Big & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

I love the hint of honey you can taste and the extra flavor the whole wheat flour adds. I have also upped the whole wheat flour ratio to 2c. whole wheat, 1c. white and they still turned out great!

 

Big & Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

1c. butter, softened
1c. brown sugar, packed
1c. crunchy peanut butter (I've used smooth too)
1/2c. honey
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
2c. all-purpose flour
1c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

1c. salted peanuts, topping (optional)

Cream butter and sugar. Then cream in peanut butter, honey, vanilla and eggs. Combine the dry ingredients and mix into creamed mixture until just incorporated. Drop by 1/4 cup-fulls onto baking sheet, and either press 4 peanuts on top or put a criss-cross pattern on top with a fork. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack (or your counter) to cool.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Nothing is as refreshing as the taste of lemon, and these cookies are a delish sweet treat!

 

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. icing sugar

 Cream butter and sugar. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice. Combine salt, b. powder, b. soda and flour, slowly stir into creamed mixture until just combined, scrape bowl and briefly mix again. Roll 1 tbsp. of dough at a time into icing sugar to form a ball. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 350 for 9-11 minutes.

Oatmeal Shortbread

These are a bit different than your traditional holiday shortbread, but are easy and quick to make. (I think they are just as addictive without the chocolate tips!)

 

Oatmeal Shortbread

1 1/3 c. flour
2/3 c. oatmeal
1 c. butter, softened
2/3 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. fine unsweetened coconut (I've used sweetened too)

Mix dry ingredients and then work in the butter until dough comes together. Roll out on a floured surface into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. Cut into 1/2 x 2 inch rectangles, and transfer to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 275 for 20 minutes (until cookies are set). Let cool.

Chocolate tips: Slowly melt 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips with 3 Tbsp. milk or cream over low heat, stirring until smooth. Dip each cookie so about 1/4 of the cookie is chocolate covered, and let cool on waxed paper until chocolate is set (the fridge works best).

Molasses-Spice Cookies

No Christmas baking is complete without a spice cookie, and this is my favorite recipe that I have found so far. They always disappear fast from my freezer, I'll go to grab some and the pail will be empty??? (Didn't take the kids long to figure out where mom hides her treats :))

 

Molasses-Spice Cookies

2 1/4 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. allspice
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar (plus some for rolling cookies in)
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. cooking molasses

Combine flour, baking soda, salt and spices, set aside. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla and molasses, beat until combined. Make sure you scrape the bowl so everything gets evenly distributed. Add dry ingredients and beat on low until just combined. Roll about 2 tablespoons into a 1 3/4-inch ball and dip just the tops into sugar (I find it easier and it cuts down on the sugar in each cookie), then place onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes, allowing to cool 3 minutes before removing from sheet.

Chocolate-Filled Shortbread

This is the one cookie in our home that gets made EVERY Christmas, no matter what! It's my husbands favorite and even the youngest kids can help make them (after those little hands are done with them they might look a little scary but they always look good after they come out of the oven :)) My mom has made these as long as I can remember and with only 5 ingredients they whip up in a snap and are a fun twist on traditional shortbread. 

 

Chocolate-Filled Shortbread

1 lb. butter (454g.)
1 c. icing sugar
3 c. flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
chocolate wafers (the kind you find in the bulk section for melting)

Cream the butter and sugar. Add flour and cornstarch, combine till stiff dough forms.
Place 2 chocolate wafers in the middle of each 1" ball. (I like to make them flatter than a ball.)

(Hope the pictures help)

 

Then bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 325 for 20 minutes. (Until they start to get very lightly golden at the edges). Easy Peezy, enjoy!

 

Candy Cane Cookies

These are one of my personal favorite Christmas cookies (they're also the most labor intensive ones I do, so don't worry it's all downhill from here :)). I think they just look so festive, and the kids love to help with these.

 

Candy Cane Cookies

1 c. margarine, softened
1 c. icing sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. almond flavoring
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. peppermint flavoring
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. liquid red food coloring (instead I like to use a squirt of my gel food coloring)

Beat first 6 ingredients in a bowl until light and creamy. Combine flour, baking powder and salt, then add to margarine mixture. Stir until stiff dough forms. Divide into 2 equal portions.
Knead food coloring into 1 portion of the dough until evenly tinted.
Roll about 1 tsp. of each color of dough into a 5 1/2 cm rope.

Lay side by side. Pinch ends together, twist and form into candy cane shape.

Arrange on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until just golden. Let sit for 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet to cool completely.

Peanut Brittle Cookies

Love the crunch to these... They're a fun twist to my cookie routine, you can even drizzle them with Peanut Butter chocolate, mmm:)

 

Peanut Brittle Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. peanut butter chips
1 c. Skor toffee bits
3/4 c. peanuts

Beat shortening, sugars and vanilla until creamy, beat in egg. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in chips, Skor bits and peanuts. Drop onto parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Optional: Melt 1/2 c. peanut butter chips in microwave for 45 seconds and drizzle over cookies.

M&M Peanut Butter Cookies

These cookies a delicious. Period.

 Mmm, my mouth is watering already ;)

M&M Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. flour
1/2 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. peanut butter flavored M&M's (I use regular)
3/4 c. chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars until creamy. Add the peanut butter, vanilla and eggs, beat. Sift together pudding mix, salt, baking soda, and flour. Slowly add to butter mixture. Stir in chips and m&m's by hand. Chill the dough at least 30 minutes. Roll the dough into 1 1/inch balls. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Brownie Cookies & Oatmeal Cookies

Since I missed posting yesterday, I posted two cookie recipes I made today...

I have made different variations of this recipe over the years (like adding Skor bits instead of oatmeal, yum yum) but found this idea for oatmeal on the blog Mennonite Girls Can cook. It turned out just as good, I love the fact that it is super easy (using a box mix) and that it always seems to turn out for me.


Brownie Cookies

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix
1/2 c. margarine, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. rolled oats

Combine all ingredients, mix well. Drop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool before removing.


Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 c. lard
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. oatmeal
1/2 c. coconut

Cream lard with sugars, add egg and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients together and stir into lard mixture until well mixed. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Let sit a few moments before removing from pan to cool.

Apparently I have an oatmeal craving today:)