Some of My Favorite Cookie Recipes

I love to bake!!! My favorite thing to bake is cookies. I think I love them because there are a ton of varieties but the basic baking is the same (cream butter, add sugars, add eggs and vanilla, mix dry ingredients, add dry to wet, bake). I love a process that I can follow that can still produce different things.

I decided to share my favorite cookie recipes. These are [very] tried and true recipes.

NESTLE TOLL HOUSE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups (12 oz pkg) chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, sugars, and vanilla in mixer.
Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop by rounded Tbsp onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
*I bake them for about 7-8 minutes on a middle rack and 2 minutes on a top rack to make them bake evenly and stay soft.

GINGER SNAPS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat in mixer (1st)
3/4 cup Crisco (sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp salt

Mix in a medium bowl (2nd)
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2 tsp ginger

Add dry to wet.
Make small balls & dip tops in sugar.
Place on cookie sheet.
They will flatten out themselves.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.
*I bake them for about 8-10 minutes on a middle rack and 2 minutes on the top rack to bake evenly and stay soft.

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in bowl.
Shape into balls and press down with fork to form criss-cross pattern.
Bake 8-10 minutes.
*I bake them for 6-7 minutes on the middle rack and 2 minutes on the top rack to bake evenly and stay soft.


SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
In electric mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes).
Add eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
Add flour mixture and beat until you have a smooth dough.
Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter.
Put on baking sheet.
Put in refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to chill the dough.
Note: If you are not going to frost the baked cookies, you can use an egg wash (scramble egg with water) and brush it on the cookies and add sprinkles before you bake.
Bake for 10 minutes or until they are brown around the edges.
*I bake them for about 8 minutes on the middle rack and 2 minutes on the top rack so that they bake evenly and stay soft.
Let cookies cool.
Frost with royal icing, if desired.
Be sure to let the royal icing dry completely before storing. (This may take several hours.)
Frosted cookies will keep several days in an airtight container.
Store between layers of parchment paper or wax paper.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
2 tsp lemon juice
3 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix egg whites and lemon juice with a whisk.
Add powdered sugar and mix.
Add a little cold water for consistency.

SNICKERDOODLES

Ingredients:

Topping:
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Cookies:
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees (yes, 300 degrees!).
In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon for the topping. Set aside.
In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well with wire whisk and set aside. In a large bowl blend both sugars with an electric mixer set at medium speed.
Add the butter and mix to form a grainy paste.
Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix at medium speed.
Add the flour mixture and blend at low speed just until combined. Do not overmix.
Spoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top.
Bake for 15-18 minutes.
*I bake them for about 12 minutes on the middle rack and 2 minutes on the top rack to bake them evenly and stay soft.
Remove immediately from cookie sheet and let cool.

PEANUT BLOSSOM COOKIES

Ingredients:

Cookies:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Coating:
1/3 cup granulated white sugar

Garnish:
48 milk chocolate Kisses or mini Reeses, unwrapped

Directions:
Line three baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream the butter.
Add the peanut butter and sugars and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes).
Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat to combine.
Beat in the milk.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Add to the peanut butter mixture and beat until incorporated.
Cover and chill the batter for about an hour, or until firm enough to roll into balls.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in the center of the oven.
Roll the batter into 1 inch round balls.
Place the granulated white sugar in a shallow bowl and roll each ball in the sugar.
Place on the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart.
Bake the cookies for about 8 - 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned.
Immediately upon removing the cookies from the oven, place a chocolate Kiss in the center of each cookie, pressing down until the cookie just starts to crack.
*I like to put the cookies back in the oven for a minute to soften the candy.
Cool completely on a wire rack.