classic chocolate chip cookies

Prep time: 10-15 minutes

Cook time: 9 minutes

Total time: about 25 minutes

Yield: makes about 2 dozen cookies   

Ingredients

• 2/3 c shortening
• 2/3 c butter or margarine
• 1 c sugar
• 1 c brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla 
• 3 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 12 oz milk chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 375* and prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside.
Cream first 6 ingredients until thoroughly combined in an electric mixer. Add dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and salt) and mix 'em in well. Stir in chocolate chips (it just isn't the same if you don't steal a few). And you are ready to eat some dough! If you so desire, bake the cookies in the oven for 8-10 minutes, or until a appealing golden colour.

lemon burst cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 13 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Yield: about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 c all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 c granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 drops lemon extract
• 1/2 c powdered sugar (for rolling) 

 Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. That takes awhile, so meanwhile, as that creams, in a separate medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Add zest and whisk it in (the lemon zest smells so summery, does it not?  I could fill my whole house with that wondrous aroma...)

In the mixer add eggs, one at a time and mix well, then add lemon extract. Mix again. With mixer on low speed, combine dry ingredients with the moist, only until just combined. Roll the dough into balls and coat in confectioners sugar by pushing the dough in little circles through the powdered sugar.  Place powdery dough balls on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between them. Bake those cookies for 12 to 14 minutes (be patient! I know they smell good, but you'll be happier if you refrain from eating them while scorching hot) , or until puffed and bottoms just golden brown.
Cool on sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer onto a cooling rack....Okay, now you can eat one... or two... or three....

recipe found on http://www.crunchycreamysweet.com

School Lunch Peanut Butter Bars

My sister and I wanted to make some friends something that would be easy, but also delicious, so we made these! They taste JUST like the ones you get from elementary school lunch!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C Flour

1¼ tsp. Salt

½ tsp. Baking Soda

¾ C Butter

¾ C Sugar

¾ C Brown Sugar

1 ½ tsp. Vanilla

1 1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter (split)

2 Eggs

1 ½ C Quick Oats

Frosting:

½ C Butter (1 stick)

3 ½ C Powdered Sugar

2 T Cocoa

¼ C Milk (I use whatever I have in the fridge)

1 tsp. Vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars, 3/4 C peanut butter, eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add dry ingredients, just until incorporated. Then, stir in the oats. Spread onto a greased 11 x 15 Jelly Roll Pan (cookie sheet). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes.

The frosting is a two step process. First, whip the remaning ¾ C Creamy Peanut Butter until it becomes lighter colored and fluffy. Carefully spread the whipped peanut butter over the pan cookie.

Then, add butter to a small sauce pan and melt the butter. Add the milk and cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat just until boiling. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Then, gradually add the powdered sugar. Stir until thickened. Pour over the peanut butter and gently spread over the cookie. Cool completely, and slice into bar cookies

chocolate butterscotch cookies

They are sort-of like a meringue, and they are suuuuper good. 

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350
In a medium bowl sift flour and banking powder
In an electric mixer combine eggs, sugar and vanilla.  Beat on medium-high speed for 10 minutes or until white and creamy.
While you wait for the egg mixture, melt butter and chocolate chips in a small sauce pan on medium heat until smooth and completely melted, remove from heat, and set aside.
Mix the flour and egg mixtures together. Fold in chocolate mixture and butterscotch chips. Let sit for 10 minutes.
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Drop dough onto baking sheets by rounded tablespoonfuls.  Bake cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until dry and cracked. Allow to cool on tray.  

found at http://diethood.com/

decadent (gluten free!!) peanut butter cookies

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 6 ounces semi sweet, dark, or bittersweet chocolate, chopped (1 cup semi-swett chocolate chips may be substituted)

 Directions:

In an electric mixer combine peanut butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until no longer gritty; about 3 minutes. Add baking soda, mix well.  Pour in chocolate chunks and stir until barely combined. You don't want to crush the chocolaty goodness!  Move dough to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and no more than 5 days before baking.

Preheat oven to 350, and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.  (The cookies have enough oil in them already, so don't grease a pan.)  Line two cookie sheets with dough mounds and slightly press in the middle.  Don't over squish!

Bake for 8-10 minutes, until edges are set, even if the middle is slightly underdone. The cookies in the picture were bakes for 9 minutes, and are chewy all around.  I would not recommend cooking over 10 minutes. 

found at http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/ 

Delicious Cranberry Scones

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 egg, beaten

 Yield: 8 large scones

Wash cranberries and remove shriveled berries. Chop coarsely and place in bowl with 1/4 cup sugar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and 3 tablespoons sugar. Cut in softened butter. Add buttermilk, vanilla and egg. Mix well. Add cranberries and any juice collected in the bowl of cranberries into dough. Add a little milk if dough is not moist enough. Knead lightly a few times until dough is gathered, and forms a ball. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into one 10 inch circle, about an inch thick. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Bake on greased cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 400 degrees. When scones are done, remove from oven and sprinkle with granulated sugar.


found on  http://www.abountifulkitchen.com/2008/12/fresh-cranberry-scones-with-almond.html

Crock-pot SUPER rich hot chocolate

• 2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 1 (14 Oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 6 Cups Milk (use whole milk for extra thick hot chocolate)
• 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

In a large Crock-Pot combine all ingredients and stir. (For peppermint hot chocolate, stir in 5-10 crushed peppermints, or 2 or 3 crushed candy canes.)
Cover with lid and cook on low for 2 hours, whisking every now and then to combine the melted chocolate chips with the milk.
Ladle into mugs and serve

I regret to say I failed to take a picture.  I was to distracted by it's deliciousness.  So just trust me when I say, you really ought to try it.