Oatmeal Scotchies

These were always a favorite in my husband's childhood home.
This recipe is from the back of the Nestle Tollhouse Butterscotch Chip Bag.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

3 cups rolled oats

1 2/3 cups butterscotch chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.

Beat butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla in large mixing bowl.

Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Stir in oats and chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 7-8 minutes for cookies that are chewy or 9-10 minutes for cookies that are crisp.
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes.

"Monster" Cookies

 Recipes from the Nassa Family.

Ingredients:

group 1:

2 sticks room temp. butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 T. vanilla

group 2:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

2 t. salt

1 1/2 cup rolled oats

group 3:

1 cup M&Ms

1 package milk chocolate chips

2 cups rice krispies cereal

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cream all ingredients in group 1

Mix ingredients in group 2 and add to mixture

Add group 3

Last, add rice krispies and mix gently so they don't break too much.

Use regular ice cream scoop, 6 per tray

Bake 11 minutes

Grandma Spencer's Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening or butter
1 egg (optional--mom says not to use)
2/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup hot water or buttermilk
3 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. ginger
approx 5 cups flour

Instructions:
Mix sugar, butter, add other items until soft.
Chill in fridge.
Roll it with the homies.
Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.

Makes approximately 4 1/2 dozen round cookies.

Icing that hardens:
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 t. light corn syrup
1/2 t. vanilla
Mix all and put in ziplock bag, snip corner and pipe onto cookies.

Loaded-Up Pretzel Cookies

From Taste of Home Magazine April/May 2013

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups miniature pretzels, broken
1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 1/2 cups mil chocolate M&Ms or chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients.

2. Shape 1/4 cupfuls of dough into balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

Per Serving 295 cal., 13g fat (8g sat. fat), 40 mg chop., 311 mg sodium, 42 g carb, 1 g fiber, 2 g pro.

Hot Chocolate Cookies

Original Recipe click HERE. Got recipe from Kelly Phillips. Left out for Santa Christmas of 2014.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

4 packages (or 1/2 cup plus 3 T.) Hot Chocolate Mix (store bought or homemade)

1 1/4 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then blend in the vanilla.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, hot chocolate mix, and baking soda and salt. Slowly add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop dough balls onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 7 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven. Working quickly, carefully add about 5-7 mini marshmallows to the top of each cookie and gently press. Return to the oven and bake an additional 2-3 minutes, or until the marshmallows start to puff. Remove from the oven and let cook on the cookie sheets for 10 minutes before removing. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Cornflake Christmas Wreaths

recipe from Maureen

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons butter
2 bags marshmallows
Green food dye
10 cups cornflakes
Red M&Ms or red cinnamon candies

Instructions:

Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large stock pot. Add marshmallows and stir constantly until melted and smooth. Add several drops of green food dye and stir well until color is even and uniform. Add cornflakes and stir until all flakes are coated.

Rub butter or spray some oil on hands. Once cornflake mixture has slightly cooled, shape into wreathes and place on parchment paper. Press red candies onto wreathes. Cool and serve to the ones you love.

Valentine Ladybug Cookies

Original recipe found on Our Best Bites (I love that site!!!)

I used my mom's sugar cookie recipe. It made about 30 large heart shaped cookies.

Then I made this Glace icing. Lots of great pictures about this icing on the original site.

Glacé Icing

1lb powdered sugar (about 3 3/4 C)
6T milk or water
6T light Corn Syrup (6T is equal to 1/4 C plus another 2 T)
1 t extract (I use almond because I use almond in my sugar cookies)

With a whisk, combine sugar and milk until smooth (no lumps!) Then stir in corn syrup and extract.

You will use this same recipe for both glazing and piping. Thickened, you can pipe outlines, and as you thin it, you can use it for “flooding” cookies.  Make sure to let them dry overnight to fully harden for stacking.

For ladybug heart cookies:

1. Mix your icing.

2. Place about 2 T-1/4 cup of white icing for the eyes into an icing bag. Set aside.

3. Remove 1/4 cup icing and add pink food coloring. Mix with 2 T. more powdered sugar so it's slightly stiffer. Place that icing in an icing bag. Use this slightlly stiffer pink icing, trace an outline of the heart on each cookie, and then trace a line across the heart about 1/3 of the way from the tip. Allow icing to firm up for 15-20 minutes. Use this time to mix other colors.

4. Mix 1/3 to 1/2 cup icing with red food coloring. Use a small spoon to carefully fill the curvy part of the heart.

5. Mix 1/3 cup icing with black food coloring. Reserve about 1 T. for the irises of the eyes. Place the majority of icing in an icing bag or use a spoon to fill in the "head" of the ladybug.

6. Take a break and let the cookies dry for about 45-60 minutes.

7. Now that the icing has hardened use the bag of black icing to dot your ladybugs however you like. Use the white bag to make two white eyes. Use a toothpick to dot black onto the white eyes.

All done! Now let them sit and dry for about 12-24 hours before stacking them.

Gingerbread Cookies (Molasses Cookies)

Recipe from my grandmother, Viola Day Spencer

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg (optional)
2/3 cup molasses
2/3 cup hot water or buttermilk
3 t. Baking soda (3 t. = 1 T.)
1 t. Baking powder
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Ginger
Approx. 5 cups flour

Instructions:
Cream butter and super. Combine all other ingredients. Mix soft. Chill and roll it out. Cut into whatever shape you desire. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 minutes.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen, depends on shape and size of cookie cutter.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

This recipe from Our Best Bites.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
optional: 1 tsp peppermint extract
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey’s Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped (one 10 ounce bag)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.
To prevent cookies from flattening out, refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes. Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until just set, but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies

My notes:
I put cookies in oven for 8 min, 30 seconds. I made a double match and it ended up making 124 cookies, using small cookie dough scoop. I packaged up the cookies in bins for large groups and in smalled bags for individual people.

Million-Dollar Caramel Cookies

Recipe from Parenting Magazine

(Makes 4 dozen)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar, plus 1 T.
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour, plus 1/4 cup
3/4 cup cocoa
1 t. baking soda
2 heath candy bar (or buy bag of bits in baking section)
1 bag rolo chewy caramels

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 375. In a mediuim bowl, beat butter and sugars until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and beat well.
2. In seperate bowl, mix 2 1/2 cups flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture a little bit at a time and blend well. If the dough feels too sticky, sprinkle in a little extra flour. Cover and chill sough in fridge for about 30 minutes.
3. Chop heath bars into small pieces. Place in bowl and toss with 1 T. sugar
4. Once dough has chilled, wrap a piece around each caramel, forming a 1-inch ball and covering the candy completely. Dip top of the dough ball into the candy topping and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 7-10 minutes. Cookies will look quite soft, but do not overbake. Cool in pan slightly, then move to a rack or the counter to finish cooling. Store in covered container.

Cowboy Cookies

I put these in a quart mason jar for Kinsey's 5th Cowgirl party favors. So cute. The little hat on top was just the right touch.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup flakes coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts (optional)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg
3/4 t. vanilla extract

Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, salt and add. Stir in oats and chocolate, coconut and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes or until browned.

Elephant Ears

(from Good Housekeeping December 2010)

Ingredients:

2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 pkg. (17.25 oz) puff pastry, thawed (preferably Pepperidge Farm)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl, combine sugar and salt; pour 1 cup mixture onto work surface. Unfold 1 sheet puff pastry onto sugar mixture; pour another 1/2 cup mixture on top, spreading it evenly on pastry. With rolling pin, lightly roll dough into 13 in. square, pressing sugar into pastry on top and bottom. Fold two sides of square toward center so edges are halfway to middle. Fold again so the two folds meet exactly at middle of dough. Then fold one half over other half as though closing a book. (You will have 6 layers.) Cut dough crosswise into 3/8 inch thick slices; place slices, cut side up, 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake cookies 6 minutes or until caramelize and brown on bottom. With metal spatula, turn cookies over and back 3-5 minutes longer, until caramelized on other side. Transfer cookie to wire rack and cool completely.

4. Repeat with next sheet of puff pastry.

5. Store cookies in airtight container, with waxed paper between layers, at room temperature up to overnight.

I think these would be yummy dipped half in chocolate too. Just a thought.

Caramel Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Another great fall recipe. I made these last night and they were delicious. The dough was a little flakey. I added some extra butter, but I still had to really smush this into balls. In the end, they turned out just fine. Better than fine. Yum.

(from Cooking Light March 2010 , this was a finalist in the 2009 Ultimate Reader Contest)

Ingredients:
6.75 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup finely chopped dried apple slices (I used the food processor)
3/4 cup caramel bits or 16 small soft caramel candies, chopped

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl; stir well.
3. Place sugars and butter in a large bowl; beat with mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and egg; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture; beat at low speed until just combined. Fold in apple and caramel bits.
4. Drop dough by 2 teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Flatten balls slightly with hand. Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes. Cool on pans 3 minutes. Remove cookies from pan; cool completely on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen.

My Notes:
I baked these cookies for 9 minutes, took them out and used a spoon to flatten them a little more. Then I baked for 5 more minutes. After I took them out of the oven I pulled the entire parchment paper with cookies on it over to the cooking rack. If you take the cookies off the hot caramel just drips all over and makes a big mess. Best to leave cookies on the paper until they are totally cooled down.

No Bake Cookies

The other day I was dying for some chocolate so I made a small batch of these super fast yummy chocolate bites to get me through. Delicious and they use all things that I always have on hand. I think I got the recipe from my cousin, Theresa, or my Aunt Sharon, I can't remember.

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
3 cups oatmeal
3 T cocoa
1 cup coconut

Instructions:
Combine sugar, butter and milk in a saucepan. Boil for 1 minute. Add oatmeal, cocoa, coconut and mix. Drop spoonfulls on wax paper and let harden. Yum!

Sugar Cookies

These are really thick and fluffy, not thin and hard. Kinsey and I made these a couple weeks ago for playdates and let the kids decorate them. I think I ate just as many as they decorated.

Ingredients:
3 sticks butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 t. baking powder
2 t. salt
5 cups flour

Instructions:
Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients. Chill in fridge for 1 hour (any longer and the dough is really hard to roll). Roll 1/4 inch thick. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. (I use 10 minutes at my house). If you bake them too long they might end up more crunchy.

Peppermint Snowballs

We made these for Santa this year. I think if I were to make them again I would try to put more filling in each cookie. That was the fun chewy part.

(from Penzey Spice Magazine)

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter (1 cup), softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Filling Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon milk

2 Tablespoon crushed pepperming candy

1 drop red food coloring (optional)

Topping Ingredients:

1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions:

Cream together the butter and the powdered sugar. Add vanilla and mix well. Gradually add the flour and mix well. Knead the dough and then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

While the dough is chilling, prepare the filling by beating together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, crushed candy and food coloring until well blended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll the dough into balls about teaspoon size. Make an indentation in the center of each ball and fill with 1/4 teaspoon of filling. Cover the indentation with another 1/4 teaspoon of dough. Smooth and reshape the dough balls. Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl. Roll the balls of dough in topping and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until firm, about 12 minutes. (It took my about 20 minutes, but I think my rolled balls were bigger.) After removing from oven, roll the warm cookies in the topping once again.

Makes 3-4 dozen.

Mom's Famous Molasses Cookies

My mom makes these by the ton and EVERYONE loves them.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses (mom prefers Grandma's Sweet Molasses Brand)
2 1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cloves
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger

Instructions:
Mix together all ingredients
Chill dough for easier handling.
Form dough into balls; Roll in sugar
Placed on ungreased cookie sheets
Bake at 350 degrees. Baking time varies by size. Golf ball size may take about 16 minutes.

For a soft cookie do not overbake. If they turn out harder than you like, place the cookies in a covered container with a slice of bread or two and some wax paper and they will soften.

Mom's Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs (large)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups Quaker oats (old fashioned, uncooked)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coconut
2 cups cornflakes (do not crush)
1 cup walnuts

Instructions:
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat together butter and sugars until creamy
3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well
4. Add combined flour, baking soda and powder and salt; mix well.
5. Stir in oats; mix well
6. Add coconut, cornflakes and walnuts
7. Place golf ball size balls onto ungreased cookie sheet; flatten on cookie sheet
8. Bake up to 17 minutes for golf ball size until golden brown. Do not overbake.
9. Cool one minute on cookie sheet and move to wire rack.

Mom usually makes a quadruple batch and freezes them.

Peanut Butter-Cup Cookies

(from Real Simple)

Makes 48 cookies
Hands-On Time: 15m
Total Time: 40m

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 12-ounce package small peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Fold in the peanut butter cups.
3. Drop tablespoon-size mounds of dough 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake until light brown around the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.