Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies

This recipe is another one from the cookbook of my Grandma’s favorite recipes. She does not site a source for any of her recipes, but a quick google search brought up the same recipe at several sites, including this one. Because the original source is unknown, I am giving my grandma credit on this one unless someone knows where this recipe originated.  After searching a bit it seems that several people make these cookies and stick a Hershey’s Kiss on top of the baked cookie (while it is still warm). I had these several times as a kid but that is never the way my grandma made these.  You see, one of the qualities that makes these cookies irresistable is their crinkley top that gets hidden by the addition of a Kiss!

These are so simple to make and produce a cookie that would be a welcomed addition to any bake sale or holiday tray! They really do catch your eye and stand out from your typical Peanut Butter cookie recipe.  Their eye-catching crackly top is the produced by rolling the dough balls in powdered sugar and slightly flattening the tops of the balls before baking.  

Let me tell ya, the dough tastes phenomenal as do the finished cookies. They have a slighlty crisp (not crunchy) exterior but a soft and chewy interior. I did not find these overly sweet (even though they are rolled in powdered sugar) and they have a wonderful peanut butter flavor. These did not last longer than 48 hours in the house but kept in a tupperware container they did stay soft for those 2 days.

Next time I might press down a Holiday edition PB M&M in the center of a warm baked cookie to add a little pop of chocolate and more peanut butter! Plus, who doesn’t love the holdiay colored M&M’s???

I rate these cookies an 8.5

Peanut Butter Crinkle Cookies
1 cup butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs (room temperature)
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup powdered sugar (or more as needed for rolling)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line baking sheets with parchement paper.
Place powdered sugar in shallow bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and peanut butter. Once combined beat in the white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
In a large bowl wisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently add to creamed mixture and mix until almost combined.
Chill dough for 10-20 minutes.
Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Genlty roll the dough balls into powdered sugar and place dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets. Carefully press down on each ball with a glass to flatten tops slightly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven, or until top is crinkley and edges are set. Cook on sheet for 10 minutes and transfer to baking rack to finish cooling.

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

It seems like there are as many variations to chocolate chip cookies as there are stars in the universe. Many bakers pride themselves on being ‘known’ for their chocolate chip cookie recipes.  Most recipes include the basics: butter (or some other fat), sugar, brown sugar, egg, flour and a leavener, what does differ is the ratio of each ingredient used.

Despite all of the recipes to choose from, I rarely make plain chocolate chip cookies and when I do I usually just use the same recipe over and over again (like my mom always says “if it’s not broke, why fix it?”). Well, it may not be ‘broke’ but I was in the mood to bake chocolate chip cookies and wanted to try a new recipe. I was looking for a  recipe a little different from my ‘go-to’ one but didn’t require any fancy ingredients or techniques.
I dug out a cookbook I had bought at a church bakesale last summer and the title of these cookies caught my eye. They are a basic chocolate chip cookie but what makes these cookies different from most is the omission of white sugar. The use of only brown sugar gives these cookies a slightly deeper flavor than most and produces a cookie with a chewy texture.
I don’t know if these will replace my ‘go-to’ recipe (that I am known for) but these were very very good. The dough tasted phenomenal (thanks to that brown sugar and vanilla!). The cookies were soft right out of the oven and needed to cool on the sheet for 5-7 minutes on the baking sheet until I could transfer them (without them falling apart) to a cooling rack to finsh cooling.  The texture of these cookies is chewy but not thick and the brown sugar and vanilla give these cookies a flavor that is a little ‘deeper’ than most. These were easy to make and did not last long around the house (a sign that this recipe is a keeper)

Next time I will add some toasted walnuts or pecans because I think they would pair nicely with the flavor of these cookies.

I rate these cookies an 8

Brown Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate chips (I used half semisweet and half milk chocolate)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended. Add eggs, and vanilla and mix to combine. Add dry ingredients and mix just to blend. Gently fold in chips.
Place dough onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet using a scooper.
Bake 10-12 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies and your oven) or until cookies are pale brown.
Cool cookies on cookie sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack until cooled completly. Serve or store in airtight container.

Cheesecake Stuffed Oatmeal Cookie

I was in the mood for an oatmeal cookie and wanted to try a new recipe. I love oatmeal cookies because they give the illusion of being ‘good’ for you! I found this recipe on a blog totally dedicated to the wonderful Oatmeal Cookie. The combinations that he comes up with amazes me, if you are in need of a new cookie, definatley check out his blog.

While I usually use my tried and true recipe,  I settled for an oatmeal cookie that is stuffed with a cream cheese mixtures before baking. What could be more ‘good’ for you than adding dairy to your wholesome oatmeal cookie?? This is practically a breakfast food right??  That is my delusion, please do not take it away from me.

If you are planning on whipping these up quickly, think again. This cookie does take a little more prep time than your typical recipe because you have to make two doughs (the cookie and the filling) and allow both to chill before baking. Oh, and it took me quite a while to stuff each doughball with the filling mixture, it was quite a process compared to my usualy scoop and drop method of baking cookies.
In addition to their filling, another thing that sets these cookies apart from your basic oatmeal cookie is the inclusion of graham cracker crumbs in the dough!  Who would have thought?  I liked the flavor that the graham cracker crumbs gave the dough and the cookie, just a little depth of flavor that paired nicely with the brown sugar undertones without making it too sweet. MMM Good.

As for the filling, the cream cheese filling is basic but you could add flavored extracts to jazz it up a bit if you so desired (almond or coconut extract would be yummy).

I did  find this dough a little difficult to work with because even after chilling for 30 minutes it was hard to get the dough to form a ball that was not super sticky. It could have been my warm kitchen, I am not sure. Next time I might roll the filling into balls after chilling and then freeze for 5-8 minutes to firm up more and make it easier to form the cookie dough around.
The cookie dough itself was also hard to work with and did not want to form into a ball (again, could have been my warm kitchen). This made it all the more difficult to form a ball around the cream filling. Let’s just say that this was a very messy and time intensive process for me! I did get to lick my fingers after each batch went in the oven so the process was not without its rewards! (don’t worry, I washed them before prepping the next batch). Because the dough is cool when you put it in the oven I pressed down slighlty on the dough balls with a glass (dipped in sugar) so they baked evenly.

All in all the cookie part had a lovely flavor that I enjoyed. It was tender and chewy but not cakelike at all, just what I like in a cookie. I would make the dough again even without the filling because I really liked the cookie flavor. The filling on the other hand was not what I expected. It wasn’t bad, just not the ‘cheesecake’-like filling I was hoping for. The consistency was a little to runny for my liking, almost like icing/frosting. I tried them warm as well as cooled and while it did firm up a bit after cooling, it was still to thin in my opinion. I did freeze some baked cookies and ended up liking those much better than warm. Maybe I was just in a weird mood, could have been the heat and humidity ha ha.   Live and learn.

I would make these again, but next time I would try them using only two eggs and one egg yolk in the cookie dough to help keep it more firm. I would add more oatmeal (maybe even wiz some in a food processor to use) as needed until the dough came together and was no longer sticky (or maybe even add some shredded coconut and use some coconut or almond extract in the filling). I will definately chill the dough until it can from  a dough ball easily.
As for the filling, I will use more cream cheese to thicken the filling dough and add maybe a teaspoon of flour/cornstarch as well. I will chill,  form into balls and then freeze until set so I can form the cookie dough around it without it oozing all over.

I rate these cookies a 7 but I would make again as there is room for improvement.

Golden Girls
adapted from OatmealCookie
Filling
8 ounces room-temperature cream cheese
4 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cookie
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups finely ground graham crackers
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Add the filling ingredients to a medium bowl and mix well.  Let the mixture cool and solidify in the refrigerator until ready for it.
Preheat oven to 350º.
In your Kitchen Aid or a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla and then add to the creamables. Mix together until smooth.

In another large mixing bowl, wisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, oatmeal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix until evenly combined.
*I needed to chill the dough for 15 minutes because mine was so moist it would not hold together.
Shape dough into balls—about 2 tablespoons each.

Remove the filling mixture from the refrigerator and stuff each dough ball with 1 teaspoon of the mixture.
Put the stuffed dough balls in the freezer for five minutes to firm up.
Place chilled dough balls about 2 inches apart on Silpat- or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets.
Bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Then place cookies on wire racks to cool.

Coconut Macaroons

I love the flavor of coconut, it really says “summer” to me. With the season half over already, I decided to whip up a cookie that would let coconut be the star of the show. I decided to try a new recipe and was very pleased with the results. Macaroons are quick and easy and require very few ingredients. They make a great dessert when you are looking for something light and non-chocolatey but are sick of fruit. An added bonus is that there is no added fat other than what is in the coconut! You can eat these and feel good about your diet (just don’t eat too many).

I have used this recipe in the past but like I said, I was in the mood to try a new recipe. While I enjoy the version using sweetened condensed milk, I find them to be very moist and almost gummy (but still yummy).

I found this recipe in an old Pillsbury cookbook, tweaked the preparation method a bit and am pleased with the results. The dough is moist but holds its shape well, especially after a brief 30 minute rest in the fridge. The delicate texture of the dough is a product of pulsing the coconut in a food processor before adding to the recipe. This method was not called for in the original recipe but I feel helps produce a cookie with great texture and consistency. The smaller pieces of coconut produce a dough that holds together well and a cookie with a light but solid interior with no long strands of coconut sticking out of them (which can be somewhat difficult to chew). Chilling the dough for 30 mintues before baking also helps the cookies keep their shape during baking as well as softens the coconut for better texture and flavor of the baked cookie.

The exterior of the cookie has a slight cripness from the browned coconut.  However, next time I will bake a tad longer in order for the coconut to brown a bit more. These were not underbaked but another minute or two wouldn’t have hurt. Just watch closely because they can go from light brown to burn pretty fast. The interior of these cookies is flavorful and moist but not overly gooey.

These were very good. Next time I may add some chopped pecans or almonds to the dough or drizzle melted chocolate over some of them after they have finished baking because I love the combination of coconut and chocolate. Heck I may even dip some baked cookies into melted chocolate and sprinkle with nuts if I am in a feisty mood. ha ha.

I rate these cookies an 8

Coconut Macaroons
Pillsburry Complete Cookbook (year unknown)

2 large Egg whites
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla or almond extract (I used Almond)
1/3 cup Sugar
2 TBS Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (or more as needed)

Bring eggs to room temperature by letting them sit on the counter for about an hour before separating (this will make it easier to separate).
Prepare a baking sheet by lining with parchment paper.

In a food processor pulse the coconut 1/2 cup at a time for 15-30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl.

Place the egg whites in a medium bowl and starting at low speed, beat the egg whites until they begin to foam. As the foam continues to build, you can turn the speed to medium and then high. Beat until the foam forms stiff, glossy peaks. Add the Vanilla or Almond extract as desired.
Add the sugar, flour and salt and continue to beat until incorporated.
Fold in the coconut just untili combined. Cover bowl tightly and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 325.
Spoon the batter onto the pan in rounded mounds. The batter should be of a consistency that a spoonful will stand as a mound 3/4-inch high on the pan.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cookies begin to turn a light brown color.
Immediately remove the cookies and allow to cool on wire racks. Store in cool dry place.

The Best Peanut Butter Cookies. Period

It is no secret that I love the combination of PB and chocolate. To me there is no better combination when it comes to sweet treats. Needless to say, I will use any excuse to make treats involving this delicious combination.

This recipe is by far my favorite Peanut Butter cookie recipe ever; and believe me, I have tried many many recipes (Like I said ANY excuse to try more Chocolate/Peanut Butter combinations). The recipe below has been six years in the making. I first received the original recipe as part of a recipe exchange in a club I was involved in my junior year in college (Thanks Heidi). Not being much of a baker back then I liked the recipe but did not know how to tweak it to better meet my preferences (tender and chewy with a lighlty crisp exterior). Don’t get me wrong it was a good cookie to begin with but felt there was potential for more. There were things I LOVED about the original.

I have tried many recipes for Peanut Butter cookies since first receiving the original recipe but have always come  back to the one from Heidi. One thing I love about this recipe is that there is more than twice as much Peanut Butter than butter. I firmly believe that Peanut Butter should not share the spotlight with butter in ANY cookie that claims to be a Peanut Butter cookie! I also love the addition of chocolate and Peanut Butter chips (genious) and that you roll the dough balls in sugar before baking. This creates a slightly crisp exterior that compliments the delicate texture of the interior perfectly!

As my experience in baking grew I began to tweak the origianl recipe each time I made it and I am happy to say I am finished tweaking.
It now meets and exceeds my expectations of what a Peanut  Butter Cookie should be. I know everyone has a different idea of their “perfect cookie” so these may not be your cup of tea, but I do suggest at least trying them. I make these often and every time I take them somewhere people comment on their wonderful light texture and great Peanut Butter flavor.

There are a few Hints/Tips to making these bad boys:
1. I like to chill the dough for about 15 minutes before baking and keep it chilled while one pan is baking (especially during the warm months as Peanut Butter tends to ‘melt’ easily and makes the dough harder to work with). Chilling helps the cookies keep their shape while baking and helps with the delicate texture of the baked cookie.
2. You need to let these cool on a baking sheet for at least five to ten minutes after removing from the oven, if not they will fall apart because they are so tender! You can finish cooling on a wire rack before storing.
3. To keep these nice and soft, store a piece of bread in a sealed container with the cookies, make sure it is not touching the cookies (I place it on a piece of wax paper on top of the cookies in the container)
4. If freezing the balls for later baking, Chill dough, roll into balls and freeze. Don’t roll in sugar until ready to bake.(See photo)
5. These are delicate cookies and can be difficult to transport. I find a single layer of cookies transports beautifully. If needing to stack cookies to transport, place a few sheets of waxed paper in between layers.

I rate these cookies a 9 (hey, there is always room for improvement right? ha ha)

The Original Peanut Butter Cookie (from Heidi)
tweaked by bakingblonde
1 cup + 2 TBS peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 TBS milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Peanut Butter chips (I recommend the Reese’s brand, the generic are not the same)
1/2 cup Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup Sugar (for rolling dough balls, may need more or less)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line baking sheets with parchement paper.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter. Once combined beat in the white sugar, and brown sugar until well blended. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
In a large bowl wisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently add to creamed mixture and mix until almost combined. Fold in chocolate and peanut butter chips. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes.
Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Genlty roll the dough balls into sugar and place dough balls on parchment lined baking sheets. Carefully press each ball with fork tines to create a criss-cross pattern.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes until sturdy enough to be transfered to a wire rack to cool completely.

Treasure Cookies

What is a treasure? In my mind it is something surprising and good.

I am not sure how these cookies got there name, it may be because they have a unique texture and surprising ingredients. However they got their name, they deliver a tastey treat that may not be as good as gold, but is GOOD none the less. What makes these cookies unique is that they are egg-free and the base of the dough is made from crushed Graham Crackers and Sweet and Condensed Milk.  Add to that a few baking staples and some coconut, chocolate chips and nuts and you have yourself one heck of a tastey cookie.

These cookies are chewy, very chewy and not cake-like in the least bit. The coconut provides some depth and structure to an otherwise gooey cookie that would easily fall apart while enjoying. The Graham Cracker crumbs can be provide a subtle depth of flavor without being overpowering. While they don’t replace my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, they do satisfy my sweet tooth and are a snap to make. These cookies are sweet, but not overly so in my opinion and offer a welcomed change of pace from the traditional cookie.

I rate these cookies an 8

Treasure Cookies
Source: Allrecipes
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used Milk Chocolate)
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a small bowl mix cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder.
In a large mixing bowl, beat condensed milk and margarine until smooth.
Add cracker crumb mixture and blend well. Stir in coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans.
Drop by rounded teaspoon on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
Bake 9-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Just Chocolate Chip Cookies

I gave this post the title of “Just Chocolate Chip Cookies” because there is nothing really spectacular about them. They are just that. Just Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Going through my blog you will see that as much as I bake, I rarely make plain chocolate chip cookies. I felt it was time whip up a batch and turned to a new recipe I cut out of a flyer handed out at the super market. There was no citation as to where the recipe originated so if you know, post in the comments and I will give credit.

There was no description or intro for the recipe given so I was unsure how they would turn out. I was guessing they would be soft given the higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar called for and the fact that they were being baked at a higher temperature (causing less spread while baking because the edges bake and set faster than with cookies baked at a lower temp). One thing that did catch my eye was the small amount of butter (compared to other chocolate chip cookie recipes) called for. I was unsure the effect of this on the end product.

I chilled the dough for 15 minutes and in between baking. I baked them only until the edges turned light brown and the centers not quite set (I kept a close eye because each pan seemed to need a different bake time ranging from 8-12 minutes to achieve my desired doneness). These cookies did infact come out of the oven soft with a chew but after storing in an airtight container overnight there texture was still chewy but a little on the tough side, almost as if they were stale.

The small amount of butter called for left these cookies lacking in the flavor department in my opinion. This could be remedied by increasing the butter amount, adding extra vanila or more add-ins (chocolate chips, toffee pieces, nuts, etc).

However, these cookies were good eaten warm right out of the oven with the gooiness of chocolate. They are sturdy once cooled completely and would be great with a scoop of good ice cream sandwhiched between two of them as their flavor would not greatly compete with the ice cream. All in all a so-so cookie recipe but with your own tweaks they may be a winner in your house. Especially with icecream sandwiched in between two of them! For me, I think I will stick to my current chocolate chip cookie recipe for now.

I rate these cookies a 6 as is but they may have potential.

Just Chocolate Chip Cookies
From the supermarket flyer
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 egg
1 1/8 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate  chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans (I omitted because I did not have any on hand)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl cream together butter and sugars. Add the vanilla and egg until well combined (scraping bowl as needed to evenly combine ingredients)

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking soda. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix on low speed just until absorbed. Fold in the chocolate chips (and nuts if using).

Using a medium scooper or a spoon, drop balls of dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until edges are golden.
Allow to cool on sheet for 5 minutes to set. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in airtight container.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I made these delicious cookies because I couldn’t decide if I should make Oatmeal cookies or  Chocolate cookies.  These are based loosely on a recipe I clipped out of a church bulitan about 8 months ago. I loved the idea of a chocolate oatmeal cookie but knew the recipe needed some work to satisfy my craving. I added some chocolate chips, used realy butter (no oil) and omitted chopped Dates.

What I ended up with was a really good cookie that has the wholesomeness of an Oatmeal cookie but still satisfies my sweet tooth and chocolate craving. They stay soft if not overbaked, are nice and dense thanks to the oatmeal and the chocolate chips provide a chocolatey sweetness slightly lacking in the cookie dough itself.

Next time: I will increase the amount of cocoa powder to 1/4 cup to intensify the chocolate flavor and maybe add some toasted nuts. All in all these were really good.

I would rate these cookies a 7

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
1 cup + 2 TBS flour
3 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2  teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups Oatmeal (I used quick cooking)
1/2 cup Milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.
Lighlty spray baking sheets with PAM.

In a large mixing bowl, wisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Gently mix in the flour mixture by hand using a spoon or spatula. Gently fold in the oats and chips (and nuts if using).

Drop by spoonfulls (I used my medium ice cream scooper) onto cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between cookies for spreading.
*I chilled my dough for 30 minutes before baking so mine did not spread as much as room temp dough may. I had to press my dough balls down a bit with my finger tips to form discs because the dough was stiff and would not have baked evenly if I did not.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are set. Cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container (with a piece of bread to keep soft).

Apple Jack Cookies

Anyone who has read my blog probably realizes really quickly my love for all things chocolate and peanut butter as reflected by the numerous recipes including those ingredients. However, I also have a deep deep love for fruit. I rarely bake with fruit but thought today was a great day to change things up a bit. *In the picture above those are chunks of apples, not white chocolate!

This is a recipe that I copied from a roommate in college. I think it is a Betty Crocker recipe but could not find it. If anyone does, please let me know and I will provide the link.

These cookies are very very good. I had just bought a bag of Kraft Caramel Bits and decided to throw some of those in as well even though the original recipe did not call for them. They are very good warm while the caramel is all gooey but I am afraid it may harden after they cool. Only time will tell. Either way, it is a GREAT addition and these are wonderful with a scoop of cinnamon icecream!

Next time:

I may try Heath bits instead of the Caramel bits to add a toffee/carmel flavor. Nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts would be good as well.

I will also chop the apples into smaller chunks (about 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch). Some of my chunks were pretty big and caused for uneaven spreading while baking and made it difficult for the cookies to hold their shape (do to the low ratio of dough to apples) and are not as sturdy as most cookies.

I may make a cinnamon/creamcheese filling/frosting and turn some into “Carmel Apple Whoopie Pie Cookies” even though they are not the sturdiest, I bet it would be messy but good.

I will be making these again for sure, especially with Spring here it is a nice change of pace.

.

I would rate these cookies a 7

Apple Jacks

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup apple chopped (I would small dice 1 small-medium apple)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Kraft Carmel bits or Heath Baking bits (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheet with Parchment or lightly spray with PAM.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

Beat the butter with a mixer and add the sugar, vanilla and egg and beat until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture and stir to combine.

Fold in the apple pieces (and any other add-ins).

Drop the dough onto baking sheet about 2 inches apart (these spread a bit).

Bake for 9-12 minutes or until light brown and edges are set. Allow to cool slightly on baking sheet and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

NOTE: *DO NOT store completely covered or they will be very very soft and not hold up well due to the moisture in the apples. I find storing loosely covered in the fridge helps them keep their texture, however then the Caramel Bits get hard. I am thinking Toffee Chips might be a better addition next time. These really are best the day you bake, especially after they have cooled a bit but are still warm!

*These are really good with cinnamon icecream and hot caramel sauce.

Vanishing Coconut and Oatmeal Cookies

Oh how I do love this recipe. I recently blogged about my love for the Quaker Vanishing Oatmeal Cookie Recipe. It truly is one of the best oatmeal cookie recipes out there in my opinion. The last time I made the recipe I used raisins that had soaked in some vanilla and warm water (to plump up) and they were great (this coming from someone who doesn’t really care for raisins!).

Today I decided to whip up another batch of cookies using the Quaker recipe. This time I omitted the cinnamon, subbed Almond Extract for the vanillla extract and added some coconut. The results are Fabulous! The coconut makes these cookies a little sturdier and heartier. They have a lightly crisp exterior and edged but the interior is moist and bursting with flavor. The almond/coconut flavors play off of each brilliantly. Next time I might throw in some Milk Chocolate chips or chopped pecans/almonds not that these cookies need anything more, I just like to experiment. I suggest you make these sooner rather than later!

I rate these cookies an 8.5

Vanishing Oatmeal Coconut Cookies
adapted from Quaker
2 sticks margarine or butter, softened (I used butter)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon Almond Extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional) (I used)
2 1/2 cups Quaker® Oats (I used Quick Cooking)

1/2 -1 cup Coconut (more or less to taste and texture: You don’t want the dough too dry to stick together to form balls)

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and almond extract; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Add oats and 1/2 cup coconut; mix well. Add more coconut up to 1 full cup until desired consistency (and taste is achieved).

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.