Melt-In-Your-Mouth Chocolate Cookies

If you don't mind semi-homemade recipes, this cookie recipe is my favorite go-to when I have a sweet tooth or need to entertain and don't have the time to make a recipe from scratch.

Ingredients:

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
1/3 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tinfoil. In a medium size bowl, mix the cake mix, oil, vanilla and eggs together with a spatula. Spread the sugar out onto a plate or shallow dish. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and into the sugar. Place 1 inch apart on the prepared sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Let cool for 2 minutes on the sheet and then remove to a cooling rack.

Sombrero Cookies

These are great cookies to make with kids or to surprise anyone at a Fiesta! (Just make sure there is no white carpeting...) The surprise inside is guaranteed to have people grabbing a few more! These are a labor of love, but are well worth it in the end!

Ingredients:

1 pouch sugar cookie mix
1 Tbs. flour
1 stick butter, softened
1 egg
Food coloring
White icing (cookie dries faster)
Sprinkles (nonpareils)
1 c. mini M&M's

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. With an electric mixer, combine the flour, cookie mix, butter and egg together. Divide the dough into four equal parts in separate bowls and color each bowl with your food coloring shade of choice (I used blue, purple, yellow and orange). For this part, you can use a spoon, handheld mixer, or for me I got in there with my hands and mixed the dough and dye until it was almost a tie-dye pattern. Roll each color into 16 individual balls (around 1-2 teaspoons each) and set aside until each color is done. Using a mini whoopie pie pan, press down half of each color of the dough balls (this will take more than one batch). Let cool.

Bump up the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees. Press the remaining dough balls of each color into cavities of a brownie pop silicone mold. Use your finger to press down and up the sides to form a cup shape. Freeze the mold for 10 minutes and bake for 15. They will look terrible inside the mold, but use a spoon to reshape the well in the middle. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, reshape if needed and allow to cool for 3 minutes before removing from the mold. Repeat until the remaining dough is baked. Let them all cool fully.

Pipe the bottom of the cookie cup with the icing. Dip in a shallow bowl of the sprinkles. Flip the cup upside down, place a few mini M&M's in the cup. Draw a circle the circumference of the cookie top onto the flat cookie, and quickly place the flat cookie upside down onto the cookie cup so that the icing circle adheres the two. Carefully flip over and let it sit on a drying rack until the icing is fully set. Repeat for the other cookie sombrero's. And there you have it! Cute little sombrero's that are good enough to eat!

Patriotic Sprinkle Cookies

This is a great cookie recipe to make with family for the 4th of July or any patriotic holiday. The dough is easy to put together, easy to roll, and tastes unbelievably delicious!

Ingredients:

1 box white cake mix
1 stick butter, melted
1 egg
1-2 tsp. almond extract
1 c. white chocolate chips
1 tsp. red, white and blue sprinkles (extra for dipping)

(My nieces and nephew helping roll the cookie dough!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, butter, egg, extract and white chocolate chips together. Add in 1 tsp. of sprinkles and mix through. Roll 1 1/2-2 teaspoons of the cookie dough into small balls. Pour about a tablespoon of sprinkles onto a plate and dip the cookie dough  balls on one side.

Place sprinkle side up on the parchment paper. Bake for 10-11 minutes until golden on the bottom. Let cool two minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.

Almond Currant Cookies with Fennel Flower Sugar

Fennel Flower Crystals? Okay, I know that probably seems pretty weird, but if you like the flavor of licorice you will love this recipe! It is after looking on google, pretty hard to find the fennel flower crystals, which is why I wrote an alternative route if you can't find it. I had ordered it last spring from the online store Fancy Flours, which is one of my favorite websites to get baking supplies from. It is also on the website Marx Pantry.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks margarine, softened
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. slivered almonds
1 c. currants
1/4 c. Fennel Flower Crystals (or course sugar, and add 1/4 tsp. anise extract to the batter)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In an electric mixer, beat the margarine and sugar together until a paste forms. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, and mix just until the ingredients are combined. Add in the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough starts pulling away from the mixing bowl. On low speed, add the slivered almonds and currants until just incorporated. Using a batter scoop, place heaping tablespoons of batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and put in the freezer for at least a half an hour.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Dip each cookie ball dough top in the fennel sugar and place staggered on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Even if they look not fully done to you, remove them from the oven! They continue to cook for a few minute when out. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool fully on a wire rack.

Lime Kissed Coconut White Chocolate Cookies

Although the weather so far this winter has been unusually warm for us, my mind is still thinking of Spring and warmer weather. I want to go stick my feet in the water and squish them in the sand and just feel the sun on my face again! Hopefully just a few more months. But in the meantime, these cookies, for a brief moment that is, brought me to that sunshine and paradise that everyone around here is craving!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks margarine, softened
1 1/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. lime extract
1 1/4 c. white chocolate chips
1 c. organic unsweetened coconut chips (plus extra)
4 tsp. white chia seeds

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In an electric mixer, beat the margarine and sugar together until a paste forms. Add in the egg and lime extract, and mix just until the ingredients are combined. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt and mix on medium speed until the dough starts pulling away from the mixing bowl. On low speed, add the white chocolate, coconut and chia seeds until just incorporated. Using a batter scoop, place heaping tablespoons of batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet and put in the freezer for at least a half an hour. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place staggered frozen cookie dough balls at least an inch apart on the lined sheet. Top with a few more flakes of coconut and bake in the oven for 12 minutes. Even if they look not fully done to you, remove them from the oven! They continue to cook for a few minute when out. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool fully on a wire rack.

Husky Chocolate Sugar Cookies

Well this time every year the city I grew up in (Marquette, Michigan) has the UP200 Sled Dog Races. Back in high school and middle school I used to attend, but I have not had the time recently to go. I think the only reason I ever went is because my favorite dog in the entire world is a husky. 

This is another reason why I really haven't had the urge in recent years to attend. I have my very own little husky (around 5 1/2 now) named Tala. She is a pain, and full of personality, but I love this dog to death (even though she has a tiny little Hitler mustache...). She is my beautiful and loveable dog-ter!

Ingredients:

4 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 c. sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. salt

 In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until a paste forms. Add in the eggs on low speed one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 30 seconds or so. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and mix until the dough starts to separate from the sides of the mixing bowl and stick to the paddle attachment. Lay the dough out between two large sheets of parchment paper and roll out to about 1/4 inch thick with a rolling pin. Refrigerate the dough for an hour. 

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and place on a flat work surface. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper, and cut out the dough into husky shapes with a husky shaped cookie cutter. Place the cutouts on a plate to place back into the refrigerator. Continue to re-roll out the dough until you don't have enough to make another husky. Lay eight huskies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Have the other huskies sitting in the refrigerator to wait their turn (if you keep this dough somewhat chilled it won't spread out while baking). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a minute, and then transfer to a drying rack. 

I used melted semi-sweet chocolate to adhere a cinnamon red hot heart to my cookies. They really are sweet enough not to frost!

This was my sleepy helper in the kitchen while making these. Looks comfortable, doesn't it? To check out more information on the UP200 Sled Dog Races here in the UP, visit the link below.

http://up200.org/schedule/

Butterscotch M&M Cookies

I made these cookies for my nephews hockey game this past weekend. If you are like me (a person with many OCD tendencies), you already have your M&M's sorted out by color..... In this case that was helpful because his team colors are black and orange, if you don't need a color specific M&M cookie, feel free to just use multi-color from a mixed bag! This cookie has been kid tested and approved! 

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 box instant sugar free butterscotch pudding mix
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. M&M's (any color or a mix)

With an electric mixer, beat the sugars and butter together until a paste forms. Add in the egg and vanilla. Stop the mixer and add the dry ingredients on top (everything left minus the M&M's). Start the mixer on slow and then as the flour gets mixed in, gradually increase the speed until everything is mixed together well. On slow speed, add in the M&M's. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and using a large batter scoop, place mounds of the dough onto the prepared sheet. Freeze for twenty minutes or refrigerate for at least an hour so that the dough balls are firm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place six to nine of the dough balls on the sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes until the outside is slightly golden. Remove carefully from the baking sheet and let cool fully on a wire rack. Repeat until all of the cookie dough is baked.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

This is one of my favorite holiday cookies! We all know I'm a choco-holic but adding peanut butter to chocolate? I am done for. Most people use Hershey's Kisses on top when they come out of the oven. I myself don't like trying to deal with the "points" that are still on top and think that adding milk or dark chocolate "wafers" makes them easier to eat, store and they still look amazing!

Ingredients:

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar (plus more to roll in)
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. peanut butter (I like using creamy or chunky)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 dozen (roughly) chocolate pieces of your choice (I used milk chocolate wafers)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugars, peanut butter and vanilla together until a paste forms. Add in the egg until well incorporated. Add the flour, baking soda and salt on a medium low speed until the dough starts to pull apart from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Pour about 1/4 cup of sugar onto a plate and evenly spread out. Roll the cookie dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheet. (I like to roll all of the balls while the first batch is cooking, cover them in sugar and then place them on a plate to wait to be baked into the oven. To me it is more efficient.)

Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. After removing from the oven, immediately place a chocolate piece on top, so that the chocolate will melt as the cookie cools and stick to the top. Let cool on a wire rack until the chocolate is fully hardened again before storing or serving (although make sure to sneak one while the chocolate is still gooey, and prepare for it to be a delicious mess!).

Ginger Cookies

I love gingersnap cookies during the holiday seasons. The only part I do hate about them though is that they are really crunchy, and not chewy, unless you dunk them in something to drink. This ginger cookie recipes is chewy and soft on the inside with all of the great flavors of gingerbread cookies.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. vegetable shortening
1/4 c. molasses
1 c. sugar (plus more to roll in)
1 egg
2 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
*Optional, candy coating or white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In an electric mixer, beat the shortening, molasses and sugar together until a paste forms. Add in the eggs. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients until the dough starts to pull away from the mixing bowl slightly.

Roll the dough into one inch balls and place on a plate that has granulated sugar on it. Roll the dough in sugar and place on your prepared baking sheet around 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes, let sit for at least one minute on the baking sheet, and then let cool fully on a wire rack.

If your plan is to make these look  more colorful for a Christmas cookie plate, like mine is, you might decide to dip the cookies in some colorful melted chocolate! I melted yellow candy coating in a double boiler and dipped a small part of the cookie in it, and then sprinkled some yellow edible glitter on top!

This recipe makes around 5-5 1/2 dozen. 

Buttery Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe was a definite oopsy recipe. I was making one of my Aunt Jean's oatmeal lace cookies, which uses two tablespoons of flour and was attempting to multi-task, which ended up with me using a cup of flour instead. This was one of those times that the "oops" moment turned into to something buttery and delicious!

Ingredients:

1 c. flour
1 1/2 c. oats
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients together. Add in the melted butter and stir. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and almond extract slightly before stirring into the rest of the batter. Drop the batter by heaping teaspoon full onto the parchment sheet, and at least an inch and half between them. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottom is a golden brown. Let cool for a minute on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Pistachio Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
3 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 drops green food coloring
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. finely chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In an electric mixer, cream the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar together until smooth. Add in the egg, lemon peel, vanilla and green food coloring. Slowly add in the dry ingredients until the dough starts coming away from the mixing bowl. Place saran wrap on a work surface and sprinkle with the shopped pistachios. Divide the dough in half. Roll the dough into log shapes covering in the pistachios. Cover in the wrap and freeze for at least a half an hour. Cut into 1/4 inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Cool for one minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool fully.

Rustic Andes Cookies

 

This cookie screams Christmas to me. They may be rustic in style, but they taste like a cross between flaky pie crust and a soft cookie, and filled with Andes mint pieces! And why not dip the sides of them in a melted candy cane chocolate coating?

Ingredients:

3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 box Andes Mints, wrappers removed, and roughly chopped
*Optional, Wilton, Candy Cane Candy Melts

Preheat the oven to 400 Degrees. In an electric mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until a paste forms. Add in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. Add the chopped up Andes mints and mix on low speed until just incorporated. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Take about a tablespoon of the dough into your hand and roll into a ball. Place on the parchment paper and then with the palm of your hand, flatten the dough out. The dough will remain in this shape after cooking, so go as rustic as you want, but remember that I will not spread or change shape at all. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a minute before removing to a wire rack and letting cool fully.

*Optional: In a double boiler I melted the candy coating and just dipped one half of the cookies "edge" into it. I placed them back on the parchment lined baking sheet and froze until the chocolate was set. The candy cane coating has red glittery flakes in it which adds a nice touch of color for a Christmas cookie plate!