Sweet Melting Discs--purchase at craft stores, Winco or my favorite, Gygi's
Sprinkles--green for St. Patrick's Day
Mini M&M's--we picked out the green ones
Edible Eyes--purchased at Gygi's
Melt chocolate discs in the microwave. Dip Oreo a little over half way. Put on parchment lined sheet. Decorate dipped cookies as desired. We had a great time--you can too. This activity can be adapted to any holiday or season. Sprinkles are inexpensive and come in a variety of designs. Have a package of Oreo Cookies in the storage room and you are ready for a quick activity. Chocolate melting discs are a staple in my kitchen--a chocolate drizzle can make most anything look and taste better!

My Favorite Cookie

My Favorite Cookie--now a heading like that will get my attention. I love cookies and have been making cookies for about 50 years. That is a lot of cookies! 
When Mel at My Kitchen Cafe said  this Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Coconut Cookie was her favorite cookie I had to give it a closer look.It certainly had possibilities--it contained all the ingredients that make a yummy cookie. I made a few changes My Favorite Cookie has nuts, less coconut, a mixture of milk chocolate and semi sweet chips. I made it and declared--it is my new favorite cookie!

My Favorite Cookie
1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups brown sugar (250 grams)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (100 grams)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips
Put oatmeal, flour, salt and baking soda in a food processor. Pulse several times until coarse. In a stand mixer beat butter until creamy, add sugars and beat 2 minutes, add eggs and vanilla and beat 2 minutes. Slowly add flour mixture and mix until just blended. Stir in coconut, pecans and chocolate chips. Use a Pampered Chef medium scoop and scoop cookie dough on a parchment lined sheet. Bake at 350 for about 13 minutes until cookie is set and light brown. Cool on cookie sheet for several minutes and then on a cooling rack. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies. Serve with a tall glass of cold milk. Share...or you will overeat!
Next time I make this cookie I just might add white chocolate chips to the mix.
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Granola Bar Cookies

Each year Hubby hikes to the top of Mt. Timpanogos. It is an 18 mile round trip hike with some of the most beautiful scenery you will ever see. The weather is very unpredictable--but always amazing. Hubby went last week and hiked mostly in the clouds. I wanted to make a treat to add to his lunch--something more than a cookie but tastier than a protein bar. I found the perfect cookie, it is full of oats, dried fruit, nuts and a little white chocolate for fun. It is packable and delicious. It would be a great addition to a 'care package' for the starving college student. Or just hide a few in the freezer for those afternoon cookie cravings. Trust me--they are yummy.

Granola Bar Cookies or 11,752 Thousand Feet Cookies
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried fruit, I like a berries and cherries mix, chopped
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1 cup white chocolate chips
In the bowl of a mixer add butter and sugars, beat for 3-4 minutes till light, add eggs one at a time beating well after each one, add vanilla. Combine salt, spices, baking powder, baking soda, flour and oats. Add dry ingredients to mixer bowl and stir gently. Add dried fruit, nuts and white chocolate chips. Stir gently.
Bake on a parchment lined sheet pan at 350 for 9-10 minutes till just golden. Cool on pan for several minutes then remove to a cooling rack.
Printable recipe

 

Recipe from Cooking Classy

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Chocolate and Peanut Butter is my all time favorite flavor combination. Just take a look at Peanut butter on my side bar. You will see Frosted Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Temptations and Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies. This is just a start, which is the best?? Well they are all excellent so choose one and just enjoy. I am going to add another cookie to the mix. This is a rich chocolate cookie with tiny Reese's Peanut Butter Cups added. And they are delicious.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons water
1 bag of Reese's Minis Peanut Butter Cups (8 ounces)
Mix together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda--set aside. In the bowl of a mixer mix together melted butter  peanut butter and sugars until light. Add egg, vanilla,  water and mix together. Slowly add flour mixture. Add about 3/4 of the Mini's (I gave them a rough chop). Batter will be thick. Using a medium Pampered Chef Scoop, scoop  dough on a parchment lined sheet. Slightly flatten cookie and top with 1 or 2 Peanut Butter Mini's. Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes or until cookie is set, do not over bake.
Cool cookie and enjoy with a tall glass of cold milk.
Printable Recipe
 I came across a new (to me) blog-- Mom on Time Out, I think I will visit there often. Thanks Trish for a great recipe.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

Hubby's favorite non-chocolate, non-nut cookie is a Snickerdoodle. Now you must know that Snickerdoodles and I do not get along. About 50 years ago (yes 50) I was a member of the Busy Bees 4-H club. It was time to make something for the fair. I chose Snickerdoodles, a cookie we had learned to make that year.
The details are bit fuzzy but it went something like this: I was measuring the dry ingredients and some how put in a tablespoon of salt instead of 1/2 teaspoon. I was ready to dump it and start over but my ever frugal mother had a better idea. If we 6 timed the recipe it would work. So needless to say I made one large batch of Snickerdoodles, I made them in a huge dish pan, and cooked Snickerdoodles for days. I made enough Snickerdoodles to last a life time. Poor hubby.
Then a Snickerdoodle recipe caught my eye. Brown Butter Snickerdoodles--I'm ready to take the plunge. So I browned my butter--a smell that is out of this world, and quickly made just one batch. They were amazing! I will make them again. The Snickerdoodle curse is over.

Brown Butter Snickerdoodles
2 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt

For rolling mixture
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Heat till the butter foams and begins to turn brown. Stir constantly and watch closely. You want brown butter not black. Carefully pour butter in a bowl to cool.
With an electric mixer mix the butter and sugars until blended. Beat in the egg, egg yolk, vanilla and yogurt until combined. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the flour mixture, beat until just combined.
Chill dough--you want it to be firm enough to roll into balls. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough into balls and then roll in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on parchment covered sheet pans. Bake at 350 for 8-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookie begin to turn golden brown. They will look underdone in the middle but will set up as they cool. If you want crispy cookies cook 2 minute\s longer. Enjoy! Recipe from Pretty Peas.
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One Year Ago------Witchy Pillow
Two Years Ago----Pizza Loaf
Three Years Ago---Peanut Butter Cookies
Four Years Ago----Zucchini Spice Cupcakes

Chocolate Chip Cookies With Pretzles and Caramel Bits--A Flop and a Fix!

. This cookie has been on my short list for ages. I finally had pretzels and I knew I had Caramel bits so I was ready to create. All went well until I went to put the caramel bits in the bowl. I tasted one and was sure this was not how they really tasted. I looked at the date--they expired March of 2011. So they found their way to the trash.
 No problem--I always have a big block of Peters Caramel to make caramel apples and dipped pretzels. So I just chopped up tiny squares of caramel and dropped them in the batter. Everything look good--till I baked them. The block of Caramel must lack the substance that keeps the little caramel bits, in bits. They didn't taste terrible but they certainly were not worthy of sharing.
Actually my sweet neighbor happened to drop by and gladly took the not so good looking batch home for her boys (they are at the 'eat anything age'). I also sent her home with some good cookies too.
At this point I was tired and ready to scratch the whole mess. Hubby to the rescue--he didn't want to see me end on a fail so he went to Walmart and purchased a fresh bag of Caramel Bits. The cookies turned out perfect and I was happy. He took a bag of cookies to a neighbor and she immediately called me for the recipe. So yes they are yummy. Use the right kind of Caramel Bits and they will turn out perfect.
Save your brick of Peter's Caramel for dipping apples or pretzels!
Enjoy these yummy cookies from one of my favorite blogs--Dessert Now Dinner Later, thanks Amber.

Caramel Pretzel Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/8 cup sugar
3/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup stick pretzels, broken into thirds
1/2 cup caramel bits
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
In a stand mixer cream butter and sugars. Add vanilla and egg. Mix well.
Combine salt, baking soda and flour, gradually add to wet mixture. Mix until combines
Fold in pretzel pieces, caramel bits and chocolate chips with a spatula
Scoop onto parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes.
Makes about 2 dozen cookies
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Martha's White Choclate, Cranberry Cookies

I have both the Martha Stewart Cookie and Cupcake Cookbooks. They consistently contain winning recipes. I am happy to say I made another delicious recipe. White Chocolate Chunk Cookies was the original recipe. My sweet little neighbor chose the recipe. All went well until we read 'golden raisins'. I don't do raisins and my little friend didn't want raisins so we eliminated them. I tried to talk her into using dried cranberries--she was not happy with that addition either. So we made cookies minus dried fruit--delicious. I sent her home with a plate of cookies and then added some dried cranberries to the remaining dough--perfect. So any way you make these cookies they will be delicious. Even with golden raisins!

Martha's White Chocolate, Cranberry Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
2 cups (8 ounces) good quality White Chocolate Chunks--I used a Ghirardelli White Baking Bar, chopped
1 cup sweetened coconut
1 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries (if desired)
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Beat butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating for a minute after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Gradually add flour mixture to butter. Keep on low speed. Stir in the oats, coconut, white chocolate, dried fruit and walnuts.
Using a medium scoop drop on parchment covered stone. Bake at 350 for about 12-14 minutes. Cool on pan for 2 minutes then remove to a cooling rack. Makes about 4 dozen cookies
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Enjoy these delicious chunky cookies. I love that they have all the good things in them--chocolate, nuts, oatmeal, coconut, dried fruit----yummy!

Soft Oatmeal Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Brown Butter is so trendy right now--and it should be. Most anything made with browned butter is delicious. But it is certainly not a new flavor. 50 years ago my Mother made a delicious butterscotch cookie with a browned butter frosting. Mom didn't make them often because they were a lot of work. My Dad loved them so she made them for him--often hiding them in the back of the freezer. The point being brown butter has really been around for awhile. I will get Moms recipe and blog about them someday.
Today we have a simple oatmeal cookie turned epic. Yes I think brown butter glaze raises these cookies to the epic status! Enjoy this yummy recipe.

Oatmeal Cookies with Browned Butter Glaze

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar (3.5 ounces)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1 1/4 cups baby oats
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla and beat for another minute.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix gently just until incorporated.  Drop dough using a 1 Tablespoon scoop and bake for 8-9 minutes at 350.  The cookies do not brown very much and they will look slightly underdone.  Cool.  Top with browned butter glaze.

I made this recipe in my food processor—it is so quick. Combine butter, sugars, egg and vanilla in bowl. Process with metal blade for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides. Sprinkle the remaining ingredients in bowl. Pulse 10 times. It will still look under mixed—this is fine, just use a spatula and stir together. It is that easy and it works! This is my favorite way to make a small batch of cookies.

Browned Butter Glaze
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until browned.  There will be brown bits in the bottom of the pan and it will have a nutty aroma. Be careful—don’t multi task while doing this. Butter goes from brown to black in seconds! (I really know). Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Mix in the remaining ingredients adding milk until desired consistency.  Drizzle over cooled cookies. I put frosting in a Ziploc baggie, cut off the corner and drizzle. I like plenty of frosting/glaze so I make wide drizzles-or plenty of skinny drizzles. Use your creative license!

Makes about 2 ½ dozen small cookies

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Look at my cute helper--my grandchildren live states away so my darling next door neighbor is happy to fill in. She likes making (and eating) cookies as much as I do!
This recipe was inspired by Jenn's recipe on Eat Cake For Dinner--one of my favorite blogs.