COOKIES !!!

[Sharikee]

[Sharikee]

Apple/Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup grated peeled apple

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the shortening, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in apple.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks.

[Sharikee]

Carrot-Cake Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
2
packages (16 oz) Pillsbury™ Ready to Bake!™ refrigerated oatmeal raisin cookies (24 cookies)
1/3
cup all-purpose flour
1
cup shredded carrots
Filling
1
container (12 oz) cream cheese whipped ready-to-spread frosting
1
can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, well drained

Steps

1
Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350°F.
2
In large bowl, mix cookie dough, flour and carrots until well blended. Shape dough into 24 balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
3
Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
4
In medium bowl, mix filling ingredients until well blended. To make each sandwich cookie, spread about 2 tablespoons filling on bottom of 1 cookie. Top with another cookie, bottom side down. Store between sheets of waxed paper in tightly covered container.

[Sharikee]

Mint Chocolate - Pudding Cookies
Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter softened (1 stick)
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 small box instant vanilla pudding mix 3.4 oz
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp mint extract
3 drops blue coloring + 10-15 drops green coloring
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips*

Instructions

Cream together sugar and butter. Add egg, sour cream and pudding mix. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt & baking soda. Incorporate flour mixture into the pudding mixture and mix until well combined. Add mint extract and food coloring until desired color is achieved.
Add in chocolate chips. *I used 3/4 cup chocolate chunks, 3/4 cup regular chocolate chips and 1/2 cup Andes baking bits. Any combination is wonderful, but note that while the Andes mint baking pieces add an incredible flavor, they kind of disappear in the cookies. So add them in addition to the 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips, if you opt to put them in!
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and enjoy!

[Sharikee]

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon apple pie spice or 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon + 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups raisins

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice.
In another bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars on high until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then beat in the vanilla and eggs. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add in the flour mixture. Scrape the bowl again then turn the mixer on low and mix in the oats and raisins.
Using a 1 1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the dough into equal portions and spread the balls out two inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, until slightly golden around the edges. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving.

[Sharikee]

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Fudge Cookies
Ingredients

½ Cup Butter softened
¾ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup White Sugar
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Large Egg
¾ Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Tablespoon Milk
1¾ Cups All Purpose Flour make sure you measure in this way
¼ Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Baking Soda
24 Square Kraft Marshmallows

For the frosting

1/2 Cup Margarine or butter
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
6 Tablespoons Milk
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Lb Powdered Sugar about 3 cups

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment liners.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix the butter and sugars for 1 minute on medium speed, increase to medium high for an additional 30 seconds.
Add the peanut butter and mix another 30 seconds. This allows the sugars and butter to beat against the bowl, incorporating more air for a lighter, fluffier cookie.
Add the egg, vanilla and milk and mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, salt, powder and soda.
Add to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.
Roll rounded tablespoon sized balls and press down slightly.
Bake for 6 minutes and top with marshmallows for an additional 2-3 minutes.
Remove from oven to cool for 2 minutes and then place on a cooling rack and frost by pouring spoonfuls of the frosting over each cookie.
For the frosting
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the margarine (or butter), cocoa, and milk.
Bring to a soft boil and add the vanilla and powdered sugar whisking until smooth.
Quickly frost cookies while warm.
Reheat if needed.

[Sharikee]

Cranberry Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients

No-Stick Cooking Spray
3/4 cup All-Vegetable Shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 cup chopped walnuts
Directions

STEP ONE
HEAT oven to 350ºF. Coat baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray.

STEP TWO
BEAT shortening, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl with mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

STEP THREE
STIR flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl until blended. Add to shortening mixture; mix well. Stir in oats, cranberries and walnuts. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.

STEP FOUR
BAKE 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from baking sheets to wire rack to cool completely.

[Sharikee]

Soft Caramel Snickerdoodles
Ingredients

3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2/3 cup (135g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
12 soft caramels, cut in half

Topping

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt together until combined. Set aside.
In a large bowl using a hand-held or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat on medium high speed until fluffy and light in color. Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract on high speed. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
On low speed, slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. The cookie dough will be thick. Cover dough tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour* and up to 3 days.
Remove cookie dough from the refrigerator. If the cookie dough chilled longer than 3-4 hours, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. This makes the cookie dough easier to scoop and roll.
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. (Always recommended for cookies.) Set aside.
Combine the topping ingredients. Set aside.
Scoop a scant 2 Tablespoons of cookie dough. Break in half. Make a thumbprint into the bottom of one half and press a caramel half inside, as shown above. Place the other cookie dough half on top and roll the dough between your hands to make a smooth ball. Make sure the caramels are completely wrapped inside. Roll into cinnamon-sugar topping and place on baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cookies.
Bake the cookies in batches for 11-13 minutes, or until very lightly browned and crisp looking on the edges. My oven has hot spots and yours may too- so be sure to rotate the pan once during bake time. The baked cookies will look extremely soft in the centers when you remove them from the oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

[Sharikee]

Strawberry Shortcake Cookie
Strawberry Shortcake Cookies
Makes 20-24

Ingredients:
1 cup diced strawberries
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
vanilla glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Place strawberries, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar into a small mixing bowl and toss together until well coated. Place in refrigerator and set aside.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the remaining flour, remaining sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Cut in the butter until a fine/even, grainy texture forms.
4. Stir in the Greek yogurt and vanilla and mix until just combined. Fold in the strawberry mixture and lemon zest and mix until well combined.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment and spoon on 2 tablespoons of dough at a time, about 1 inch apart.
6. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until the cookies have barely started to brown on top. Remove from the oven and transfer cookies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
7. While the cookies cool, make the glaze: Place the sugar, milk and vanilla into a small bowl and gently stir together with a fork until no lumps remain. Drizzle glaze over cookies and serve or allow to set, about 30 minutes, before serving.

[Sharikee]

Brownie Cookies
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate chips (60-70% cacao)
1/2 cup butter
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup pecans (chopped, optional)

1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Melt bittersweet chocolate chips and butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted and well-combined.
Remove from heat, and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugars, vanilla, baking powder, and salt on high speed 5 minutes, or until the batter is thick and creamy. This step is key, so make sure to beat the mixture for the full 5 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low, and mix in the melted chocolate until well-combined.
Stir in flour and cocoa powder just until combined.
Add nuts, if using, and mini chocolate chips. Stir in to combine. The batter should be the consistency of a thick brownie batter at this point.
Cover the batter, and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop, drop batter onto the prepared cookie sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies 8-10 minutes. The cookie will look set at the edges but still be a little wet looking in the center. Don't over bake, or the cookies won't be crackly and fudgy.
The shiny, crackly crust will develop as the cookies cool on the baking sheet.

[Sharikee]

Fruitcake Cookies
Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter
1 large egg
3 tablespoons orange juice
1/2 tablespoon rum extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt
1 cup candied fruit
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (hazelnut, walnuts or almonds) (coarsely chopped)
Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Beat together sugar and butter until light and fluffy, then add the egg, orange juice and rum extract. Beat for two minutes.
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, soda and salt, then stir in candied fruit, chocolate chips and nuts.
Add flour mixture to creamed mixture and stir to combine. Drop by spoonfuls on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden.
Let cool on pan for approximately two minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!

[Sharikee]

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

Ingredients:

Filling

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Cookie Dough

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1–2 tablespoons milk

Instructions:

For the filling, in a medium bowl combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter and the granulated sugar, mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, cream, baking powder, and salt. Mix for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until just combined.
On a lightly floured piece of wax or parchment paper, press the dough out into a 15×10 rectangle. This doesn’t have to be exact or neat.
Spread the filling mixture on top of the dough, leaving about an inch at the edges. Roll the dough up tightly from the long edge.
Cut the dough into 10 equal slices. Roll each slice into a ball and place on a lightly floured plate or baking sheet. Place into the freezer for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Place 5 of the dough balls onto the prepared pan, leaving space for them to spread. Place the remaining dough in the refrigerator while the first batch bakes.
Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling.
For the icing, in a medium bowl combine the powdered sugar, butter and 1 tablespoon milk. Whisk until no lumps remain. Add more milk if a thinner icing is desired.
Dip the tops of the cooled cookies into the icing, or drizzle on top. Allow the icing to set.

[Sharikee]

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

for 12 cookies

½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 oz milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks
4 oz dark chocolate chunk, or your preference

Preparation

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, and butter until a paste forms with no lumps.
Whisk in the egg and vanilla, beating until light ribbons fall off the whisk and remain for a short while before falling back into the mixture.
Sift in the flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula (Be careful not to overmix, which would cause the gluten in the flour to toughen resulting in cakier cookies).
Fold in the chocolate chunks, then chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. For a more intense toffee-like flavor and deeper color, chill the dough overnight. The longer the dough rests, the more complex its flavor will be.
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, leaving at least 4 inches (10 cm) of space between cookies and 2 inches (5 cm) of space from the edges of the pan so that the cookies can spread evenly.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges have started to barely brown.
Cool completely before serving.