Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Crasin Cookies

Ingredients
1 c. soft butter
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. white sugar
2 large eggs (or 4 egg whites)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (*I used 1 tsp)
3 c. rolled oats (I used the quick bake variety)
1 c. raisins or craisins
1 c. dark chocolate chips (or semi sweet)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugars until creamy and smooth. Add eggs, beating very well. Beat in the vanilla extract.
3. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and ground cinnamon, and beat until incorporated. Stir in the rolled oats, craisins (or raisins) and chocolate chips. (*do not add extra flour, even if you think it needs it*)
4. Place a medium-sized spoonful of batter on a cookie sheet and smooth edges with your fingers. Flatten the round dough ball until it‘s only about a ½ inch thick. Bake the cookies for about 10 - 16 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies, your cooking time may vary).
5.The cookies are done when golden brown around the edges but still a little soft in the centers. (The longer the cookies bake the more crispy they will be.)


Seriously, these are the best oatmeal cookies, ever!


Photographs are © Copyright to me (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on blogs, websites, or in other media without advance written permission from me.

Gingerbread Cookies and Royal Icing

I made gingerbread cookies, and let the dough sit for a few days in the refrigerator, as it lets the cookies really taste great. I then took the dough out and let it get closer to room temperature. Then I rolled the dough out, and cut it. I baked them in a 350 degree oven for about 9 min, or until the centers were soft, but not squishy. After the cookies were cool I decorated them with royal icing. *recipe to follow* Almost any gingerbread recipe will work, but here is mine:

Ingredients
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 c soft butter
2/3 c granulated sugar
1/2 c molasses
1 large egg (or 2 large egg whites)
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the molasses and egg and beat until fluffy.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes; bake.
5. Bake until firm, 10 to 12 minutes.

Royal Icing
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh orange juice
3 c. confectioners sugar

In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the juice. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth.
The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap when not in use.


Photographs are © Copyright to me (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on blogs, websites, or in other media without advance written permission from me.

Chocolate Cookies

These cookies are a great hit at in any setting! The bright colors and scrumptious taste are all so inviting! The amazing thing about these cookies is that they are more than two times better for you than any other 'normal' cookie. The use of peanut butter instead of butter makes this, one very healthy cookie. :D

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1 package of devils food cake mix
¾ c. crunchy peanut butter
2 eggs (or 3 lrg egg whites)
2 tbsp milk
1 c. reeses pieces
½ c. peanut butter chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease baking sheets
2. Combine first 4 ingredients together. Then add the remaining ingredients.
3. Spray fingers/palm of hands with PAM spray (or use oil) and roll dough into small balls. Use the bottom of a cup (that has been oiled) to flatten each chocolate cookie ball.
4. Bake for 7-9 min. Cool for 2 min on baking sheets, then remove and enjoy!



I made these cookies today, they were quite good though I am not used to the molasses flavor. I quickly grew accustom to the flavor.

Here is the recipe:
Brown Molasses Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Makes 40 cookies)

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup molasses
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups plus 3 T flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups (one 12 oz. bag) chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In the bowl of an electric mixed fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in the eggs, molasses, and vanilla, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice as necessary. Stir in the rest of the dry ingredients. Then stir in the chocolate chips. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow the dough to chill for 1 hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Get spoonful of cookie dough and roll into ball, slightly flatten the ball, place on cookie sheet.
4. Bake until just light golden, 11-12 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before moving them to wire rack to cool completely.

Note: Molasses keeps the chocolate chip cookies chewy for more than a day. It also gives them a more intense brown sugar flavor. Do not overcook or the cookies will be dry and hard.


Photographs are © Copyright to me (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on blogs, websites, or in other media without advance written permission from me.

Independence Day

This year for the 4th of July I had a pretty big party. It ended up being a large potluck, and quite a success too! I only made 50 cupcakes and a few dozen cookies, becuase I thought that most everyone else would bring desserts, since they are quite easy -- I was wrong. Most of the other guests brought chips and veggie trays, and other random finger foods. Needless to say, however, is that desserts were in high demand. my cookies disappeared faster than any of the other food items, and my cupcakes followed suit shortly thereafter. The cookies were not that special really. I used butter-cream frosting and pipped on stripes and stars. And i didn't decorate the snicker-doodles at all.
The cupcakes were a different story! I really enjoyed creating the cupcakes. They were vanilla-flavored cupcakes with a special colorful-surprise inside them. I layered each cupcake with red white and blue, heavy on the white. I have found that the older people get, the less they enjoy heavily colored foods, so I tried to make the cupcakes with about 50 percent white (or non-colored cake batter).
To get the bi-colored frosting, I put two colors of frosting in a single pipe bag. I then swirled the two-toned butter-cream on top of the cupcakes. After all that was done I put a single blue piped-on-star on top of each cupcake.
Happy Independence Day everyone!
 



Photographs are © Copyright to me (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on blogs, websites, or in other media without advance written permission from me.