THIN MINT CHRISTMAS COOKIES

It is time to start planning your Christmas cookie list, isn't it? Today's cookie is truly a five star keeper!!

These festive cookies taste just like Thin Mint Girl Scout Cookies(only better!!) and they only take TWO INGREDIENTS to make!!! People will think you've been working on them all day.

 

I drizzled some white chocolate
decoration on these, just for fun,

but it certainly isn't necessary. You
can use holiday sprinkles instead.

You will need some Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers and some Andes (creme de menthe) chocolates.....that's it!!
 

 

The chocolate wafers come in a 9 ounce package and I found the Andes Mints (those creamy little chocolate mints with the green center) in a 4.67 ounce package.  There are 28 mints in the package and one package will do a dozen cookies (I found the mint packages for $1.60 here in Alaska, so hopefully you can find them even cheaper.

I unwrapped and then melted the chocolates in my microwave for about 30 seconds...stirred and then microwaved them for another 10 seconds (stir until the chocolate is smooth and shiny). Dip the chocolate wafers in the melted chocolate (both sides) and place on some parchment paper (or waxed paper).

Stick them in the fridge (I used the freezer) for about 5 minutes to "set" the chocolate......that's it!!  

 

 

NOTE: If you are having trouble finding the Andes Mints, just use the Andes Mint baking chips (next to the chocolate chips) they will work just as well. 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!



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SOFT COCONUT DROP COOKIES

These cookies are WONDERFULLY SOFT, rich, flavorful and easy to make. The recipe makes about 3 dozen big 4" cookies and if you store them in an airtight container, they will stay soft and chewy (they are totally addicting!!)

 

Soft Coconut Drop Cookies are PERFECT lunch box cookies, bake sale cookies, potluck cookies or "anytime cookies". They are delicious.

1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (lightly packed)
1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Cream the shortening, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating in between each egg.

Add the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, coconut and nuts (if you are using nuts) and beat until well mixed (batter will be thick).

Take a well rounded tablespoon of cookie dough batter and roll it into a ball. Place on a greased cookie sheet spaced 3" apart (I use parchment paper instead of greasing the pan). Bake at 350° for 11-14 minutes (my electric oven takes a full 14 minutes). Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet a minute or two before you remove them.

After they are cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container.

 

ENJOY !!

 

Note: Recipe calls for butter flavored shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco). I'm sure they could be made with butter instead, but they will bake differently and probably spread out a lot more. I also don't think they would stay soft and chewy.



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SOFT MAPLE COOKIES

This recipe for SOFT and CHEWY maple cookies is excellent; they really do stay soft for days (if they last that long) and who doesn't love maple?!?! This recipe makes a large batch, so it is perfect for bake sales, potlucks or any large gathering.

 

 

1 cup butter (room temperature)

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup REAL maple syrup (not pancake syrup)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons maple extract

4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar till well mixed; add the egg, syrup and extracts; mix until smooth.

 

Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together, and add it to the wet mixture, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The cookie dough batter will be very thick.

 

Lightly grease your cookie sheets with vegetable spray or cover your baking sheets with parchment paper.

 

Roll cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll them in granulated sugar. Place the sugared cookie dough balls (a couple inches apart) onto cookie sheet and flatten them just a little.

 

 

Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes (my electric oven takes 9 minutes).

I like to cool my cookies on a sheet of waxed paper.

 

Makes about 4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.

 

 



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OLD FASHIONED LEMON BARS

I tried (yet another) one of Laura's great recipes over at  heywhatsfordinnermom.com  (she has some great ones over there). 

This recipe, for Old Fashioned Lemon bars, couldn't be more basic, yet it hits all the right "lip smacking" notes and picky-picky husband loved them, so that makes this recipe 5 stars at our house!!

 

 The lemon bars have a sweet and buttery shortbread type crust that is partially baked before a gooey topping is added and baked again. The topping is sweet-ish, lemony-ish, pudding-y-ish (are those even real words?) the combo is heavenly.

BASE LAYER
1 cup flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup COLD butter cubed

Put these three ingredients in the food processor and pulse until you get crumbs.  Pat the crumbs into an 8" x 8" baking dish. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 20 minutes.

While it is baking, whisk together the following topping ingredients until very smooth:

TOPPING LAYER
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
zest of one lemon (see note)
2  1/2  tablespoons lemon juice
2  1/2  tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

After the cookie base ingredients have baked for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and pour over the topping ingredients and put it right back in the oven for another 25 minutes.

Cool completely in pan before cutting.  Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar (if you want).  Cut into small squares or bars since it is pretty rich.

STORE COVERED

 

NOTE: Be careful to only use the bright yellow part of the lemon zest. They pale yellow and while part of the lemon peel is very bitter.

NOTE: I lined my baking pan with parchment paper and left the ends/edges a little long. After the bars completely cool, I grab the edges of the paper and lift the whole thing out of the pan. I do this with all of my bar cookies because once they are out of the pan they are so much easier to cut.

NOTE:  If you aren't going to line your pan with parchment paper, I suggest you very lightly mist it with cooking spray.

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FRUIT FILLED COOKIE BARS

I had a hard time coming up with a name for this delicious treat. It is not exactly a cake, but it's a little soft to be a cookie. It does remind me a little of one of those big soft cake-y sugar cookies, but don't forget it has a juicy fruit filling too, so what category does it really fall into?  Answer: Yummy Category!!

Usually, we just eat these out of hand, but they are also nice enough for company if you serve them with a scoop of ice cream!! Either way they are hard to beat with a tall glass of milk or a hot cup of tea.

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
14 ounce can fruit pie filling (see note)

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together until very well mixed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between each egg.

Add flour and beat until well mixed, then let the dough sit for about 5 minutes.

Press 3/4 of the dough into a lightly greased 9" x 9" pan (I use a (9" springform pan).  Make the outside edge just a little deeper than the rest of the crust (this will help keep the fruit away from the edge of the pan).

Top with fruit filling (see note) and then drop little bits of the rest of the reserved dough on top of the fruit filling.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 oven for 35-40 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. My electric oven takes 37 minutes.

Let cool for a while then drizzle with a vanilla frosting glaze.

Cool and store covered.

NOTES:

Any home made or commercial fruit filling will work well in the recipe, but I suggest that if you use a commercial pie filling, that you jazz it up a little. Example: if you are using cherry pie filling, add 1/4 teaspoon of almond extract, if you are using apple pie filling, chop them up a little and add a little more cinnamon and nutmeg or maybe a few raisin? Use your imagination.

You can double the ingredients and bake it in a 9" x 13" pan for 40-45 minutes.  Either way, use the toothpick test to make sure its done in the middle.

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BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

THIS RECIPE MAKES THE BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE EVER!!

 

I've been making chocolate chip cookies for 45 years; lets just say I've tried a ba-jillion recipes, but today's recipe beats them all hands down, these cookies ARE THE REAL DEAL !!

Some chocolate chip cookie recipes have great flavor but produce a FLAT/SAGGY cookie that spreads all over the cookie sheet (I hate that). some recipes produce a picture perfect cookie, but they don't have that wonderfully chewy texture and buttery flavor that a good chocolate chip cookie needs. 

Well, I'm here to tell you that today's recipe will give you BOTH a perfectly shaped cookie AND one that tastes FIVE STAR .....THEY ARE
PERFECTION!!

The only word of caution in this recipe is that the cookie dough is THICK. I don't think I'd try it with my hand mixer, but my stand mixer worked great with this recipe.

1  1/2  cups real butter (no substitutions)(room temperature)
1  1/4  cups granulated sugar
1  1/4  cups brown sugar
2       large eggs
1  Tablespoon vanilla
4  1/4  cups all purpose flour(I use bread flour in everything)
1  teaspoon baking powder
1  teaspoon baking soda
1  teaspoon salt
2  cups chocolate chips (I use mini chocolate chips)

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the room temperature butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla. Beat until well mixed and smooth.

Mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together and add it, one cup at a time to the creamed butter-egg mixture. Beat until well mixed then beat in the chocolate chips.

Preheat oven to 375°F and use a UNGREASED cookie sheet. Roll the cookie dough into balls about the size of a small walnut and place on the cookie sheet about 2" apart.

Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes. They will still be pretty soft-ish when they come out of the oven, but that is what you want for a soft chewy cookie. Cool them on a baking screen/rack.

This recipe makes about 5 dozen

perfect cookies

 

NOTE: Don't let the HEAVY (raw) cookie dough freak you out, after they bake, they are very tender, rich, buttery cookies.

I'm NEVER switching chocolate chip cookie

recipes again, THIS ONE is the REAL DEAL !!

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MELT IN YOUR MOUTH SHORTBREAD COOKIES

'Tis the season for Christmas cookies, and this is one of our favorites. Simple ingredients, simple instructions; you can make them as festive (or simple) as you want and they are still "melt in your mouth" delicious. Try these classic shortbread cookies for the holidays.

 

SHORTBREAD COOKIES

 

1 cup room temperature butter (no substitutions)

1/2  cup brown sugar (packed tight into measuring cup)

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

 

In a large stand mixer (using paddle beater), beat the butter, vanilla and brown sugar (on high) for five minutes (scrape down the bowl sides half way through).

 

After 5 minutes, add the flour (one cup at a time) and beat until very well mixed and the cookie dough comes away from the sides of

the bowl.

 

Roll the dough into a log and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least a couple hours (I like to chill overnight).

 

When you are ready to bake these cookies, roll the log in sprinkles or finely chopped nuts, pressing them in with your hands just a little.

 

Using a thin bladed knife, slice the cookie log into 1/4" slices and place on an UNGREASED cookie sheet.  Bake in a pre-heated 325° oven for 20-25 minutes or until edges of the cookies JUST START to change color. My electric oven takes 23 minutes.

 

Remove from cookie sheet and cool on bakers rack.  These cookies do NOT spread out when you bake them, so you can really place them close together on the baking sheet.

 

 

SPRINKLES?

 

NO SPRINKLES?

 

Just make sure you have a

tall glass of milk!!

 

 





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Biscuits and American Cookies

All week Celia Sacks has been taunting me with lovely copies of cookbooks by Ambrose Heath.  Some I do have and, alas, some I don't.   It seems only fitting and proper that we feature our newest Ambrose Heath.  As you know, The Home Entertaining Series is one of my favorites. 

The Home Entertaining Series featured small, slim volumes on everything from banana recipes to growing and using herbs. They were published in London by Herbert Jenkins in the 1940's and 50's.  Like many an old-fashioned cookbook, there is very little in the way of directions; no tidy list of amounts, no exact baking times, just enough info to get one in trouble.

Today's entry is Biscuits and American Cookies.  In true British form, American Cookies are an after thought in this books.  There is one recipe given that cam be used for drop, rolled, sliced or squared cookies, the last being actually a bar cookie.  To this basic recipe there are about twenty additions to make that American cookie almond, chocolate, nut, lemon, and on and on.  Heath points out that Americans have a desire for filled cookies; a cookie achieved by placing a filling of some jam or mincemeat on one cookie and topping it with the other.

We do love this rather straight forward approach to baking.  What better to serve with a biscuit than a glass of wine.  Or should we say what better to serve with wine than a biscuit.

Wine Biscuits

Rub half an ounce of butter in half a pound of flour sieved whit a pinch of salt, and mix to a stiff paste with cream.  Roll out half an inch thick, cut into three-inch rounds, roll these out again wafer-thin, and bake them in a quick oven watching them carefully, as they need little more than just crisping.

We do long for a modern cookbook with gentle guidance instead of rigid numbers.  We want to cook something that needs, "little more than just crisping."

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CHRISTMAS COOKIES

I am a "list maker" and one of the lists I thoroughly enjoy making is my holiday baking list. From October through early December, I pour over my old tried and true recipes then surf the web for new recipes I want to try. I make a ton of cookies for Christmas, so I'm always on the hunt for a new one to try.

Below are three great Christmas cookie recipes; I hope you and  your family enjoy them.

click on the link under the

photo for the recipe;

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

 

These are made with a spritz type dough that is baked in a mini muffin pan and when they come out of the oven and are still piping hot, you press a FROZEN mini-Reece cup into the cookie; they are wonderful and look very pretty on any cookie tray.

 



Cream Cheese Spritz Cookies

Spritz cookies are traditional at Christmas, however cream cheese spritz cookies are even better!! They are similar to a shortbread cookie in overall taste, however, they are light as a feather and crispy. You can make them look "holiday ready" with a tiny chip of maraschino cherry in the center or dust them with holiday sprinkles.

 

Chewy Molasses Cookies

 

The aroma of these molasses cookies, hot out of the oven, says "Christmas" to me. They are gently spiced and (if you keep them in an airtight container) will stay soft for days. They truly are a PERFECT holiday cookie.





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PECAN SANDIE COOKIES

I think of my dear sweet mother every time I make these pecan sandie's, they were her favorite kind of cookie; I think Keebler made them if I remember correctly. 

This cookie is buttery, sweet, tender and  they melt in your mouth (and there are NO EGGS). The cookie dough is formed into logs, then chilled, then sliced and baked at your convenience. 

This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so you can also bake part of them and save the rest of the chilled dough for later in the week!! It is also a great holiday recipe because they travel well and they are always a hit at cookie exchanges.

2 cups butter (no substitutions) room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract (see note)
4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the room temperature butter, sugar, salt and extracts until the mixture is light and fluffy (takes a few minutes and looks sort of like whipped cream when you are done).

Add the flour, one cup at a time, until well mixed. The dough will seem VERY thick, so a stand mixer works best but it isn't absolutely necessary. You will know you have mixed it enough when the cookie dough starts to come away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Divide the dough into 4 logs about  2" in diameter. Roll the logs in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for about an hour (or up to several days).

When it's time to bake, slice the cookie dough logs into 1/4" slices and roll (tops and bottoms) in granulated sugar.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for  18-20 minutes (my oven took exactly 18 minutes) or until the edges are JUST STARTING to turn golden.

 

NOTE: You will not taste the coconut extract in the final cookie, but it lends a wonderful "background" flavor that is reminiscent of those great Royal Dansk Danish butter cookies that come in round tins at Christmas time.

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MAPLE PECAN TASSIES

When our kids were little, I made these Tassie's ONLY on special occasions, or during the Christmas holiday. I'm not sure why that was "the rule", but it was.

These days, at our house, Tassie's have evolved into a barbecue "staple" for several reasons: not only are they super easy (and mess-less) to serve a crowd (especially the little ones), but you can make them a day (or even two) ahead of time, which is always handy.

I just set a tray of these beauties out on the buffet table, and guests "re-visit" it again and again; I guess their mini-size isn't as intimidating as a big old piece of pecan pie.

Tassie's Aren't Just For Christmas Anymore!!

PASTRY CRUST
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature (see note)
6 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups all purpose flour

Cream the butter and cream cheese (with electric mixer) until it is light and fluffy. Add the flour and beat until the dough comes cleanly away from the inside walls of your mixing bowl.

Roll pastry into 1 inch balls and place them into an un-greased mini-muffin pan. Using your fingers, press the balls of dough into the bottom of each cup and up the sides. (I use the floured round end of my rolling pin to press the dough into place). Place the pan of shaped shells into the freezer for a few minutes while you make the filling.

FILLING
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 3/4 cups light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans (see note)

Beat the eggs until very well mixed and lemon colored. Stir in everything else (except nuts) and whisk until smooth; set aside.

Put a few chopped pecans in the bottom of each pastry shell and add enough filling to fill the shell about 2/3 full. (see note)

Bake in pre-heated 375F oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the filling is set, yet still a little soft in the center. Remove from oven and sit the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before you try to lift them out. Lift Tassie's out of pan and cool on a wire rack.

 

 

NOTE: Keep in mind that the filling puffs as it bakes, so don't overfill the unbaked shells. If you overfill them, they will be hard to get out of the pans. If your Tassie's resist coming out easily, use the tip of a knife to help you "lift them" out of the pan.

UPDATE: The recipe that I've used for 35+ years, used butter in the crust. However, recently, I decided to try butter flavored Crisco and I was thrilled with the crust difference. The butter produces a very white and non-flaky crust, but the butter flavored Crisco produces a super-flaky golden crust that picky-picky husband loved. If you click on the following photo, you can see how nice and flaky this ingredient substitution turned out.

NOTE: If you do not have maple extract, just leave it out.

NOTE: Picky-picky husband is not a big nut eater, so I put minimal nuts in these when I make them. Even with the extra filling, they bake in 20 minutes.

 

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SIX MICROWAVE COOKIES

This fun little recipe is for those "I-need-some-chocolate-right-now-or-I'm-going-to die" moments in your life. Cookies from the microwave? Before today, I would have highly doubted their success, but my scorched tongue is proof that they ARE good AND that I was too impatient for them to cool off!!

This recipe only makes six small cookies, which is PERFECT better for my perpetual diet. Don't expect the same crispy cookie you would get out of the oven, but the taste is very much the same.

1 tablespoon butter (melted)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Mix everything and form into 1" balls, then flatten a little and put them on an UNgreased microwave safe plate. They don't spread much when they cook, so just put them an inch or so apart.

Microwave on high for 45-55 seconds (my microwave took 50 seconds). Now is the hard part......let them cool for a couple of minutes....then enjoy!!

NOTE: Do not be tempted to add any baking soda to this recipe.

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Treasured Recipes From The Charleston Cake Lady

It has been so dark and drear around here that we have tried to brighten up things by baking... OK by reading about baking.  Baby steps.

We pulled off the shelf our copy of Treasured Recipes From The Charleston Cake Lady.  It would seem that in the mid 1980's, Teresa Pregnall began baking and selling cakes from her kitchen.  20,000 cakes later she published a cookbook filled with cakes and other goodies.  We should have been terribly inspired but 20,000 cakes! We were just exhausted. 

There are pound cakes and chocolate cakes and spice cakes.  We were a bit surprised that the ubiquitous Red Velvet cake was no where to be found.  We moved on to brownies and finally settled on a popular Charleston treat, the Charleston Chew.  Pregnall points out that the editor quite innocently asked,"What exactly is a chew?"  It is one of those, "Where are you from?" kind of questions.  But an old Southern chew is basically a gooey cookie bar. 

Charleston Chews


4 large eggs
1 box (1 pound) dark brown sugar
2-1/2-cups self rising flour, sifted
1-teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1-cup chopped walnuts or pecans
Sifted confectioners' sugar for dusting


Preheat the oven to 350º. Grease a 13 x 9" pan.

In a large bowl, mix the eggs, brown sugar, flour, and vanilla extract until
well blended. Fold in the nuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden
brown on top. Sprinkle the chews with sifted confectioners' sugar. Cut into
squares when cool, and wait for the raves. 

Are we raving yet?  I must say, the sky looks a bit brighter...

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YUMMY BARS

This basic recipe has been around for several decades because it is not only delicious, but it is super quick and easy and very versatile. It is basically a graham cracker bottom with a sweetened condensed milk center laced with coconut, nuts and chocolate chips; easy as one-two-three!!

Prefer dark chocolate? No problem, prefer peanut butter chips, no problem, prefer cinnamon or chocolate graham crackers? No problem.  Change this recipe to your hearts desire!!

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2 cups favorite flavor chocolate chips

Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with parchment paper, leaving the ends long enough to hold on to when you lift the finished bars out of pan. If you don't have parchment paper, you can spray the pan with vegetable spray but parchment works the best.

Melt the butter and toss with graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Press firmly into prepared baking dish.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the bottom layer.
Sprinkle the coconut on top of the milk layer; next add the nuts if you are going to use them (I don't).

Finally, layer the chocolate chips (or your favorite flavor of chips). Use a fork and really press hard on the layers, mashing them all together.

Bake at 350° (in metal pan) or 325° in glass dish for 25 minutes or until lightly golden around edges.

Don't cut the bars until the chocolate is cooled AND set. You can speed set the chocolate by putting the baked bars in the fridge for a while, but bring it to room temperature again before cutting them.

Store covered, at room temperature. These are super fast to make and are great for any time you need a quick "take along".

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BUTTER COOKIES

These big 4" cookies are crispy, light as a feather and full of butter-y goodness. They are too fragile to ship through the mail, but straight out of the cookie jar, they are melt in your mouth perfection.

1 1/4 cups butter (room temperature)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 egg YOLKS
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 TABLESPOON of vanilla extract

Cream the room temperature butter and granulated sugar with your stand mixer. Once smooth, add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well in between each addition; beat in the vanilla.

Mix the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar, and add this mixture to the butter mixture, one cup at a time. Mix well.

Cover and chill the dough for about 30  minutes.

Roll the dough into 1" balls and roll them in granulated sugar.  Place on an UNgreased cookie sheet (3" apart)and flatten slightly.

Bake in 350° preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are golden.  Recipe makes 3½ dozen cookies.

Rolling dough into 1" balls, will give you 4" cookies, so leave lots of room between each cookie ball on the cookie sheet.

 

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CHEWY MOLASSES COOKIES

Warmly spiced, sweet and chewy; these cookies are perfect for ANY cookie exchange. Molasses cookies are the quintessential Christmas cookie.

 

3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the room temperature butter, brown sugar, egg and molasses; mix until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary.

Add the flour, baking soda, salt and spices and mix well.  Cover and chill the dough for about an hour.

Roll the dough into balls about the size of a small walnut and roll them in granulated sugar (important step). Place them on an ungreased cookie sheet (about 2" apart) and flatten them just a little (I use the flat end of a drinking glass dipped in sugar). 

Bake at 375° for 8 minutes (the tops will have a wonderful crackle look). Be careful not to over bake them. 

The cookie batter (inside of the crinkle/cracks of the baked cookie) will still look a little "wet" after 8 minutes in the oven, but they will be perfectly baked and chewy when they cool off.  If you like a crisp cookie instead of a chewy cookie, leave them in the oven for another minute or so.

To keep these cookies soft and chewy, store them in a Ziploc bag or any Tupperware that has a tight fitting lid. These cookies freeze (and ship) very well and they smell heavenly when you open the cookie jar!!!

 

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CHEWY OATMEAL WHOOPIE PIES

Whoopie pies are two cookies, layered back to back, with a thick layer of frosting in between. Some have a cake texture, some are crunchy and some (like today's post) are chewy.  I like to wrap them individually so the cookies stay on the soft side (plus, since they are pre-wrapped, they are easy to toss into a lunch box, sort of like home made Little Debbie's oatmeal cookies.

This recipe has the wonderful taste of "oatmeal and autumn" spices. It is also a cookie you can easily make even if the pantry is running low on everything because there are no "special" ingredients in these whoopie pies.

2 cups brown sugar (I like dark brown)
3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons boiling water
2½ cups all purpose flour
2 cups quick cooking oats

Preheat oven to 350 and spray cookie sheets with vegetable spray (I don't spray, I just use parchment paper).

Cream together the butter, brown sugar, eggs, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and boiling water. Beat until mixture is light in color and fluffy.

Beat in the flour and oats. Let mixture sit for about 5 minutes.

Roll into balls about the size of a small walnut.  These cookies don't "spread" a lot, so you can space them about 3" apart. Just try and make them all the same size.

Place the cookie dough balls on a prepared cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  The cookies will look like they need another couple of minutes, but they don't. Remove them from the cookie sheet and place on a cooking rack. If the cookies are puffed up... very lightly tap the top of the cookie with the back of a fork.  Cool cookies completely.

COOKIE FILLING

1 cup butter (room temperature)
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Mix everything (starting with only 3 tablespoons milk) and add the other tablespoon if the frosting is too stiff.

Use the frosting, generously, to "glue" two cookies together.

Wrap cookies individually or keep them in an airtight container so the cookies will remain chewy and not crunchy.

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PEANUT BUTTER CREAM BARS

I've been making these bars since my kids were little; now I make them for my grandchildren. I think that is the mark of a great recipe, don't you? 

This cookie bar has a creamy (peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk) layer between two chewy oatmeal cookie layers. As if that wasn't enough, the finished bars are drizzled with a peanut butter frosting glaze. They are SO GOOD and they make a great bake sale item.

 

 2 cups raw quick oats
1¾ cups brown sugar
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter
2 cups chocolate chips (or 1 cup mini chocolate chips)
1 beaten egg
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and then cut in the butter (like you would for a pie crust). I do this step with an electric mixer, but don't do it with a food processor because it will chop the oatmeal to finely.

Remove 1¾ cups of these crumbs and put them in a small bowl with the chocolate chips and set it aside.

Mix the beaten egg into the remaining crumb mixture (not the part with the chocolate chips) and mix well. Press this mixture into a greased (I use parchment paper instead of grease) 10" x 15" x 2" baking pan and bake in preheated  350 oven for 15 minutes.

While the base is in the oven, whisk the sweetened condensed milk together with the creamy peanut butter and set aside.

When the partially baked crust comes out of the oven, drizzle the milk-peanut butter mixture evenly over the crust. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved crumb-chocolate chip mixture and bake, at 350, for another 15 minutes.

Drizzle the baked bars with peanut butter frosting while they are still warm. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares.



 

NOTE: For ease of cutting, I line the pan with parchment paper and leave the sides a little long, so I can grab the COOLED bars and lift them out of the pan for slicing.

PEANUT BUTTER GLAZE

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoons butter soft

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons milk

Now keep in mind, I NEVER, and I mean NEVER measure ingredients for a cake glaze, so I'm hoping these amounts work for you.  Heat the peanut butter and butter in the microwave until it is nice and soft.  Add the vanilla, milk and sugar and whisk till smooth.  If it seems a little dry, just add another tablespoon or so of milk. If it seems too soupy, add a tablespoon or so more powdered sugar.  When the glaze is nice and smooth, drizzle it over the warm bars.

 

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