Waffle Cookies

Grand Floridian Chocolate Chip Cookies
Disney website

2 1\2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1\2 t salt
10 T butter (1 1\4 sticks)
1 c packed brown sugar
3\4 c powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 330°
Sift flour, salt and baking soda in large bowl and set aside.
Combine butter and sugars and cream until fluffy.
With mixer running, add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla. Mix until combined, scraping sides of the bowl.
Slowly add flour mixture, scraping sides of bowl. Stir in chocolate chips.
Scoop 1 tablespoon dough for medium cookies, 2 tablespoons for large onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake until lightly golden, 10-12 minutes for medium, 12-14 minutes for large.

Snickerdoodles
a la ME

1 cup butter
1 1/2 c sugar
2 large eggs
2 t vanilla
2 3/4 c flour
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt

Cinnamon/sugar mixture
1/4 c sugar
2 T cinnamon

Preheat to 350

Cream butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Cream for 1-2 minutes longer.
Stir in flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt until just combined.
If time allows, wrap the dough and refrigerate fir 20-30 minutes.
Drop in cinnamon and sugar recipe and coat well. Use a spoon to coat for a second time.
Bake for 9-11 minutes.

Grandma's Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
a la mom

1/2 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
2 2/3 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t nutmeg
1/2 c sour cream

Blend sugar and shortening, add egg and vanilla. Mix together dry ingredients, and alternate with sour cream.
Not necessary to chill. Roll out and bake 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Aunt Julie's gingerbread
a la Aunt Julie

4 c flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 t cinnamon
2 t ginger
1/2 t cloves
1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 c molasses
1 egg

Beat shortening, sugar and molasses until light and fluffy, then add egg and dry ingredients.
Refrigerate 2 hours. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes, then cool 1-2 minutes.

Butterfingers
a la Mom

1 cup butter
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 c peanut butter
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
2 t vanilla
2 c flour
2 c oatmeal

cream butter and sugars, add eggs, then peanut butter. whisk dry ingredients together, and add to mix.
bake 350 for 12-15 minutes in a cookie sheet pan, all pressed flat. let cool completely. spread a layer of peanut butter, then chocolate frosting. i prefer crunchy pb.

Frosting:
1/4 c cocoa
1/2 cup butter
1/4-1/3 c milk
2 2/3 c powdered sugar

Kiss Cookies
 a la Laura

Hershey's kisses
1/2 c shortening
3/4 c creamy peanut butter
1/3 c sugar
1/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
2 T milk
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
additional sugar for rolling

Preheat to 375.

beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. add sugars, beat until fluffy. add egg, vanilla. stir together dry ingredients, then gradually add to peanut butter mixture. shape into 1 in balls and roll in sugar.
bake 8-10 minutes. press an unwrapped kiss in the center of cookie after cooling for about 2 minutes. cool completely and enjoy!

Fruit Oatmeal Bars
a la Pioneer Woman

1-3/4 stick Cold Butter, Cut Into Pieces 
1-1/2 cup All-purpose Flour 
1-1/2 cup Oats (quick Or Regular) 
1 cup Packed Brown Sugar 
1 teaspoon Baking Powder 
1/4 teaspoon Salt 
1 jar (10 To 12 Ounce) Strawberry Preserves (or any flavors)

 Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 x 13 or 8 x 10 baking dish.
Mix together the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle half the mixture into the pan and pat lightly to pack it a little tight. Spoon strawberry preserves evenly over the surface, then use a dinner knife to carefully spread it around. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly again.
Bake until light golden brown on top, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan.
When cool, cut into squares and serve. Yum!

Monster Cookies
a la the Pioneer Woman

2 sticks salted butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 large whole eggs
1 T vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
2 t kosher salt
1 1/2 c oats
1/2 c M&M's (to taste)
1/2 c pecan, chopped (to taste)
3/4 c chocolate chips, milk or semisweet
1/2 c peanut butter chips
2 1/4 c rice krispies

beat butter and sugars. add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and beat.
mix flour, soda, powder and salt until combined. add to mixing bowl and mix until combined.
add in all the yummies, in whatever quantities you like. add rice krispies last- do not overmix!
bake at 375 until golden brown, check at about 10 minutes.

chef's note: i made these, and they needed much more flour in my opinion. halfway through the dough baking, i added another 1/2 cup of flour. next time, i will add an extra cup at the beginning. they were too flat and greasy, the 2nd half were better.

chad's favorite oatmeal cookies
a la carlie

1 c shortening
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t soda
1 t salt
1/2 t - 1 t cinnamon (optional, but oatmeal cookies need this, yes?)
1 1/2 c flour
3 c oatmeal
1 c nuts (optional)
1-1 1/2 c chocolate chips

cream shortening and sugars. add eggs and vanilla. add remaining dry ingredients, then chocolate chips and nuts. bake at 350 for 10 minutes. if cookies flatten during baking, chill dough, then bake.

variation- increase flour to 2 1/2 cups, omit oatmeal for regular chocolate chip cookies.

nutella stuffed brown butter and sea salt cookies
a la ambitious kitchen 

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
 1 1/4 t baking soda
 1/4 t of salt
 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
 1 1/4 c packed dark brown sugar
 1/4 c granulated sugar 
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
 1 T plain greek yogurt 
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1/2 c milk chocolate chips 
1/2 c dark chocolate chips 
1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
 Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips.Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or place in freezer for 30 minutes if you are super eager, although I cannot promise the same results if you do this.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball — it doesn’t have to be perfectly rolled! Make sure that the nutella is not seeping out of the dough. Add more dough if necessary. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten with your hand VERY gently. (Really only the tops need to be flattened a bit!)Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

chef's note: this is surely a labor of love. i found there are a few too many chocolate chips to be able to smoosh out the dough enough to fold some in. but they are delish. they are good without the nutella inside too. 

Butter Cookies with Eggnog Frosting
a la cooking channel 

1 c unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 c sugar
1/2 t salt
1/2 t vanilla
2 large egg yolks
1/2 t finely grated lemon zest
2 1/4 c flour

beat butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until smooth, about 2-3 minutes. add egg yolks one at a time. add lemon zest. turn mixer to lowest setting and gradually add flour until just incorporated.

divide into 2 portions, and roll into a log 2 inches in diameter. roll in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

remove from fridge and cut into 3/8 in circles. bake at 375 for 14 minutes.

Eggnog Frosting

2 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 c butter
2 T eggnog
freshly ground nutmeg
1 c powdered sugar
cinnamon

beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. add eggnog and nutmeg. turn to lowest setting and add powdered sugar until incorporated. frost completely cooled cookies, and dust with cinnamon.

Super Soft Sugar Cookies
a la Chad's Mom

1 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
3 1/2 c flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t soda
1/2 t salt

cream butter and sugar until soft and fluffy. add eggs one at a time. stir in vanilla. add dry ingredients, mixing by hand. cover and refrigerate overnight.

roll out into 1/4-1/8 in thickness and cut with favorite shapes. bake 375 for 6-8 minutes or until a golden brown appearance.

note: i, of course, did not mix by hand. i just used the slowest stir setting on my kitchen aid. i also added a little splash of nutmeg to the dough.

5 Ingredient Flourless Cookies
a la mom

1 c peanut butter
1 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 t baking soda
1/2 c chocolate chips

blend peanut butter, sugar, egg and soda. fold in chocolate chips.
bake 350 for 9 minutes.

Aunt Marsha's Cookies
a la Aunt Marsha

1 c shortening
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
1 egg
2 c flour
1 t cream of tartar
1/2 t baking soda
1 t salt

cream shortening, sugars, vanilla and egg until fluffy. sift dry ingredients together and sift  into creamed mixture. bake 350 for 9-11 minutes.

Frosting
1/4 cup butter
2 T milk
1/2 t orange extract
1/4 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
pinch of salt
food coloring (optional)
powdered sugar (i used about a pound)

Snickerdoodles
a la grandma martineau

1 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c flour
1 t soda
2 t cream of tartar
1/4 t salt

mix shortening, sugar ad eggs thoroughly. sift together dry ingredients. mix with sugar mixture. roll in small balls, then in cinnamon sugar (1/3 c sugar to 1 t cinnamon). bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes at 400.

Carrot Cake Cookies
a la Carlie

1 1/2 c flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 c grated carrots, about 2 medium
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 c raisins or chopped dried pineapple

Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. Cream butter and brown sugar at medium speed. Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture and beat well. Stir in flour mixture. Stir in carrots, walnuts and dried fruit. Bake 350 for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are set and slightly browned around the edges. Leave on warm pan 1 minutes after removing from oven before moving to cooling rack.

Cranberry Oat Mini Chip Cookies
a la Carlie

1 c quick oats
1/3 c flour
1/4 c wheat flour
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/3 c butter, softened
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1/3 c dried cranberries or cherries, coarsely chopped
1/3 c mini semisweet chocolate chips

Stir together dry ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter, sugars and peanut butter in a large bowl at medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, beat until well blended. Add the oat mixture on low speed until just blended. Stir in the dried fruit and chips. Bake 8-10 minutes at 375. Cool the cookies on the sheet for one minute before removing to cooling racks.

Molasses-Ginger Cookies
a la Tina

2 c flour
2 t ground ginger
1 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
2 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 c packed dark brown sugar (preferably muscovado)
1/2 c vegetable shortening, room temp
1/4 c unsalted butter, room temp
1 large egg
1/3 c molasses
demarrara sugar for rolling

Combine flour, spices, soda and salt in medium bowl- whisk to blend. Mix in crystallized ginger. In a large bowl, beat butter and shortening until blended, and brown sugar and beat until well combined and fluffy. Add egg and molasses, beat until blended. Add flour mixture and mix until just blended. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease/line 2 baking sheets. Spoon sugar in thick layer on small plate. With wet hands, form dough into 2 inch balls. Roll in sugar to coat completely. Place 2 inches apart and flatten a bit.
Bake cookies 10-12 minutes, until slightly cracked on top, but soft to the touch and moist inside. Cool on cooking sheet 1 minute. Transfer to cooling rack.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
a la Amber F

1 cube cold butter
3/4 c sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
1 t soda
1 t baking powder
1 t salt
2 1/4 c flour
2 c chocolate chips

cream butter and sugars. add eggs one at a time and beat until smooth. add vanilla, soda, powder, salt. add flour. add in chocolate chips.
bake 375 for 9-11 minutes. here's the trick- cook them on parchment paper or silpat liners. the cookies stay nice and thick that way. leave on cookie sheet for 5 minutes after removing from the oven. this allows them to cook a little longer on the pan, and get nice and chewy.