Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am in love with these little cookies! They are a cross between a meringue, a brownie and a cookie! They have no flour, but they also have no butter! But, don't kid yourself. These are decadent and amazing.

*yes, I desperately need new cookie sheets :)

Flourless Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Chocolate and Carrots

3 c. powdered sugar
2/3 c. cocoa powder
1/8 t. salt
2-4 egg whites
1 T. vanilla
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with non stick spray. Combine dry ingredients and whisk together. Start by mixing in 2 egg whites, you may need to add up to 2 more. When dough is the consistency of a thick, fudgey brownie batter, add vanilla and chocolate chips. The dough will be gooey, not like traditional cookie dough. Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet and bake for 12-14 min. or until tops are shiny and cracked. Cool completely before removing from the pan (or it will be more difficult).

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

I made these little babies to pack in our teacher's gifts for Christmas presents this year. I added white chocolate chips and chocolate chips to some of them. I think I made about 4 batches of these total! This is a fabulous recipe. I am always looking for great cookie recipes that do not require chocolate chips. The recipe is from Williams-Sonoma. Enjoy!

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 t. vanilla
1 2/3 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Add dry ingredients and stir. Roll dough into 1-2" balls and coat in confectioner's sugar. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Little Debbie and I have a history. I used to eat oatmeal pies before basketball games in high school. Awesome, I know. Little Debbie doesn't have much of a place in my "make almost everything from scratch" grown-up life. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it...for old time's sake. Unfortunately, after I ate one, I did not play in a basketball game, but spent the evening watching Hulu :) Oh, well. They are great, and the frosting was fantastic!

Oatmeal Cream Pies
*start with your favorite Oatmeal cookie recipe or try this one*

1 c.butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 T honey
1 1/2 c.all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
3 c. old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla and honey. Mix well. Add dry ingredients. Fold in oats. Bake 8-10 minutes. Cool and fill with Marshmallow frosting.

Marshmallow Frosting
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a double boiler combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar and heat over simmering water. Whisk almost constantly, heating to 160 degrees. Transfer mix to mixing bowl and beat on high speed (with whisk attachment if you are using a stand mixer) until egg whites hold stiff peaks. Fold in vanilla until incorporated. Spread onto cookie 1/4" from the edge and top with another cookie. Store in an airtight container.

Sugar Cookie Bars

I have a small list of blogs that I just love. It is like having a few friends you can count on to only give you terrific recipes. One of those blogs is Annie's Eats. Annie's Eats is where I found this recipe. Every recipe I've ever tried on her blog has been fantastic! Head on over and check it out.
This is a great recipe for cook outs and get togethers. It makes a TON of bars. I added almond extract to both the bars and the frosting. The whole family loved these babies!

Sugar Cookie Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. almond extract
Pinch of salt
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 tbsp. milk
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Grease a 13 x 18″ rimmed baking sheet (I used 15x10 and another small 5" pan). Combine the butter and sugar. Beat 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 extracts. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk to blend. Add the dry ingredients and beat just until incorporated.

Transfer the cookie dough to the prepared baking sheet and press evenly. Bake 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Blend in the extract, 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.

Brown Sugar-Sunflower Seed Cookies

Once upon a Monday, I was at the local grocery store and purchased a little green bag of sunflower seed cookies. This was unusual as I usually make my own, but these were on sale and had all natural ingredients…even the packaging was delightful! I brought the cookies home and everyone in the family was in love. They were adorable little petite cookies. They were crunchy, buttery and had a divine brown sugar flavor. We went through the green bag quickly. Since I love to bake, I couldn’t justify buying them again…but I really wanted them! I didn’t have any recipes that were even close to similar, so I went back to the store a few weeks later and purchased one more bag with the intent of making my own copy-cat recipe. We “sampled” them and I formulated a recipe. They weren’t quite right. They needed to be a little smaller, a little more crunchy, and have a few less sunflower seeds. A few months later (last night) I tried again. So, here it is! If you have had those cookies in that cute little green bag…these are pretty close!

Enjoy!

Brown Sugar-Sunflower Seed Cookies

1/2 c. butter

1 c. brown sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1 1/4 c. flour

3/4 c. oat flour (grind your own from oats in the blender or food processor)

1/2 t. soda

1/4 t. salt

1/3 c. sunflower seeds (I use raw, unsalted)

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1/4 c. brown sugar

Cream butter and 1 c. brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and beat. Stir in flours, soda and salt. Fold in sunflower seeds.In a small bowl, mix 1/4 c. sugar with 1/4 c. brown sugar. Roll dough into small balls (remember these are petite cookies). Roll each ball in sugar mixture and press down slightly after placed on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for approximately 8 minutes or until golden brown.

Iced Eggnog Cookies

I looooove eggnog! My husband is not a fan and I don't usually let the little ones have a lot of sugar, so to buy an entire quart of eggnog means that I would probably end up drinking the WHOLE thing. So, I decided to buy a quart and use some in recipes. I found this great cookie recipe on Picky Palate. This recipe is fantastic and the cookies actually do taste just like a glass of eggnog (plus some butter!). Tomorrow I will be making our weekly Sunday morning sweet potato pancakes with eggnog instead of milk! 'Tis the season...ok, maybe it's a little early.

Frosted Eggnog Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup SALTED butter, room temp
1/2 cup eggnog (I used reduced fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 300F.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg; mix well with a whisk and set aside. In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add eggnog, vanilla and egg yolks and beat until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg or skip this step and sprinkle on the nutmeg after you ice the cookies. Bake for 23-25 minutes or until bottoms turn light brown.

Transfer to cool, flat surface immediately with spatula.

Eggnog Icing
3 C. confectioners sugar
1/4 C. softened butter or margarine
1/3 C. eggnog (use as much as you need)

In small mixer bowl, beat confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine until well blended. Gradually beat in eggnog until icing is smooth. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Garnish with a sprinkle of eggnog after icing.

Cottage Cheese Cookies

Dear Self, Please refrain from putting strange things in your cookie dough. First the chickpeas, now cottage cheese? Really? Oh, wait...they were both delicious. Carry On. Sincerely, Self.

Cottage Cheese Cookies
1 c. butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 t. almond extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1c. cottage cheese
3/4 c. chopped pecans
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening and white sugar, until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the almond extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cocoa; gradually stir into the creamed mixture. Stir in the cottage cheese and pecans. Cover dough and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls then roll the balls in the confectioners' sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing.

Chocolate Chip-Chick pea Cookies!

Jessica Seinfeld is a genius! I have been wanting to try this recipe for months, but kept chickening out! Her cookbook Deceptively Delicious is definitely a keeper. I have had much success with this cookbook. This recipe might just be the best yet! I did make one minor change---instead of 2 cups of chocolate chips, I did 1 cup mini-chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips. The butterscotch and chocolate flavors work perfectly with the nutty quality of the chick-peas. You must try this!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies (with chick-peas)
1 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. margarine
2 large egg whites
2 t. vanilla
1 can chick-peas, drained and rinsed
2 c. chocolate chips (I highly recommend 1 c. mini-choc. chips, and 1. c. butterscotch chips)
2 c. flour
1/2 c. oats
1 t. soda
1/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar and margarine. Beat in egg whites and vanilla. Add chick-peas and chips. Stir well. Add remaining dry ingredients and stir well. Drop dough onto pan and flatten slightly with spoon or fork. Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden.

Peanutbutter-Coconut-Chocolate Chip cookies

I wonder how many different cookie recipes I’ve made through the years?!?!?!?! I got my first cook book in 1st grade and have been baking and cooking since! In grade school I won a purple (or was it blue?) ribbon for my chocolate mint cookies. In 5th grade my science experiment was “Butter vs. Margarine”. We made chocolate chip cookies for our scientific taste test.

Well today I sought out to create my own cookie recipe. When cooking, it is very easy to create a new recipe successfully. When baking, it is a little more difficult. You have to have the correct ratio of ingredients or the cookies will be too flat, too cakey or worst of all…taste bad! Baking is a lot like a science experiment. I am very pleased to say that the cookies turned out AMAZING!

Peanut Butter*Coconut*Chocolate chip cookies

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

3/4 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut

1 1/4 c. flour

1 c. chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 325. Combine butters and cream. Add sugars, cream. Add egg and vanilla, combine. Add dry ingredients and mix. Add chocolate chips and fold in.

Bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown.

I make cookies a lot. BUT-when I do make them I usually only bake one batch. This way I can roll the remaining dough into balls and freeze them for the next time we have unexpected guests

The original peanut butter cookie

Another fabulous recipe from baking blonde! I found this recipe about a month ago and I am embarrassed to say how many times we have made it since. These are truly delicious and are even wonderful with NO chips. Enjoy!

The Original Peanut Butter Cookie
1 cup + 2 T peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 T milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Peanut Butter chips (any chip combination is great, I've even used reese's pieces)
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup Sugar (for rolling dough balls, may need more or less)

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter. Once combined beat in the white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
In a large bowl wisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently add to creamed mixture and mix until almost combined. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes.
Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Genlty roll the dough balls into sugar and place dough balls on baking sheets. Carefully press each ball with fork tines to create a criss-cross pattern.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes until sturdy enough to be transfered to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am not a vegan, but I am lactose intolerant and I wouldn't miss meat if I could never eat it again. Since I am lactose intolerant and my daughter has a dairy allergy, I am fascinated by vegan recipes and have been incorporating them into our meals and desserts...not because I want to "save the animals", but out of necessity and the recipes are much healthier. That being said vegan or not--this recipe is amazing! The original recipe is from Happy Vegan. I make these all the time and they are definitely best fresh, so I usually bake one batch and freeze the remaining portion of dough so we can have fresh baked cookies another night. This recipe is fabulous as written, but I have noted the way that I prepare them below. Enjoy!


Happy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 c. unbleached flour (I use 1 c. AP flour/ 1 c. Whole wheat flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp.salt
**I also add 1/2 c. unsweetened, shredded coconut
cinnamon to taste (I skip this)
vegan chocolate or carob chips - put in as many as you like (I use mini-chips)
1 c. sugar
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil (I use smart balance oil)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup water (I use rice milk, but have used skim successfully as well)

In large bowl mix flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon (if you choose) and chips. Make a well in the center and set aside.

In medium bowl mix sugar and oil. Add the vanilla and then add the water (or milk). Mix well. Add the wet to the well in the dry. Mix well but be careful not to overwork it. Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-9 minutes. Take them out before you normally would. If you do not, they will dry out very easily. Cool for 2 minutes on sheets before transferring to cooling racks.

Chocolate-glazed Pumpkin Cookies

My husband is so cute. He took a bite of one of these cookies, sighed and said, "I love fall." These are soft and very tasty. I like that there is very little spice in these and you can really taste the pumpkin.

Chocolate-glazed Pumpkin Cookies
2 c. flour
1/2 t. soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 t. salt
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 c. pumpkin puree
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk dry ingredients together. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light. Add egg; beat, until smooth. With mixer on low alternately add flour in two parts and pumpkin in one. Beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not overmix. Bake until puffed and golden- about 15 minutes. When cookies have cooled, melt chocolate either in microwave at 30 second intervals or over double-boiler. Drizzle over cookies and cool in refrigerator until chocolate is set.
Reference: Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.

Toasted Coconut Shortbread

This recipe is absolutely scrumptious! I made these for family that we had visiting this weekend. The aroma of buttery coconut lingered in our house for hours and these little shortbread cookies tasted even better than they smelled. I found this recipe on Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.

Toasted Coconut Shortbread

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 ¼ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spread coconut on baking sheet. Bake until coconut is light golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cool completely.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugars in large bowl until well blended. Mix in salt and vanilla. Beat in flour in 2 additions. Stir in toasted coconut. Gather dough together; divide in half. Flatten each half into disk; wrap each in plastic and chill at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll out 1 dough disk on lightly floured work surface to scant 1/4-inch thickness. Using 1 3/4- to 2-inch-diameter cookie cutters, cut dough into rounds. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Repeat procedure with remaining dough disk until all of dough is used.
Bake cookies until light golden, about 20 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.

Almond butter Chocolate chip Cookies

A couple weeks ago, I found a recipe for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies that had cream of wheat in the dough. This really intrigued me. I've tried many, many "healthier" chocolate chip cookie recipes and this one is great! I used almond butter in place of the peanut butter and 2 egg whites in place of the egg replacer. These are delicious, just be careful not to burn them as the tops do not turn golden as they bake.

Almond Butter/ Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup smooth almond butter
1/3 cup (5 tbsp. plus 1tsp.) light margarine, softened
1/4 cup egg substitute (I used 2 egg whites)
1/2 cup cream of wheat cereal, uncooked
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat brown sugar, almond butter, margarine, & egg whites until fluffy. Mix in cereal & vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Chill in
refrigerator for about 5 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one awesome cookie recipe! I found it at about.com of all places! The recipe had 15 reviews and all were 5 stars, so I figured I couldn't go wrong. Quick and easy, I would give these 5 stars myself!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1/2 cup chunky or smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cream butters, add sugars. Mix in egg. Add dry ingredients and stir in chips. Bake at 350 for about 10minutes.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ok. I was wrong.
The chocolate chip cookie recipe on the butter crisco container is NOT the best chocolate chip cookie recipe.
This is.
I was asking around for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe and was referred to this recipe by Baking Illustrated. I actually think I've made it before!

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 18 large cookies.

These oversized cookies are chewy and thick, like many of the chocolate chip cookies sold in gourmet shops and cookie stores. They rely on melted butter and an extra egg yolk to keep their texture soft. These cookies are best served warm from the oven but will retain their texture even when cooled. To ensure the proper texture, cool the cookies on the baking sheet. Oversized baking sheets allow you to get all the dough into the oven at one time. If you’re using smaller baking sheets, put fewer cookies on each sheet and bake them in batches.

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (10 5/8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup packed (7 ounces) light or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Adjust the oven racks to the upper- and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or spray them with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl; set aside.

3. Either by hand or with an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed just until combined. Stir in the chips to taste.

4. Roll a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into a ball. Hold the dough ball with the fingertips of both hands and pull into 2 equal halves. Rotate the halves 90 degrees and, with jagged surfaces facing up, join the halves together at their base, again forming a single ball, being careful not to smooth the dough’s uneven surface. Place the formed dough balls on the prepared baking sheets, jagged surface up, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart.

5. Bake until the cookies are light golden grown and the outer edges start to harden yet the centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking sheets front to back and top to bottom halfway through the baking time. Cool the cookies on the sheets. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets with a side metal spatula.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Another fabulous recipe from the fabulous Peabody! I did not have Tahitian vanilla beans, as the original recipe called for- but had some leftover domestic vanilla beans. This is the perfect sugar cookie- a little crispy around the edges and soft in the middle.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

1 ¼ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
3 Tahitian vanilla beans, split and seeds scraped out (I used domestic vanilla beans)
1 egg
½ tsp cream of tartar
3 cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp salt
coarse sugar for decoration

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add in the vanilla bean seeds and beat for another 30 seconds.
Add in egg and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 30 seconds.
Sift together flour, cream of tartar and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated.
Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place on greased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass(you may want to grease it to avoid sticking) press down to make cookie flat. Sprinkle with coarse sugar.
Bake at 350F for 8-9 minutes. Let cool on pan for 5 minutes and them move to wire rack to completely cool.

Adapted from Caprial’s Desserts by Caprial Pence

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

Tonight, my husband asked for some fresh cookies (he never does this). I've been wanting to try this recipe from Dorie Greenspan's cookbook, Baking From My Home to Yours, for awhile now. This recipe is fabulous and easily replaces our old favorite recipe!

Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup peanut butter- chunky or smooth
1 cup sugar
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chunks, or 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chunks

Preparation
Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Whisk together the oats, flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly add the dry ingredients, beating only until blended. Mix in the chips . If you have the time, cover and chill the dough for about two hours, or for up to 1 day.

If the dough is not chilled, drop rounded tablespoonfuls two inches apart onto the baking sheets. If the dough is chilled, scoop up rounded tablespoons, roll the balls between your palms and place them 2″ apart on the baking sheets. Press the chilled balls gently with the heel of your hand until they are about 1/2″ thick.

Bake for 13-15 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 7 minutes. The cookies should be golden and just firm around the edges. Lift the cookies onto cooling racks with a wide metal spatula - they'll firm as they cool.

Repeat with the remaining cooling the baking sheets between batches.

Espresso Shortbread

This is my old trusty shortbread recipe that I've been making for years. I usually bake these at Christmastime with other goodies, but my husband will be home tomorrow after being gone for a week and shortbread is his favorite!

Espresso Shortbread
1 c. Softened butter
1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. powdered instant coffee
2 1/4 c. sifted AP flour
1/4 t. salt

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla and coffee. Sift together flour and salt; add to butter mixture and beat well. Roll into a ball, place in bowl cover with plastic wrap and chill dough until firm.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Roll dough to 1/4 " thick and cut into 2x5" rectangles. Prick with fork and score middle of each cookie. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Reference: Martha Stewart Living

Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This recipe is inspired by the Neiman Marcus chocolate chip cookie recipe. My husband's Grandfather loves Oatmeal raisin cookies- so I adapted a great recipe and the result was fantastic!
Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs

2 c. flour
2 1/2 c. oats (1 blend 1 c. in food processor or blender)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 c. golden raisins (reconstituted in hot water and toweled off)

Blend 1 c. of oats in blender or food processor. Cream butter and sugars, mix in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Add raisins. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.