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Chocolate Chip Cookies

This chocolate chip cookie recipe has been my tried-and-true for several years now. Luckily, I don't have to search through all of the pinterest "best ever" recipes to find one. And really, if all of the cookies out there are the best ever, does that make them all average? How does one cookie stand out from the rest? I guess you'll have to try them all to figure it out. I received this recipe from a friend about six years ago, and I haven't turned back since. It's nice to have this recipe in my back pocket when I am craving that chocolatey, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth cookie. It turns out as I expect it to every single time. Since I haven't blogged about this recipe before, I've had to go searching through all of my paper recipes to find it. Since I prefer to search for recipes online now, I felt we could both get the benefit of having it on my blog. I hope this cookie becomes your go to from now on.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from a friend

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup shortening

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temp.*

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees or 325 degrees for a convection oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream together butter, shortening, both sugars and vanilla extract in a large bowl, about 3 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time.

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl. Slowly add in to creamy mixture. Add in chocolate chips. Mix well.

Scoop heaping spoonfuls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Side Note: I only bake one tray at a time on the center rack to allow for even cooking. I find it more consistent to have one tray in the oven while working on the next tray. That way one tray is always baking.

Bake for 9-11 minutes, depending on how chewy a cookie you like. I barely let mine brown before pulling them out.

Remove from oven, and transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes approximately 55 cookies.

*To bring eggs to room temperature faster, place eggs in slightly-warmer-than lukewarm water for about five minutes.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Amy Lou |

Lemon cookies

Another great find off of Pinterest. These won first place in the Food Dish best cookie contest. Of course I had to taste them for myself. A soft and chewy bite. Delicately sweet with the combination of that tangy lemon flavor. This cookie is a keeper.

Lemon Cookies
Adapted Recipe from: LDS Living

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again.
Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar.
Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate.
Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.
Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.
Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte.
Remove from oven and cool cookies about three minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Read More 2 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Lemon blueberry cheesecake cookies

I've made these twice this week for birthdays, if that gives you any indication of how tasty these are. I found this recipe on Pinterest. The combination of lemon and blueberry must be a popular one. I've seen recipes for pancakes, cupcakes and beverages lately, and yes, I've pinned them all. The combination of sour lemon and subtle sweetness of the blueberries makes for quite the pair. These cookies are not overly sweet which I like. The added cream cheese in the center helps meld the flavors even more. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. They are best served right out of the oven, or warmed up for a bit in the microwave. Makes about three dozen cookies.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Cookies
Recipe from: Hot Polka Dot

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar zest of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 c. flour
1 c. blueberries
3/4 pkg cream cheese, cut into 1 tsp cubes

DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until it's light and fluffy. Blend in the lemon zest, juice and eggs. Make sure to scrape off any bits of zest that stick to the mixer paddle.
In a separate bowl whisk together the baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour then mix into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in 3/4 c. of the blueberries so as not to burst any. Refrigerate the dough for about 15 – 20 minutes to make the dough slightly stiff.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and position rack in the center. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set them aside.

While the cookie dough is chilling in the fridge, roll 1 tsp. cream cheese (or however much you think you can fit inside a cookie) into small balls and flatten slightly, these will be pressed into the cookie dough.

After the dough is chilled, roll 1 heaping tbsp. of dough into a ball then flatten it slightly into a disc shape. Place a cream cheese ball into the center and form the dough around it creating a ball again, then flatten slightly. With the remaining 1/4 cup of blueberries, place a few on top of each cookie before baking.
Bake for about 10 - 13 minutes until the edges brown slightly. Transfer them to a cooling rack and enjoy!

Read More 11 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Love one another

My good friend Joyce and I made some cookies yesterday to hand out today. She's a teacher and wanted to spread some love and share the good word with the staff she works with — of course I wanted to make them with her. I can't say no to decorating sugar cookies. We made one for every teacher. We used the sugar cookie recipe that I love so much. We placed each cookie in its own bag, tied on a message we created with ribbon and viola! A lil love in a bag.

We had good times ... and are already thinking about what occasion is coming up so we can make more.

Read More 13 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Pumpkin whoopie pies

For my Halloween treat this year, I wanted to keep it simple. Something with pumpkin is what I had a craving for. I've made whoopie pies before, and decided to rework the recipe to include pumpkin. The flavor is subtle and the cookie is very soft. These would also be a nice Thanksgiving treat.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Adapted from Bakerella
FOR THE COOKIES
1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup butter, softened to room temp.
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice2 large eggs
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
FOR THE FILLING
8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
10 - 14 oz. powdered sugar, sifted
Orange food gel

DIRECTIONS
FOR THE COOKIES

Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a medium bowl, combine butter, pumpkin puree, spice and eggs; gradually adding in cake mix and flour. Stir with a wooden spoon — the consistency will be tough to mix. Using a regular spoon, scoop into small balls — about an inch in diameter — and place on a parchment-paper-lined cookie sheet. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and press each cookie down with a lid (any small, flat surface). Place back in oven and cook for an additional 4 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before moving to a cooling rack. If you are not using parchment paper, transfer immediately to a cooling rack to prevent the cookie from sticking to the sheet.
FOR THE FILLING
Combine cream cheese and butter in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about two minutes. Add vanilla, pumpkin puree and spice. I added a few toothpick submerges of orange food gel to enhance the orange color. Gradually add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Transfer frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a round tip.
When cookies have completely cooled, match cookies up by size and shape. Pipe frosting onto one side of the cookie and place the other cookie on top, gently pressing down to bring filling to the edges.
Makes about 24 sandwich cookies.

Using a regular spoon, scoop into small balls — about an inch in diameter.

When cookies have completely cooled, match cookies up by size and shape.

Pipe frosting onto one side of the cookie and place the other cookie on top.

Gently press cookie down to bring filling to the edges.

Read More 4 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Caramel delights

Day three of homemade Girl Scout cookies, and I saved the best for last. Caramel Delights. If you know me (or follow my blog) you might know my love for caramel. The addition of coconut and chocolate makes this cookie even more delectable. I can easily take out a few rows of these Girl Scout cookies in one sitting. When I saw the Samoa Bars post from Inside BruCrew Life, I knew what need to happen. Thanks Jocelyn! This recipe is very close to the original in taste. The caramel topping is pretty much amazing. I want to use it in another recipe — something with cream cheese. I'll have to work something up soon.

DIY Caramel Delights

Seen on Inside BruCrew Life, adapted from Baking Bites
INGREDIENTS

COOKIE CRUST

1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

TOPPING

3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. plus 2 tsp. heavy cream
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS

FOR THE CRUST

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy.

Beat in egg and vanilla extract. On low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly.

Pour crumbly dough into prepared pan and press into an even layer.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

FOR THE TOPPING

Preheat oven to 300 F. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden.

Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with cream and salt.

Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir at least once a minute to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.

Dollop the topping mixture all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. Cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).
Melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching.

Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer the remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container. Makes 30 bar cookies.

You might have noticed the recipe is for square bars and mine are not. I used a cookie cutter to turn them into circles. I then dipped one side in chocolate, let the chocolate set, then added the caramel topping and chocolate drizzle.

Fresh toasted coconut

Read More 3 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Thin mints

Another Girl Scout cookie replicated in the kitchen of Baking Bites. Just in case you missed yesterday's post, it was Peanut Butter Patties. Thin Mints aren't a favorite of mine, but I know they are very popular. It's Jake's favorite out of the cookies, so I wanted to make some. I was a little disappointed in the lack of peppermint flavor — there just wasn't enough. I added more peppermint extract to the recipe below. Overall a good chocolate cookie.

Thin Mints

adapted from Baking Bites
INGREDIENTS

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, sifted cocoa powder and salt.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar. With the mixer on low speed, add in the milk and the extracts. Mixture will look curdled. Gradually, add in the flour mixture until fully incorporated.
Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cookies will not spread much, so you can place them close together.
Bake for 13-15 minutes, until cookies are firm at the edges. Cool cookies completely on a wire rack before dipping in chocolate.
Melt the chocolate in a small, heat-resistant bowl. This can be done in a microwave (with frequent stirring) or on a double boiler, but the bowl of melted chocolate should ultimately be placed above a pan of hot, but not boiling, water to keep it fluid while you work.
Dip each cookie in melted chocolate, turn with a fork to coat, then transfer to a piece of parchment paper or wax paper to set up for at least 30 minutes, or until chocolate is cool and firm.
Reheat chocolate as needed to keep it smooth and easy to dip into.
Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Shape dough into two logs, about 1 1/2 inches (or about 4 cm) in diameter, wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1-2 hours, until dough is very firm.

Slice dough into rounds not more than 1/4 inch thick – if they are too thick, they will not be as crisp – and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.

Before baking

After baking

Read More 3 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Peanut butter patties

Girl Scout cookies are a taste and nostalgia that can't be beat. Yes I was a Girl Scout at one time, or maybe just a Brownie. I can't remember. Some try to replicate the cookies, and I applaud them for it. It may not be exactly the same taste, but it's close enough. Peanut Butter Patties are one of my favorite cookies, next to the Caramel Delights of course. Jocelyn at Inside BruCrew Life posted a recipe several months ago from Baking Bites which replicated Caramel Delights called Somoas Bars. I went to the Baking Bites blog and discovered most every cookie recreated. I made a total of three different cookies. Here's the first. I renamed the recipe based on my naming preference instead of calling them Tagalongs which I found out was the original name for them. I remember them as Peanut Butter Patties.

Peanut Butter Patties
adapted from Baking Bites
INGREDIENTS

COOKIES

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. half n half
PEANUT BUTTER FILLING

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (natural or regular)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
approx. 8 oz. semisweet chocolate
generous pinch salt

DIRECTIONS
FOR THE COOKIES
Preheat oven to 350 F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk. The dough should come together into a soft ball. Roll a little over a tbsp. of dough into a ball and flatten into a disc about 1/4-inch thick.
Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will not spread much, so you can place them close together. Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, until bottoms and the edges are lightly browned and cookies are set. Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, use the back of a small spoon or measure to make a depression in the center of each cookie.
Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

FOR THE FILLING

Stir together peanut butter, confectioners sugar, salt and vanilla in a small bowl. When the mixture has come together, heat it in the microwave at short intervals, stirring frequently, until it is very soft.

Working carefully with the warm filling, transfer it to a pastry bag and pipe a generous dome of the filling into each cookie’s “thumbprint”.

Chill filled cookies for 20-30 minutes, or until the peanut butter is firm.

Melt the chocolate in a small, heat-resistant bowl. This can be done in a microwave (with frequent stirring) or on a double boiler, but the bowl of melted chocolate should ultimately be placed above a pan of hot, but not boiling, water to keep it fluid while you work.

Dip chilled cookies into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on a sheet of parchment paper to let the cookies set up. The setting process can be accelerated by putting the cookies into the refrigerator once they have been coated. I experimented with dipping methods to save time.

Makes about three dozen.

Roll a little over a tbsp. of dough into a ball and flatten into a disc about 1/4-inch thick.

Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, use the back of a small spoon or measure to make a depression in the center of each cookie.

Pipe a generous dome of the filling into each cookie’s “thumbprint”.

Dipping method 1. Dip the entire cookie in chocolate.

Dipping method 2. Grab cookie by the base and dip the top of the cookie in chocolate.

Dipping method 3. Using a spoon, drizzle chocolate over the top.

Read More 2 comments | Posted by Anonymous |

Graphic designer, baker and a photo taker. Inspired by Jesus, photography, stellar design, all things creative, cooking, the arts and funny stuff. I prefer to visually tell stories through photographs; whether a trip I was on, a dessert I made or a recent vintage find. Art is all around me, and I capture it whenever I can.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lemon cookies

Lemon blueberry cheesecake cookies

Love one another

Pumpkin whoopie pies

Caramel delights

Thin mints

Peanut butter patties

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