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Reese’s Chewy Chocolate Cookies

1-1/4 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
2 c flour
¾ c cocoa
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
2 c peanut butter chips

 

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; blend into wets. Stir in chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased sheet.

 

Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes. Do not overbake; cookies will puff during baking and flatten upon cooling. Cool until set, about a minute. Remove from sheet and cool on rack. 

Chocolate Layer Bars

12 oz (2 c) chocolate chips
8 oz cream cheese
5 oz (1 /2 c plus 2 T) evaporated milk
½ t almond extract
3 c flour
1-/2 c sugar
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
1 c butter
2 eggs 
½ t almond extract

 

Combine chocolate chips, cream cheese, and milk in medium saucepan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, stir in ½ t extract. Blend well; set aside. 

 

Combine remaining ingredient in large mixing bowl; blend well on low speed until coarse crumbs. Press half the mixture in greased 13x9 pan, spread with chocolate mixture. Sprinkle rest of crumbs over filling. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. Cool; cut into bars. 

Chocolate Crackles

10 T butter
6 T cocoa
1 c sugar
2 t baking powder
½ t salt
2 eggs
1 t vanilla 
2 c flour
Powdered sugar

 

Microwave butter on high for 1 minute or until melted. 

 

Add cocoa, blend well. Beat in sugar, baking powder, salt, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in flour. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or until firm. 

 

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Cover plate with wax paper. Place 8 balls 2 inches apart in a circular pattern on wax paper. Microwave on medium for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until surface is dry but cookies are soft when touched. Cool on wax paper on counter top. Repeat cooking procedure with remaining dough. Before serving, sprinkle with extra powdered sugar. 

Butter-Nut Shortbread Bars

1 c butter, softened
1 c brown sugar
2 c flour
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
2 egg whites
1 c chopped nuts

Beat butter and brown sugar with paddle on speed 2 for a minute; scrape bowl, add flour, baking powder and salt, beat on speed 2 and mix until soft dough forms, about a minute and a half.

Press dough into greased 10.5x15.5x 1 inch jelly roll pan. Beat egg whites with fork until slightly foamy; glaze dough, using only as much as needed to lightly cover. Sprinkle chopped nuts no top. Bake at 475 for 20-25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm.

Peanut Butter Cookies

½ c peanut butter
½ c butter, softened
½ c sugar
½ c brown sugar
1 egg
½ t vanilla
1-1/4 c flour
½ t baking soda
¼ t salt

Mix butter and peanut butter on speed 6 with paddle until smooth, about a minute. Scrape bowl; add sugars, egg, and vanilla. Beat on speed 4 for 1 minute; scrape bowl. Sift flour, soda, and salt together. Add gradually to sugar mixture on stir speed, about 30 seconds. Beat at speed 2 for 30 seconds.

Roll dough into 1-inh balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets, press flat with fork in crisscross pattern to ¼ inch thickness. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Classic Sugar Cookies

4 c presifted all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1-1/2 stick butter, softened
1-1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Sift together drys (meaning flour is sifted twice) and set aside. 

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Stir in dry ingredients a third at a time. Dough will be stiff. Roll to ¼ inch thickness and cut out shapes of about the same size. Place on greased cookie sheet Bake for 10 min or until cookies are firm and golden brown. Decorate as desired. 

Turtle Cookies

2 1/2 c powdered sugar 
1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 Tbsp vanilla
24 rolos
1/4 c pecans

sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine sugar, cocoa, corn starch, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk 2 egg whites until slightly foamy. Whisk in egg and vanilla.

Gradually add egg mixture into dry mixture until well blended. 

Using a cookie scoop, drop dough balls onto the parchment lined cookie sheets. Push rolo into the top of the dough ball and wrap dough completely around it. (Balls should be very small, with thin layer of dough around the chocolate.)

Top dough balls with a crack of sea salt and pecans {whole or chopped, your preference}.

Bake 12 minutes and serve warm {can microwave 15 seconds, if needed}.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
36 miniature peanut butter cups unwrapped

Small colored sprinkles (balls work best)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, then dry ingredients. 

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place in cups of a miniature muffin pan.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly brown and still puffy. Remove from the oven and press a peanut butter cup in the middle of each cookie. Once the chocolate starts to melt on the top, add a pinch of sprinkles. Cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the pans; then allow the chocolate to firm up completely.

 

Sprinkle Cups

1 1/4 cups unsalted butter softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
½ t vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (if desired)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup red sprinkles
1/4 cup green sprinkles

Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 - 3 tablespoons milk

Additional sprinkles for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray mini muffin pans with baking spray and set aside.

Beat the butter about a minute, then add powdered sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add egg and extract, then flour.

Divide the dough into two portions. Stir green sprinkles into one half and mix red sprinkles into the other half (or just add both colors to all cookies).

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Then, press the balls into the prepared mini muffin pan. Press each dough ball with your thumb.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are light brown. Remove from the oven and press the centers with the rounded side of a measuring teaspoon. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then remove to finish cooling on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, frosting: Beat butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add as much milk as needed to create a smooth frosting.

Use a piping bag with a large star tip to frost the cooled cookies. Top with additional sprinkles. 

 

Peanut Butter Ball Cookies

Cookie dough
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling
1 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, prepare the filling by combining the peanut butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Scoop into small balls about 1-inch in diameter. Put in the freezer until ready to use. (The balls do not need to be frozen, just cold and firm.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the cookie dough. Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined.

To prepare the cookies, roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball, then flatten into a circle. Wrap the dough around one of the chilled peanut butter balls. Pinch the edges together to seal, then roll in the palms of your hands to form a ball. These should be small and only a thin layer of cookie dough. (Otherwise you get huge cookies with not much filling.)

Bake until the cookies are golden on the bottom, about 13-15 minutes. Serve warm for a gooey inside. (But they are just as good at room temperature.) Pack and store in an airtight container.