Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosted Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosted Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3 1/4 cups cake flour  
1- 10 oz bag Reese's Peanut Butter chips 

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Cream together butter, sugars, salt, baking soda and powder.  Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well.
Add flour and peanut butter chips. Mix just until flour and chips are blended together.
Use a tablespoon to keep size uniform and roll into balls.  Bake for 6-8 minutes. (These cookies are so rich, 1 T of cookie dough is the perfect size!)

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, soft-room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter 
1/4 t salt
cream or half and half to thin to proper consistency (2 T - 1/4 C)
Cream together room-temperature butter and powdered sugar. Add peanut butter and beat until smooth. Add cream a tablespoon at time, just until frosting is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Chocolate Frosting
1/2 C butter 
3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C unsweetened cocoa (or less if you like a lighter cocoa frosting)
1 tablespoon vanilla
cream or half and half to thin to proper consistency (2 T - 1/4 C)
Cream butter and 5 cups powdered sugar. Add cocoa and vanilla. Add cream a tablespoon at a time until frosting is smooth. If needed, add more powdered sugar.

After cookies are cooled, frost with peanut butter frosting. Then frost on top of the peanut butter frosting with the chocolate frosting. It is easier if the peanut butter frosting is thicker and you pipe on the chocolate.  You can still spread the chocolate, just takes a bit more time.

**Recipe adapted from abountifulkitchen.com.
**I usually bake the cookies the day before and freeze them.  They are easier to frost when frozen solid.  Also, I tend to think that they are tastier cold, so put them in the fridge until ready to serve.  I've made these a lot recently and more than one person has told me they dreamed about them... they're that good!

"Swig" Cookie

"Swig" Cookie

1 C Butter (room temperature)
3/4 C Vegetable Oil
1 1/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Powdered Sugar
2 T Water
2 Eggs
1/2 t Baking Soda
1/2 t Cream of Tarter
1 t Salt
5 1/2 C Flour

Cream together Butter, Vegetable Oil, Sugars, Water, and Eggs. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture.  Mix until everything is combined.  Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.  I like them small, so use a tablespoon of dough and roll cookies into a ball.  Put 1/4 c of sugar and a pinch of salt in a dish (this is in addition to the sugar and salt listed above.)  Stick the bottom of a glass in it.  This is going to be your cookie press. Firmly press it into the center of your dough ball.   Bake at 350 for 7 minutes.  They should just barely be browning on the bottom.    Move cookies to a cooling rack.  Once they are cool put them in the fridge.

Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup room temperature butter

3/4 C Sour Cream

Approx 1 2lb Package of Powdered Sugar 

1 t salt

1/4 C half and half or cream

Red Food Coloring

Start by creaming together butter and sour cream and salt.  Slowly add powdered sugar.  When it gets so thick its not frosting like,  add a splash of cream.  Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.  Add 1 drop of red food coloring and whip on high for 1 minute.  Frost cookies, the thicker the better. 

**Recipe adapted from vintagerevivals.com.  There is a cute place in St. George called Swig that sales drinks and treats.  They are famous for their cookies and their dirty diet cokes.  Both delicious, but I happen to think this recipe is better that the real thing!  More flavor and more frosting! And I prefer these cookies cold.  Mmmm!

THE Sundance Cookie

 THE Sundance Cookie
(Oatmeal Molasses Golden Raisin Cookie by Joseph McRae)

1 1/2 C butter
2 C + 2 T sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C molasses
3 1/2 C flour
2 T baking soda
1 1/4 t salt
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 1/2 t ginger
3 C oats
1 1/2 C golden raisins

Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs. Mix.  Add molasses. Mix. Mix flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger together in a separate bowl.  Add to wet ingredients.  Mix well.  Add oats.  Mix.  Mix in raisins.  Form into balls and bake at 350.  (1 T ball baked for approx. 8 minutes. 1/4 C ball baked for approx. 12 minutes.)

**I have been skiing at Sundance for 21 years with Hans (19 years before that without him).  We love it.  It's a little place of memories, fun, family and beauty.  It's a winter escape.  One of the simple joys is eating a cookie and drinking a diet coke on the lift.  It's crazy how much I look forward to it.  This cookie is the best cookie I've ever had.  A few years ago, I met the creator of this masterpiece.  Joseph McRae.  He was the pastry chef years ago at Sundance and now is a successful restauranteur. Through my sis in law Holly, he shared his recipe.  However, it came in crazy huge proportions. 6lbs butter, 8.5 lbs flour...etc.  I shaved it down, but am not 100% happy with the texture.  The flavor is perfect.  I'll keep messing and make it perfect! 

**Side note, I went skiing 2 weeks ago and the cookie is GONE!  There's a new pastry chef in town and she took it off the menu! What?  There have been a lot of complaints, so they might bring it back.  So when you're at the deli, tell them you want it!

Granola Cookie

Granola Cookie

3/4 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1/4 C honey
1 egg
1 T vanilla
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
1 T baking soda
1 3/4 C flour
2 1/4 C oats
1/2 C coconut
1/2 C chopped pecans (toasted if you like)
1/2 C chopped almonds (toasted or sliced if you like)
1/2 C golden raisins
1/2 C chopped dried apricots
1/2 C chopped white chocolate (or chips)

In a mixer, cream together butter, sugars and honey.  Add egg, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.  Mix well.  Add soda and flour. Mix well.  Add oats and coconut.  Mix until just incorporated.   Remove bowl from mixer, add coconut, pecans, almonds, raisins, apricots and white chocolate and then mix by hand with a heavy wood spoon.  It's a very stiff dough and you might actually need to use your hands.  I do.  Measure 1/4 C of dough, roll into a ball and flatten to an inch thick on the parchment or silpat lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes or until golden and toasty around the edges and a bit on top.

**This is my first ever invented recipe.  It is a collaboration of several cookie recipes as well as a few favorite granola recipes.  I worked on it last year for a bit and couldn't get it right, so I walked away for a bit.  I decided to try it again and I'm closer than ever.  I may still tweak it a bit, but I need to walk away from ALL the granola cookies.  Test batches are killing me, I can't stop eating them. 
 **This recipe doesn't produce a huge batch, because this particular cookie is only eaten by me, Hans and Chloe.  So I don't like having a ton around.  However, it's super easy to double! And they are great frozen.
**A variation that I played with that is super good is substituting the 1/2 C of almonds and pecans for 1 C salted cashews. Yummy too.  You could sub anything you want for the last 5 ingredients and still have a great cookie. 
**PS. This wasn't the prettiest cookie of the batch, Chloe ate that one.... :)

Richest Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

Richest Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 C butter
3 eggs
2 C sugar
2 C brown sugar
2 t vanilla
7 C flour
2 t salt
2 t baking soda
2 t baking powder
3 C chocolate chips

In heavy mixer, mix cold butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs.  Add in vanilla, salt, soda, powder and then flour.  Add chocolate chips.  Bake at 375. 1 T cookies 6-7 min, 1/4 C 10-11 min.

**This was one of the first recipes I ever asked for, probably when I was 16.  My amazing sister in law has always been the best cook!  I changed it just a bit, and I don't know if it's better, but I'm lazy and I like measuring 2 t instead of 1 1/2! This makes a huge batch, hense the heavy mixer.  I've halved it before and just added 2 eggs.
**PS, best dough EVER to just eat out of the bowl.  We make it sometimes and just skip the eggs to eat the dough....and when I say we, I mean me and Chloe!

Brownie Cookies

Brownie Cookies

8 oz or 1 1/3 C semisweet chocolate (or chips)
3 T butter
1 C sugar
3 lg eggs
1 t pero powder (could leave out)
1 t vanilla
1 C flour
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 C semisweet chocolate chips (optional - but we like)

Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave, for 20 seconds at a time just until chocolate melts. Do not over heat.  In mixer bowl,  beat sugar and eggs.  Add melted chocolate and mix until combined.  Add remaining ingredients, mixing in chocolate chips after all of the flour is incorporated.  Refrigerate dough for an hour to make it easier to handle.  Bake at 325 on parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet. 1 T cookie bakes for 7-9 minutes or until center is just dry/set.  1/4 C cookie bakes for 11-12 minutes.

*Adapted from King Arthur Flour
**I've made these a few times and we love them.  The dough is a mess, next time I will put it in pam sprayed plastic wrap and refrigerate it in a log shape.  Then I can just cut slices...I'll try it and let you know.  My hands were insane with this dough today.
**Also would be awesome for ice cream sandwiches!

M & M Cookies

M & M Cookies

1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C butter
1/2 C shortening
2 eggs (preferably large - I use Costco's - if not using large, reduce flour)
2 t baking soda
1 t salt
1 t vanilla
3 C flour
2 C plain m&m's

Cream together sugars, butter and shortening.  Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Add soda, salt, vanilla and flour.  Mix well. Dough should not stick to the sides, if it does, use a little more flour. Stir in m&m's, the mixer breaks them. Bake on a parchment or a silpat lined cookie sheet at 350.  1 T cookie bakes for approximately 6 minutes. (I say approximately because both my ovens bake differently.) 1/4 C cookie bakes for approximately 8 minutes. 1 T cookies bakes from ball form, 1/4 C cookie is a bag flattened slightly.

*Adapted from Breanna's Recipe Box
*Freeze wonderfully, but once they are in a ziploc at room temp, the texture changes. Just sayin' :)
*1 batch makes 72 (1T) or 36 (2T) or 18 (1/4C)

Spicy Molasses Cookie

Spicy Molasses Cookies

2 1/4 C unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/4 ounces) 
1 t baking soda  
2 t ground cinnamon  
2 t ground ginger  
3/4 t ground cloves  
1/4 + 1/8 t ground allspice  
1/4 t ground black pepper  
3/4 t table salt (I actually like a bit more...1 t)
12 T unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool 
1/3 C sugar
1/3 C packed dark brown sugar (about 2 1/2 ounces) 
1 large egg yolk  
1 t vanilla   
1/2 C molasses (about 6 ounces), light or dark
1/2 C sugar for rolling cookies

 Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Place 1/2 cup sugar for dipping in a bowl.  Whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt in medium bowl until thoroughly combined; set aside. In standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter with brown and granulated sugars at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and add yolk and vanilla; increase speed to medium and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Reduce speed to medium-low and add molasses; beat until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds, scraping bottom and sides of bowl once with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to lowest setting; add flour mixture and beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds, scraping bowl down once. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no pockets of flour remain at bottom. Dough will be soft.

 Using 1/4 C measuring cup (we like big cookies around here), scoop dough and roll between palms into a ball; drop ball into cake pan with sugar and repeat to form about 4 balls. Toss balls in sugar to coat and set on prepared baking sheet, press down slightly with a flat surface (I use the bottom of a glass) spacing them about 2 inches apart. Repeat with remaining dough. 

Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are browned, still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will look raw between cracks and seem underdone), about 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then use wide metal spatula to transfer cookies to wire rack; cool cookies to room temperature and serve. (Can be stored at room temperature in airtight container or zipper-lock plastic bag up to 5 days.)

 **Recipe adapted from America's Test Kitchen. I added a lot more spice, it's how we like them.  

**1 T cookie dough balls bake for 6 minutes.  Makes 32. Awesome for ice cream sandwiches.  

Dad's Oatmeal Pecan Raisin Cookies

Dad's Oatmeal Pecan Raisin Cookies

1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 C flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
3/4 t salt
3 C oats (old fashioned)
1 C raisins
1 C pecans (I like them toasted)

Beat together butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla. Mix. Add in flour, soda, cinnamon and salt.  Mix.  Add in oats, nuts and raisins, mixing until just combined.  Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

**Whenever I ask my Dad what kind of treat I can bring him, he says oatmeal raisin cookies. He doesn't like the nuts toasted, but I do. Either way, it is one of the most satisfying cookies I make. Love it!

Cazookie

Cazookie

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons flour

2 C chocolate chips

Cream together sugars, butter, and shortening.  Add eggs one at a time and beat until fluffy.  Add baking soda, salt, and vanilla.  Add flour and mix until incorporated.  Stir in chocolate chips. Make golf ball size balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and freeze solid. Once solid, they can be stored in a zip lock baggie.

When ready to bake, line a muffin tin with paper liners. Place frozen cookie balls in muffin tin and bake at 350 for 15 min or so until golden on the outside and ooey gooey in the middle. Immediately take paper liner off and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

**This is Breanna's famous chocolate chip/m&m cookie recipe! When Josie requested a cookie pie for her birthday dinner, I recalled Breanna telling me about her Cazookie.  I was doing it for Josie and wasn't at all excited about the dessert. HOLY COW! So dang good!  Now I have 20 frozen cookie balls in my freezer, ready for when I need a Cazookie!

**Also, to make serving quick and easy, I pre-froze scoops of ice cream in a muffin tin and then we just popped them out.  It was awesome!

**The picture doesn't do it justice at all, next time I'll cut into it so you can see. Mmm!

**New Huge Version:
4 inch ramekins
1/2 C cookie dough balls frozen
Bake at 350 for 27 minutes
Serve with ice cream on the side.

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Sandwiches

Snickerdoodle Pumpkin Sandwiches

Snickerdoodles 

1 cup butter, softened 
1 and 1/2 c sugar 
2 eggs 
1 t vanilla (I use Mexican vanilla but any kind will work) 
2 and 3/4 c flour 
2 t cream of tartar 
1 t baking soda 
1/2 tsp salt 
3 t cinnamon and 3 T sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix thoroughly. Stir dry ingredients together in separate bowl and add to creamed mixture. Chill for 20-30 min. Roll into Tablespoon size balls and then toss in the cinnamon/sugar mixture, coating the dough evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned but soft.


Pumpkin Cream Cheese
 
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin  
1/4 c brown sugar 
1/2 c powdered sugar 
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or more)
1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer until smooth. Adjust powdered sugar to taste and texture. (It is kind of nice when it isn't too sweet, so you can taste the pumpkin better!)  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.  Remove from fridge, spoon about 1 T of cream cheese onto the flat side of the cookie. Press another cookie onto the cream cheese to make a sandwich.  Put in a container to store in the refrigerator.  For some reason they are better a bit chilled!


** This is the same as my other Snickerdoodle recipe, but when I do the sandwiches I cut back on the flour a bit so they are chewier, but not as pretty!
**We also like making really small sandwiches, about a teaspoon of dough per cookie. Super cute and tiny!
**Adapted from The Stirring Place

Christy's Totally Gnarly Peanut Butter Bars

Christy's Totally Gnarly Peanut Butter Bars

2 cups oats (I usually use regular, not quick)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup peanuts, chopped
1 cup brown sugar
1 t baking soda
3/4 t salt
1 cup butter, melted

Mix well with a fork.  Press (really smush with a fork)  half of mixture in a jelly roll pan.

2 cans sweetned condensed milk
2 cups peanut butter

Mix and pour over bottom layer:

Top with remaining crumbles and sprinkle with a large bag of M&Ms. Press down with hands. Bake at 350 for about 20-25 minutes or until brown.


** I remember eating these in high school at Christy's house in North Carolina. Few things remind me more of her than m & m's and these bars! Plus, they taste dang good and they make a ton! Thanks Hood!

No Bake Cookies (basically a nugget of joy)

No Bake Cookies 
(basically a nugget of joy - all peanut butter version)

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk

Mix in a saucepan and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and mix in:

1 cup peanut butter (I use a heaping cup, a little less than 1 1/2)
1 tablespoon vanilla
31/2 cups oatmeal

When cooled a bit and mixed well, mix in:
1 C white chocolate chips

Scoop with an ice cream scoop or rounded Tablespoon onto parchment lined cookie sheet. Let cool (if you can wait that long) and enjoy.

Traditional Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bakes
2 cups sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk

Mix in a saucepan and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat and mix in:

1 cup peanut butter (the more the merrier...see above)
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups oatmeal

Make drop cookies on parchment lined cookie sheet. Let cool and enjoy.

**Fun to add in different things....
** So Josie and I wanted to mess around today and decided to honor Tru's request he yelled as he was running out the door for school...."Can you make the peanut butter nuggets?" So we did and decided to get creative.  I measured the batter and it was about 4 cups. Taking out a cup of batter at a time, I added in about 1/4 C - 1/2 C of either marshmallows, butterscotch chips, white chocolate and m&m's.  I LOVE the butterscotch and Josie is lovin' the m&m's.  We'll see what's Tru's fave when he gets home!

Julie's Sundance Bars

Julie’s Sundance Bars   

2 C flour
1 ½ C packed brown sugar
1 C whole oats-old fashioned
1 t baking powder
½ t salt
1 C butter-melted
1 C semi-sweet & milk chocolate chips combined
1 C butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Other optional add ins:
1 C chopped pecans
1 C coconut

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x13 pan. In a large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, oats, baking powder & salt. Stir in butter. Press 3 c mixture evenly in bottom of pan (do not press while measuring). Bake 10 min. Remove & sprinkle choc chips & nuts over crust, pour condensed milk evenly over top. (Avoid the pan edges, the sweetened condensed milk cooks faster and makes it hard to cut the edges.) Sprinkle with remaining oat mixture. Bake 25-30 min. (Don't let the edges get dark.) Cool completely. Cut into squares. Seriously, so good!

**I love them cut big, like at Sundance, but proper portion size is probably 2x2 not 4x4! Shucks!

Tried a variation that was yummy.  Use I C diced dried apricots, I C shredded coconut, I C chopped cashews and 2 C white chocolate chips before pouring on the sweetened condensed milk!

Breanna's Snickerdoodles

Breanna's Snickerdoodles

1 C shortening (I prefer butter flavored crisco)               
1 ½ C sugar
2 eggs               
1 t vanilla
½ t salt               
1 t baking soda
2 t cream of tartar       
3 C flour

Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla. Mix.  Add dry ingredients.  Mix until combined.  (My dough pulls away from the bowl.) 

2 T sugar             
1 t cinnamon
Mix in a bowl.

Roll dough into balls and then into cinnamon mixture.  Place on baking sheet and slightly flatten with the bottom of a cup.  Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes, depending on size.  They will look a little underdone when perfect. Made 18 large cookies.

**Bre uses 2 3/4 C flour, but I like mine with a little more body, so I add in a 1/4 C and bake mine a touch longer.  But Breanna still rules as the master cookie maker in my book...who am I kidding, master of everything in the kitchen!
**After baking dozens of these for Truman's Cookie Stand, I realized most people preferred them softer...so the average time for 1/4 C dough cookie was 8-9 minutes.  Once the edges begin to crack a tiny bit, take them out! Still keep the flour at 3 C.
**1 batch makes 53 (1T) or 26 (2T) or 13 (1/4C)

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C butter
1 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C crunchy peanut butter
2 1/2 C flour
1/4 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 t vanilla

Mix butter, sugar and peanut butter together.  Add eggs, flour, baking soda and vanilla. Mix well.  I add flour slowly until dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. Use a 1/4 C of dough and roll into balls.  Only 8 per cookie sheet. Smash with a large fork making traditional peanut butter cookie marks.  It helps the cookies to cook evenly.  Bake at 350 for approx 10 minutes.

**Make them even more special and add some reese's peanut butter cups!
**1 batch makes 90 (1T)  or 45 (2T) or 22 (1/4C)

Grandma Magleby’s Sugar Cookies

Grandma Magleby’s Sugar Cookies

Cream:   
1 C butter           
1 ½ C sugar
2 eggs

Sift:  
4 C flour           
3 t baking powder   
¼ t baking soda           
1 t  salt   
1 t nutmeg

Add to butter mixture and alternate with sour cream and milk.
½ C sour cream          
¼ C milk

Chill dough 1 hour.  Roll 1/2 inch thick (a little less, but not much) and bake at 375 for 10 min.