The Big Buckeye Cookie

The Big Buckeye (December 2023 BHG, p 159)

The thin peanut butter layer forms the eye of the buckeye nut this cookie’s named for.  Flatten peanut butter balls in your hand first, then gently press them on a cooled cookie before topping with ganache.

Hands on 25 minutes

Total time 55 minutes

3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons salted butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 egg yolk

2 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee powder (I didn’t have any on hand so I left it out)

2/3 cup Dutch-process unseated cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon plus 1 pinch salt (I just did slightly heaping 1/2 teaspoon)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup heavy cream

6 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate bar, finely chopped (I just used my semi-sweet chocolate chips)

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter 

1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Preheat over to 375°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper in a large bowl beat the 3/4 cup butter with a mixer on medium high 30 seconds.  Add granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat on medium, scraping bowl as needed, 2 minutes,  Beat in eggs, egg yolk, 2 tsp of the vanilla, and the coffee powder until combined.  Beat in cocoa powder, baking soda, and the 1/2 tsp. salt until combined.  Beat in flour.  (I like to put the baking soda and salt in with the flour as dry ingredients to avoid salty clumps in my cookies)

Drop dough by 1/3 cup portions (nine total) 3 inches apart onto a prepared cookie sheet.  Flatten mounds to 3/4 inch this and 3 inch diameter.

Bake until edges are just set and tops appear crackled about 12 minutes.  Let cook 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Remove; cool completely on wire racks.

For Ganache, in a saucepan, (or class measuring cup in microwave works well too) bring heavy cream just to boiling over medium-high.  Remove from heat; add chocolate (do not stir); Let stand for 5 minutes stir until smooth. Cool about 10 minutes. (I just put all cream and chocolate together in microwave save bowl and microwaved it fro 40-60 seconds let sit for a couple minutes then whisked it together until smooth).

In a medium bowl stir together the peanut butter, all the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp butter, remaining 1/4 tsp vanilla (I didn’t put the butter, vanilla, or pinch of salt in this step because I accidentally put it all in the cookie dough.  It worked out fine for both).  Shape peanut butter mixture into tin 1 1/2 inch balls.  Gently flatten each peanut butter ball to fit within 1/2-inch of the cookies edge; press gently to adhere to cookie.  Spoon ganache over the peanut butter.

Makes 9 cookies

Store in a airtight container at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. 

 

Per cookie 764 cal, 42g fat (21g saturated fat) 124mg chol, 612 mg sodium, 90g cars, 5g fiber, 54g sugar, 12g protein

SIZE NOTES:

I actually used my cookie scoops and made the 9 cookies magically into 2 dozen cookies ;-).  They were still plenty big cookies.  I used my #30 (2.3 Tablespoon scoop) size cookie scoop for cookies I cooked them for 9 minutes.  Then I used my #60 (1 Tablespoon scoop) and it was perfectly portioned.  

Pumpkin Haystack Cookies (Lion House Bakery)

Pumpkin Haystack Cookies (Lion House Bakery)

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter, softened (I used 1 cup butter flavored crisco & 1/2 cup real unsalted butter)

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (16 oz) can solid pack pumpkin

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (I make these optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add pumpkin, then gradually add the dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Scoop batter onto lightly greased cookie sheets and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. 

Makes 4 Dozen 

Gingerbread Cookie

Quin loves gingerbread! It's hard for me to believe that a young kid can love the ginger flavor so much. It was an acquired taste for me that took a few years. But he loves a real strong flavored gingerbread-to strong for my taste at times. But I am glad he knows what he loves!

These are a cookie that we all love. They are a soft gingerbread cookie not crunchy. I found the recipe from my "pins" for cookies and desserts. It comes from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody. We leave the white chocolate step off and enjoy them all the same. I think that it would be just as easy to put a white "kiss" on top too.

Gingerbread Cookies
 (www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com who adapted it from McCormick and Company Inc.)
**plan ahead needs 4 hours to overnight to chill before baking.**

3 cups flour
2 teaspoons Ginger, ground
2 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, ground
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt in large bowl.

Beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg, and vanilla; beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a thick flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar. Place 2-inches apart on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown.  Immediately press about 5-6 white chocolate chips into venter of each cookie. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Store cookie in airtight container up to 5 days (they never last that long around here!)

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

This cookie is delicious! I got it out of my "The New Best Recipe" book. It is like eating a cookie from a gourmet cookie shop. They add an extra egg yoke and melt the butter, which they say is what helps the cookie keep its soft texture. Like all cookies they are best hot out of the oven. We made a double batch and froze them individually wrapped for school lunches and they were just as tasty.

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies "The New Best Recipes", p.776)

2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until just warm
1 cup packed (7 oz) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz) granulated sugar
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower middle positions and heat the oven to 325 F degrees.  Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended.

Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined.  Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves.  Rotate the halves 90 degrees and , with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at the base, agin forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough's uneven surface. Place the formed dough ball on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2" inches apart.

Bake until the cookies are light golden brown, the outer edges start to harden, and the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time.  Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a wide metal spatula.

In my convection multi-rack setting of my oven I bake it at 325 convection for 13 minutes and do not rotate my pans.

Sand-Dollar Cookies

These tender and chewy cookies are requested by my Quin frequently. Maybe its because he dreams of going to the beach one day, and these cute little cookies are about as close as he is going to get to his beaching anytime soon. These would be a great cookie to serve at a beach themed gathering. We have the Friend magazine (July 2009) to thank for this cookie recipe.

Sand-Dollar Cookies

1 cup margarine or butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

3 3/4 cup flour (I use 4 cups plus some. I think the dough is to runny without it)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Slivered almonds

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, mixed with 3 Tablespoons

Mix the margarine and sugar together in a mixing bowl until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla, and milk, and mix until smooth.

In another bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Add the flour mixture to the margarine mixture. Mix well.

Roll dough into small balls and place them on a cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a drinking glass in four, and use it to press the balls of dough into circles about 1/4 inch think. Press 5 slivered almonds on each cookie so the look like sand dollars. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Chocolate Orange Logs

This recipe comes from my Lion House Christmas Cookbook. I thought they looked fun and simple fancy. It was a simple dough (Though not sweet enough for my taste. I think I will add a little more powdered sugar next time.) and very delicate. My love for orange and chocolate together runs deep in my blood. My grandma Bartholomew loved orange chocolates and has passed it on to my mom and all of her kids. Can't eat an orange chocolate flavored anything and not think of what an amazing woman my grandmother was to so many people.

These were fun to make with my boys for our Christmas goodie boxes this year. The chocolate and nuts are an absolute must! The cookie just doesn't taste good with out it.

Chocolate Orange Logs (Lion House Christmas)

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon orange extract

2 cups flour

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter in a large bowl, gradually adding sugar and beating until light and fluffy. Stir in orange zest and orange extract. Gradually add flour. Shape dough into a long roll 3/4-inches wide; cut roll into 2-inch pieces. Place on greased cookie sheet. Flatten one end of cookie lengthwise with a fork. Bake 10 minutes, or until light brown. Cool cookies on a wire rack. Melt chocolate chips in microwave oven or in top of a double boiler over simmering water. Dip unflattened ends of cookies in chocolate, then roll in chopped nuts. Store in covered container.

Makes 4 dozen.

Pumpkin Haystacks-Lion House Bakery

My little sister called this past week searching for a pumpkin cookie recipe. I shared this one with her from my Lion House Bakery cookbook and it motivated me to try it myself. I only had a large can of pumpkin on hand so I had to double the batch! It is a good thing they turned out wonderful because it was a HUGH batch of cookies! Just the butter, sugars, and eggs filled my Kitchen Aid to the rim. Adding the dry ingredients required using the largest bowl I have. Worked out great, because they were a hit with my family and neighborhood friends. A perfect Halloween pumpkin treat.

Pumpkin Haystack Cookies

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Dash nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups butter, softened (I used 1 cup butter flavored crisco & 1/2 cup real unsalted butter)

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 (16 oz) can solid pack pumpkin

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans (I made these optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and set aside. Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add pumpkin, then gradually add the dry ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts. Scoop batter onto lightly greased cookie sheets and bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Secret Recipe Cookie (BYU)

I got this recipe from the BYU Dietitian Students Cooking Lab while I was a student nearly 10 years ago-wish I was a Dietitian student, but I studied otherwise. Their class was handing out recipes and samples and I was lucky enough to get offered one. The very title of the cookie makes me laugh as they were freely passing them out to those of us passing by.

1 cup Butter Flavored Crisco

1 cup White Sugar

1 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla

2 cups flour

2 cups quick oats (I frequently use regular oats)

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup chocolate chips

Cream Crisco and sugars together until smooth and creamy. Then add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Drop onto cookie sheet in desired size (teaspoon to Tablespoon). Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

*I always like to stay on the lower side of the times given and then let them rest for 1 minute on the pan before removing to cooling racks. I think this helps the cookies stay nice and soft.

Yet another Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe tried

We have many chocolate chip recipes and to many favorites already. There is just nothing like a warm chocolate chip straight from the oven is there? We liked the lightness of this dough and thought we would try to use up some of our orange peel chocolates for a fun mix-in. It worked great and was a big hit!

I got this recipe out of the inside of my parchment paper box.

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened (I used butter flavored Crisco)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 package (12 oz) milk or dark chocolate chips. We did 1/2 cup each of dark, milk, and orange peel chocolates.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Add flour mixture gradually to butter mixture and beat until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonful of desired size onto lined parchment cookie sheets.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned.

**I personally prefer an almost under baked cookie so I went for 13 minutes the first pan. Once the pan is hot drop it to 12 minutes. I feel like this allows the cookies to stay softer longer. I also remove them from the oven and allow to cool on the pan for 1 minute before removing to allow the bottom a little more browning time.

Monster Batch of Monster Cookies

I made these cookies clear back in July and am finally getting them posted. This is a huge batch in and of itself, then when you make a mindless mistake and double the baking powder it becomes a "monster batch!" How does this happen you ask? Well I was talking with my sister Sherri about girls camp and we were brainstorming ideas for her camp. I had all three boys trying to help me in the kitchen making the cookies, chatting away, measuring stuff, keeping the kids fingers out of the sugar (you get the picture) and then next thing I know I have dumped 2 teaspoons baking powder in my mix. There is no easy way to fish baking powder out of flour so throw your hands in the air, smile (Okay a really big SIGH), and make a monster batch what else can you do?! It actually worked out nicely because I had plenty of extra dough to freeze; something everyone in my house loves from time to time is a "frozen cookie ball".

These cookies are great from the oven, frozen after being baked or frozen prior to baking. Here is our version of the "Monster Cookie"

Monster Cookies

1 cup Peanut Butter

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup butter

2 cups light brown sugar

2 cups white sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups rolled oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder!!!!!!!

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet-chocolate chips

1 cup plain M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.

In a very large bowl, cream together the margarine, butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and rolled oats; stir into the sugar mixture. Mix in chocolate chips and M&M candy pieces. Drop in desired size teaspoons or tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 11 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are golden. If you like chewy cookies, take them out before they look done.

Snowman Sugar Cookies

Once There was a Snowman---until we ate him up!

2009 Snowmen

We made these cut snowmen last year for Christmas and my kids couldn't wait to do it again this year. What is it about colored sugar and sprinkles that makes kids go wild every time you walk past them in the store? My kids are always begging for sprinkles. This year I have broke down and bought them at Easter and for their birthday. They love it! Decorating cookies with sprinkles and candies is something my boys wish I would do every week. I hold out for Christmas and Valentines hoping to make it more special for them.

Try out my favorite recipe for moist and delicious Sugar Cookies.

2008 Creations

These were much more elaborate then 2009. I let my nieces and nephew come over and decorate with us. They all went wild with the candies! Then when it came time to eat them they wouldn't eat the ones with all the treats on it. I questioned why they did this and my niece said, "they have too much stuff on them and its doesn't taste good with the cookies." I had to give her a hard time about this because she was the one that kept loading up each cookie. I kept telling them not to, but what do I know! Then when it came time to eat them she was the one that wanted the plain frosted ones that I wouldn't let them add stuff too. LOL!

Quin making a spider with his dough.

Cameron making a snowman

Fun Holiday Cookies

The boys and I had so much fun making these adorable cookies. A friend of mine did these on her goodie plates last year and I just fell in love with how cute they were. After creating them for our goodie plates this year, I fell in love with how quick they come together, not to mention hours of rolling, cutting, and frosting. You can make them into Ghost at Halloween. I have even had the thought come to try to make cute a snowman, but haven't done it yet. Let your imagination run wild. It was fun to make both brown nose and red nose reindeer-You can display Santa's herd of flying reindeer with Rudolph in the lead on your plates--just so cute, quick, and fun. These cookies are a Hit with our family and friends.

1 (1 lb) package Almond Bark (I used Plymouth Pantry-just what our store had)

1 package Nutter Butter Cookies

Twisted Pretzels (Regular or Large size)

Red and Brown M&M's (Plain or Peanut)

Mini Chocolate Chips

Melt the almond bark as directed on the package in the microwave. Dip the Nutter Butter cookie in melted bark and place on waxed paper. Quickly add the pretzel for antlers, M&M and mini chocolate chips. Allow Bark to harden before moving to goodie plates.

*My friend uses plain M&M's and smaller pretzel twist. I didn't know that when I bought my pretzels so instead of placing the pretzel on the front like she does I put mine on the back. I personally like the peanut M&M's better for eating! I mean for the nose ;-) so I used them and think that they make the nose stand out and are better portioned with the cookie size.

Pumpkin Spice Magic Bars Mini's (Picky Palate)

So this fun little treat is a recipe I got from Picky Palate. I have always loved the Magic Bars (recipe on back of Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk) Jenny-Picky Palate blogger kicked it up a notch by adding pumpkin to them. It is a fun variation. Mine never turn out as pretty as hers (guess I need to put the William Sonoma mini-cheesecake pan on my wish list!). I used muffin tins and mini muffin tins (Wish I would have taken a picture of the bite size morsels they were a hit.) I did double the batch and got 12 regular and 24 mini's using regular muffin pans. I didn't drizzle it with the extra carmel, but it is a fun touch.

1/4 Cup melted butter

3/4 Cup graham cracker crumbs

2 oz softened cream cheese

3/4 Cup pumpkin puree, Libby’s

3 Tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 Cup chocolate chips

1/2 Cup coarsely chopped cashews

3/4 Cup sweetened shredded coconut

1/2 Cup sweetened condensed milk

Caramel ice cream topping to drizzle (or make your own if you’d rather)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place melted butter and graham cracker crumbs into a bowl; mix to combine. Press into the bottom of mini cheesecake cups. Bake for 8 minutes then remove from oven.

2. In a bowl beat the pumpkin, softened cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Spoon evenly over each graham cracker crust, about 2 small spoonfuls. Next layer chocolate chips evenly over pumpkin layer following with cashews, coconut and condensed milk. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove and let cool. *Before bars completely cool, take a plastic knife and run around edges to loosen. It becomes very sticky and difficult to remove from the cups if you do not loosen.

3. Once cooled, carefully remove from cups and arrange onto serving tray. Drizzle with warm caramel and serve.

Scott's Soccer Practice Bars

This recipe came from the back of a 25 lb bag of Western Family Sugar. Cameron and I whipped these up one evening for fun. I now know why Scott (whoever he is) calls this soccer practice bars! You need to go to soccer practice to burn off the cookies. We love oatmeal, we love chocolate, and we love peanut butter so you can see that these cookies don't look like much but they sure pleased our sweet tooth.

Soccer Practice Bars

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
1 cup old fashion oatmeal
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips (I used 3/4-1 cup mini chocolate chips)

Icing--combine and set aside
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons peanut butter
2 Tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and peanut butter and mix well. Stir in soda, salt, flour, and oatmeal. Press into a 9 x 13 pan.Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. (I actually mixed mine in like a chocolate chip cookie dough-oops). Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with icing.

Cool completely. Cut into squares and serve. Makes 24 squares.

Zucchini Whoppie Pies

These little pies are RICH and Delicious. I got the recipe from Real Mom Kitchen who got it somewhere else! I love cooks who are willing to share their great recipes--THANK YOU LADIES! Another great find for those over grown zucchini's. These cookies are extremely tender and thin. I think next time I might increase the flour even more then I have noted here. They turned out great but I would like them to be slightly thicker, and a little more durable, but not tough!

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I added another 2 T. so total of 2 1/4 cups)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (I used something like 1/8 tsp. because nutmeg is not one of my favorite flavors)
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 cup finely chopped nuts (I used Pecans)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 large egg
1 cup grated zucchini-squeezed
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Mix shortening and sugar. Add in egg. Mix. Add milk and mix.
2. Add in dry ingredients and stir.
3. Blend in the zucchini and vanilla.
Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350* for about 12-15 minutes, until the bottom gets browned.
Cool and sandwich cookies with cream cheese filling.
Filling:
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Scant 1/4 teaspoon salt
Beat all ingredients together until light and fluffy.

Banana Whoopie Cookie

These cookies are a great combination of cookie and banana cake. If you love banana breads, cakes, and treats you are going to LOVE these.

Makes 3 Dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mashed banana (from 1 large ripe banana)

1/2 cup sour cream

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

16 ounces cream cheese, softened (I only used 8 oz)

1 cup confectioners' sugar, plus more for dusting (I used 2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Combine banana and sour cream in another bowl.

Beat butter and sugars wit a mixer on medium-high speed, until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, beating until incorporated. Add banana mixture in 2 additions, alternating with flour mixture. (I read the instructions and got side tracked by the kids by the time I got to this part and had to add the banana mixture all at the same time and it worked fine. This is a Martha Stewart recipe! She always has a million steps and not all are necessary in my opinion.)

Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with  a 1/4-inch plain tip. (Or cheat like me and use a small ice cream/cookie dough scoop). Pipe batter into 1 1/4-inch rounds on baking sheets spacing them 1 1/4-inches apart.

Bake until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Slide parchment, with cookies, onto a wire rack. (I am to frugal to get a new sheet with each batch, so I spatula them off and reuse it until I am finished cooking the entire batch.) Let cool. {Unfilled cookies can be stored for up 1 day} (We thought that they were fine even on day three)

Beat cream cheese, confectioners sugar, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Spoon 1 Tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto the flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookie. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately. (And watch them disappear! We love these cookies without the frosting too. If you do frost them and have leftovers-highly unlikely--I recommend storing them in the fridge in an airtight container so it doesn't dry out the cookies. Yes we learned that the hard way!)

Jillette Oatmeal- Chocolate Chip Cookies

I named these Jillette cookies because they are a combination of my friends Lynnette Best Ever Chocolate chip cookies, which we are all crazy about and my favorite Oatmeal with chocolate chips-not raisins (I don't love cooked raisins in baked goodies for some reason. An abonination to my dad! Sorry dad!! I loved them in Gorp or cooked, but not baked! Okay T.M.I.!!)

1 cup margarine
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter
1 1/4 cup (10oz) Brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (8 oz) White sugar
2 Large eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups (14 ounces) all-purpose flour
4 cups (10 ounces) Regular Rolled Oats
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt OR 3/4 teaspoon table salt

1 1/2 to 2 cups Mini Chocolate Chips or 1 1/2 Regular Chocolate chips.
Toasted walnuts or pecans are great additions if you love nuts.

Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place on cookie sheet and bake until light golden brown but still soft. (I use my smallest cookie/ice cream scoop and cook them 9-10 minutes) The cookies will still look moist when you take them out; don't be tempted to leave them in a minute longer this will insure that they stay nice and soft! Let cookies rest on cookie sheet for only 1 or 2 minutes.

If you are like us you don't need to worry about dirtying a cooling rack -hot cookies seem to disappear into thin air. Best enjoyed with a tall glass of cold milk and good company.

Notes on the recipe: Milk or dark chocolate? You decide. Use half milk and half dark, if it makes everyone happy. The draw back for milk chocolate lovers is that mini morsels (chips, M&M's etc. only come in dark) *These cookies always taste better if you freeze the dough first and cook them from the frozen state – just add a couple of minutes to the baking time. The dough keeps well for about a month in the freezer-If it last that long. Just form into balls before freezing. I generally scooping them out on top of a wax paper lined cookie sheet, freeze them, once frozen I toss them all into a big gallon freezer bag. This come in handy when you have to take a meal into someone last minute. I simply remove the frozen dough balls in the desired amount to another back and deliver with the hot meal and baking instructions so they can eat them HOT! The BEST way to eat a cookie.

Magic in the Middle Cookies

from King Arthur Flour Blog

This cookies are one I have wanted this recipe forever. A sister in my ward made these for a baptism we had in our ward. Long story short I never got it from her, but The Sisters Cafe blog (my sister Sherri shared with me) posted it. THANK YOU Sister Cafe! This is copied from their blog (her picture is much nicer than mine--I have got to learn how to photograph food better!) These are SINFUL for me because I can eat more than one or two! They are rich and it is a good thing it only makes about 3 dozen. Pay attention to the note not to over bake! I found storing my extras in a cookie tin or other airtight container is the best way to keep them from going hard quickly.

Chocolate Dough
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar (plus extra for dredging)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

Peanut butter filling
3/4 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth, your choice
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar


1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. To make the dough: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. In another medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the sugars, butter, and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the egg, beating to combine, then stir in the dry ingredients, blending well.

2. To make the filling: In a small bowl, stir together the peanut butter and confectioners sugar until smooth. With floured hands or a teaspoon scoop, roll the filling into 26 one-inch balls.

3. To shape the cookies: Scoop 1 tablespoon of the dough (a lump about the size of a walnut), make an indentation in the center with your finger and place one of the peanut butter balls into the indentation. (I thought it was easiest to just separate the dough into 26 pieces like the filling so I didn't run out or have lots of leftovers.) Bring the cookie dough up and over the filling, pressing the edges together cover the center; roll the cookie in the palms of your hand to smooth it out. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

4. Roll each rounded cookie in granulated sugar, and place on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Use the bottom of a drinking glassto flatten each cookie to about 1/2-inch thick.

5. Bake the cookies for 7 to 9 minutes, or until they're set and you can smell chocolate. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

3 Eggs

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Margarine

3 Cups Sugar

1 tsp. Vanilla

Mix Together.

Alternately mix together sour cream and dry mixture.

1 Cup Sour Cream

5 1/2 Cups flour

1 tsp. Soda

2 tsp. Baking Powder

A Pinch of Salt

Chill at least 2 hours. Roll out evenly and cut into desired shapes--using uniform sized cookies on each cookie sheet insures no over baked goodies.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes, or until edges just begin to brown, on a greased sheet.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 -8oz Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Butter or Margarine

1 tsp Vanilla

7-8 Cups Powdered Sugar

Mix gently until smooth.