Choco-Wakka Cookies

I take my kids to the library to pick out books and my daughter Arianna picks out cookbooks full of treats. lol So we decided to try one of the recipes she was begging me to do, and they were super super yummy! I didn't see how many cookies it made, so be aware that this is a big batch. But no fear- just stick the leftover cookies in a ziplock in the freezer and they will be perfect for school lunches! You can always half it too if you were worried

Choco-Wakka Cookies

Recipe from Cool Cookies and Bars-Easy Recipes for Kids to Bake (Pam Price)

Makes about 4 dozen

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (I did 1 cup milk and 1/2 cup semi)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then beat in the vanilla. 

Stir in the dry ingredients and then the chocolate chips. 

Using dinner spoons, drop the cookie dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Space the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 8 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 minutes. Then transfer then to the cooling rack with a spatula.

Skinny Chunky Monkey Cookies

Ingredients: 

3 ripe bananas

2 cups oats

1/4 c peanut butter

1/4 c cocoa powder

1/3 c unsweetened apple sauce ( or sweetened)

1 tsp vanilla

Directions;

Preheat oven to 350. Mash bananas, then add rest of ingredients and stir, let sit for 20 min.

Drop by teaspoonful onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Andes Mint Cookies

 Can I say "YUMMMM!!" If you like thin mint cookies you will fall in love with these!! I couldn't find the Andes Creme cooking mints in the grocery store, so I ordered online. So worth it!!

Andes Crème de Menthe Chunk CookiesServings: 4 Dozen
Preheat oven to 350

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 package (10 oz) Andes® Creme de Menthe Baking Chips or Andes® After Dinner Mints, coarsely chopped
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.
Stir in baking chips or chopped candy and then flour.
Chill at least one hour in refrigerator.

Measure out approximately 1 ounce of dough.
Raise oven rack one level above middle and baking on non-stick cookie sheets.
Bake at 350-degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes.
Cool on pans for two minutes before removing.



Healthy(healthier) Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups of finely ground almond flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup of raw honey
2 teaspoons of water
1/8 cup of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips (I used Dagoba brand with 73% cacao content.)

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl (flour, salt and baking soda) and the wet ingredients in another bowl (honey, water, vanilla extract and oil). Then combine the two and mix. Once the mixture is even – put in the chocolate chips. Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a baking sheet with coconut oil (or whatever oil you have). Spoon the cookie batter to the greased sheet.

Put in the oven at 325F. Cooking time can vary anywhere from 4 minutes to 8 minutes. Keep an eye on the baking. Once the edges of the cookies start to brown it is time to remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. They don't seem like they're done but they are, they just have a different texture. Sooo yummy:)

Peanut Butter Cup cookies

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/3 cups (8-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Minis Peanut Butter Cups

DIRECTIONS

1. 1 Heat oven to 350° F.
2. 2 Beat butter, sugar and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Stir in mini peanut butter cups. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. 3 Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until light golden brown around the edges. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 2-1/2 dozen cookies. 
4. Recipe taken from Hershey.com

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

For years I've been trying to find the perfect oatmeal cookie and I finally found it! These really are the best oatmeal cookies ever! Just make sure you don't cook them too long....like as in take them out when they still look a bit undercooked rather than getting brown or you will end up with the traditional super thin crunchy oatmeal cookie. These are soft and DELICIOUS! My favorite is that the dough keeps in the fridge for a week, so when I made them I made a sheet full each day fresh- yum :)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe from Sept 2011 Family Circle Magazine

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light-brown sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned rolled oats (I use old fashioned)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate, but you could do semi-sweet too)

Heat oven to 325. Place butter and sugars in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla, one at a time, beating well between additions.

Place flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a seperate bowl; mix well and add to the butter mixture. Beat until everything is well incorprated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the chocolate chips and beat again. You can cover and refrigerate up to one week.

Form the dough into about tablespoon size balls and place them about 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Using your palm, gently press down.

Transfer to 325 degree oven and bake until the cookies begin to brown at the edges, 12-15 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet.

Melt-Aways

Melt-Aways

1 C. butter

¾ C. cornstarch

¾ C. powdered sugar

1 C. flour

1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see below)

In a medium bowl, cream butter until fluffy.  Add cornstarch & sugar and blend well.  Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed.  Drop by small teaspoons onto baking sheet & flatten out with the bottom of a class. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking).  Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on wire rack & frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (3oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1 C. powdered sugar

½ t. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Color with food coloring if desired.

Dried Fruit and Nut Bites

This a great snack in between meals, or even on the go! I am trying to get back into shape after 2nd baby, so I needed some good, healthy snacks! My 2 yr old loves them too, and he loved helping me make these!

-Recipe from Wholeliving.com

Ingrediants

*2 cups mixed dried fruit

*2 cups raw mixed nuts and seeds

*Coarse salt

*Dash of Cinnamon

*1/3 cup raw sesame seeds





1. In a food processor, pulse dried fruit; transfer to a bowl.
2. Pulse nuts and seeds until finely chopped and add to dried fruit with a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
3. Knead together and form 1-inch balls; roll each ball in sesame seeds. Makes 20.

                                       

Super Easy Sugar Cookies

Ingredients: 2/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Beat together

Add 1 egg

Stir in 4 teaspoons of milk

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teas baking powder

2 cups of flour

Mix well

Bake at 325 for 6 to 8 minutes

6 is better if you want them soft

Frosting: use grandma Lil's cream cheese frosting located on Nicole's sugar cookie recipe

Enjoy !!

Recipe by : Melody AKA mom

My "Famous" Chocolate Chip Cookies

My sisters are always asking for my famous chocolate chip recipe and I always laugh and tell them it's the Toll House recipe, just use shortening and less salt! I know it's crazy but taking like a spoonful of shortening off the cup makes the difference between having flat cookies or chewy cookies. (I learned all this in my food science class in college- I swear)

Here's my awesome tip for freezing: Bake up what you want, then roll the rest out onto a cookie sheet (you can put them really close together though). Throw the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes (called flash freezing) and then after that you can put them all into a freezable ziplock. It just helps keep them from sticking. I take them right out of the freezer and put them in the oven...cook em just a few minutes more if they are frozen.

My "Famous" Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe adapted from Toll House
makes about 2-3 dozen depending on the size

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt (I usually tap off a little less)

1 cup minus a big spoonful of shortening (about 7/8 cup)

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 package milk chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda and salt in a separate bowl

Beat shortening, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Gradually beat in the flour mixture.

Stir in morsels and drop onto tablespoon size balls onto ungreased cookie sheets

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes
Cool on wire rack on the sheet for 2 minutes, then take them off.
*If you wait for chocolate chip cookies to "brown" they will be hard! Always take them out when they look a bit doughy but mostly done, they will set up once they are cooling off.

Peanut Butter Cookies

I LOVE these cookies so much! I got this recipe in a cooking class in college and it really is the all time best recipe out there. I was so excited when I actually had some Hershey kisses leftover from the holidays and I knew just what to do with them! So yummy!

Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe from Shawna Shirley
Makes 1 1/2-2 dozen cookies

1 1/3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Hershey kisses

Preheat oven to 375. In medium bowl sift flour, soda and salt and set aside. In a large bowl on medium speed, cream shortening and peanut butter. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add flour until well combined. Make tablespoon size balls (or bigger like I do), roll each into granulated sugar and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased pan. Bake for 8 minutes. Remove and place a chocolate kiss on top and bake for 2 more minutes. *If you don't have Hershey kisses you can use mini Reese cups or 3-4 chocolate chips on each cookie instead, OR you can omit the chocolate and before cooking do the little fork smash design on top of each and bake the full 10 minutes.

No-Bake Energy Bites

I found this little scrumptous recipe on Pinterest.com (my new favorite addiction) and I couldn't believe how good these "energy bites" or as I have been calling them "energy balls" really are. They are a great healthy snack to make at the beginning of the week and snack on all week long. Yum!:)

No-Bake Energy Bites
Recipe by Some Girl on Pinterest (if this is yours sorry;) )

1 cup Oatmeal
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
1/3 cup Honey
1 cup Coconut Flakes
1/2 cup Ground Flaxseed
1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips (I used the regular size chips.
For a healthier substitution you can use dark chocolate chips)
1-2 tsp of Vanilla

Mix everything together really well. Let chill for about 30
minutes in the fridge. Roll into balls and enjoy! Store them in an airtight
container in the refrigerator and they kept for about a week.

No Bake Cookies

I got to go to college in the same city my Grandma lived in, so one of the first things she did was bring me this recipe along with all of the ingredients as a house warming (apartment warming) gift. We ate these babies A LOT growing up! My Mom says that her brother Rob made these every single day when he came home from school. They just bring on the good memories don't they? Love em!

No Bake Cookies

Recipe from Grandma Lill and Mom

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Cocoa
1/2 cup dry milk
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cup oats
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla

Boil the sugar, cocoa, milk, water and butter for 1 minute, stirring occassionally. Add oats, peanut butter and vanilla and stir to combine. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Wait patiently until they set up and enjoy! :)

*Sidenote: I always make these with soy milk instead of the water and dried milk, so if you don't have dried milk, just omit the dried milk and 1/4 cup water and use 1/4 cup of any milk

Soft Sugar Cookies

 I've been using this sugar cookie recipe ever since my Grandma Lill passed it onto me when I was in college. It's been around a long time and for good reason- these cookies are super soft and moist and so so yummy! I love this recipe also for bake sales or holiday treat giving because it makes a big batch. The dough freezes perfectly too, so if you don't want to make this big of a batch you can save half the dough in a freezer ziplock for easy baking later. 

Note: Because they are so moist they are super sticky, so that's why you have to chill before you cut them out. Make sure you flour your work surface pretty good too.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Recipe from Michele Parkinson

makes between 2 and 3 dozen cookies

1 cup sour cream

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

6 cups flour

1 tsp soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

Mix sour cream and butter together. Add sugar and eggs (one at a time) and the vanilla and mix. Add flour, soda, powder and salt and mix. Chill in the fridge for about 3 hours. Roll out onto a floured surface to about 1/4- 1/2 inch thick (depending how you like them) and cut into shapes. Bake in a greased cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes. Cool and frost.

Use canned frosting or here's the one I use

Cream Cheese Frosting 

Recipe from Lillian Rydalch

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cube butter (1/2 cup), softened

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Beat the butter and cream cheese together. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and beat until mixed well.