Chocolate Chip Cookies

What’s the big deal about chocolate chip cookies, you ask.  First, I love them.  Second, they are easy to make.

I always make the Toll House recipe but I was looking for something a little different and found this recipe on King Arthur Flour.  I only use KA flour since I think good flour does make a difference when baking.  I love their website and have spent more than my share of money there over the years.  Every recipe I have ever tried has come out well.

Back to the recipe.  I have a confession to make first.  I REALLY like the Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies (comes in a tube) but I won’t buy them because of price and all those chemicals.  This recipe really reminds me of those cookies and when I’m jonesin for Pillsbury chocolate chips, I’ll make these instead.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vinegar, cider or white
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
2 cups flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375°. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

In a large bowl, combine the sugars, butter, shortening, salt, vanilla  extracts, vinegar, and baking soda, beating until smooth and creamy.

Beat in the egg, beating till smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula to make sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Mix in the flour, then the chocolate chips.

Scoop 1 1/4″ balls of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 2″ between them on all sides so they can spread.

Bake the cookies for 11 to 12 minutes. I baked mine for 10 minutes in my convection oven and they were perfect.

Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pan until they’ve set enough to move without breaking or smooshing. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Happy Cooking!

Recipes from Blogs Challenge Pick #3

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies by Michelle of Something New is Cooking .

Oh. My.  These are sooo good.  I NEVER should have eaten one because they are REALLY hard to stay away from.  They really are easy to make although it took me awhile since I did one pan at a time and I only put 6 cookies on a pan.  I used parchment paper to keep them from sticking and it worked great.  Everyone here at home loves them.  These would be great to add to your Christmas cookies tray or any time you need a delicious cookie.

Thanks for posting, Michelle!  I hope that everyone visits Michelle’s blog as she has some really great recipes there.

Happy Cooking!

Christmas Cornflake Wreaths

When my kids were little, we used to make these treats together but for some reason we stopped.  A couple of years ago, my DD got the recipe back out and we started making them again ~ messy but fun!  You can change the cinnamon red hots out and use mini red M&M’s and you can make a bow from that really thin red licorice.  They get eaten so fast around here that we don’t bother with bow.

Christmas Cornflake Wreaths

1/3 cup butter
1 (10 ounce) package regular marshmallows or 4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon green food coloring
6 cups corn flakes
red cinnamon candies

In large saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring. Add corn flakes cereal. Stir until well coated

Using 1/4 cup dry measure coated with cooking spray, evenly portion warm cereal mixture. Using buttered fingers, quickly shape into individual wreaths. Dot with cinnamon candies.

Makes 14-16 treats.

VIEW PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE!

Merry Christmas Baking!

Chocolate Peanut Cookies

These cookies have lots of goodies in them and my family loves them. They freeze well.

I have two things to make today and then I am DONE!  I have to get everything out of the freezer tonight and put cookie trays together ~ YAY!

Chocolate Peanut Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts
3/4 cup coarsely chopped chocolate-covered peanut butter cups (about 15)

Preheat oven to 350º.

Beat the butter and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Add sugars, baking soda and salt. Beat until well combined, scraping sides of bowl if needed. Beat in egg, milk and vanilla until combined.

Beat in the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanuts and chopped peanut butter cups.

Drop dough my generously rounded tsps onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes about 30 depending on size.

Merry Christmas Baking!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Well, I am almost finished baking ~ I just have a couple of things to make that I can’t make ahead so I’ll do that tomorrow and cookie trays go out on Tuesday ~ YAY!

If you are a chocoholic, you need to try these cookies ~ they are VERY chocolatey but really good.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

4  (1 ounce)  squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
6 tbsps butter
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsps unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a microwave, melt unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup of the choclate chips and the butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whip the eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla and chocolate mixture until well mixed.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and gradually stir into the chocolate mixture. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Cover dough and chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350º. Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart ~ I lined mine with parchment paper.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheets for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 36 cookies.

Merry Christmas Baking!

Chocolate-Drizzled Shortbread

I found this recipe on Recipezaar and it’s super easy to make.  It’s not very sweet which is nice since we’ll have so many really sweet cookies to munch on.  They also look really pretty.

Here’s the link:  Chocolate-Drizzled Shortbread

I also made a batch of my Chocolate Drop Cookies and dressed them up for Christmas.

Merry Christmas Baking!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

DD and I are heading up to Colonial Williamsburg today for our annual Christmas tea at Christiana Campbell’s Tavern.   I’ll be posting pictures later today or tomorrow.

Continuing with the peanut butter theme, these are fairly popular cookies, too.  They are really easy to make but look like they took some time.  This recipe says to chill the dough but I never do ~ it’s not very sticky.  The recipe only makes 36 for me. These cookies freeze well.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
about 36-42 miniature peanut butter cups

Combine butter, sugars, egg, peanut butter and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Add flour, baking soda and salt to the creamed mixture and beat until well combined. Cover and chill dough.

When dough is chilled, roll in walnut-sized balls and place in greased mini muffin pans. Bake at 375º for 8-9 minutes.

Remove pans from oven and immediately press one peanut butter cup in the middle of each cookie.

Cool in pans for about 10 minutes and then remove and cool completel.y on rack.

Makes 36-42 cookies.

Merry Christmas Baking!

Peanut Blossoms

These cookies are so popular.  They are yummy and look really cute to boot!  They freeze well, too.

Peanut Blossoms

1 8 ounce bag Hershey’s Kisses
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup peanut butter (I have used both creamy and crunchy so it’s your choice)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsps milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
additional sugar

Heat oven to 375º.

Remove wrappers from candy and set aside.

Beat shortening and peanut butter together in a large bowl until well blended. Add the 1/3 cup sugar and all of the brown sugar and beat well until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat well.

Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to peanut butter mixture. Beat until blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch ball. Roll in additional sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets ~ I line mine with parchment paper but you don’t have to.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately place kiss on top of each hot cookie, pressing down so cookie cracks around edges.

Remove from sheet to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 48 cookies ~ I made less than that but family was eating them as fast as they cooled so I didn’t get an accurate count.

Merry Christmas Baking!

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

This cookie really tastes like eggnog even though there is no eggnog in it.  I use real brandy and spiced rum instead of the extracts for a fuller flavor.

Eggnog Snickerdoodles

Cookies

2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter, no substitutes
2 eggs
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon brandy extract
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Sugar Mixture

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Heat oven to 400º.

In large mixer bowl, combine all cookie ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often until well mixed (2 to 4 minutes).

In a small bowl, stir together sugar mixture ingredients. Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly brown.

Makes 24-30 cookies.

Merry Christmas  Baking!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

These cookies get a big thumbs up from my family!  They are easy to make but look like they took forever.  They would make a great gift.

I bought a jar of maraschino cherries that were already sliced in half so I didn’t even have that to do.  I put the cooled cookies in the freezer.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

1 10 oz. jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsps vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Drain the cherries, reserving 3 tsps. juice. Cut cherries in half and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the egg, vanilla, and 2 tsps of the reserved cherry juice; beat until well blended.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and gradually add to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Press your thumb in the middle of each ball and place a cherry half in each indentation.

Put chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until chips melt and the mixture is well blended. Stir in remaining 1 tsp of cherry juice. Spoon 1 tsp mixture over each cherry half.

Bake at 350º for 10 minutes.

Makes 3 dozen or so depending on the size of your cookies.

Happy Baking!