The Best No Bake Cookies

No Bake Cookies

Recipe and photo source -  www.lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 stick oleo, margarine or butter (I used butter)
• 3 Tbsp. cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups oatmeal (old fashioned rolled oats, not instant)

Mix the sugar, butter, cocoa, and milk in a medium saucepan.* Boil for 1 minute.

Add the peanut butter and vanilla. Mix quickly until peanut butter melts, then add the oatmeal and mix until well blended.

Drop by spoonful on tin foil, wax paper or parchment. Allow to set and cool completely.

Makes 2 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Brown Butter, Oatmeal, and Butterscotch Toffee Chip Cookies

Brown Butter, Oatmeal, and Butterscotch Toffee Chip Cookies

 

2 sticks unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose Gold Medal Flour

3 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix (optional)

3/4 cup quick oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/4 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup Heath Bar Toffee Chips/pieces

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silpat liner or parchment paper.
2. Place butter into a small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl and heat until deep golden brown. Remove heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Place browned butter and little bits from the pan into a stand mixer along with the brown and granulated sugar. Beat to combine then add eggs and vanilla beating to combine. Add flour, pudding mix, quick oats, baking soda, salt and chips. Mix on low until just combined.
4. With a medium cookie scoop, place dough onto prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 minutes, until baked through. Remove and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve and enjoy.

Makes 3 dozen Cookies

Recipe/photo source: Picky Palate

Whoopie Pies

Another Cook's Country recipe that is worth a try!

Whoopie Pies (slightly adapted from Cook's Country)

Makes about one dozen filled pies

For cakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup packed light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1 large egg, room temperature
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (make sure you shake it well before measuring)

For filling 
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
7 oz jar of marshmallow creme (I like Kraft Jet-Puffed)

For the cakes: Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl.

With electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in egg until incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and beat in one-third of flour mixture, then half of buttermilk. Repeat with half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining buttermilk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Using rubber spatula, give batter final stir.

Using a #20 ice cream scoop (or ¼-cup measure) scoop 8 mounds of batter onto each baking sheet, spacing mounds about 3 inches apart. Bake until cakes spring back when pressed, 11 to 13 minutes, switching and rotating pans halfway through baking. Cool completely on baking sheets, at least 1 hour.

For the filling: With electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and salt. Beat in marshmallow creme until incorporated, about 2 minutes. Refrigerate filling until slightly firm, about 30 minutes. (Bowl can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Dollop ⅓ cup filling on center of flat side of half the cakes. Top with flat side of remaining cakes and gently press until filling spreads to edge of cake. Serve. (Whoopie pies can be refrigerated in air-tight container for up to 3 days.) 

 

Adapted recipe source: Treats 

Photo source: Cook's Country

Simple Lemon Cookies

I really liked all the extra lemon flavor!

Simple Lemon Cookies Adapted from allrecipes

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 TBS fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar for decoration

 

Directions1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, and lemon juice, lemon extract and lemon zest until well blended.

3.Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into a bowl of confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet.
4. Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy. 

 

Recipe and photo source: My Baking Addiction

Oreo Pudding Cookies

Oreo Pudding Cookies

Source:  Sweet Treats And More

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (4.2 ounce) package instant Oreo Pudding mix (see Note)
2 1/4 cups flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Hershey's Cookies N Cream Candy Bars broken into small pieces (I used 2.6 ounce King Sized bars)
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Cream together butter and sugars. Beat in pudding mix until blended. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix to combine. Stir in cookies n' cream pieces and chocolate chips. Batter will be thick.

Using a cookie dough scooper, place golf ball sized dough balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. You do not want to overbake these! Let cookies cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to a cooking rack. Store in air-tight container. Makes two dozen.


Recipe and photo source: The Girl Who Ate Everything

Coconut Lime Ricotta Cookies

Coconut Lime Ricotta Cookies
Yields 2 1/4 dozen (25 cookies)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
7.5 oz Ricotta cheese, whole fat or low fat (this is 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup if you don't have a scale)
3 Tbsp coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp lime zest
1 recipe Coconut Lime Glaze, recipe follows
1 cup toasted coconut (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in egg. Mix in Ricotta cheese, coconut milk, vanilla extract, coconut extract and lime zest. Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Form dough into 2 Tbsp balls each and and drop onto Silpat or parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake 15 - 16 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool  several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Cool 30 minutes then spoon a heaping 1/2 teaspoon glaze over each cookie, use the back of the teaspoon to spread glaze over cookie. Before glaze begins to harden and set sprinkle with optional toasted coconut (garnish lightly with additional lime zest if desired).

For a set glaze allow cookies to rest for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or for a sticky glaze enjoy immediately. Store cookies in an airtight container.
 

Coconut Lime Glaze

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut milk
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 tsp lime zest
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until well combine.

Recipe and photo source: Cooking Classy

Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

These are not the nasty school cafeteria peanut butter bars.

Frosted Peanut Butter Bars

Bars:
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. milk

Frosting:
2/3 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. shortening
3-4 c. powdered sugar
1/3 - 1/2 c. milk

Topping (optional)
1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. butter

In a large mixing bowl, cream the peanut butter, shortening, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Add milk; mix well. Transfer to a greased 15x10 inch baking pan or cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the frosting, in a bowl, cream the peanut butter, shortening and the powdered sugar. Gradually beat in enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost bars. Melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over frosting. Refrigerate. Yield 5 dozen.

Chocolate Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Marshmallow Pudding Cookies

2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 oz box instant chocolate pudding mix
10 oz bag peanut butter chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or line with a silpat liner.

2.  In a stand or electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla until well combined.

3.  Place flour, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, mixing to combine.  Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate pudding mix, peanut butter chips and marshmallows.  Mix until just combined.  With a medium cookie scoop, place onto baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until cooked through.  Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring.

Makes 3 dozen cookies

Recipe Source: Picky Palate

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies

These are seriously the best Peanut Butter Cookies I have ever had!

Rich Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg
1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. peanut butter chips
granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy (you can use your stand mixer). On low speed, beat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Stir in peanut butter chips.

Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Dip tops of balls into granulated sugar. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls, sugared sides up, about 3 inches apart (do not flatten).

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Cool 5 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to cooling racks.

Recipe Source: The Best of Betty Crocker 2010

Valentine's Day Sugar Cookies and Frosting

It wouldn't be Valentine's Day with out sugar cookies. I am always on the search for a great sugar cookie recipe. I like to try all different ones and I have found that the recipes that call for sour cream are the best. They come out soft and moist. I had great success with this recipe. It made just the right amount of cookies, about 2 1/2 dozen.

Sugar Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Beat together butter and sugar. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla; beat well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

*Tip: flatten out your dough to about 1/2 - 1 inch. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge. When it is time to take the dough out it is much easier to roll out and cut since it is already pretty much flat.

Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 in thickness. Dip cookie cutters in flour then cut dough into desired shapes. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes (cookie will be very light tan on bottom - tops will still be pale. If you let them get brown on top they will be dry and crunchy). Remove to wire cooling rack. Frost when cooled completely.

I personally like to use butter in my frosting rather than shortening but if you are looking to make a pure white frosting then use shortening and clear vanilla. This recipe calls for butter but you can switch it out equally with shortening.

Frosting:
1/3 c. butter, softened (or shortening)
2 c. confectioners sugar
2-3 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla (clear for white frosting)
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine butter, powdered sugar and salt. Mix until combined then add milk and vanilla.

Candy Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

The possibilities are endless with these cookies. I used Twix, Snickers, Caramel Milky way, 3 Musketeers, Peanut Butter Twix and Butterfinger. I wouldn't recommend the Butterfinger though. They were okay but definitely wait for them to cool before trying to eat one. They are super hard when they are still hot.

Candy Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches 

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

10 oz bag chocolate chips

 Variety of snack size candy bars such as, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and Kit Kat, Twix, Milky Way, etc.

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until well combined.  Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2.  Place flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl; mix then slowly add to wet ingredients.  Add chocolate chips to combine.  Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of snack size candy bar.  Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of candy bar.  Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until candy bar is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. 

3. Bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  

Makes about 24 LARGE Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing

My son loves the story of the Gingerbread Man. He runs around the house saying "Ah uh, you can't catch me, I'm the Gingerbread Man." I thought it would be fun to make our own Gingerbread Men. He loved it. 

Gingerbread Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. molasses

1 egg yolk

2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Cream butter and sugar. Add molasses and egg yolk. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Chill for at least an hour. It's a fairly sticky dough so you might need to chill it a little longer.

Preheat oven to 350. Roll dough to 1/4" thick and cut with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2" apart on a baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes. If you bake them on the short end they will stay soft and chewy and if you bake them on the longer end they will be nice and crispy. 

Royal Icing 
This recipe makes a TON of frosting so I cut it down to a 1/3 recipe and it was plenty for a single recipe of Gingerbread Men.

3 egg whites
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tarter


1/3 recipe:
1 egg white
1 1/3 c. powdered sugar
1/6 tsp. cream of tarter


Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form. Dries hard. 


Recipe Source: Our Best Bites

Candy Cane Cookies

My family has been making these cookies for as long as I can remember. They are a great Christmas treat!

Candy Cane Cookies
1/2 c. butter (no substitutes)
1/2 c. shortening
1 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 - 2 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
red or green food coloring

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix thoroughly: butter, shortening, powdered sugar, egg, almond extract, and vanilla. Blend in flour and salt. Divide dough in half; blend food coloring into one half.

On an non-floured surface, roll out one strip of white dough and one colored about 1/2 inch thick. Set side by side and twist together. Bend into a candy cane shape.

Bake for 8 to 9 minutes on an ungreased baking sheet. Don't cook any longer than 8-9 minutes unless you want crunchy cookies. If they start to turn brown on the edges they will be crunchy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a fall favorite in my family. In my opinion these are the best tasting pumpkin chocolate chip cookies I have eaten. They have a nice crisp bottom and soft moist top.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream shortening and sugar together (about 2 minutes). Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts if using. Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet for 10 to 12 minutes. You will know they are done when they start to turn slightly brown around the edges.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting

These are really good but the cookie part came out pretty thick as you can see in the picture. It was much more cake like than cookie like. I think next time I might try just halving the recipe and seeing if I get a thinner cookie layer.
Also, the original recipe for the frosting just included a small amount of cinnamon. It didn't have a strong enough taste for my liking so I altered it a little.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies with Cinnamon Frosting

For the bars:
1 cup butter; room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin
6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter; room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp milk
food coloring (if desired)

For the bars:
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, and cloves. Stir the flour mixture with a whisk to combine. Add half of the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix just until combined. Then add the pumpkin puree, followed by the remaining flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Spread on a greased 13x18 inch baking pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-20 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost. (I had to cook these for at least 20 minutes but each oven is different, so check at 10 minutes then every couple minutes after that until they are slightly brown around the edges.)

For the frosting:
Combine butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments alternately with milk until smooth and spreading consistency. Mix in cinnamon (and other spices if using) and mix until combined. Spread over cooled cookies.

*I added about 3/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 nutmeg, and 1/4 cloves to the frosting for a stronger spice flavor. 

Tip: To make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice, combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg. Makes 2 teaspoons.

White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

I like my cookies a little fluffier so I added an additional 1/4 - 1/2 c. flour. Without the extra flour I got flat crispy cookies so if you like that, don't add the extra flour.

White Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies
Makes about 4 dozen

1 c. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2 1/3 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 (12 oz.) package white chips
1 c. macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

Heat oven to 375.

Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla on medium speed until creamy. Beat in eggs until light and fluffy.

Blend flour, baking soda, and salt on speed until mixed. Stir in white chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2-inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 11 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before moving to wire racks.

Sugar Cookie Bars

This is the cheater way of making sugar cookies. Usually making sugar cookies is an all day process but these are quick and easy and can be done in a couple hours with cooling time included.

Sugar Cookie Bars
Yield: about 4 dozen bars

For the cookie bars:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise ( didn't add this because I didn't have any on hand. The cookies were still good.)
Zest from 1 lemon
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. shortening (if you really like the butter flavor you can just add another 1/2 cup of butter)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 tbsp. milk
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:
To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚ F.   Grease a 13 x 18″ rimmed baking sheet (mine was 12 x 17″).  Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until light and smooth, about 2 minutes.  Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.  Blend in the vanilla, seeds from the vanilla bean, and lemon zest.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda.  Stir together with a fork to blend.  Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl and beat on low speed just until incorporated.

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet and press into an even layer.  Bake 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute.  Blend in the vanilla, salt, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth, 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the milk.  Tint as desired with food coloring.  Spread over the cookie in the pan, cut into bars and serve.

Source: adapted from The Repressed Pastry Chef , Annie's Eats and my own changes.

Root Beer Cookies

Yes, I know, it has been almost 2 weeks since I posted. I have been out of town on a much needed vacation. I thought I would post something sweet to get things going again.

Root Beer Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. rootbeer extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water (optional--only use if dough is too dry)

Cream butter and dark brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the rootbeer extract. Whisk dry ingredients together. Add a little at a time to the creamed mixture. Add the water only if the dough is too dry. It should be sticky. 

Chill for at least an hour. Roll into small balls (about 1" diameter). Place them far enough apart so they can spread without touching each other.

Whether you roll them or scoop them, flatten the tops a bit before you bake them if you like the cookies to be flatter. If not, it's fine. They are good a little thicker, too. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through.

Rootbeer Frosting:

1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. rootbeer extract
a few tablespoons hot water

Beat butter on high with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Add a little powdered sugar and the rootbeer extract. Beat until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with a little hot water until a nice spreading consistency has been reached.

Frost the cooled cookies and let stand for the frosting to set up. (I made my cookies into sandwich style with the frosting in the middle.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The one thing I make and never have success at is chocolate chip cookies. It doesn't matter what I do or what recipe I use, I can never get them just right. So far these cookies have come the closest to exactly what I want out of a chocolate chip cookie.

Her Chocolate Chip Cookies*
1 C sugar
½ C brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
¼-½ tsp almond extract (depending on tastes--I used 1/2 tsp of course)
¾ C shortening
3 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1-2 cups of chocolate chips (Use any kind you like, I used white and semi sweet)

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cream sugars, eggs, vanilla, almond and shortening. Add flour, salt and soda. Mix in chocolate chips.

Form the dough into teaspoon size cookies (they will look tiny, but will puff up into the perfect bite size cookie). Bake for 6-8 minutes, until they just barely start to brown. Cool on a wire rack.


Recipe source: Confessions of a Bake-aholic

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Cookies

These cookies are so good, especially the frosting. I attended the food bloggers bake sale fundraiser a couple of weeks ago and bought some of these cookies. I had to have the recipe! The recipe comes from burntapple.wordpress.com.

BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIES

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) carton fat free sour cream
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy on medium speed. Turn mixer speed to low, add in remaining ingredients, mix until well incorporated. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool cookies before frosting.

BUTTERSCOTCH COOKIE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 tsp + boiling water
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan, brown butter over medium low heat. (About 5-7 minutes). Be careful not to scorch the butter. Remove butter from heat and mix in powdered sugar, boiling water, and vanilla. Use a wooden spoon and stir until the frosting is easy to spread. (You may need to add more than the 5 tsp of water. Sometimes I have to add up to a tablespoon or more. Make sure you only add the water a tsp at a time). Immediately spread the frosting on the cookies and top with walnuts if desired. If frosting begins to harden, stir in a tsp of boiling water to soften.