Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been trying a lot of different chocolate chip cookie recipes lately and this one is my ultimate favorite.

Mix together:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Add and stir:
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Add:
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips.

Bake at 335 degrees for 12 minutes.

Jonathan's Favorite Granola Bars

You can add pretty much anything you want to these bars (raisins, dried apricots, etc.).

3 cups quick cooking oats
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X13 pan.

2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with your hands or spatula. Press flat into the pan.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes the cut into desired size. Let cool completely before serving.

Granola Bars

I found a great granola bar recipe which has been my favorite so far. I changed the recipe quite a bit to be healthier and this is what I've come up with. I've made a batch weekly because we love them so much.

4 cups rolled oats (I've used both rolled oats and quick oats and can't tell a difference)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 c softened butter

1/3 cup applesauce

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 cup nuts

Press into a greased 9x13 inch pan. (I spray my hand with cooking spray to press because it's pretty sticky.) Bake at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes. When I take them out of the oven I press them again with the back of the spatula. Cool in the pan. When they are cool cut into your desired size.

Lime White Chocolate Cookies

I had lime white chocolate cookies on a plane and they were so good I just had to find a recipe. This one is very good.

1 cup butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup lime juice
1tbs lime zest
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and yolks in a large bowl.

Blend in flour, baking powder, salt, lime juice and zest. Fold in chocolate chips.

Roll into walnut sized balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Lime Squares

Key Lime Bars
Martha Stewart Living

1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs
2 1/2 tablespoons finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large egg yolks
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest
2/3 cup fresh Key lime juice , (about 23 Key limes total)
1 cup sweetened condensed milk, (14 ounces)
2 Key limes, thinly sliced into half-moons

Make crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a small bowl. Press evenly onto bottom of an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake until dry and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.(Leave oven on.)

Make filling: Put egg yolks and lime zest in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on high speed until very thick, about 5 minutes. Reduce speed to medium. Add condensed milk in a slow, steady stream, mixing constantly. Raise speed to high; mix until thick, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add lime juice; mix until just combined.

Spread filling evenly over crust using a spatula. Bake, rotating dish halfway through, until filling is just set, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or overnight).

Cut into 2-by-2-inch bars. Garnish bars with whipped cream and a slice of lime.

These were soooo delicious! I made them for a baby shower and I got so many compliments on them. They are involved (squeezing all those limes) but taste so good! I used regular limes, about 12 of them and the bars still tasted great. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp milk

1 cup pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil (can substitute 1/4 cup with applesauce for less fat)

1 egg

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Dissolve baking soda in milk; set aside. In a large bowl, add pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg; stir. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Spoon onto lightly greased cookie sheet. (They don't spread out, they keep the shape you put them into.) Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until done.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

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• Ingredients

• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If you have parchment paper, line this on your cookie sheet, otherwise spray with non-stick spray really well. Roll dough into one inch balls and coat each ball in powdered sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Thick and Moist Sugar Cookies

1 1/2 cups sugar

2/3 cup butter

2 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 1/4 cups flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream sugar and butter; add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and beat into creamed mixture, combining thoroughly. With hands, shape dough into a ball. Wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or overnight until dough is easy to handle.

Grease cookie sheets lightly. On floured board, roll half of dough at a time, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.

Place cookies half an inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake at at 375 degrees about 8 minutes or until a very light brown. Remove to racks to cool.

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Big Peanut Butter Cookies

“ We love making these cookies very large. If you do this cook for about 11 minutes. It’s fun to drizzle them with melted chocolate too. Since this recipe does make so many cookies, you can roll some of the dough up and freeze for a later use.”

5 1/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

3/4 cups shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups brown sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup peanut butter

1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, shortening, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in peanut butter. Add flour mixture and stir until well blended.

3. Drop dough by tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Using a fork dipped in flour, flatten each cookie slightly in a crisscross patter. Bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Do not over bake.

Makes 5 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Oh Henry Bars

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup chopped salted peanuts

3 cups crispy rice cereal

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup butterscotch chips

1. In a heavy saucepan, bring sugar and corn syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter, peanuts, and cereal. Stir well and press into a greased 9x13 inch pan.

2. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips together in a small saucepan or in the microwave. Spread over top of peanut butter mixture. Cool and cut into bars.

Makes 2 dozen small or 1 dozen large bars. 

Chocolate Crinkles

8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup powdered sugar

1. Melt chocolate using a double boiler. Set aside.

2. With an electric mixer beat eggs and sugar until thick, pale and fluffy. Then beat in vanilla and stir in chocolate. 

3. In a separate bowl, mix flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to chocolate mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven.

5. Put powdered sugar in shallow bowl. With slightly greased hands, roll dough into balls about 1 inch in size. roll in sugar until completely covered. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake 10-15 minutes or until edges are slightly firm but centers are still soft.

Makes 15 cookies.

Show them with a KISS!

Peanut Butter Blossoms
These mouth-watering peanut butter cookies are made straight from the recipe on the back of the Hershey’s Kisses bag. Your Valentine won't be able to resist!

Prep Time: approx. 15 minutes. Bake Time: approx. 8 Minutes. Makes 4 dozen.
48 Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates
½ cup shortening
¾ cup peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
Granulated Sugar

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Toll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate piece into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookies sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.