Thumbprint Cookies

These have become one of the the kids "must make" cookies at Christmas time.  They are pretty yummy.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jam-thumbprint-cookies-recipe.html

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 7 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
• Raspberry and/or apricot jam

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until they are just combined and then add the vanilla. Separately, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar. Mix until the dough starts to come together. Dump on a floured board and roll together into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. (If you have a scale they should each weigh 1 ounce.) Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls on an ungreased cookie sheet and press a light indentation into the top of each with your finger. Drop 1/4 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool and serve.  I leave half with no coconut and drizzle with almond icing when just cooled.  The almond icing is a tbsp of milk, about a cup of powdered sugar and 1/2 tsp almond extract.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/jam-thumbprint-cookies-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Pecan Pie Bars

PECAN PIE BARS

The bombdiggity.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 3 sticks butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 cups flour

For the topping:

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup corn syrup
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 cups chopped pecans
• 4 TBSP heavy cream
• 1.5 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a jelly roll pan with foil, leaving enough for a 2-inch overhang on all sides.

First make the crust by creaming together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add in the flour and salt and mix until crumbly.

Press the crust into the foil-lined pan and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.

While the crust bakes, prepare the filling by combining the butter, brown sugar, honey and heavy cream in a saucepan and stirring it over medium heat. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped pecans.

Remove the crust from the oven and immediately pour the pecan filling over the hot crust spreading it to cover the entire surface.

Return the pan to the oven and bake an additional 20 minutes.

Remove the pan and allow the bars to fully cool in the pan.

Use the foil overhang to lift out the bars and transfer them to a cutting board. Peel off the foil, slice into bars and serve.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

I loved these cookies!  They were as good as my mom's recipe to me with less butter.  They tasted great and were fluffy and soft.  I will definitely make these again.

Cut-Out Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

www.theyummylife.com    By Monica              Servings: 5 dozen

Ingredients

• FOR COOKIE DOUGH:
• 5-1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• FOR FROSTING (makes 1 cup of frosting):
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3-4 tablespoons canned evaporated milk
• food coloring (optional)

Directions

MAKE COOKIE DOUGH:
In large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, & salt; set aside. In second large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the sour cream and butter at low speed; add sugar, eggs, and vanilla & mix until combined. (It's okay if it's a little lumpy as long as no butter chunks are visible.) Gradually add the flour mixture to the sour cream mixture, mixing until well combined. Dough will be sticky. (If cookie dough is too thick for your mixture to handle, you can stir it by hand with a wooden spoon.) Divide dough onto two pieces of plastic wrap; flatten dough, wrap tightly, and refrigerate until chilled, 1-2 hours. (Make ahead tip: Dough may be made to this point and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

ROLL, CUT, & BAKE COOKIES:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.  Generously flour your counter or work surface to prevent dough from sticking. Rub flour on the rolling pin. Put one of the chilled pieces of dough on top of the floured surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with more flour. Starting at the center, roll the dough out to one edge; return to the center and roll to the opposite edge. Continue rolling until dough is an even 1/4" thick all over, sprinkling with additional flour, if needed, to avoid sticking. Dip cookie cutter in flour and cut out dough shapes. Transfer dough shapes to baking sheets. Continue rolling dough, cutting shapes, and adding to baking sheets until they are filled.  Bake 2 sheets at a time for 8-10 minutes, rotating and switching pans half way through cooking time. Bake them just until they are baked all the way through but haven't started browning on the bottom. If a soft textured cookie is desired, it's very important not to over bake them.  Transfer hot cookies to a baking rack to cool completely.

Make-ahead tip: Cooled, unfrosted cookies may be stacked in a sealed container and stored at room temperature for up to 2 weeks; although the fresher, the better. Freezing them is recommended to maintain their freshness. Unfrosted cookies may be frozen up to a month.

MAKE FROSTING:
Combine powdered sugar, softened butter, vanilla, and half of the evaporated milk in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to combine ingredients on a low speed until its' a thick paste consistency and all of the lumps are gone. Gradually add remaining milk and continue mixing on medium speed until frosting is a smooth, silky, spreadable consistency. If it's still too thick, add more milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time until it's desired consistency. Mix in food coloring, if desired.

FROST & STORE COOKIES:
Frost each cookie and decorate with sprinkles while frosting is still wet. Leave out to dry for several hours until dry to touch before storing in an airtight container. If stacking frosted cookies, put waxed or parchment paper between layers.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION per cookie: 125 calories, 4.5g fat, 70mg sodium, 19.6g carbs, 10.7g sugars, 1.5g protein, 0g fiber; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 3

Triple Chip Chocolate Cookies

I love making cookies.  They come together in like 2 minutes (okay, like 10, but I love to exaggerate) and they are liked by everyone.  Okay, men, stop reading, or skip to the recipe.

I am so PMSing....  like I wish I could live in a house made of dove chocolate with reese's peanut butter cup trim, and eat my way out.  And I seriously do not think I would get sick.  Or maybe just dunk my head in a vat of chocolate fondue.  Or maybe I should mix some brownie mix, and eat the batter by the spoonful.  ARGH!

Anyway, these cookie are great.  I could eat like 10.  I am limiting myself to 1 at a time though.  Per minute. . . . in a ten minute period.  Gotta pace myself.  Whew!
They are YUM...  make some.  You will be glad you did.






TRIPLE CHIP CHOCOLATE COOKIES
yield: about 40 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup  (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 TBSP vanilla
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup peanut butter chips
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment or silicone liners.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl, working with a mixer, mix the sugars and butter for about 2 minutes, scraping down bowl as necessary.  Add one egg and beat a minute, add the other and beat another minute.  Add vanilla and beat about 30 seconds or so, scraping down bowl.  Mix in flour with mixer until just combined and incorporated.  Batter will be thick and fudgy.    Mix in chips with a spatula.  Using a cookie scoop, or spoons, drop 9-12 cookie in rounded tablespoons onto the parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake 9-12 minutes, or until just set.  Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet a few minutes and remove to cooling rack.  Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Last night my dad and grandparents passed through on their way back to NY from Florida.  My dad drives them down right after the New Year each year, and they come back around this time each year.  They were going to be passing through right around dinner time and we are literally just off their route, so they stopped in for dinner.  I made a nice little meal... fresh baked bread, pasta fagioli, baked eggplant and these cookies.

I have not made a simple cookie in what feels like ages!  I was on a peanut butter kick for a bit and have not been doing as much baking as normal.  These cookies were wonderful!  I loved that they were whole wheat and oatmeal... although I use about half whole wheat in almost all my baking now.  I mix oat flour, whole wheat flour and unbleached in my canister, so without even thinking about it, I am using them.    I used to forget to use part whole wheat flour.  This is a great way to incorporate whole grains into your baking without even thinking about it.   

I am pretty sure you could eat these cookies for breakfast because of the oatmeal... and make a nutella sandwich with them for lunch... and eat some veggies for dinner, because we want to have a balanced diet.  Then have about 5 of these for dessert.  Gotta balance all those veggies you just ate.  And like our friend Tom says, cocoa beans come from a plant, so isn't chocolate a vegetable?

WHOLE WHEAT CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

Adapted from: twopeasandtheirpod.com

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 T milk (I used skim)
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone liners.Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside.  With a mixer, cream the sugars with the softened butter until smooth and fluffy. Add in the egg, vanilla, and milk.  Mix well. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, with the mixer on low. Mix just until flour disappears. Don’t over mix. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.  Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, form rounded cookie dough balls, using about 1 TBSP of dough and place on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges. Let cookies sit on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes to finish cooking and firm up, then carefully move to a cooking rack. Makes around 2 dozen cookies.

TWD: Baking With Julia- Rugelach

This is a light pastry cookie filled with dried fruit.  It is a cream cheese and buttery cookie, very flaky.
 I have made this once before, but I didn't remember it being quite as involved as this recipe.  Actually, it wasn't that hard, just once again, that chilling and waiting thing, which I am not so good at.  Although, it did work out okay, because I could walk away for awhile and deal with the inmates.

I probably rolled mine too thin, because I halved the recipe.  And I probably overfilled them, but I liked that.  The filling oozed and got all caramelized.  YUM!

 So, I am a chocolate kinda girl.  I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  And I have.  But I have to say, these little cookies in their original form are delightful.  And I am not using that word just because it is in my blog name.  They really are delish.  The last time I made them I did an apricot filling so I opted to do the prune levkar this time.  I love prunes, so it was no surprise that I liked it.

Roll into rectangle and smeared with filling.

 These cookies are reminiscent of baklava, in that they are light and flaky.  I filled some with nutella and nuts, then rolled them in turbinado sugar, which tasted like a completely different cookie.  But get this, I think the fruit filled are more tasty!  I know.  Pick your jaw up off the floor and keep reading.  The nutella ones were fantastic in their own right, but I just really liked the fruit filled.

Nutella and nut filled

 So, there are 2 ways to make these.  You can fill, roll into a log and chill, then slice them which creates these pretty little rolls.  Then the other way is to roll them into a rough circle and cut them like slices of pizza, then roll from big end to small end.  Then you get the crescent shaped ones.  So, there you have it!  You can find the recipe on the ladies sites who hosted this week, or of course the fabulous Baking With Julia cookbook.         Thank you Jessica and Margaret for hosting.

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Cups

 

Stop.  Okay, read this, then stop, and go make these.  I think I have eaten these for at least three meals.  They melt in you mouth and are just so good.  They remind me a little of peanut butter blossoms/ aka hershey kiss cookies, but are better.  The nutella is soft and just melts in you mouth.  The best part of being the head baker is I got to lick the spoon when I was done. 

I saw these on pinterest and was sold.  Had to make them ASAP!  Even my husband, who is not a huge fan of the peanut butter/dessert combo, is hoarding these. 

I will definitely be making these again.  Maybe a whole batch, for me alone to hoard.

PEANUT BUTTER NUTELLA COOKIE CUPS

recipe from: http://barbarabakes.com

yield: 30+

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup peanut butter (I used smooth, but chunky would be fine)
• Turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw), optional
• 1/2 cup Nutella
• Chopped peanuts, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.   Working with paddle attachment in electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the peanut butter and beat on low until combined.  Add the dry ingredients and beat until flour disappears, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Form dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll in turbinado sugar (or granulated in a pinch).  Place each ball in a cup of a greased mini muffin tin. Bake 10 to 12 minutes,the centers may not be completely set. Remove the cookies from the oven and using the end of a thick-handled wooden spoon make a small, deep well in the center of each cookie and fill with Nutella.  Be generous.  Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of Nutella. Carefully transfer cookies to a rack to cool completely. 

Tip: Don’t worry about smoothing the Nutella at first. After you’ve put Nutella in each cookie go back and spread it. It will have melted a bit and be much easier to spread.

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Cookies

I first saw these cookie on pinterest.  Can I just say, I love pinterest!  Then, looking at the bhg website, where the recipe was originally found, I saw they got 4 out of 5 stars, which did not impress me.  But some people raved about them.  I read the reviews and made a few adjustments based on the bad reviews.
I am not a huge shortbread fan, but these cookies are delicious.  The almond flavor and the white chocolate/cherry combination is really fantastic.  They are buttery and just the right amount of sweet.  My kids, who all are not fans of maraschino cherries, all ate these and were surprised that they liked them so much.  But, I was not surprised.  I don't think my kids have ever met a cookie they didn't like. ;-) One note:  Do no skip the kneading step.  Makes it all a lot easier, and doesn't take but a minute.


WHITE CHOCOLATE CHERRY SHORTBREAD COOKIES
 adapted from: bhg.com

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup cold butter
• 2 tsp cherry juice
• 1 pkg ghirardelli white chocolate chips, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• White nonpareils, sprinkles and/or red edible glitter (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Dice cherries.

 In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in drained cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped chocolate (I ran a knife through the white chocolate chips. Stir in almond extract and, if desired, food coloring. Knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 13 minutes or until centers are set. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in nonpareils and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 60.

Chocolate Turtle Cookies

These cookies are just so pretty, that I had to make them and didn't much care how they tasted.  But chocolate, pecans and caramel. . .  how can that possibly be bad?  These cookies are just like the title says: turtles.  I doubled the recipe and got 4-5 dozen cookies.  I made them quite small, as I wanted the caramel to be a significant part of the cookie.  I did not need the extra egg white as well.  They are a delightful little cookie that are as tasty as they look!

CHOCOLATE TURTLE COOKIES

melskitchencafe

yield 2-2 1/2 dz.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, separated, plus possibly 1 egg white
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans, chopped fine
• 14 soft caramel candies
•  2 TBSP heavy cream
• 3/4-1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 tsp shortening, add more if needed to make drizzly

DIRECTIONS:

Combine flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Refrigerate dough until firm, at least 1 hour.
 Adjust oven rack to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.
Whisk egg white(s) in another bowl until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl. One at a time, roll dough into 3/4-inch balls, dip in egg whites, then roll in pecans. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Using teaspoon measure or your thumb, make indentation in center of each ball. Chill any remaining dough while cookies are baking.
  Bake until set, 10 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking.
Meanwhile, microwave caramels and cream in bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Once cookies are removed from oven, gently press existing indentations with teaspoon measure, or your fingers. Fill each with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon caramel mixture. I used a spoon and carefully drizzled it in the centers.  Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and cool completely.  Melt the chips and shortening in the microwave in 30 second increments, mixing after each, until smooth and drizzly.  Drizzle with a whisk or spoon over the cookies.

Pumpkin Kiss Blossoms

I saw these and knew instantly I wanted to make them.  This is a soft pumpkin cookie with a pumpkin kiss in the center.  I am not a fan of the pumpkin kiss by itself, but with the cookie, it is delicious.  But I am a girl who doesn't like chocolate kisses either (love chocolate, just not a Hershey's girl).   But my kids loved the pumpkin kisses by themselves.   I really like the sugar on the outside because it looks pretty and I like the tecture.  Just a note:  these are not the same texture as peanut butter blossoms, more like a soft pumpkin cookie, but delicious, nonetheless.




PUMPKIN KISS BLOSSOMS
Recipe adapted from cristinecooks

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
• 1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Turbinado sugar
• Bag of Hershey pumpkin spice kisses

DIRECTIONS:

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugars and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. 
Bake for 14 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks and stick a pumpkin kiss in the middle.  (Pumpkin kisses are a bit softer chocolate and it is a good  idea to chill them before sticking them in the cookie.)  ENJOY!

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

These cookies are very tasty.  They are really best warm,  so I gave them a zap in the microwave to soften them a bit.  They are like biting into fresh apple cider.  I halved the recipe and this still made a whole lot of cookies.  Bonus: I have 5 packets of Apple cider left to make more!  The original recipe calls for whole caramels in the middle of the cookie, which also sounds delicious, but I liked the bits of caramel as well.  A great fall cookie that is something other than pumpkin!  Thanks Cristine!




CARAMELS APPLE CIDER COOKIES
recipe from: cristinecooks

• 1 cup softened butter 
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets
• 2 eggs 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 bags Kraft Caramel Bits  (11 oz each)

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Line cookie sheets with parchment or silpats.

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.
Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined. Fold in caramel bits.
Scoop cookie dough onto prepared sheet and bake 12 minutes or until edges are slightly brown.  Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet until set. Move to cooling rack and cool completely.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

These cookies came together in a flash.  I let each of my kids taste a bite, and my 4 year old was begging for more.  I told him, after dinner, before bed and he announced he was ready for bed now!  A delicious cookie.  A few things about them.  I think they are better when they have cooled which is not the norm for cookies.  Another thing, I think I will leave out the mini chocolate chips next time.  While they are certainly tasty with them, I wanted to taste the cookie more and I felt like it overtook the cookie in flavor a little bit.  Some of these came out picture perfect and other seemed to spread more and browned more on the edges.  Not sure why, but it doesn't affect the flavor, so I don't much care.  Oh, and no eggs in the batter, so go ahead and let the kids eat a ball of dough and  like the beaters and bowl clean.  Or do it yourself. These are great frozen too! 

OREO CHEESECAKE COOKIES
multiplydelicious.com
yield: 1 1/2-2  dozen

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter,room temperature
• 3 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (Opt.)
• 1 cup Oreo crumbs (about 8 Oreos)
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted w/ 1/2 tsp crisco (opt.)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375.  Line cookie sheets with parchment or silicone mats.  Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth and well incorporated.  Add sugar and vanilla and beat until mixed.  Add flour and mix on low until flour disappears, scraping bowl as necessary.  Stir in mini chocolate chips if using.  Place Oreo crumbs in a bowl and scoop cookies with cookie scoop or balls into crumbs (about 1- 1/2 inch balls) and  coat balls.  Place on lined cookie sheet, about 2" apart.  Bake for 12-15 minutes (mine went about 13) until edges are just golden and they are puffed.  Remove from oven and cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before moving to wire rack to cool.  For white chocolate, microwave for 30 seconds and stir with spatula well.  Microwave for another 10 seconds and stir again (mine were melted) and repeat if necessary until melted completely.  Drizzle over cookies.

Pumpkin-Doodles (Pumpkin Snickerdoodles II)

Now these are what I would call a pumpkin snickerdoodle!  These cookies have a subtle pumpkin flavor.  The texture is completely snickerdoodlish, and they melt in your mouth.   This is more cookie like and less cakey.  I think both this and the other snickerdoodle cookies are delicious, but I would probably make these over the other.  These were from my friend Cristine's blog.  http://cristinecooks.blogspot.com Thanks Cristine!


PUMPKIN_DOODLES (Pumpkin Snickerdoodles II)

Recipe originally from 
http://www.midwestliving.com

 INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup butter
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 2-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

 In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 1-1/2 cups sugar and pumpkin. Beat until combined.
Beat in vanilla, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Beat in egg. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon. Cover and chill 1 hour (I chilled mine overnight).
In a small mixing bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Drop cookie dough by teaspoonfuls into the sugar-cinnamon mixture, rolling to coat. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake in a 350 degree F oven 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove and cool on wire racks.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

I think calling these snickerdoodles is a little bit of a misnomer.  While these cookies are absolutely delicious, and may resemble the taste of a snickerdoodle, they are very different in texture.  This is far more cakey and less crunchy/chewy cookie.  However, they are still great and I would totally make them again.  I added cream of tartar to the recipe, because a "true" snickerdoodle has cream of tartar ;-)  and I was glad I did.  Also, a side note-- as a lover of chewy and undercooked cookies, these really are not very good unless they are fully cooked.  I underbaked one batch and while we suffered through and ate every last one, they were not as good as the fully baked variety.   These are FABULOUS with a cup of coffee or tea.  I had one for breakfast ;-) So, here is the recipe for this great cookie!

PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES
original recipe from 
http://dlynz.com/?p=3288
I found it on:
http://annies-eats.net/2011/09/23/pumpkin-snickerdoodles/

 Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS:

For the cookies:

• 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp. ground ginger
• Dash of allspice

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Whisk to blend and set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.  Blend in the pumpkin puree.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated.  With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.  Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.  Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend.  Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball.  Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart.  Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. 

 Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 11-14 minutes, or until just set and baked through.  Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Repeat with the remaining dough.  Store in an airtight container.

Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

These are chewy, and very chocolatey!  Normally, cookies after 1 or 2 day lose their appeal and start to taste stale.  These are still excellent 2 days later.  But I am surprised they have stuck around that long.  This makes a lot of cookies, so brace yourself,  and take the chocolate plunge!  Make sure you have a glass of milk on stand by! Found this recipe off annie-eats.net, but it is originally from Baking Illustrated.


CHEWY TRIPLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES
recipe adapted from Baking Illustrated


Yield: 48 cookies


INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups (10 oz.) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz.) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 13 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used a mixture of semisweet and dark because it’s what I had on hand)
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. instant coffee or espresso powder
• 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened but still cool
• 1 1/2 cups packed (10 1/2 oz.) light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (3 1/2 oz.) granulated sugar
• 2 cups chocolate chunks

DIRECTIONS:

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

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water until completely melted and smooth; remove from the heat.  (Alternatively, microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, mixing thoroughly in between, until melted and smooth.)  In a small mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla and instant coffee granules; stir well with a fork to dissolve; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 5 seconds.  Mix in the sugars until well combined, about 45 seconds – the mixture will look granular.  Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually beat in the egg mixture until incorporated, about 45 seconds.  Add the chocolate to the bowl in a steady stream and continue beating until combined, about 40 seconds.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  With the mixer at low speed, add the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated, being careful not to over-beat.  Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until the consistency is scoopable and fudge-like, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets with a cookie dough scoop, spacing the dough balls about 1 1/2 inches apart.
Bake until the edges of the cookies have just began to set but the centers are still very soft, about 10-12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through baking.  Cool the cookies on the sheets about 10 minutes, transfer to cooling racks and allow to cool completely.   Cool the baking sheets before baking more batches with the remaining dough.

JUNK (Pope's bread or Pane papato)

This is an Italian fruit snack/bread that is packed with dried fruit and nuts and is like candy.  It is traditionally made around Christmas.  It keeps forever, is great for traveling (no crumbs), is very versatile and tastes so wonderful!  This can be made with any dried fruit.  Traditionally it had cocoa powder and candied fruit rinds (orange, lemon).  I like it the way my grandmother makes it though.  Lot of nuts, honey and dried fruit.   We used almonds, pecans, hazelnuts and Brazil nuts traditionally, but you could used walnuts, and any other nuts you want.  You could probably do candied ginger in teeny tiny pieces too.  I even added sesame seeds this time.  Pretty easy really, and it makes a lot to last you.  I freeze my loaves and take them out as needed.  I have heard you can seep them in wine too.  But we love it sliced and eat it like an energy bar. The name "Junk" came from my mom's because she couldn't say "Pane Papato" and it stuck.  It is my father-in-law's favorite!

JUNK or POPE'S BREAD

INGREDIENTS: what I used

• 1 lb. almonds
• 1 lb. pecans
• 3 TBSP sesame seeds
• 1 lb. dried pineapple
• 1 cup dried dates
• 1 cup dried raisins
• 1 cup dried strawberries
• 1 cup dried blueberries
• 1 cup dried mango
• 1 TBSP cinnamon (I like a lot. Start with less, and go by your nose. Could even use pumpkin pie spice)
• 1/2 cup oatmeal (my dad doesn't like the oatmeal, but I do :-)
• 32 ounces (2 LB.) honey
• 1-2 cup of whole wheat flour and more for kneading in

DIRECTIONS:

Pour all nuts and dried fruit in a bowl.  Add spices you desire.  Toss to coat.  Dump in honey.  You want it to be coated well.  (this is the only binder in it).  Add the flour and stir.  Add some more until it looks like this.

Sprinkle about 1 cup flour on counter and put some big spoonfuls down on top.

Knead the flour into the bread and begin forming a loaf from it.  Like this.

It will begin to hold together.  Don't do too much flour.  You want it to hold loaf form, but not be dry.  After you knead it, working the flour in, form a loaf about 1 1/2" tall, 4 inches wide and 10-12" long.  Like this.  

Line a cookie sheet with parchment and preheat oven to 350. Transfer carefully to cookie sheet.
Make more loaves to put on the cookie sheet like this.

Bake until just begins to brown, about 30 minutes.  Don't overcook!  When it comes out it will be hard and seem impossible to eat.  Will look like this:

When cool, use a very sharp knife to slice.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups

I had icing left from decorating Isaac's birthday cake just waiting to be used.  And I have been itching to bake.  So, I combined Alton Brown's "The Chewy" and my icing and I got "Mom, this is the best thing you ever made!"  from my daughter.

The cookie is a very good chocolate chip cookie (CCC). I will continue in the quest of the perfect one for me, but this was very good.  Cooked in mini muffin tin and topped with icing and sprinkles= YUM!  Perfect treat for the holiday!

THE CHEWY
by: Alton Brown

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 TBSP whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375.  Melt the butter. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda onto a paper plate.

Pour the butter into your stand mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes.  

Meanwhile, whisk together the whole egg, the egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract in a measuring cup. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the egg mixture. Mix until thoroughly combined, about 30 seconds.

Using the paper plate as a slide, gradually integrate the dry ingredients, stopping a couple of times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Once the flour is worked in, drop the speed to "stir" and add the chocolate chips. Chill the dough for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and place racks in the top third and bottom third of the oven.

Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-ounce portions onto parchment-lined half sheet pans, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake 2 sheets at a time for 10-13 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. Remove from the oven, slide the parchment with the cookies onto a cooling rack and wait at least 5 minutes before devouring.

Cookie cups take small cookie scoop of cookie dough and cook about the same time.  Until edges begin to brown.

The frosting is: 
http://delectabledelightswithrebecca.blogspot.com/2011/06/buttercream-icing-best-ever.html

and
http://delectabledelightswithrebecca.blogspot.com/2011/02/grammas-chocolate-frosting.html