Fresh Strawberry Pecan Cookies

I took this batch of cookies to a mom's night out ages ago. Even recently I've had people ask for the recipe!

1 1/2c white sugar
1c butter
1/2T baking soda
2 eggs
1 pint strawberries, pureed
3c flour
1t salt
3/4c pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease or line cookie sheets.
Cream together butter and sugar then mix in eggs and strawberry puree until just blended. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets and back for 8-10 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Cookies

1c butter softened
1 1/2c white sugar
2 eggs
2t vanilla
2 3/4c flour
2t cream of tartar
1t baking soda
1/4t salt
2T white sugar
2t ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. In a separate ball mix together 2T sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into balls and roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheets. Remove from sheets immediately.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my new go-to recipe for chocolate chip cookies. This makes a big batch so I either halve the recipe or wrap half in saran wrap and foil then freeze it until we want more.

4c flour
1t baking powder
1t baking soda
1 1/2c butter, softened
1 1/4c sugar
1 1/4c brown sugar
2 large eggs
1T vanilla extract
2 1/2c chocolate chips (I sometimes mix and match, other times just use one kind)
1c chopped nuts (optional. We don't use this... sometimes I just add more chocolate instead ;))

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in a seperate bowl. In your mixer bowl beat butter until fluffy. Add sugars and rest of wet ingredients.
Gradually add the dry mixture. Mix in chocolate and nuts. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes (or more if you made jumbo cookies. Sometimes the mood hits, you know?)
Cool on sheets for 2 minutes then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.

Chewy Nutella Cookies

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup Nutella
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.
Cream butter with both sugars until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg, vanilla, and Nutella.
Add the flour, baking soda, and salt into the wet mixture until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. 
Drop the dough by tablespoons onto baking sheet and bake for 6-7 minutes.

Spritz Cookies

My Mom, in her cookie-crazy preparation for Christmas often included spritz cookies in the collection. They weren't my favorite, but with living far away from family every holiday season... it's easy to become nostalgic for things like these. A couple years ago I bought a spritz cookie press. Since then I've tried several times to make these cookies but have never gotten them to stick properly to the cookie sheet. That's how it found it's way onto my list. 

This recipe is definitely the one I'll come back to. It's a slightly modified butter cookie in spritz form. It was still a little tricky getting the dough to stick but overall these are probably my favorite spritz cookies I've ever had. I'll be keeping this recipe for when I get the bug for these again this Christmas. Next time, orange glaze, maybe?

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

zest of one orange

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Sift together the flour and salt; set aside.
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• In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg yolks, almond extract and vanilla extract. Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients. Fill a cookie press with dough and shoot cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. If you like, decorate with sugar or sprinkles at this time.
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• Bake for 6 to 8 minutes in the preheated oven.
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No Bake Cookies

• Before Phil and I got married I had only lived in 1 house. I had never moved, never had to house hunt, nothing. It was this girl who decided on the first house we would rent. The first summer we were married we lived in Virginia. Our little house had no air conditioner. I hadn't realized we would need one. It was hot. It was humid. I was pregnant for my first time. It was pretty miserable. 
• Phil was still stationed on a ship back then and I would send goodies with him to work every so often. Making these cookies made us some good friends. I still make them in the middle of summer on days when it's just too hot to consider turning on the oven.

2c white sugar

• 1/4c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2c milk
• 1/2c margarine
• 1t vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 1c chunky peanut butter
• 3c quick cooking oats
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• In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
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• Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper (or parchment or foil... or a nonstick mat). Allow cookies to cool for at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Cut Out Cookies- Star Wars Edition

It happened. I guess I should have known it eventually would.
We bought the ridiculously expensive Star Wars cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma. As much as I don't want to, I love this store! I have to admit, the cookies turned out awesome from our cutters. Much better than any regular shape cutter would have done! Here's the recipe I used and here's where I got it from.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup cocoa powder 

Mix together the flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer. Gradually add the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Roll out the cookie dough on floured counter. Use cookie dough cutters to cut into desired shapes.Bake on a lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8-inch thick cookies, the latter for 1/4-inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed

Double Fudge Oreo Crunch Cookies

I saw this recipe here and I knew I had to make these for Phil. He's a fan of most things "cookies and cream". Unfortunately, my cookies didn't really turn out anything like hers. I tried the dough warm and cold out of the fridge. I baked them longer and shorter and increased the temperature. No luck. My only other thought was I could have added more flour to try and firm them up but by then I was out of dough. Here's what I did anyway. They were pretty yummy even though they weren't as pretty and felt a little like there was something missing.

1 cup butter, at room temperature1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup crushed Oreo cookies

Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and mix until combined.Fold in chocolate chips and crushed oreos. Refrigerate dough for 2-4 hours (or more). When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350, roll into balls or scoop with an ice cream scooper and set on baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely.

Brownies

• This is a recipe I'd be better off not keeping. I love my other brownie recipe, but this one is smaller so better for making when it's just the 4 of us... and that is exactly the problem.
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• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
  In a large bowl, blend melted butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually blend into the egg mixture. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
  Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let brownies cool, then cut into squares. Enjoy!

Welfare PB Cookies

Found this recipe online through a couple different sources and decided to try it out. Apparently the recipe used to be on the back of welfare peanut butter. Regardless of where it came from, these cookies are exactly what I'm looking for in peanut butter cookies!

(picture to come... eventually)

2-1/2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup fat (margarine, butter, or shortening)
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
Mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
Mix fat and peanut butter. Add both kinds of sugar. Mix well. Add eggs and beat well.
Stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture.
Drop dough from a teaspoon on baking pan. Flatten with a fork.
Bake at 375 ° (moderate oven) 10 to 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Makes 4 to 5 dozen cookies

Mexican Wedding Cakes

These go by many names: Mexican Wedding Cakes, Russian Tea Cakes, Pecan Sandies... all are the same basic idea. Something about these cookies says Christmas to me. They are so delicious but messy, so no serving them at any black tie events, okay?

1 cup butter, softened
8 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix all the ingredients together with a mixer until well blended. Roll dough into round small balls. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool completely then roll in additional confectionary sugar

Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

First Christmas cookies of the season!
These are our favorite holiday cookies, hands down.
Our first Christmas married we were in Italy. We had just moved there one month prior and moved into our home just days before the holiday but still had no furniture. Phil had duty. He was stuck on the ship. I was in a new country 6 months pregnant and alone. We had already planned to celebrate the next day. So what did I do Christmas day all homesick and lonely? I made these. I took them still melty and warm to Phillipp on the ship. Every single guy on the way to Phil begged for one but were denied (poor things). These are some powerful cookies! If you like peanut butter and chocolate, make these. You won't be disappointed.
1/2 c butter
1/2 c peanut butter
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
2T milk
1t vanilla extract
1 3/4c flour
1t baking powder
1/8t baking soda
1/4t salt
1/3c granulated sugar (for decoration)
48 (approx) chocolate kisses or hugs, unwrapped (Phil's favorite are the hugs)

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter or margarine and peanut butter. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla and beat again.
In a separate bowl mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture until combined.
Cover and chill for 1 hour (approx). Meanwhile preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls and roll in decoration sugar.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove and immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie. Quickly transfer cookies to a cooling rack (if you wait too long the chocolate will melt and warp when transferred).
My original recipe says "let cool" but I disagree. My favorite way to eat these cookies is fresh out of the oven when the kiss has just melted almost up to the tip. The real problem is trying to stop eating them that way...

Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

This is an awesome spin on regular peanut butter chip cookies. Much more substance. These might be my new favorites!
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, salt and peanut butter. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flours and baking soda; stir into the batter to form a dough. Mix in the peanut butter chips and walnuts. Scoop mounds of dough as large as two tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until well risen and brown. Do not overbake they will firm up a little as they cool. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Peanut Butter Munchies

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in as much of the dry ingredients as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Form chocolate dough into 32 balls about 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.

For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Shape mixture into 32 (3/4-inch) balls.

On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball. Shape the chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter filling balls.

Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until they're just set and surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes 32 cookies.

Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Okay, you are not going to believe this recipe!

2 cups peanut butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir peanut butter and sugar together until smooth.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the baking soda, salt, and vanilla.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Press a criss-cross into the top using the back of a fork.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yep. That's it! I know!! And yes, they taste like normal pb cookies. Yum!!

White Chocolate Macademia Nut Cookies

After much looking I finally found my recipe for these!
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 (6.5 ounce) jar macademia nuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture. Finally, stir in the white chocolate and nuts. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. When cool, store in an airtight container.

Troublesome Brownies

I have made these many times with many different toppings mixed in and they have NEVER failed me! Tonight we added in peanut butter M&M's. It is Mother's day tomorrow, after all! People always ask me to make more. If you can find those Andes mint pieces, they are a big hit on here.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, until thoroughly blended.
3. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture until blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking dish.
4. Bake in preheated oven until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove, and cool pan on wire rack before cutting.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

These are definitely Phil's favorite cookies that I make. He could eat an entire batch all on his own! Surprisingly very close to the recipe on the back of the bag, just a bit less butter actually makes a better cookie! Who would have thought, right?

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1c butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; set aside.
2. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten while cooling.) Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely (okay, not completely... they're REALLY good warm!)

Neiman Marcus Cookies

This one I have to give proper credit for... Phil found this recipe for me here and they're the most common chocolate chip cookies to go through the house.


Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 large egg 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1-3/4 cups all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1-1/2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee powder 1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Directions 1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Cream the butter with the sugars using an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy (approximately 30 seconds) 2. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract for another 30 seconds. 3. In a mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients and beat into the butter mixture at low speed for about 15 seconds. Stir in the espresso coffee powder and chocolate chips. 4. Using a 1 ounce scoop or a 2 tablespoon measure, drop cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Gently press down on the dough with the back of a spoon to spread out into a 2 inch circle. Bake for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned around the edges. Bake a little longer for a crispier cookie. Yield: 2 dozen cookies