Category: COOKIES, BARS & CANDY

TRIED & TRUE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES Yields 36 cookies

This is TRULY the best chocolate chip cookie recipe ever that turns out perfectly EVERY single time! I have been making this recipe for many, many years and it is always a winner!

1 cup SALTED butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup PACKED light brown sugar
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
1 teaspoon QUALITY cinnamon
2 LARGE eggs
2 ¾ – 3 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups QUALITY chocolate chips (mini chips or chunks, or even chopped chocolate flavor of choice)

• Preheat oven to 375°.
• Line a baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium size bowl mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder. Set aside.

• Cream together the butter and sugars until combined.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla until fluffy.
• Mix in the dry ingredients until combined.
• Add chocolate chips and mix well.
 Roll the dough 2 tablespoons at a time into balls and place them evenly spaced on your prepared cookie sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Take them out when they are just BARELY starting to turn brown. DO NOT OVER BAKE!! When you remove the cookies from the oven they will still look doughy. This is the secret that makes these cookies the best cookie you ever ate!
• Let them sit on the baking pan for 2-5 minutes before removing to cooling rack.
• Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

NOTE:

• I only use pure, fine sea salt. Sea salt is different than table salt (that is iodized), so if you use salt other than sea salt I recommend testing the recipe first with ½ teaspoon and then adjust to your taste.
• The size of your eggs can affect the texture and consistency. The dough should NOT be wet or sticky BUT DEFINITELY NOT dry or crumbly either. Add/delete a bit of flour as necessary.
• For Christmas I change the recipe a bit by substituting 1/4 cup of cocoa for flour and add ½ tablespoon of red food coloring to make them a red velvet version.
• You can also change up the flavor of the chips… butterscotch, caramel, peanut butter… or add nuts if you like.

FREEZE FOR FUTURE USE
Portion dough, roll into balls and freeze in a single layer in an airtight container for up to 2 months. 

WHIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES adapted from Kitchen Fun with My Three Sons  Servings 8 cookies

Light, buttery and sweet little cookies are the perfect treat with some hot cocoa. They also make the perfect cookie to fill a tin for a homemade gift or to add to a cookie exchange or neighbor plate of goodies. Using a cookie cutter can add a great holiday touch.

6 tablespoons butter softened
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Icing, optiona

• Cream the butter and powdered sugar together for at least 4 minutes.

• Sift together the flour and cornstarch.

• Add the flour and cornstarch just until combined.
• Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic, and chill the dough for AT LEAST 2 hours in the refrigerator. 
• Preheat the oven to 300°.
• Cut the ball of dough into 8 pieces and roll each into a ball.
• With a fork dipped in cornstarch (to prevent the dough from sticking to the dough), press on the top of each cookie dough ball then top with sprinkles.
• Place the cookies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake the cookies for 18-19 minutes, just until the cookies are set and light golden brown on the bottom.
• Cool the cookies on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack.
• Once cooled, you can do a light coating of icing if desired.


CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CRINKLES COOKIES yields 3 dozen cookies

8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips, about 1 1/3 cup
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup JIF creamy peanut butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 LARGE eggs
2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
1 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder (optional)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar for coating

• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• Melt the chocolate, butter, and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat or in microwave-safe bowl with 15 second increments. Once the butter has melted completely, remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the chocolate also melts completely and the mixture is smooth.

• In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and espresso powder until well combined.
• Add the chocolate mixture, stirring until combined.
• Stir in the flour just until it disappears. The dough will seem very, very soft. Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 3 hours or overnight so it firms up.

• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325°.
• Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking sheet or parchment paper and set aside.
• Place 1 cup powdered sugar in a wide, shallow bowl.

• Scoop out heaping teaspoon-sized portions of dough and roll into balls that are 1 1/4 inches in diameter. 
• Place 4-6 balls of dough in the powdered sugar, then gently roll and toss the balls to coat completely DON’T DO TOO MANY AT ONCE OR THEY WILL STICK TOGETHER.
• Shake off excess sugar, then place on the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2 inches between each because the cookies will spread as they bake. 

• Bake for 10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time and if you are baking multiple cookie sheets at the same time, switch the top and bottom pans.
• When the tops are dry and just set, remove the cookies from the oven.
• Let cool on the baking sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


NOTE:

• DO NOT use the natural peanut butter – the kind that must be refrigerated – the cookies will not bake properly!
• The espresso powder is optional, but using it really enhances the chocolate flavor 😀

You can’t be a good Texan without a great hand me down recipe for BBQ, sheet cake and COWBOY COOKIES 😀

COWBOY COOKIES  Yields 3 to 3 1/2 dozen cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon QUALITY ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups packed light-brown sugar
3 LARGE eggs
1 tablespoon PURE vanilla
3 cups QUALITY semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
2 cups (8 ounces) chopped pecans OR walnuts
1 cup golden raisins

• Heat oven to 350°.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl.
• In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and creamy.
• Gradually add in sugars, combining thoroughly.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Add vanilla.
• Gradually add in flour mixture until just combined.
• Stir in chocolate chips, oats, coconut and nut pieces.
• Fold in raisins.
• For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart (cookies will spread).
• Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate cookie sheets halfway through.
• Remove cookies from rack to cool.

BEAR CLAWS OR PAWS ~ See’s Candy COPY CAT – 12 servings

30 KRAFT caramels (238 grams) or 1 (11 ounce) bag KRAFT Caramel Bits
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup peanuts, salted roasted or honey roasted
12 ounces vanilla almond bark for polar or milk chocolate for regular
COARSE sea salt (optional)
holiday sprinkles (optional)

• Line a large cookie sheet with Silpat mats or parchment paper and grease it with butter or spray with non stick cooking spray. Set aside.

• Melt caramels with butter and cream in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring, and repeating until completely smooth.

• Fold in vanilla, salt and peanuts. Let it sit in the bowl to cool for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

• Spoon onto the mats with a small cookie scoop into mounds. Chill in refrigerator for an hour or until set.

• Place almond bark in a bowl and melt in the microwave on low in 30 second increments and stir until melted and smooth.
• Dip each caramel cluster in the chocolate to coat.
• Holding it over the bowl, tap on the edge to let any excess chocolate drip back down.
• Place cluster back on the parchment lined pan and repeat with remaining clusters.

• Put the pan back in the refrigerator for an hour or until chocolate is set.
• Remove from parchment.
• Store in a cool place.


I found the original recipe in an old cookbook that called for FRESH strawberries only – never frozen, but I wanted to make them in December when fruit, even FRESH can have virtually no flavor.  So, I have adapted it to use FREEZE DRIED fruit powder, Which opens up all sorts of possibilities for future flavors.  So far we’ve used strawberry and raspberry – so YUMMY! A shortbread crust topped with a fruit custard are the perfect combo for this sweet and tart bite. I’m anxious to try this recipe as a cherry limeade.

STRAWBERRY (FRUITY) LEMONADE BARS

CRUST
1 1/4 cups AP flour, sifted
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon FRESH lemon zest
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, COLD AND CUBED (see notes)
1 LARGE egg yolk

• Preheat oven 350°.
• Combine the flour, sugar, sea salt and lemon zest quickly in the food processor.
• Add COLD, CUBED butter, pulsing until mixtures is coarse crumbs. (see notes)
• Add the egg yolk, pulsing until incorporated.
• Transfer dough to a 9×9 lightly greased baking dish.
• Press dough down evenly.
• Bake 18-20 minutes until lightly browned.
• Set aside to cool while you prepare the filling. DON’T TURN OFF THE OVEN.

FILLING
12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
5 LARGE egg yolks
1/4 cup FREEZE DRIED strawberry powder
1 tablespoon FRESH lemon zest
Juice of 4 lemons (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup cornstarch

• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in sugar until dissolved.
• Let cool slightly.
• Mix in egg yolks.
• In a food processor combine the lemon juice, lemon zest and strawberry powder.
• Add the cornstarch, pulsing to incorporate.
• Add the strawberry mixture to the butter mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, 8-10 minutes until you reach a custard consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
• Pour strawberry mixture evenly over the cooled crust.
• Bake 10 minutes, until filling is set.
• Cool on wire rack 20 minutes.
• Transfer to refrigerator for 3-4 hours to chill.
• Cut and dust with powdered sugar if desired.
• Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

NOTES: If you don’t have a food processor, you can make this recipe easily by grating your butter with a cheese grater to make it easier to cut into the flour with a pastry cutter by hand.

CHOCOCHIP RAISIN OATMEAL COOKIES
1/2 cups (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 Cup granulated sugar
2 LARGE Eggs
1 teaspoon QUALITY vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
scant 1/2 teaspoon QUALITY ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick OR old fashioned)
1 1/4 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup raisins or raisins
1/2 cup crushed walnuts

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
• Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
• Add combined flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
• Add oats and mix well.
• Add chocolate chips and mix well.
• Fold in raisins and mix well.
• Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto foil lined ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets.
• Remove to wire rack.
• Cool completely.
• Store tightly covered.

VARIATION 

Bar Cookies – 24 bars

• Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
• Cut into bars.
• Store tightly covered.

CANDY BAR RICE KRISPIE TREATS adapted from RecipeGirl.com
1 tablespoon salted butter
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
4 cups Rice Krispies
5-6 ounces chopped Butterfinger candy bars (or candy bar of your choice)*
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

• Spray an 8×8-inch pan with nonstick spray.
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter and peanut butter together over medium heat.
• Add the marshmallows, stirring until melted.
• Remove from heat and stir in the rice krispies.
• Stir in the Butterfingers, reserving 1/4 cup as topping.
• Scrape the mixture into the prepare pan and press it evenly into the pan with clean hands.
• Let it cool.
• Cut the Krispie Treats into nine equal pieces and move them to a platter.**
• Melt the chocolate chips and the shortening together in a small saucepan or in a small glass bowl in the microwave or until they are melted and smooth.
• Spoon the chocolate into a zip baggie, snip the corner and squeeze the chocolate into the corner.
• Drizzle chocolate onto each Krispie Treat and then sprinkle with some Butterfinger crumbs and then drizzle more chocolate on top.
• Place the Krispie Treats in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to set the chocolate. Do NOT leave them in the refrigerator – they will get too hard!
• Store them in a covered container.

NOTES:

• *Use a candy bar with a cookie or nut base along with the chocolate. We prefer Heath bars, KIT KATs or Butterfingers.
• **You can eat them as they are or store them in a covered container. Otherwise continue with the topping directions.