Chewy Sugar Cookies

While I was on my blogging break, it was like the baking bug just bit my right leg off..truth is, I stress bake. Being in my kitchen is therapy, I think I have admitted that before, and I just couldn't stop. Luckily, I did take pics and hopefully will get those posts up. I found these cookies over on My Baking Addiction, Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies. I love lemon, anything lemon and will probably pick a lemony dessert over a chocolate one, so I knew that I had to try these. This cookie is kind of bittersweet for me...disappointed that the lemon really didn't come out in these..and that is probably mostly my fault. I didn't add the lemon zest. But, the batter was wonderful..lemony, sweet..just want I needed in a cookie. BUT...after baked..you couldn't taste the lemon at all. Bummer. But, I do have to tell you that this was probably the best chewy sugar cookie I have had. I normally won't ever choose a sugar cookie because they always seen crumbly and dry to me. Not these, they were delish and the kids and hubby gobbled them up.

Chewy Sugar Cookies
adapted from My Baking Addiction

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar.

Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Makes approximately 24-30 cookies depending on size

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

The kids are out of school and we are just enjoying the weather. I can't believe that it has been over 2 weeks since I have posted last, but sometimes life just happens.

I found these cookies from Amanda's Cookin' and knew that I had to make them. Peanut butter cookies, or if I am being honest, anything with peanut butter is my all time favorite. These were quick to mix together with a short bake of 8 minutes and they were perfect. Soft and chewy, just what I needed!

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
From: Amanda's Cookin'

1/2 cup shortening (or butter flavored shortening)
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp milk
1 tbsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls (using a cookie scoop works great) 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet. Flatten slightly in crisscross pattern with tines of fork.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set and just beginning to brown. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to racks to cool completely.

Christmas Cookie Finale-Gingerbread Men

Well, now, the past 12 weeks have past by so quickly, haven't they? Luckily, my family loves cookies and they didn't get tired of them, they are actually wondering which ones are next!

I am a firm believer that gingerbread men are a must on a cookie platter! They just make me smile when I see them. And maybe everyone doesn't like gingerbread, but they are so festive who can resist biting off their head or arm or maybe even the leg? :)

I have had so much fun baking along with Megan, Barbara, Megan, Kim and Denise these last weeks! You never knew what would be their choice of cookie each week and all of them are on my to make list! Thank you for cookie baking with me!!

Gingerbread
2/3 C brown sugar, packed
2/3 C molasses
1 t Ginger
1 t Cinnamon
1/2 t crushed cloves
3/4 T baking soda
2/3 C butter, softened
1 egg
5 C all purpose flour

Heat brown sugar, molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves to boiling point. Remove from heat, add baking soda, and pour over butter in a large mixing bowl. Stir until butter is melted, then stir in egg and flour thoroughly. Knead for a few minutes, then gather dough into a ball. Refrigerate dough until firm enough to roll easily. Roll on a lightly floured board and cut with shaped cutter of choice. Place on greased cookie sheet or parchment and bake in 325 degree oven for 8-12 minutes.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies-Week 11

We are at week 11, just one more week to go! I still have so many more cookies that I want to make!!

This week I give you one of my favorites! These are really easy to make and will add a little wow factor on your platter. You can add the chocolate drizzle or leave them plain. Just make sure that you really drain and pat your cherries dry before you wrap the dough around them, or it won't stick.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

1 10oz jar maraschino cherries with stems, drained and juice reserved

1 Tbsp cherry juice

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Beat butter in bowl of electric mixer on medium high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder; beat until combined. Beat in the egg and 1 tsp reserved cherry juice. Beat in as much flour as you can with mixer, stir in any remaining flour with wooden spoon.

Shape a scant 1 tsp of dough around each cherry. Place in 1 inch paper or foil baking cups and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until the top looks dry.

Top with melted chocolate or your favorite chocolate glaze and top if sprinkles, if desired.

Orange Vanilla Shortbread

We are at week 10 of thee 12 weeks of Christmas cookies. When we first started this, I thought it would take forever to finish it up, but now we only have 2 more weeks! There have been so many great cookie recipes during this and can't wait to see what the next weeks bring!

I saw this recipe in Sherry Yards book The Secret of Baking and was curious about the use of Orange Blossom Water. I had never seen it, much less needed to use it in a recipe. I knew that I wanted to try it. That was about a year ago. I don't know why I haven't made them sooner. I really like the flavor of them. They have a base of orange flavor with a little hint of a floral scent. And then the vanilla mellows it all out. The recipe said to roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick and cut into a shape, freeze for 15 minutes then bake. I chose to bake them in an 8x8 square dish and cut them into squares. They turned out a little more fluffy than the shortbread that I have made before. Maybe it is because I didn't roll it out? Not sure, but they still taste yummy! I think I might like to make this recipe and adapt it to this flavor.

Remember to see what Megan, Barbara, Megan, Denise and Kim baked up this week!

Orange Vanilla Shortbread

By: Sherry Yard

2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest

1/8 tsp salt

1 Tbsp orange flower water

1 large egg, at room temperature

Sift together flour and baking soda in medium bowl and set aside

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, cream the butter on medium speed until pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle. Add the sugar, vanilla extract and scraped seeds from the bean, orange zest, salt and orange flower water. Cream on medium speed until it is smooth and lump free, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.

Add the egg and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, or until fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

On low speed, add the flour mixture. Beat until all the dry ingredients are incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. The dough will be gooey. Remove the dough from the mixer, scrape it onto a sheet of plastic film, press it into a 1/2-1 inch thick disk, wrap tightly, and chill for at least 1 hour. At this point, the dough will keep nicely, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month. (Thaw frozen dough at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or until you can slice it.)

Dust a work surface lightly with flour. Place the dough between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment paper, roll it out 1/4 inch thick, and freeze it for at least 2 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Adjust the rack to the lower third of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

When the dough has frozen, carefully peel off the parchment and place the dough on a work surface dusted lightly with flour. Dip a 3 inch round cookie cutter in flour, then cut out the cookies. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets, alternating the rows like a checkerboard. Return the dough to the freezer for 15 minutes or more whenever it becomes too sticky to cut.

Bake one sheet at a time for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges, turning the sheet front to back halfway through the baking. Remove from the oven and carefully slide the parchment directly onto a work surface. Wait at least 5 minutes before serving or 30 minutes before storing the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature.

Cake Cookies-Week 9!

I saw this recipe for these cookies in a magazine that called for a cake mix, an egg, and a carton of cool whip. The cool whip got the best of my curiosity and I had to try them out. They turned out so good that a friend and I made 4 different flavors and each batch made 4 dozen, so I was stuck with 16 dozen cookies! There could be worse things, I guess. :)

These cookies are really soft and chewy, a little messy because of the powdered sugar, but so worth it. These will definitely be going on my platters! The cake mixes we used were chocolate fudge, strawberry, orange and spice cake. I have a lemon to make and I want to try pineapple upside down.

We are coming along with out 12 weeks of Christmas, we are at week 9 and have seen some really awesome cookies!

Cake Cookies

1 box cake mix, any flavor

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 (8 oz) Cool Whip, thawed

2 cups powdered sugar

Mix the cake mix, egg, and cool whip together until combined. This will be thick, but not so thick that you can roll it into balls. Put the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl.

Once you mix the dough, put the scoops of dough into the powdered sugar and roll it to coat. You can shape it once it is covered with the powdered sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This week, I asked the hubby what kind of cookie he wanted and he wanted something with peanut butter and chocolate. Honestly, I wanted him to tell me something that was sort of a challenge for me to find a recipe for this week, but I guess you really can't do that with cookie. I guess this really was a little challenge for me, because I haven't found that perfect peanut butter cookie recipe yet. This one is close, and will do, but I am always looking for new ones. :)

I found this recipe in one of my cookie magazines and was curious about it because there is no butter, I am guessing that the peanut butter takes that place, and there is only 1/4 cup of flour. This told me that it would probably be moist and chewy in the middle. And yes, I was right. With little spreadage, and a crisp outside, with the chewy in the middle, they did hit the spot. The first thing that came out the oldest sons mouth as soon as he popped one in his mouth was, mmmmmmm. I took that as a thumbs up! Will these go on my cookie platters? Probably!!

Don't forget my other cookie baker's this week, we are almost to the end girls! :)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a mixing bowl beat peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar, and baking soda until combined. Beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Stir in flour and chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place balls on an ungreased cookie sheet (do not use an insulated cookie sheet); flatten slightly with fingers.

Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and lightly browned around edges (centers will be soft). Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; cool completly. Makes 2 dozen.

Vanilla Bean Angel Pillows

I chose this cookie recipe from last years Better Homes and Garden Christmas Cookie magazine. I'm glad that I keep these year from year just for this reason..even if it is 8 years from now, I now that I will find something that I haven't made yet or maybe I will have made the same recipe 10 times. The bottom line here, I guess, is that I really have an addiction. I just had this conversation this week with a friend, and I am glad to know that I am not the only one with this problem. :)

I love the look of the vanilla bean speckles! :)

These cookies are just what the title describes, vanilla bean pillows. They are light and crumbly and sweet, but more buttery than sweet. Once you bite into it, the vanilla sugar on the outside sticks to your lips and chin...really, it get everywhere..but I think it just adds to the yumminess! The recipe said that this would yield 28 cookies, and that is exactly what I got. I normally go for the ones that make more than that, but I couldn't pass these up. These will be going on my platters this year, and maybe I will roll some of them in red and green sugars.

Don't forget to see what Megan, Barbara, Megan, Kim, and Denise baked up this week!

Vanilla Bean Angel Pillows

From Better Home and Gardens

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 tsp salt

1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise

1 cup cold butter, cubed

1/4 cup vanilla sugar*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, combine flour, powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Cover and process until combined.

Using the tip of a sharp knife, scrape pulp from vanilla bean. Add vanilla pulp to the flour mixture; add butter. Cover and process with several on/off pulses until mixture starts to cling, stopping once to scrape bowl. Gather mixture into a ball.

Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven about 12 minutes or just until edges start to brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool for 5 minutes.

Place vanilla sugar in a small bowl. While cookies are warm, roll them in vanilla sugar to coat. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes about 28 cookies.

*To make vanilla sugar, in a small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and 1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 week, giving it a shake every once in awhile.

This week I chose to go simple. The classic chocolate chip cookie. I made this recipe from Emeril Lagasse's book, There's a chef in my Soup. This is the only recipe that I have made from this book, and probably won't make them again. The taste is fine, but it is just now what I want in a CC cookie. I want a slightly crisp outside and a chewy middle. These just were all crunchy.

I also did a little experiment. Normally, I only will bake on my baking stones. I love them, the bottoms don't burn. I baked half on the baking stone and the other half I baked on parchment paper on a regular aluminum cookie sheet. Here are the differences I found, the ones on the stone didn't brown on the bottoms, but they did spread. The ones on the parchment, stayed more round with hardly any spreading, but they did brown on the bottom. I am curious on how you bake your cookies? I would love to know!

Make sure to go and see the other cookie bakers!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies
By: Emeril
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla1 large egg
1 1/2 cups chocolate chip cookies

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.

Place the butter, sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and cream the ingredients on high speed. Scape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

Add the vanilla and egg and mix on medium speed. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until batter is stiff-don't overdo it.

Turn off the mixer and, using a large spoon or plastic spatula, fold in the chocolate chips. Using a tablespoon, scoop about 2 spoonfuls of the dough into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, keeping the scoops about 2 inches apart. Using your fingers or the back of the spoon, press down on each ball of dough to slightly flatten.Bake on 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly brown.

Peanut Butter Blossoms- Week 5

We are at week 5 of the Christmas cookies, and it amazes me how fast time flies! Sometimes, I am in need of a quick cookie recipe that I can just throw together. You know, those that you have all the ingredients in the pantry and you don't need to wait on the butter to soften to room temperature? This cookie is that one.

My friend and I have started this dinner club and the whole point of it is to fellowship with each other and make meals for the freezer. A couple of hours in and we had 3 meals and bread sticks for our freezer. While we were busy making dinners, the hubbies and kiddos needed something sweet. These were the perfect thing. They were quick to make and put into the oven, and I think that they disappeared just as quick!

Wonder what my other cookie bakers have made this week?

Peanut Butter Blossom Cookies

Makes 4 dozen

1/2 cup shortening3

/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp saltgranulated sugar

48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Using an electric mixer, beat shortening and peanut butter together until creamy. Add both sugars, beating until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beating dry ingredients into wet mixture until dough forms.

Using your hands, shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll shaped balls in granulated sugar; turning completely to coat. Place sugared balls of dough into a greased mini muffin pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until cookies turn a very pale brown. Immediately remove pan from oven and press a kiss into the center of each cookie. Carefully remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies-week 4

This week I chose to make these cookies from the new Holiday Taste of Home Magazine. I love this time of year when all the holidays start, although, I wish it didn't come and go so fast. I made these cookies three days ago and they are still chewy in the middle. I am guessing that it is from the 2 1/2 sticks of butter it uses!! Oh well, I didn't say that they were healthy! :)



My one gadget that I have to have when I am making cookies is my little cookie scoop. I use it with almost every cookie that I make, unless it is a slice and bake, but you know, sometimes I am a little impatient to let my dough chill, and I use the scoop anyway. With this batch of dough, I got 6 dozen cookies out of it! So, if you need a good cookie that makes alot, this one is it!



Need some more cookie ideas? Check out my other cookie bake along friends! They are listed on my side bar.








Chewy Chocolate Cookies



1 1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips




In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.




Combine flour, cocoa,, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets.




Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until edges are set. Cool on pans for 1 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Nutella Swirl- Week 3!

I have a confession, I adore Nutella. I actually have a problem. I could eat it on anything, really, my favorite way is right out of the jar with a spoon. When I saw these from The Doubled Dipped Life, I knew I had to make them for this weeks cookie recipe. Actually, these looked so good, Barbara had the same idea that I did!

I had a little trouble with these cookies. I found the dough to be really soft and sticky. I chilled it for a good 30 minutes before rolling it out. Once I started to roll it out, I had to add more flour. Once I finally got it rolled, without sticking, I went to spread the Nutella, this took a little patience. I would start to spread it and my dough would rip. Finally, I got it spread, and rolled the dough, I stuck the roll in the freezer for about 20 minutes to make for easy slicing. My roll was really skinny, but they baked up nicely. After slicing, I got right at 20 cookies. The taste, I wasn't crazy about them. I don't know what it was..maybe I was just frustrated with my dough sticking..but, today, they are really good! I'm glad I didn't throw them out!

Make sure and check out Megan, Barbara, Megan, Kim and Denise to see what they have baked up this week!

Nutella Swirl Cookies
From:The Double Dipped Life

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
1 heaped cup sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup Nutella
2-3 Tbsp chopped toasted hazelnuts, I left these out

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the butter and sugar together until creamy. Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla. The mixture should be light and well combined. Stir in the flour and refrigerate dough for at least 15 minutes for easy rolling.

Next, roll out the dough into a rectangle of 1/4 inch thickness. Spread the Nutella, leaving 1/4 inch space on all four sides. Sprinkle chopped hazelnuts over the Nutella. Roll up the dough jelly roll style. Refrigerate another 10 minutes before slicing. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices. Put on baking sheet about 2 inches apart and bake 12-15 minutes until slightly golden around the edges.

Snickerdoodle Blossoms

I first saw Denise make these,then Ingrid twisted my arm to make these, so I really had no choice but to make them. I am glad that I did! Who doesn't love snickerdoodle cookies and who doesn't love chocolate? You add them together and you have one to die for cookie!!

These little blossoms are a little work, but not anything that will make you just hate to make them. Mix the dough and let it chill for a good 30 minutes. Don't skip this step, it is a little sticky if you don't. Roll into balls, roll them in cinnamon sugar and bake them. I used my handy little cookie scoop and got 4 short of 4 dozen cookies, I could have gotten 4 dozen if I watched my scooping..some of them were a little on the chunky side.

I'm thinking that these will make it on my cookie platters this year!

Snickerdoodle Blossoms

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed, brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
48 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375.
Combine 1/2 cup white sugar,brown sugar and butter in large mixing bowl.

Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, vanilla and salt; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; and add flour and baking soda. Beat until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 1/2 hour. I recommend doing that, makes it easier to handle. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tbsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll dough balls into cinnamon sugar mixture.

Place balls in mini muffin tins. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie and sprinkle remaining cinnamon sugar mixture over them while they are still warm. Remove from pans; cool completely on a wire rack.

Orange Chunk Cookies- Week 2

This week I chose to bake Orange Chunk Cookies, they should have been chip, but my grocery store didn't have white chocolate chips, WHAT?! I know, so I had to substitute a bar of it and chunk it up. That just added to the fun, I don't know why, but food prep makes me happy. The more I can chop, the happier I am. I know, I have issues!

So, here we are at week 2, and that means 11 weeks until Christmas now and I don't have the slightest idea of what I will be buying the kids. I asked Abby what she wanted and she said "Joy". I said, "Joy, as in happiness? Are you not happy?" She said, yes, I am happy, but that is what I want. Crazy child!! Maybe I'll get something that has JOY written on it and stick it in her stocking.

On to the cookies, I liked them, the hubby and kids liked them. The hubby was a little concerned of the orange, he doesn't like orange flavored things, but the orange flavor was subtle. It mostly tasted like a white chocolate chip cookie and once you chewed it and swallowed was when you get the hint of orange. So, I would give this cookie a thumbs up!

You also need to go and see what Megan from Megan's Cooking, Barbara from Barbara Bakes, and Megan from My Baking Adventures is joining us as well!

Orange Chunk Cookies

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup (6 oz) white chocolate chips
1 Tbsp grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, baking soda and salt into small bowl. Beat the butter and both sugars in large bowl until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and mix well. Gradually add the flour mixture, until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips and zest. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown. Cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Cinnamon Crisps-Week 1

I know this is crazy, but do you realize that there is only 12 weeks until Christmas? When you look at it that way, it seems like it is so close, I guess it really isn't that far away. This brings me to this...12 weeks of Christmas cookies. I do alot of baking at Christmas and always wait until the last minute to try to get it all in, and then I am left with no time to try new recipes. So this should fix that problem. A batch of cookies a week, I think I should be able to keep up. :) Megan is baking along each week as well, so I am hoping to get some new ones from her too! If you have a cookie/bar that you want to share feel free!!

Every year I look forward to the new Better Homes and Garden Christmas Cookies magazine. It is out by the first of October every year and it is loaded with cookie recipes. Any where from drop cookies, to cut outs, to bars...to layered cookies. I have them from the past 12 years. I love them and can't make myself part with them.

These cookies are really good. Crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle, even when they have cooled completely. The picture of these in the magazine, showed them rolled in pearl sugar. I love the look of this, but can't find it here...it is on my "look for and buy" list. Instead of the pearl sugar, I rolled these little babies in granulated sugar and I liked the extra sweetness and glisten that it gave. The addition of molasses in this mixture reminded me of gingerbread, only you don't add any ginger, cinnamon is the only spice in these. So here we have it, cookie #1 in the 12 weeks of Christmas Cookies challenge.

Cinnamon Crisps

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup light molasses
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
pearl sugar or granulated sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy.

Add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until well combined. Add egg; beat until blended, then beat in molasses. On low speed, beat in flour until just blended.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies are light brown around edges and tops crackle. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Gale Gand's Deep Chocolate Shortbread

I must be on a chocolate kick, because, it seems that the last few things that I have posted about is chocolate. Well, I guess you really can't go wrong with it. I found this recipe on the Splenda site and figured that if it is from Gale Gand, then it must be ok. I love shortbread and the thought of making it a little healthier, I couldn't pass it up. The verdict? It is good. I made this yesterday and tried one right after it came out of the oven, and thought..this really is not good. But, today, it is so much better! I'm glad that I didn't just trash it!

Gale Gand's Deep Chocolate Shortbread

From: Splenda

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup Splenda

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

6 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 3/4 cup, plus 2 Tbsp AP flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Place the butter, Splenda, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Mix, using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer, until the mixture is light and creamy. Add cocoa powder and all of the flour. Mix until just blended.

Remove dough from bowl and form into a ball. Place the ball of dough on the parchment lined pan. Roll the dough into a rectangle approx. 6 1/2 inches wide by 11 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Pierce the surface of the dough with a fork all over. This allows the air to escape during baking preventing air pockets from forming.

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes baking. Remove shortbread from oven immediately cut into 24 fingers or rectangles while shortbread is still warm. If allowed to cool, the shortbread will not slice well.

World Peace Cookies

Why, oh, why have I not made these before now? That is what I keep asking myself! These cookies are that good! Megan has raved about these, Maria made these not too long ago and loved them too. So, I asked myself, why haven't I made them? I am still kicking myself in the back end for not making them before now. I do have a confession about them though, I didn't let the dough chill. And you know what? They still turned out great! I will be making these over and over again!

World Peace Cookies
From: BFMHTY
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick plus 3 tablespoons (11 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel or 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips

Sift the flour, cocoa and baking soda together. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, the salt and vanilla extract and beat for 2 minutes more.

Turn off the mixer. Pour in the flour, drape a kitchen towel over the stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek — if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple of times more; if not, remove the towel.

Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds more, just until the flour disappears into the dough — for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don’t be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only to incorporate.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it in half. Working with one half at a time, shape the dough into logs that are 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you’ve frozen the dough, you needn’t defrost it before baking — just slice the logs into cookies and bake the cookies 1 minute longer.)

GETTING READY TO BAKE: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.Working with a sharp thin knife, slice the logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds are likely to crack as you’re cutting them — don’t be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange the rounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 12 minutes — they won’t look done, nor will they be firm, but that’s just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are only just warm, at which point you can serve them or let them reach room temperature.

Lime Meltaways

I have been on a cookie kick for the last few weeks. It first started with the Mississippi Mud Cookies, then the TWD Chocolate Chip Cookie topped brownie, after that was the Strawberry and Cream cookies. Over the weekend I made Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, they kids loved them, I loved them, the hubby loved them...so saying all of that, they were all gone before I could snap a pic, but they were from BFMHTY by Dorie.

So now, I give you these little dainty Lime Meltaways. I have seen these in both lime or lemon, and just hadn't taken the time to make them. So, my friend from Icing Heals All Wounds, don't you love the name? She really is just stating the facts!, made these little babies and I had a couple of limes just hanging out ready to be used. Perfect!

I love them! The good thing is that the dough makes 2 logs, so you can bake one now and freeze the other log for later. If you can contain yourself and not bake them right away. I want to make them with the lemon and maybe with an orange.

Lime Meltaways
From Martha Stewart

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
2 Tbs. lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add lime juice, zest, and vanilla extract and mix until well-combined.

In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, and salt). Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and beat until just combined.

Divide the dough into two halves.

Shape each half into a log that is about 1 1/4 inch in diameter, wrap in freezer paper, and freeze for at least one hour.After one hour, remove the dough from the freezer. Slice the logs into thin slices, between 1/8 and 1/4 inch, place the slices on a cookie sheet with some space between them (there will be minimal spreading), and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Make sure you only slice as many cookies as you can fit in the oven at a time--if you have part of your log left after filling your cookie sheet, return the uncut portion to the freezer until it's ready to bake.Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow to cool on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes. Roll cookies in bowl with additional powdered sugar.

Strawberries and Cream Cookies

These cookies are from A Passion for Baking by Marcy Goldman. This is probably my second or third recipe that I have made from it. My cookies don't really look the ones in the book and some of the reason is because my dried strawberries were more brownish, and not bright red. I looked everywhere for dried strawberries and happened to come across them at Ingles, and they were $5 per bag, and mind you, that bag was not very big.

The recipe says to roll the dough out to 1/2 and cut out into 2 inch rounds. I used the cookie cutter, but don't think that it would make a difference, as they did spread. These cookies turned into thin and crispy, but still chewy in the middle. I think next time, I won't roll them out, I will just use my little cookie scoop and see how they turn out. This cookie is basically a shortbread dough with the dried strawberries and white chocolate for the cream. I give these cookies a thumbs up!

Strawberries and Cream Cookies
By: Marcy Goldman

3/4 cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp whipping cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup minced white chocolate
3/4 cup dried strawberries, coarsely chopped

You can order dried strawberries online from nutsonline.com, if you can't find them near you.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Stack two baking sheets together and line top with parchment paper.

In a mixer bowl, combine sugar and butter on low speed until well blended. Then add flour, vanilla, cream, and salt and blend well. When almost blended into a dough, add white chocolate and dried strawberries, mixing by hand to incorporate and make a firm dough.

Knead dough gently on a lightly floured work surface about 1 minute to make dough more firm and get it to hold together. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap well, and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll out gently about 1/2 inch thick and cut into small round cookies, about 2 inches in diameter.

Place on prepared baking sheets. Place in oven and immediately reduce oven temp to 300 degrees. Bake until lightly browned around edges, about 15-20 minutes.

TWD-Chipster Topped Brownies

This weeks TWD recipe was chosen by Beth of Supplicious. I have made these before and they were a hit with the family, and this week was no different. I mean, how can you go wrong with brownies and chocolate chip cookies in one? I don't think that you can! Thanks for a fantastic recipe this week!