Dark chocolate M&M cookies

Updating this recipe because I made a few changes that made it better! I substituted Coconut Oil instead of the butter and used the full 12oz bag of Dark Chocolate M&M's and that is the way to go!

3/4C light brown sugar
3/4Cwhite sugar
1C coconut oil
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
12 oz bag of Dark Chocolate M&M's

1.  Cream the coconut oil and sugar together.
2.  Add the vanilla & eggs and beat well.
3.  Add the flour, salt & baking soda, blend well.
4. Add the full bag of M&M's and mix in
5. Drop tablespoons onto cookie sheet.
6.  Bake at 350 for 12 minutes

Spritz Butter Cookies (Half Recipe version)

Chantelle made some tasty butter spritz cookies @ our cookie exchange one year, they were great! I decided I wanted to make some, but I don't have one of the cookie press tools that make them turn out so pretty. I pressed the dough with a fork & made a criss cross design like you do on a peanut butter cookie. I also sprinkled them with sugar. They weren't quite as cute as they would've been with a press, but they tasted really good! I also didn't want to make a large quantity so below is the recipe that makes a half batch of this cookie.

Ingredients:

1-1/4 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 C butter, softened

1/2 C (+2 TBS) powdered sugar

1 egg yolk

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sift flour & salt, together and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter & sugar. Stir in the egg yolk, almond & vanilla extracts. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients. Fill a cookie press with the dough & press cookies onto a cookie sheet (or just do the criss cross fork press instead). If you like, decorate with sugar or sprinkles.

3. Bake for approximately 8 minutes

Breakfast Cookies

These are not gluten-free ;) but they are made with whole wheat flour and natural ingredients (plus they don't contain sugar) so I think they count as healthy!
Chantelle gave me this recipe and we make them regularly now--they're great especially when you get tired of the same ol' granola bars for breakfast on the go!

P.S. I halved this recipe today & they still worked great!

Ingredients:
1 C butter melted
3/4 C honey (might use 1 C if you want them sweeter)
2 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C buttermilk

2C whole wheat flour
2C whole rolled oats
1 C raisins (I used craisins)
1C chocolate chips


Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees
*Mix the first 8 ingredients and then stir in the flour, oats, raisins & chocolate chips (you can adjust the amount of raisins & chocolate chips to your liking--I think the original recipe might have been 1/2C of each?? may have to just play with the amount)
*Mix all ingredients together & drop onto a cookie sheet
*Bake for about 15 minutes

These make a very soft & chewy cookie!

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

A Pioneer Woman recipe...very yummy and different tasting, without being too different tasting (if that makes sense?)

Malted Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter Softened
¾ cups Golden Brown Sugar
¾ cups Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
2 cups All-purpose Flour
1-¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
1-¼ teaspoon Salt
½ cups (rounded) Malted Milk Powder
1 bag (12 Ounce) Milk Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter, then add both sugars and cream until fluffy. Add eggs and beat slightly, then add vanilla and beat until combined. Add malted milk powder and beat until combined.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture, beating gently until just combined.

Add chocolate chips and stir in gently.

Drop by teaspoonfuls (or use a cookie scoop) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Bake less if you want chewy cookies; more if you want crispy cookies.

Optional: Allow to cool completely, then use two cookies to make an ice cream sandwich. Add sprinkles to the sides of the ice cream, then wrap individually in plastic wrap.

Snickerdoodles

I have this recipe out (I am making cookies right now for preschool program night tomorrow) so I decided to post it. Snickerdoodles are one of the only kinds of cookies Sam will even think about eating, so naturally, they get made fairly frequently around our house.

Snickerdoodles (my mom's recipe)

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

2 TBSP. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Add flour, cream of tartar, salt, and soda. Mix until well blended.

In small bowl combin 2 T. sugar with cinnamon.

Make tsp size cookies in ball. Roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on cookie sheet.

Bake at 400 for approx 8-9 minutes.

Makes about 4 dozen (although I usually make my cookies a little larger than that so then less than that!)

Toffee,Chocolate Chip, Pecan Shortbread cookies

This is not exactly a Valentines cookie, but I found it in a magazine and it was listed as "quick and easy," so I thought I'd give it a try. I'm so glad I did! Trent says these have moved onto his favorite cookies list. They're a true shortbread cookie though, so keep that in mind (meaning they're not especially moist) but the flavor is great!

Ingredients:

8 TBS (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temp

1/4 C confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 C flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (I didn't have mini, so I just used regular and it seemed to work fine--I might try mini next time just to see the difference)

1/2 C toffee bits (I used the Heath Bit o' Brickle that I now find all the time at Walmart--FYI, Alyssa! :))

1/2 C chopped pecans (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream together butter, confectioners' sugar & vanilla until smooth. Stir in flour and salt just until a dough forms. Fold in choc. chips, toffee bits & pecans.

2. Roll dough into 1-inch balls; place on prepared baking sheet, 1 inch apart, press down lightly on each one with a moistened palm. (I didn't press down on them at this point--when I checked to see if they were done, I used a fork to lightly press each one and they were easier to work with at that point--then I cooked them for a minute more)

3. Bake until cookies are firm & just golden around edges, 12-14 minutes. Place baking sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies to rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temp for up to 3 days.

**This recipe only makes about 2 dozen cookies...I am sure that I will try doubling it the next time I make them. This size batch doesn't last long!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Christmas Cookies

Becky brought these to the cookie exchange...yumm-o!!

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup Crisco

1 cup brown sugar firmly packed

1 egg

1 ½ cup flour

½ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

1 ½ cup oats

½ cup crushed peppermint candy

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar

3 or 4 Tablespoons milk

¼ t. peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream Crisco and brown sugar together. Blend in egg. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt and then mix well with Crisco mix. Stir in oats and peppermint. Shape dough to form 1 ½ inch balls. Place about 2 inches apart on un-greased cookie sheet; flatten with tines of fork. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool one minute before removing from cookie sheet.

For glaze, combine all ingredients and mix well. Drizzle over cooled cookies

Makes 2 ½ dozen

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

(recipe from my mother-in-law, Suzi Dayton)

1 c butter or crisco (I do 1/2 & 1/2)
2 1/2 c flour
1 c powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 t almond extract
1 t vanilla
1 t salt
1/2 t red food coloring
1/2 c sugar & 1/2 c crushed peppermint for topping

Mix first seven ingredients, then divide dough in half. Tint half of dough w/ red food coloring. Allow dough to chill in fridge for an hour or two. Roll sections of red & white dough into long ropes on a well floured surface. Twist sections to form candy canes*. Bake 9 - 10 minutes at 375 degrees. While still hot, top with suger & crushed peppermint mixture.

*If you are making 6 dozen & don't want to pull your hair out, just mix some white & red dough into balls to form round cookies :)

Tricolor Pinwheels

Don't you love the "Seventeen" 70's magazine photo?!? I love that my mom still had this...

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. salt

7 to 8 drops red food coloring

7 to 8 drops green food coloring

Powdered sugar

Start these cookies early in the day. In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. With a mixer beat at low speed for about 3 minutes until dough is smooth. Divide dough into three portions. Mix red food coloring into one third. Mix green coloring into another third. Leave the rest plain. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap. Refrigerate about 2 hours. Divide each portion in half to make six portions. Sprinkle powdered sugar onto a sheet of waxed paper. With lightly sugared rolling pin, roll out a portion of green dough on the waxed paper to form a 10-by-six rectangle. On separate sheets of waxed paper do the same with one portion each of the red and the plain dough. Invert plain dough rectangle over green one. Peel off wax paper. repeat with red dough. Starting at the long side roll dough tightly, jelly-roll fashion, peeling back the waxed paper on the bottom while rolling. Wrap roll; refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. Rolled dough will keep in the refrigerator up to a week. Repeat the procedure with the other three dough. Preheat oven to 350. Slice each roll in 1/4 inch slices. Place slices on lightly greased cookie sheets one inch apart. Bake for 12 minutes. Makes 60-80 cookies.

*Note to self: only use real stick butter!! (no butter tubs or margarine! :{ )

One more note to self: taking these out of the oven just slightly before they are done will make them softer!

A Cookie Exchange Recipe

It's never too late to post your cookie recipe from our Cookie Exchange Party!!
Here's mine...

Betsy’s Cookies (a.k.a. "Sandtart Surprise")

2 sticks butter
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup pecans
1 pkg. Hershey Kisses

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla. Add flour and pecans. Mix thoroughly.
Chill dough.
Work kiss in center of dough to make ball.
Bake 375 for 8 - 12 minutes.
Garnish with powdered sugar.

Side Notes: I made some of mine with pecans and then I tried a batch without...I liked them both ways, so it's just personal preference.
I also made a batch of mine and added green food coloring to the dough, then made another batch adding red coloring...that seemed to make them even more "holiday festive".

Santa's Whiskers - Cookie Exchange Recipe

3/4 cup margarine
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup coconut
3/4 cup finely chopped cherries
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add half the flour, sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined. Stir in remaining flour, cherries and pecans. Shape into two 8 inch rolls. Roll in coconut. Wrap in waxed paper and chill dough. Slice cookies and put on cookie sheet. Cook on un-greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Makes about 60 cookies.

Snickerdoodles

I know, its shocking - I'm finally posting a recipe! I'm so sorry I haven't been on top of this, but I have thoroughly enjoyed all of your yummy new ideas.

I made these cookies last week and just had to post this today on the first day of school for so many of our little friends. My mom used to make Snickerdoodles on the first day of school every year, so it's a fun memory for me. You may all have a recipe for these, but I made them last week and got a little nostalgic, so here goes:

Mix together thoroughly...
1 cup soft shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs

Sift together and stir in...
2 3/4 cups sifted flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Chill dough for at least an hour. Roll into balls the size of small walnuts. Roll in mixture of 2 Tbsp. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon. Place about 2" apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until lightly browned, but still soft (about 10 minutes.) Note: these cookies puff up at first then flatten out with crinkled tops.

Hey everyone! First I just wanted to say thanks so much for inviting me to be a part of your great blog! I am feeling muy importante! :) As I was riding the high tide of this fantastic feeling, it occurred to me that I was unsure what to post. I mean, it's a little intimidating. I don't know some of you very well. What if I post something that everyone hates? Is there excommunication on a recipe blog? Ah, the pressure!! Bonki suggested the recipe for these little gems. I think they are best had with a glass of sweet tea on the back porch in the still and quiet of a Summer afternoon...um,yeah. If you are like me, they will be sneakily consumed long after you've told your kids they've had plenty of cookies for one day, thank you very much.

Orange Sugar Cookies
(a tea cake like sugar cookie- Dave's grandpa said they were like his mother used to make for him. Awwww)
from the Belton Church of Christ Cookbook

Oven 350 degrees

1 1/3 cup butter
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
6 cups of flour
4 tsp baking powder
4 Tablespoons orange juice
Grated rind of 2 oranges (orange zest)

Cream butter & sugar. Add eggs, rinds & juice. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Roll out dough on floured surface. Cut out and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Do NOT brown.

Tip: (all for free- I know- hard to believe) Use the same size cutter per sheet of cookies, so you can time them to avoid browning. I don't know what happens when they brown.. I have never let this occur.. I cannot vouch for your personal safety or that of your family if there is browning. You are on your own.)

Love & Hugs,
Karise G.