Cookie Exchange

[Susie Ann]

Cookie Brittle
busycooks.com


1 cup butter, softened (NOT margarine)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans, OR more chocolate chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips


Combine butter, vanilla, salt and sugar in a large bowl and beat together until well blended, using the back of a spoon. Stir in flour until just mixed. Add 2 cups chocolate chips and nuts.
Press cookie dough evenly into a 15x10" jelly roll pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-25 minutes, until light golden brown. Check at the 15 minute bake time, then watch cookies carefully; they go from light brown to burnt around the edges very quicky. Let cool in pan on wire rack.
Place 1/2 cup chocolate chips in microwave-safe glass measuring cup and microwave on 50% power for 1 minute; stir until melted. Drizzle over the cooled cookies. Then break the cookies into irregular pieces. Store in airtight container. 16 servings

[Jerryanne]

HUNKA CHOCOLATE COOKIES
(Source: Midwest Living)

"This recipe will satisfy chocolate lovers' cravings with semisweet chocolate pieces, unsweetened chocolate, melted white chocolate and melted semisweet chocolate. Just a half a cup of flour goes into this fudgy delight."

2 (12 oz. each) pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces (4 cups)
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 c. butter (no substitutions)
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 1/3 c. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 c. broken walnuts, toasted
Melted white chocolate
Melted semisweet chocolate

Lightly grease large cookie sheets; set aside.

In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 pkg. semisweet chocolate pieces, unsweetened chocolate and butter until melted, stirring constantly. Transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool slightly.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

Add eggs, sugar, and vanilla to chocolate mixture; beat with an electric mixer. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed till well mixed. Stir in remaining chocolate pieces and nuts.

Using 1/4 c. dough for each cookie, drop the dough 3" apart on lightly greased cookie sheets; flatten slightly.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the edges are firm and the surface is dull and cracked. Let stand for 2 minutes on cookie sheets; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely.

Drizzle with melted white chocolate and semisweet chocolate. Makes 24 cookies.

[Jerryanne]

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CHERRY COOKIES
(Source: Midwest Living-Carol Schneider of Wausau, WI, recipe a blue ribbon winner at the Wisconsin State Fair)

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/3 c. granulated sugar
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. dried tart cherries
1 1/2 c. chopped walnuts
1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate pieces
1 c. white baking pieces

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer 30 seconds. Add sugars, soda and salt; beat until combined.

Beat in eggs and vanilla until mixture is smooth. Using the mixer, beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in remaining flour by hand. Stir in cherries, nuts, chocolate and white baking pieces (dough will be stiff).

Drop from rounded tablespoons 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake @ 325 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until golden. Cool a few minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool.

[Smokeysmomm]

Blueberry & White Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies
Source: EatingWell -December 2006

About 2 dozen cookies



Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 large egg
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup oats, quick-cooking or old-fashioned (not instant)
2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup dried blueberries, (see Tip)
1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped (see Tip)



Preparation

Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°F.


Whisk flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt and ground ginger in a small bowl. Whisk egg, brown sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir to combine. Add oats, chocolate, blueberries and crystallized ginger; stir just to combine. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart.


Bake the cookies until puffed and barely golden around the edges, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



Tips & Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.


Tip: Dried cranberries or cherries will also work in place of blueberries; all can be found, along with crystallized ginger, in the baking, dried fruit or produce sections of many supermarkets and natural-foods stores

[Smokeysmomm]

Lemon Thins
Source: EatingWell

2 1/2 dozen cookies



Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar, divided
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons lemon juice



Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl; set aside.


Cream 1/2 cup sugar, butter and oil in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Add egg white, lemon zest and vanilla; beat until smooth. Beat in lemon juice. Add the dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula just until combined.


Drop the dough by teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a saucer. Coat the bottom of a wide-bottomed glass with cooking spray and dip it in the sugar. Flatten the dough with the glass into 2 1/2-inch circles, dipping the glass in the sugar each time.


Bake until the cookies are just starting to brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a flat surface (not a rack) to crisp.

[Jerryanne]

DREAM JUMBLES
(Source: Midwest Living)

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. raisins
1 c. large semisweet chocolate pieces
3/4 c. coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 c. slivered or sliced almonds

In a large bowl, beat butter for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt; beat until well combined. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Beat in as much flour as you can with a mixer; stir in any remaining flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir in raisins, chocolate, pecans, and almonds.

Drop by rounded teaspoons 2" apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake @ 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove cookies from cookie sheet; cool on wire racks. Makes about 36 cookies.

[Jerryanne]

GINGER COOKIES
(Source: Midwest Living January/February 2007-recipe from Joe Carson, Silver Dollar City, Branson, Missouri)

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. shortening
1 c. sugar
2 Tbsp. molasses
1 egg
Water
Sugar

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 c. sugar; beat until fluffy.

Add egg and molasses; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed until well combined.

Shape into 1 1/2" balls. Dip into a small bowl of water, then in a bowl of additional sugar. (For a lighter coating, just dip in sugar.)

Arrange balls 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until light brown on bottoms. Cool the cookies on wire racks. Makes 20 cookies.

[Susie Ann]

Oatmeal Cranberry Chocolate Spice Cookies
better recipes.com

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups whole oats
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips



Preheat oven to 350 degs. In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice. In a separate large bowl, cream together shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, then combine well. Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Add oats, cranberries and chocolate chips. Use a 1/4 cup scoop to drop dough onto a cookie sheet, about 6 per sheet. Bake 8-12 mins.

[Smokeysmomm]

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
As found on Davidlebovitz.com
Adapted from Flour by Joanne Chang

About 24 cookies

Author's note

Because we all like to share, I thought I’d share a baking tip. Some of you probably know this, but if your brown sugar clumps up into a hard mass that is impossible to measure, slip an apple slice in the container and let it sit for a few hours. Like magic, when you go to scoop of the brown sugar, you’ll find it light and fluffy again.

Be sure to really beat the butter and sugar together in the stand mixer. (If you don’t have a mixer, Joanne says you can beat it by hand for ten minutes instead.) She is emphatic about using fresh spices and I agree. I did dial up the cinnamon a little since I like a bit of punch to my oatmeal cookies, and if you want to swap out the raisins for another dried fruit, cranberries, sour cherries, or diced apricots could certain stand-in nicely.



1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (200 g) packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 3/4 cup (245 g) flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 3/4 cup (175 g) old –fashioned rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
1 1/2 cups (240 g) raisins



In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.


Meanwhile in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon, making sure there are no lumps of baking soda. Stir in the oats and raisins.


Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until thoroughly combined. On low speed, or by hand, gradually add the flour and oat mixture to the creamed butter, mixing until completely incorporated.


Chill the batter a few hours or overnight, covered. (This step is optional, although recommended by the author.)


To bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.


Drop the dough in 1/4 cup (50 g) balls evenly spaced on the baking sheet and flatten the tops slightly with your hand.(I got about 8 cookies per baking sheet.)


Midway during baking, rotate the baking sheet and tap the tops of the cookies down somewhat firmly with a spatula to flatten the domes.


Bake the cookies for 20 to 22 minutes, until they just start to turn brown across the top, but do not overbake.


Remove from oven and cool completely.


Storage: Once cool, the cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. The dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week, or frozen for up to two months.

[Jerryanne]

I LOVE oatmeal raisin cookies-they're one of my favorites-Bob's too..........thanks Cyndy!


OUR OWN DREAM COOKIES
(Source: Midwest Living)

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/3 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 c. regular OR quick-cooking rolled oats
1 c. semisweet chocolate pieces
1 c. white baking pieces OR peanut butter-flavored pieces
1 c. chopped macadamia nuts OR pecans

In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until softened. Add sugars, baking powder, baking soda and salt; beat mixture until combined.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat thoroughly. Beat in flour and cocoa powder at low speed until just combined. By hand, stir in oats, chocolate pieces, white baking pieces and nuts.

Using a 1/4 c. dry measure, drop dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Press dough into a 3" circle. Repeat with remaining dough, placing cookies 3" apart on cookie sheets.

Bake @ 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until just set. Let stand 1 minute on a cookie sheet; transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Store cookies in a container in the freezer up to 3 months. Makes about 24 large cookies.