Baking Blonde’s Thin and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Wow, hey readers, if there are any of you left. Last I posted a recipe was this past summer. A good one, but not good enough to get you through months of nothing I am sure.

Well, it seems life gets in the way sometimes. I will save you the long story and get right to the recipe.

I made this recipe up myself and am pleasantly surprised I like these as much as I do.  I wanted a chewy and buttery chocolate chip cookie and am surprised I enjoy the taste so much since I prefer my cookies to be a bitter thicker. Maybe next time I will try and increase the flour measurement below by a 1/4 cup and maybe add a 1/4 tsp of baking powder to my next batch for those wanting to change it up before I do.  I am posting this recipe as I made them as I  think these are a great tasting cookie and my Taste Tester actually loved them.  He informed me that he actually prefers flat chewy cookies. Who knew after 3 years together I would not even know he cookie preferences?

These cookies, while flat, have a nice buttery taste to them that more than satisfies my cookie craving. I decided to make these festive by adding some Holiday chips and some dark chocolate disks I had on hand but any chips will do. These were so good right out of the oven but still taste great after cooling so I am looking forward to tweaking the recipe as mentioned above to see if I can improve on these already delicious cookies. The cornstarch in the recipe helps to keep them soft and chewy so long as you don’t over-bake them.

I do want to point out that the ingredients are a bit different than some other cookies I have made as I start this recipe with cold butter (yep, you read that correct, COLD butter) right out of the fridge. I chopped it up and whipped it good with the sugars which actually beats air into the dough, which, should in theory produce a bit thicker and chewier cookie. That, along with the cornstarch should create a thicker and chewy cookie than what I got but I was not disappointed too much after I tasted them. Mine were chewy but failed to be thick due to not enough flour so I look forward to making these again soon but with my tweaks, hopefully creating the cookie I was originally trying to make.

I rate these cookies an 8.5

Baking Blonde’s Thin and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 stick butter cut into 1/2 inch chunks (right from the fridge)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp Vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 TBS cornstarch

1 cup chips (i used 1 cup Holiday chips and 1/2 cup Nestle’s Dark Chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut butter into 1/2 inch chunks. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth (about 2-4 minutes) until creamy (the dough will start to stick together after a while as the butter blends with the sugars, beat until this happens.

Add egg and vanilla and mix to combine. Mix in the flour, baking soda, salt and cornstarch and mix until the dough comes together.

Chill for 10 minutes or longer (cover so the dough does not dry out)

Scoop out the dough using cookie scoop or Tablespoon onto parchment lined baking sheet (so they don’t stick)

Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden and set.

Cool and enjoy (or eat warm)

Advertisement

No Bake Chocolate Drenched Oatmeal Coconut Squares

I love coconut though I do not bake with it nearly often enough. When this recipe popped up in my GoogleReader, I starred it immediately. I love no-bake treats, especially during the warm summer months. I whipped these up over the weekend in no time.

The original recipe calls for a 9×9 pan but I opted to use an 8×8 as I wanted my bars a little more substantial and not so thin. I also found that the amount of butter/coconut oil was more than what I needed to completely wet my dry ingredients. I did melt the original amount but only used about 3/4 of it. I would recommend pouring it in and stirring slowly as you may find you don’t need to use it all either. Next time I make these I will cut the amount and see if I can find out the amount that works for me. I also cut the honey down to only 3 TBS as I did not want the flavor to overpower the coconut. I am glad I did this as I did taste the honey but it was not overpowering.

After pouring the chocolate over the bars I topped mine with toffee bits. I must say these bars were really satisfying. I liked my modifications so feel free to make these bars you own. I think some toasted coconut on top may be good as well as some chopped almonds. I will be making these again this summer I am sure.  My only complaint is these are tough to cut and transport or serve as they do tend to be a bit crumbly unless right from the fridge.

I rate this recipe an 8.5

Thin + Chewy Chocolate Drenched Coconut Oatmeal Squares
recipe found here 

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups shredded, sweetened coconut
1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup coconut oil (measured solid)
1/4 cup honey

Spray a 9×9 pan with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, brown sugar and salt. Heat a small saucepan over low heat and add butter and coconut oil, stirring until melted. Add the butter and oil to the oat mixture, then add the honey and stir very thoroughly until the entire mix is moistened. Press it into the pan and stick in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Chocolate layer

8 ounces good-quality chocolate, chocolate
2 tablespoons coconut oil (measured solid)

Using the same saucepan that you melted the butter and oil in, add the chocolate and oil and stir over low heat until melted. Remove the pan from the fridge and pour the chocolate evenly over top, spreading with a spatula or spoon. Place back in the fridge for about 30 minutes. When ready to eat, either cut the squares in the pan, or gently lift the square out and place on a cutting board to cut. It helps if the bars somewhat come to room temp before cutting, as they will slightly crumble a bit if super cold!

No Bake Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Bars

I love a good no-bake dessert, especially during the warm months. I have made a several no-bake desserts over the years and love trying out new recipes.

These bars are so super quick to make, take few ingredients and are perfect for a last minute dessert. These bars are a bit like my other bar recipes and no-bake cookies combined. The flavor of peanut butter shines and the oatmeal makes these bars chewy and soft. I love the combination of peanut butter and oatmeal and to top it all off a yummy chocolate ‘frosting’.

The trick to these is that the mixture needs to boil for about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes in order for the bars to set. If you don’t boil long enough they will still be good, but just really gooey and difficult to eat. You can remedy this by keeping them chilled but just be warned at room temperature they will be messy! I will be making these again when I need a quick dessert, I am rating these an 8.5 only because I do like the other bars a bit better.

I rate this recipe an 8.5

No Bake Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Bars

3 Cups Oats
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup butter
1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup peanut butter

Lightly spray an 8×8 pan with Pam.

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter, sugar, and milk. Over a medium high heat, bring to boil making sure to stir constantly. Continue to stir and boil for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes after it reaches a rolling boil.

Remove the pan from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until peanut butter is melted. Stir in oats.

Pour mixture into prepared pan and press lightly and make sure to spread out mixture evenly.

In a medium sauce pan, heat chips and peanut butter over medium heat and stir until melted. Pour over bars and spread evenly.

Allow bars to set before serving.

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce

My Taste Tester is not a big fan of peaches but I decided to give this recipe a go anyway. It was simple to make and I whipped it up in not time flat. I found the crisp to have good flavor but the the topping did not stay crisp past a day so if you are making this, it is best to serve the day you make it (preferably warm).

The sauce was smooth and creamy with a subtle maple flavor. I don’t think I reduced my sauce enough as I thought the maple flavor could have been a bit more pronounced than what it was. I enjoyed this dessert warm with some vanilla icecream. The sauce would be good on a blondie or maybe even pancakes.

This was not my favorite dessert and I doubt I will be making it again, but it was nice for a change.

I rate this recipe an 8.5

Peach Crisp with Maple Cream Sauce
from here

6-7 fresh whole peaches
1 cup flour
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 stick Butter (1/2 Cup)
1/2 whole Lemon
7 Tablespoons Real Maple Syrup, Divided
1-1/2 cup Whipping Cream
3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup

In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt using a fork or pastry cutter. Cut butter into small pieces and gradually add to flour mixture until evenly mixed.

Peel peaches into a bowl. Add the zest from half a lemon. Squeeze juice from lemon half and stir in with peaches and zest. Add 2 tablespoons real maple syrup to peaches, stir well.

Pour peach mixture into a small pan (8” or 9” square) and cover evenly with crumb topping. Cover with foil and bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes or until crisp and brown on top.

Maple Cream Sauce:

Pour whipping cream into a saucepan. Add 5 tablespoons real maple syrup, 3 tablespoons corn syrup and stir over moderate heat until thickened and reduced by about one-third, approximately 15 minutes. Refrigerate mixture until it is cold and thick, or set the saucepan into a small bowl of ice (the ice will melt and turn into ice water). Stirring your mixture, it will cool and thicken in about 15 minutes. Drizzle sauce over peach crisp. Serve warm.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies for Valentine’s Day

I wanted to make some super simple and quick cookies for Valentine’s Day to take to work. I have used a similar recipe before with great results but changed up the proportions a bit. Not sure if I was just in a chocolate mood but these were better than I was expecting.
These cookies were a cinch to pull together and I was finished from start to finish in under 30 minutes. I love that this is kind of a ‘cheater’ recipe since you really only add ‘wet’ ingredients to a cake mix.

The end result is a rich, thick and chewy cookie that is sure to satisfy your chocolate craving. Feel free to mix up the flavor of cake mix to what ever you have on hand, I am sure they will all be good.

I rate these cookies an 8.5

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup oil
1TBS water
Chocolate chips (I used 1 cup)
Sprinkes to make pretty

Preheat oven to 350.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

In a medium bowl, beat together the butter, oil and egg. Add cake mix and blend well. Fold in chocolate chips or other add-ins.

Chill for 10 minutes.

 

Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

 

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely as they will break easily if moved too soon

 

Tender Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a recipe I worked on a very long time ago before I began blogging. My Taste Tester and I were in the mood for some chocolate chip cookies to enjoy while watching a Saturday afternoon football game. After going through several of my recipes I decided to give this one a go as I couldn’t remember how they had turned out when I had made them before.

The secret ingredient in these cookies is the cornstarch. I began playing around using cornstarch after my family enjoyed these cookies but I hated the artificial vanilla flavor they had from the pudding. The reason those cookies are soft is due in part to the cornstarch in the pudding mix. I decided to cut out the pudding mix and use straight up cornstarch.

The results were very good! These cookies have a tender crumb. Chewy, but not in an underbaked or too cakey sort  of way some chewy cookies can be. The crumb is light and tender and the cookies stayed that way for at least 3 days in a sealed container. I found myself commenting how tender they still were days later. My Taste Tester agreed though ate most of his warm from the oven (and by most I mean 8).

If you are looking for a tender, chewy chocolate chip cookie, give these a try. I must say, the nuts really add something to these but feel free to omit them if you wish.

I rate these an 8.5

Tender Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup nutsPreheat oven to 350.

Line baking pan with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Slowly add the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix just until combined. 

Add chips and nuts. 

Drop by spoonfulls on baking sheet. Bake about 8-12 minutes until just golden. Do not overbake. Cool on rack or baking sheet. 

Store covered and sealed.

White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake

With summer in full swing we have been enjoying several weekend visitors which of course means entertaining! Yay! While my Taste Tester sticks to grilling up new reicpes, I take the opportunity to try new dessert recipes!

With my mom and aunt in town last weekend I knew I wanted to make a cheesecake. Each time they visit I always whip one up and we more than enjoy it all weekend long! This time was no exception. I knew I wanted to use fruit but wasn’t feeling strawberries. My Taste Tester smiled and said “yes please” when I was brainstorming a white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry swirls. Sold.

This recipe is based on other cheesecakes I have made over the years. I cheated and used seedless organic raspberry jam instead of making my own. I just didn’t have the time and to be honest, it was great even with the store-bought stuff. If you have time or super ambitious, feel free to whip up your own. If not; welcome to my life and just buy some (good quality of course).

The cheesecake itself was creamy and dense (just the way I like it). The white chocolate flavor was subtle but good. I originally wanted to have a chocolate crust (um, hello, chocolate-addict here) but I used a graham cracker crust because the Taste Tester doesn’t care for Oreos. What??? I know. It is the burden I must live with. I was surprised, however, and really enjoyed the graham cracker crust and would  not use a chocolate  crust in the future unless it was requested.

Because I used jarred jam I was able to whip this up and get it in the oven in about 15 minutes, can’t beat that! I also love the fact that cheesecake needs to set in the fridge for a couple days to reach the desired flavor and texture so I made this on Wednesday to enjoy over the weekend. I love not having to rush around last minute when I could be cleaning (yeah right).

I would highly recommend this cheesecake, play around with the filling a bit and try another fruit flavor. I do feel that the white chocolate flavor could be a bit more complex so I would like to either add more next time or pick a brand with a more dominant flavor.  Let me know if you find a winner!

I rate this an 8.5

White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake
16-18 graham crackers crushed
2 TBS sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

6 oz white chocolate bars (not chips)
24 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 TBS flour
1 jar seedless Raspberry Jam

Fresh Raspberries for Garnish
White chocolate for garnish (melted) when ready to use

*TIP: I like to line the bottom of my pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with PAM.

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 325F.
In a food processor, process the graham crackers until you have fine crumbs. . Add in the sugar and pulse. Stir in melted butter. Transfer the crumb mixture to a 9-inch springform pan and press evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides. Bake 8-10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack to room temperature.
Place a baking pan filled half way with water on the bottom oven rack (this will help keep cheesecake moist while baking to help prevent a crack. I like this method better than a traditional water bath) Just make sure there is always water in it while the cheesecake is baking.
Melt white chocolate in the microwave in 15 second intervals stirring after every interval until smooth. Do NOT over cook, you can stir lumps out wihtout reheating toward the end. Set aside to cool.

In a bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese to break it up and soften it slightly, about 5 seconds. Continue mixing and add the sugar, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Reduce the speed to medium low and add the eggs, 1 at a time. Beat until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl before each addition. Add the flour and beat just til combined. Add the melted white chocolate and mix until blended. Do NOT overmix.

Pour 1/2 the cheesecake mixture into pan.
Heat jam in microwave just until easily pourable but not too runny.
Spoon 1/2 the jam over the cheesecake batter and swirl with a knife. Pour the remaining batter over the jam carefully. Drop spoonsfull of the rest of the jam over the cheesecake. Carefully swirl but do not go through to second layer or it will not be swirled (just pink).

Bake until the center jiggles slightly, the sides start to puff, and the surface is no longer shiny, about 55 to 60 minutes. The center should read about 150 degrees F. Turn off the oven and prop the door of the oven open with a potholder or wooden spoon. Allow the cake to cool in the oven for about an hour. Transfer the springform pan to a wire rack and run a small paring knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Let it sit to room temperature for 2 hours.

Before serving top with raspberries and drizzle with melted white chocolate

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

My dad visited us a week ago and while he is not a huge sweet lover he does have a special place in his heart for chewy chocolate chip cookies. Not the cakey type, but just a nice soft cookie that you can sink your teeth into and that will hold up well after a quick dunk in some cold milk. Determined to please my father’s craving, I whipped a batch of cookies that I knew would fit the ‘soft and chewy’ bill.

I have had this recipe for what seems like a decade. I rarely make these, not because they are not good, but because I never seem to have their ‘special’ ingredient in my pantry. These cookies use vanilla pudding mix as their secret weapon  that allows them to remain soft and chewy long after cooling. It is the cornstarch in the pudding (or so I hear) that holds the magical power. You can use other flavors, I like butterscotch and vanilla the best. 

Just as I knew these would, they baked up gorgeous (slightly lighter in color that other cookies) and had the perfect texture my dad was looking for. How was the flavor? Well, for a non-sweet  eater, the proof in the taste was that he ate 6 of them right after he finished off steak and potatoes for dinner.

Like I said, these are not cakey but do bake up a bit fuller than other cookies. They remail soft and chewy after cooling and have great taste. If you have the ingredients, take some time and whip these up!

I am unsure where I received this recipe or where it originated from since it is on a random piece of paper in my cookbook but will give credit to the blog that most recently made these in my google.reader account.

I rate these cookies an 8.5
My dad rates these a 9.5

Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
as seen here

2 1/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup  brown sugar
1/4 cup  granulated sugar
1 small (3.4oz) pkg vanilla instant pudding mix (or other flavor)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (i used milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate)

Preheat your oven to 350. Line yourbaking sheet with parchment.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large mixing  bowl, beat together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the pudding mix and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition eggs. Add vanilla.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the batter and mix just to combine.
Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop rounded spoonfulls of cookie dough onto prepared pan.
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes, until slightly golden and set.
Let  cool on sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool fully.

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

It seems as though I am on a chocolate and peanut butter kick lately, must be the stress and anxiety of waiting for Spring to finally arrive!

I am sure many of you have already made these cookies or have at least eaten one. This is a quick and easy recipe that whips up in no time and does NOT require an oven or any baking making them perfect when the warm weather comes around and you are not wanting to heat up the oven but still desire a sweet treat. This recipe is one my family has been using for years so I am unsure of its origin, if you know, drop me a line and I will include it in my blog.

While this recipe includes common ingredients and whips up in no time, I do find these cookies can be a bit  temperamental. Ideally, you will end up with a cookie that holds its shape but is still fudgelike upon cooling. Many people either have problems with their cookies not setting up and remaining too gooey or being too dry and crumbly after cooling. These problems can both be avoided with the proper boil time. You could use a candy thermometer I suppose but why dirty another item and frankly, I don’t like them. I prefer to be more diligent and careful when boiling the mixture.

If you don’t boil the mixture long enough the final cookies will not firm and set up nicely (Though will still taste marvelous). If you boil too long, the final cookie will be dry and fall apart easily (and not too marvelous).

I find that timing 60-90 seconds once the mixture comes to a ROLLING boil (not just a simmer) work out well for me every time.

Now, on to the final cookie. If you are not familiar with these cookies their texture and flavor is like eating a piece of chocolate fudge with a slight peanut butter flavorlingering in the background. The oatmeal gives these structure and helps them keep their shape and texture.   Be sure to work quickly as they tend to begin to set up in about 3-5 minutes making scooping out difficult.

I like to tell myself because oatmeal is included these are ahealthy snack and can and should be consumed at breakfast. Want more reasons to make these? Ok, you can eat the ‘dough’ and lick the spoon (shouldn’t do this until done with scooping out all of the dough. No one wants slobber on their cookies) since there are no raw eggs, you can make these all different sizes since they don’t need to cook (just keep in mind if they are too big they will need more time to set up) and lastly, well, anything with peanut butter and chocolate has to be great right?

Give these cookies a try, they are great to make when you don’t have a ton of time as it does not take long for them to set up, if you are transporting them, however, I would wait for them to set up at least an hour at room temperature or 30 minutes in the fridge or they may still together. Also, I would keep them stored in a single layer or with multiple layers separated by waxed paper.  Keep these stored in a covered container so they don’t dry out (not that they will last that long).

I rate these cookies an 8.5

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
1 ¾ cup sugar
½ cup milk (I use 1%)
1 stick butter cut into chunks
4 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup cream peanut butter (could use crunchy)
3 cups quick cooking oats (I use a mixture of quick cooking and old fashioined as that is what I had on hand)
1 teasppon vanilla

Line a large cookie sheet with wax paper.

Measure out 3 cups oatmeal in a bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa.
Bring to a boil. One boiling time for about  1 1/2 minutes.

Remove from heat. Immediately stir in peanut butter until smooth. Add oats, and vanilla.  Stir to combine:

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper until set, store in sealed container at room temp.

Brownie and Mini Chip Roll Out Cookies

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Today you get a treat and get TWO recipes in one post! How sweet is that? Ok, enough with the bad puns.

I chose to veer away from the ordinary this Valentine’s Day and not make the usual sugar cookies. I knew I still wanted to be able to make them into cute hearts and decorate them up with frosting and sprinkles if time allowed. After searching for a while I decided on two roll-out cookie recipes.This chocolate one from Smitten Kitchen and a chocolate chip version from Very Best Baking.

Both recipes were whipped up in no time, about 10 minutes each. They both did require an hour chill in the fridge before being ready to get rolled and baked. That gave me plenty of time to wash up some dishes and get prepared with my rolling pin and cookie cutters.After an hour chill both doughs were firm yet easy to work with and roll. I had no problems with either dough sticking to the counter or pin. This may because I lightly covered the counter and the pin with cocoa powder for the chocolate roll-outs and powdered sugar for the chocolate chip roll-outs. Both recipes call for a 350 degree oven making it super simple to transition from one batch to the next. I have to say that I am very pleased with both versions of cut-outs.

The chocolate version had a slight chocolate flavor (I was wishing for more), tender texture and was sturdy enough to decorate after baking. Likewise the chocolate chip cookie was tender, a bit more delicate while warm but firmed up nicely after baking. Though sturdy and firm, neither cookie became crisp after cooling (a plus in my book).  Everyone at work loved these, especially the chocolate chip version. What’s better than a tender, chewy fun shaped chocolate chip cookie?

I will admit, I enjoyed the Chocolate chip version better than the chocolate brownie one which surprised me. I just felt the chocolate flavor wasn’t quite there to be called a ‘brownie’ cookie. My expectations could have been too high, these are good, don’t get me wrong, but they weren’t as good as I had hoped. Maybe if I would add some more cocoa powder and mini chocolate chips next time that would up them a bit.  The chocolate chip roll-out had a more delicate flavor than a chocolate chip cookie, almost shortbread like texture and the mini-chips just added that oomph that made me swoon. Maybe I was just in the mood for these or maybe it was the mini chips, but these made me smile.  I would recommend both recipes, especially if you want to try something a bit more fun than the basic sugar cookie.
These were both great plain but held up well when decorated with some frosting and sprinkles.

I rate the Brownie Roll-out Cookies an 8
I rate the Mini Chip Cut-out Cookies an 8.5

Brownie Roll-Out Cookies*Recipe from Deb’s mom
Smitten Kitchen
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup lightly salted butter, softened (Deb note: I don’t really see “lightly salted” much these days, so I used one stick salted, one stick unsalted)
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Whisk dry flour, salt and baking powder in bowl and set aside. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and cocoa in mixer. Gradually add flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.

Roll out cookie dough on floured counter. Cut into desired shapes, brushing extra deposits of flour off the top. (It does disappear once baked, though, so don’t overly fret if they go into the oven looking white.) Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet for 8 to 11 minutes (the former for 1/8-inch thick cookies, the latter for 1/4-inch cookies) until the edges are firm and the centers are slightly soft and puffed.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Mini Chip Roll-Out Cookies
Very Best Baking
1 cup butter or margarine, softened (I used butter)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg yolk
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels

Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in egg yolk. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in 1 cup morsels. Divide dough in half; cover. Chill for 1 hour or until firm.

Roll half of dough to 1/4-inch thickness between two sheets of waxed paper. Remove top sheet of waxed paper. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters. Lift from waxed paper; place on ungreased baking sheets. Chill for 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough.
Bake in preheated 350° F. oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Decorate as desired after cooling. Store in an airtight container.