No-Bake Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars

 



   I made these a few months ago and loved them. I don't usually like no-bake cookies, but the picture looked so good, I couldn't resist! And, I'm glad I did b/c they were so yummy.

No-Bake Oatmeal-Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
from Brown Eyed Baker

Ingredients:

3 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups granulated sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup unsalted butter
½ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper and set aside. (You can use a 9x13-inch if you want thinner bars.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oatmeal, 1 cup of the chocolate chips, the peanut butter and vanilla extract; set aside.
3. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, butter and salt over medium heat. Bring to a full boil (there should be bubbles covering the entire surface) and boil for 2 minutes.
4. Immediately pour the hot mixture (carefully!) over the oatmeal mixture and quickly stir to combine, ensuring that all of the oatmeal mixture has been moistened. Turn the mixture into the parchment-lined pan and use the back of a spoon to press it evenly into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips over top and gently press them into the top of the mixture.
5. Allow the bars to sit at room temperature to set up, which takes about 30 minutes. Use the edges of the parchment paper to lift the bars out of the pan and cut into squares. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Note: Like any no-bake cookie, the final texture of these really depends on how long you boil the sugar mixture. If it doesn't boil long enough, the cookie mixture will be too soft; if you boil too long, they could turn out dry and crumbly. I like to set a timer just to be sure.

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

Pic courtesy Google images

My friend and cook extraordinaire, Lindsay, passed this recipe along to me. I knew that I had to try them b/c Lindsay said they were her new favorite chocolate chip cookie. And, coming from her, that means a LOT. So, I made a full batch (next time I'll halve it) and brought them to mutual. Suffice it to say they were a HUGE hit. I had people asking me for the recipe left and right. The full recipe makes a ton of cookies, but I was able to freeze them and now i just take one out whenever I have a "need.":)

Sidenote: I do not like coconut. I almost didn't make these for that reason. But,  Lindsay assured me you couldn't taste it. And, take it from me, you can't. These are delicious.

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies 
given to me by Lindsay Grauling


3 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I put in 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup semi)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup white chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened coconut flakes
2 cups chopped pecans (8 oz) (optional- I didn't use)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a second bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. 
Stir in the flour mixture, blending until just combined. Add the chips, oats, coconut, and pecans and stir until fully incorporated. 
Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet, making sure to allow plenty of room between cookies. Bake for 10 minutes (small cookies, 7 minutes) or until the edges are set (don't let them brown!). Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.

Grasshopper Mint Chocolate Cake Mix Cookies

I made these for a party a couple of weeks ago and I LOVED them.  They are very rich and delicious- but also a little more fussy than a regular cookie because your'e making two different cookie toppings.  It was worth it, trust me.

courtesy

Grasshopper Mint Cookies
From Six Sisters Stuff

Cookie bottom:
1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs

Mix cake mix, oil, and eggs together (don't follow directions on back of cake mix).  Drop spoonfuls of dough onto baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 6-9 minutes (do NOT overcook).  Let cool completely.

Peppermint Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 Tbs. milk
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. peppermint extract
Green food coloring (I added about 8 drops to get a good color)

Mix together all the ingredients- adjust for desired consistency.  Spread on top of each cooled cookie.

Chocolate topping:
2 1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butter

Melt chocolate chips and butter together in a double boiler or microwave (for 30-second intervals, stir and repeat until fully melted).  Spread melted chocolate on each cookie using the back of a spoon to smooth.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

 picture courtesy of Southern Living 

I always make the same two cookie recipes. So when Jana passed this recipe along to me I thought I would try it. I don't think you can go wrong with chocolate chip cookies. This recipe is good. I will have to factor it into my rotation. Especially since I was out of lemon juice, so I am curious to see how that taste in these cookies - Jana swears that is what makes them so good!


Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
by: Loni Ponce

1/2 - 3/4 cup rolled oats
2 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup gradulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Grind oats in food processor or blender. Combine the grounded oats with the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. (important to grind the oats for this recipe)

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla and lemon juice. Add eggs. Mix until smooth. Stir in the dry mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips. Spoon desired sized balls onto a cookie sheet.

Bake 350 for 9 - 13 minutes. Watch the cookies the first time you make these so you will know the exact time. My cookies took 10 minutes.

Lemon Cornmeal Crisps

I am so excited to finally share this recipe with you! A while ago (oh, geeze, can it really have been over two years ago!?!), I shared a recipe with you for lemon cornmeal cookies. In that post, I detailed how I had been fiddling with two different recipes. The recipe I previously posted makes a light, tender, lemony cookie that is sweet and - most definitely - a cookie. The other recipe, which I am sharing today, is a cookie-like crisp that is less sweet, more crispy, and has some resemblance to a thin, crispy cracker. Although the basic flavors of the two are the same, the end result is quite different, and I absolutely adore them both!

I am trying to come up with the best way to describe the texture of these lemon cornmeal crisps. If you look at the following picture, showing the top and bottom of the crisps, you can see they almost look like really thick tuile cookies. And in a way, they fit that bill. These crisps are snappy and delicious!

I mix the dough in a food processor. The procedure for making this dough is very similar to making pie crust. I love the wonderful texture and flavor that cornmeal adds!

After mixing the dry ingredients (including the sugar), add the cold butter (cut into cubes) and the lemon zest. Pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Mix the buttermilk and vanilla together and then add to the processor, only working the dough until it just starts to pull together. A word of caution: this dough is quite a bit stickier than regular pie crust due to the high sugar content. If you dampen your hands before handling it, it helps a bit.

Dump the dough onto the counter and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours. Longer tends to be better in the case of this dough. Again, it's a bit sticky, but as it sits in the refrigerator, the cornmeal hydrates and results in a less sticky dough. When you are ready to cut the cookies, cut the dough into four sections so you can work with a small amount at a time. Keep the remaining parts refrigerated until you are ready for them.

Prepare sheet trays with parchment and preheat the oven to 375° F. The crisps don't spread too much, so you can place them fairly close together (closer even than I show in this picture).

The big thing is to roll them thin!! Again, this dough can be a little tricky to work with, but I promise the end result is worth it. Just roll them as thinly as you can while still having the dough maintain its integrity.

The last step, if you're so inclined, is to sprinkle the tops with sanding sugar. I really like the added crunch this adds to the crisp, but it is entirely optional. I also like how it adds a little sparkle to the crisps. In the photo below, the crisp on the left is naked while the one on the right was sprinkled with sanding sugar.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, or until the edges are nicely golden. The crisps will not brown evenly and they will burn on the edges before the centers become golden, so keep an eye on them. Like any cookie this thin, once they start to brown at all, keep a close eye on them; they can go from "not yet" to "oh no!" in a matter of moments. Let the cookies cool briefly on the sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Strangely enough, I find I prefer these cookies after they have had a chance to sit a few days. This can be a wonderful thing as they make great gifts that can be made ahead of time.

Lemon Cornmeal Crisps

Yield: approx 60 - 2 1/2 inch rounds

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup cornmeal

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

zest of one lemon

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

sanding sugar (optional)

In a food processor, pulse together the first four ingredients. Add the butter and lemon zest and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix together the buttermilk and vanilla and add to the processor, mixing only until the dough starts to come together. Dump the dough out and shape it into a disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 to 24 hours. For easier dough handling, longer refrigeration is better.

When ready to bake, cut the dough disk into four pieces. Rolling one piece at a time, keep the remainder refrigerated until ready to use. Preheat the oven to 375° F. Roll the dough out as thinly as you can. This dough can be a bit tricky and you will want to use plenty of flour to keep it manageable. I cut mine into 2 1/2 inch rounds, but you can cut them in any shape you desire. Sprinkle with sanding sugar if you want a shiny, crispy top to the crisps. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the crisps are nicely golden around the edges. They will not brown evenly; the edges will become too done before the center turns golden, so keep an eye on them. Cool slightly on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in an air tight container for up to ten days. These crisps actually taste best two or three days after they are baked.

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

We had a dessert recipe exchange for  young women's the other night and we all brought the dessert for everyone to try. Another leader brought these chocolate chip cookies which are the copy cat recipe from the Levain bakery in NY. I don't remember the last time I bit into a cookie and thought.. "this is the best cookie i've ever had" but i sure did with this one. They are amazing! I made them last night and they were again..amazing! i know there are a lot of chocolate chip recipes on here but this one is worth a shot.

i didn't want to make giant cookies like it calls for so i made them smaller and adjusted the time. but i also learned that you can't do them too small either. they don't spread out very much so be generous in their size. also they taste better when they're a little bigger rather then little bite size cookies.

Ingredients

·         2 sticks ‘cold and cubed’ good quality unsalted butter

·         3/4 cup granulated sugar

·         3/4 cup brown sugar – not packed too hard. Just spoon it in the cup(s) and press down lightly when full, sweeping off any extra that runs over.

·         2 eggs (room temperature)

·         3 1/4 to 3 1/2 cups All Purpose flour – Spoon and Sweep method. (feel the dough, it should be moist, kind of like cold cookie dough in a tube . . . but not super sticky, so you can portion the cookies with your hands)

·         3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

·         3/4-1 teaspoon baking powder ( I don’t fill the tsp fully, hence the 3/4 tsp)

·         1/4 tsp baking soda

·         1 T cornstarch

·         1 cup Guittard brand milk chocolate chips

·         1 cup Guittard brand semisweet chocolate chips

·         1 cup walnuts (Toast the nuts for more flavor, if desired and/or use any kind of nut you like.)- i usually don't like nuts in my desserts but they add an amazing flavor and there are already enough chunks that it doesn't ruin the texture either. add them!!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1.        In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, cream together butter and sugars until well blended and fluffy.

2.        Add eggs, one at a time and beat until well incorporated.

3.        In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch. Add slowly to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

4.        Gently fold in chocolate chips and nuts

5.        Transfer dough to clean work surface and gently mix dough by hand to ensure even distribution of ingredients. Divide into 12 equal portions, **about 4 oz each.

6.        Place each on sheet pan lined with parchment paper and bake in the preheated oven 16-23 minutes depending on how gooey and raw’ish you like the middle. Bake until lightly browned, taking care not to overbake. Let cool on rack and store what you don’t immediately eat, in an airtight container. To freshen them after a few days (if they last that long), give them a quick nuke in the microwave for 5-10 seconds.

Coconut Chocolate Bars

If you are looking for a sweet, sticky indulgence, look no further. These are the sorts of treats that are too dangerous for me to keep around on a regular basis. They're just so darn tasty! I could eat a whole pan by myself in less than 24 hours. Since I can't justify making them that often, I love it when I have a good excuse. When I don't have a good excuse, I just send the majority of the pan to work with my husband. I do hope that I'm not responsible for someone failing their PT test! No, really, these little suckers are absolutely divine.

I first was introduced to these bars at a friend's house almost a decade ago. I immediately asked for the recipe. I just knew that I would want to eat them again, and soon. However, I was disappointed with the process for how they were put together. The recipe I was given had you simply layer ingredients, but I found that led to a crumbly (albeit tasty) mess. I suspected that mixing the ingredients together first would produce a more cohesive product, and I was right.

First, make graham cracker crumbs out of the graham crackers. I use my food processor and then add the melted butter right in to mix completely. These days, I suppose, you could buy the pre-ground crumbs and save yourself some time. Make sure the crumbs and butter are thoroughly mixed and press into the bottom of a 9x13x2 inch pan. This is also a good time to start preheating the oven to 350° F.

In a bowl, mix the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, flaked coconut, and walnuts together. It will be a sticky, gloppy mess.

Spread the sticky mixture over the pressed crumbs as evenly as possible. Gently press down the topping; you don't want it to end up pressed so tightly it bakes into a solid rock!

Bake at 350° F for 25-30 minutes, or until everything is golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting. This dessert has so much butter in the crust, that if you use a non-stick pan, you really have no worries about it coming out. If you refrigerate the bars for a bit, you can easily pull the whole 9x13 sheet out so that you can cut it easily on a cutting board with a pizza cutter. Bars can be stored in an air tight container for up to a week.

Chocolate Cookie Bars

Yield: approximately 18 bars

1 stick of butter, melted (1/2 cup)

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Mix the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs together until well mixed. Press evenly into a 9x13x2 inch non-stick baking pan. In a separate bowl, mix together the condensed milk, chocolate chips, flaked coconut, and walnuts. Spread over the crumb crust and gently press even. Bake 25-30 minutes or until the bars are nicely golden. Cool completely before cutting and serving. Cutting the bars is much easier if you refrigerate the pan for a few hours first. The whole 9x13" sheet can be removed from the pan to be cut with a pizza cutter on a cutting board. Bars keep up to a week at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Snickerdoodles

Pic courtesy of Stephanie's Kitchen

It was recently brought to my attention that we don't have a snickerdoodle recipe here. Well, since these are one of my favorite kinds of cookies, I better get posting. I have tried lots of snickerdoodles and these are the best. They are so light and buttery and the cream of tartar gives it that little tang that I adore. Love 'em.

Snickerdoodles
from Stephanie's Kitchen

3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tarter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs

1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tarter, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add in eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.
3. Mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. Shape in to 1 1/2 inch balls and dip in the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake or they will be too crispy. Bake just until light and golden.

Cadbury Egg Cookies

I've made these cookies 2 years in a row now and they are divine. i only use 1/4 cup of crisco and 3/4 cup butter just to make myself feel a bit better. go try these now.

Cadbury Egg Cookies
Recipe By OurBestBites.com

1/2 C Crisco (I use butter flavored)
1/2 C Butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
2 Eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 C flour
6T unsweetened cocoa powder
1 10 oz bag Cadbury Mini-Eggs*

*If it's not Easter, or you (gasp!) don't like Cadbury Eggs, try these cookies with white chocolate or PB chips- they're fantastic!

Preheat oven to 350. You'll need to chop up those Cadbury Eggs. I just put them in a ziplock bag and bang on them with a marble rolling pin until they're sufficiently crumbled.

Cream together the butter, crisco, brown sugar and white sugar. Add in eggs one at at a time and the vanilla. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add flour mixture to the butter mixture to combine and then mix in the candies.

Drop onto a cookie sheet and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and try not to stuff them in your face to quickly.

Breakfast Cookies

My friend brought these over to me fresh out of the oven and I ate all 6 right away.  I'm sensing a theme here with me devouring a lot of cookies in one sitting!  I don't really know why they are called breakfast cookies because they have all the makings of a regular cookie but they were extra soft....

Breakfast Cookies
Recipe from Renee Waterer, in my ward


1/4 c. butter, margarine, or shortening
3/4 c. white sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. peanut butter
3 c. uncooked oats (rolled better than quick)
1 + 1/4 t. baking soda
3-4 oz. chocolate chips (2/3 c-1 c)
optional: 2 T. flour and 2 T water, for high altitude

Blend butters and sugars.  Blend in vanilla and eggs.  Combine oats, baking soda, and flour in another bowl.  Drizzle in the 2 T. water while stirring into the mixture of oats.  Add the oat mixture to butter mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.  The edges only should start to turn golden, let cookies sit for 1-2 minutes to finish cooking the center.  Remove to rack and enjoy!

Gingerbread Cutouts

I've been in serious cookie making mode lately. Last week I made an army of these cute little guys for a "cookie caper" on base, where volunteers bring in homemade cookies and then they are packaged and distributed to airmen. (I also made a double batch of my sugar cookie holly cutouts.) What I love about gingerbread men is that the cookie is not overly sweet and has a nice spiciness to it. I often make and give them as gifts. They can be packaged in such cute ways and everyone loves to receive them!

The dough is very easy to mix. Probably the hardest part is grating the ginger, but a microplane makes short work of the task. Just be sure that the fresh ginger is ground into a paste; you want it to mix evenly into the dough. Mix the wet ingredients together first.

Then mix the dry ingredients in a separate bowl before adding the flour mixture to the wet mixture. I've tried a lot of gingerbread cookie recipes, and I love the combination of spices in this one.

Form the dough into a log and wrap in plastic wrap, letting it firm up in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Once it has firmed up, cut the dough into four or five large slices and roll one disk out at a time. Roll it fairly thin, about one eighth of an inch is best. Use a gingerbread cutter to make figures. Bake on a greased cookie sheet or a parchment lined pan. For best flavor, bake until the cookies are nicely browned. I've found if they are under cooked, the flavor is a bit lackluster.

Once they are baked and completely cooled, pipe decorations in royal icing (I use the recipe on the package of Wilton meringue powder). Let the cookies sit out for at least a few hours until the icing is dried hard. Then package them up! They keep fairly well in an air tight container. I like to maximize my time, so I always do the same decoration on them, but you can certainly get creative! You can use a variety of colors and small candy decorations if you want. Make your gingerbread army however you see fit!

Gingerbread Cutouts
Yield: approx. 70 3-inch cutouts

3/4 cup brown sugar, firm packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
3 1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Beat the sugar and butter together until smooth. Add eggs, molasses, and fresh ginger. Mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Stir well. Add slowly to the wet ingredients, stirring until well mixed. Shape dough into a log and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least one hour. Slice log into four or five disks. Roll out one disk at a time. Roll fairly thin, about 1/8 of an inch. Place on greased or parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350° F for about ten minutes, or until nicely browned. Cool completely before decorating with royal icing.

Megan's Chocolate Chip Cookies

Seriously, make these and you will not go back!  I don't think I will every make a different chocolate chip cookie.  I don't know if it's the vanilla pudding or the almond flavoring but these are to die for!


Megan’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Crescent Marchant

2 cubes butter                        1 small package vanilla pudding(the powder)
2 eggs                                      3-4 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar                ¾ cup chocolate chips (I'm pretty sure I do more than this...just add til you like)
¾ cup white sugar               2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda               1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1 tsp. salt                               Heath toffee bits (optional--these are super yummy in them)
½ tsp. baking powder


Roll into balls.  Bake at 350 degrees for 13-17 minutes.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies

Now here's a cookie to get you going. I initially came up with the idea... well, to be honest, I'm not sure what the thought process was. It just seemed like it would be a really good combination of flavors. And it is! I often snack on chocolate chips and almonds or chocolate chips and dried tart cherries; this seemed like a natural extension.

These are really good. The cookies are somewhat crispy on the outside with a pleasant chew on the inside. The nuttiness of the almonds are divine, and when you hit one of the chewy, tart cherries? Bingo! You're average six year old may not see their worth, but you will.

Start by creaming the butter and sugar together. Then add the cocoa to this mixture. Start this process slowly, lest you end up with a cocoa cloud in your kitchen.

Beat the eggs and extracts. Add the remaining ingredients save for the "add-ins" and mix. In this case, that refers to the nuts and cherries. I always hand mix the add-ins. It gives me the heebie jeebies when the chips and nuts scrape behind the paddle in my mixer. It's not quite nails on chalkboard, but I can't help but thinking it's not good for the mixer or the add-ins.

Be sure you toast your almonds before adding them to the dough. I like to use the slivers and then I give them a few extra rough chops before throwing them in there.

Drop onto cookie sheets. I use a size 40 disher, which is about 1 3/4 TBS. Dampen your fingers and press cookie balls somewhat flat, until they're about a half inch thick. Bake at 375° F for about 12-15 minutes. It's a little harder to tell when they are ready, because you can't easily see when they are starting to brown. What I look for is a certain "dryness" of the cracks that form in the surface of the cookie. When the cookies are done, those cracks won't glisten quite so much anymore. Let cool for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Cookies
Yield: approximately 40 cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup toasted slivered almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup dried tart cherries

Cream together the butter and sugar. Slowly mix in the cocoa powder until well incorporated. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and the eggs. Beat together well. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix just until incorporated. Mix in the almonds and cherries by hand.

Drop onto a parchment lined baking sheet using a #40 disher, or by dropping approximately 1 3/4 TBS mounds. Dampen your fingers and press the dough balls until they are about one half inch thick. Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for approximately 14 minutes. It can be difficult to tell when they are done based on color alone. Doneness can be determined by looking at how "shiny" the cracks in the cookie surface are. Look for the wet-look of the dough in those cracks to disappear. Let cool slightly on the cookie sheet before removing onto a rack to cool completely.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Brian's favorite cookie is an oatmeal one...he doesn't even like the chocolate chips. This cookie is where we compromise. :) Its a delicious, chewy, chocolately cookie that goes perfect as an ice-cream sandwich (we made them last Sunday and they were delicious...ice-cream recipe below too). There is something about oatmeal chocolate chip cookie dough that really is satisfying...yeah, we make these just for the dough sometimes.

courtesy

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (and Ice Cream!)

Adapted slightly from allrecipes.com

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3 cups quick-cooking oats (I've used regular oats too, with great results)

2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time and then stir in vanilla. Add flour, baking soda, and salt and stir until just blended. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes.

Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

Cuisinart Recipe Booklet

1 cup milk (the fattier the milk, the creamier the ice cream)

3/4 c. granulated sugar

pinch salt

2 cups heavy cream

1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract (the real stuff, please!)

Whisk together milk, sugar and salt until sugar is completely dissolved (about 3-4 minutes). Stir in cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours, or overnight. Put in ice cream maker for 15-20 minutes; add mix-ins for the last 3-5 minutes, if desired. Freeze and seal tight the ice cream for additional 1-2 hours, if you want it more solid.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

A couple weeks ago, I was wasting time on allrecipes.com and came across a new (to me) peanut butter cookie recipe. To be honest, I don't know how I've missed this in my previous searches, because it's the top rated peanut butter cookie recipe. So, even though I thought I had found THE one and only peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe for me, I decided to give this one a go. And, wow, am I glad I did. Because, let me tell you, it blows my other one out of the water. They were the moistest, chewiest, most flavorful cookies I've ever had. I'm telling you- you MUST make these.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
12- 16 oz chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and add eggs one at a time until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in the oats (and chocolate chips, if desired) until just combined. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until just light brown. Don't over-bake. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know there's no shortage of chocolate chip cookie recipes on our blog, but please try this one....I promise you'll be in love! This is the type of big cookie you'd find at a specialty bakery. Just remember to follow the special tips and use that wooden spoon!

Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbs. vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or half chocolate chunks, half chips)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper. 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 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Tips: Only use a dark baking sheet or else the batter will spread out (I used my silpat from Demarle and they turned out perfectly moist and chunky). Also, use a wooden spoon for mixing in the sifted ingredients as well. Do not overbake!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Julianna Jewkes' college roommate




2 bruised and ripe bananas
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. chocolate chips

Blend bananas, add sugar, softened butter, egg and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients and finally add chocolate chips. Cook around 10 min. at 350'---don't overcook as these are best underdone. Yum!

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies

These cookies have been a labor of love. I originally got the idea when I first started making my cornmeal crust. I started thinking to myself... boy, wouldn't this be a great combo for a cookie. And, thus, the task was born. I made my first variation the week before Christmas and was encouraged but a little disappointed in the result, so I made a second batch. I then packed the cookies up in separate bags to take with me to Christmas in Illinois. Strangely, I found that I ended up liking the first batch better once they had a few days to sit in a bag. They were crisp and had an interesting texture... almost like a cross between a cookie and a cracker. My inital attempts saw the dough being prepared like a pie crust.

Then, I thought I would go back and try that first recipe I used again. They were fine, but they didn't inspire me. I thought they might be better in a few days again, but unfortunately, the idea of having to wait a few days to fully enjoy any cookie I might make just ain't right. So, off I went back to the drawing board. (By the way, a few days later they were really good... I think I'll post that recipe in the future, too, as I can't make up my mind which I like best).

Anyhow, I kept thinking about how the cookie I was imagining in my mind was a lot like a sugar cookie, crisp and delicate, but with a nice hint of lemon and an interesting textural addition from the cornmeal. I figured if I wanted it to be like a sugar cookie, I should just try modifying my favorite sugar cookie recipe. The end result is fabulous! What do you know, trial and error are effective!

I used the large grained sanding sugar because it was all I had on hand, but I think they'd be much better with finer grained sanding sugar, although there was something nice about that added cruch.

Lemon Cornmeal Cookies
Yield: 80-100 - 2 1/2" by 1 1/2" cookies

1 cup softened butter
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp real lemon extract
zest of one lemon
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp baking soda

Cream the butter and the sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg, extract, and zest and mix thoroughly. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cornmeal, and baking soda. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet and mix just until combined. Dump out onto the counter and pat into a 1 1/2 to 2 inch in diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly flour a board and, using a covered rolling pin, roll out about 1/8 inch thick. You can use cookie cutters or cut using a pizza or rotary ravioli cutter (for prettier edges) into rectangles. Transfer to a parchement lined baking sheet. Leave 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch between cookies. Sprinkle with sanding sugar (or table sugar).

Bake at 375 until raised and slightly golden, about 15 minutes. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container up to 10 days. Dough may be refrigerated up to a week before baking or frozen up to six months.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

These were really, really good.  They baked evenly so there wasn't crusty edges.  Nice and thick also!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
From My Kitchen Cafe blog
Makes a 9X13-inch pan of bars

2 1/8 cups (10 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter (1 1/2 sticks), melted and cooled slightly
1 cup (7 ounces) light brown sugar
1/2 (3 1/2 ounces) cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips (use your preference of semisweet, bittersweet, milk, white, peanut butter...the options are endless!)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to lower-middle position. Line a 9X13-inch baking pan with foil, letting the excess hang over the edges of the pan by about 1 inch so you can grab those edges and pull the brownies from the pan after they have baked. Spray the foil-lined pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside. Whisk the melted butter and sugars in a large bowl until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture until just combined; do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips and turn the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake until the top of the bars is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, 24-28 minutes. Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Remove the bars from the pan by lifting the foil overhang and transfer them to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch squares and serve.

Outrageous Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pic courtesy of Allrecipes.com

I have been on the hunt for the perfect peanut butter chocolate chip cookie for years. And when I made these the other night I found it. They are the perfect combo of peanut buttery goodness, chocolate, and thick, oatmeal texture. I literally didn't want to stop eating them (to say nothing of the fact that I couldn't stop eating them). They really are that good.

Outrageous Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
from Allrecipes.com

1/2 c butter
1/2 c white sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c quick oats
1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.