4th annual Cookie Exchange

With a love of cookies, you can never go wrong with a cookie exchange! I for one enjoy trying new recipes. This has become a holiday tradition among my friends and co-workers. Listed here are the cookies that debuted at the exchange this year.

Gabby's Cookie Dough Cookies

Printable Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Surprise Cookies

printable recipe

Peanut Butter Blossoms

printable recipe

Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies

printable recipe

Peppermint Swirl Refrigerator Cookies

printable recipe

No-Bake Carmel Cookies

printable recipe

A look inside

Besides seeing the yummy food, beautiful sewing projects, and wonderful how-tos on blogs, I also enjoy getting a peek an insight into what goes on in their house. I guess you could say I am a nosy curious person. So today on this wonderful dreary day this is the goings on...

Halloween Costume making has taken over the dinning area... 

I believe either the toy bins exploded all over the living room or they boys are having fun..

Despite all those things going on, I feel compelled to bake cookies... 

with the help of J-man and his men!

We decided to make Egg-less Chocolate Chip Cookies  

So there you have it.... the chaotic, multi-project mess my house is usually in.
I am trying to stay busy so I don't think about being out of Diet Coke. I told dear hubby that he NEEDS to bring me some home. IF I am unconscious from lack of caffeine then he should start an iv drip of 100ccs of Diet Coke STAT!

MPM... Monster Cookies

Our Menu this Week...
Monday- Chicken Alfredo
Tuesday- French Toast (Jayden's Bday pick)
Wednesday- Grilled Burgers, Sweet Corn?
Thursday- Chicken Noodle Soup
Friday- Fish Sticks


I realized recently that I never really make Monster cookies, therefore I don't have a go to recipe for them. Today I tried this recipe...I liked how crisp they were on the outside yet chewy and soft on the inside.
Do you have a go to Monster Cookie recipe that you like?

Monster Cookies

Ingredients

1 c	vegetable shortening
2 c	brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/2 c	granulated sugar
3 c	creamy peanut butter
1 tsp	vanilla extract
6	eggs
4 tsp	baking soda
9 c	old-fashioned oats
2 c	m & ms
2 c	chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees.

Cream together the shortening and both sugars.

2. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla.

3. Beat in eggs.

4. Stir in baking soda and oats.

5. Mix in M & Ms and chocolate chips.

6. Using teaspoon, spoon mounded dough onto cookie sheet.

7. Bake 7-9 minutes. Allow to cool some before removing from cookie sheet and transferring to plate.

Chocolate Chip No-Bake cookies

What's a girl got to do to get some cookies???

 I have been dying to bake cookies, but with heat index in the 100's I really don't want to turn on the oven. While searching through my Sweets Board on Pinterest, I found a recipe for Vanilla Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies. I really wanted Chocolate Chip cookies though. 

With a little conjuring I came up with..... 

 

Chocolate Chip No-Bake Cookies

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4 c. butter 

2/3 c. milk

1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla flavor pudding mix 

(I used sugar free, because it is what I had on hand)

3 1/2 c. quick cooking oats

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

In a large pan, mix together the sugar, butter and the milk. Bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, add in the pudding mix, oats and baking soda. Let stand 5-10 minutes*, and stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon onto wax paper and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

 

*This is a key step. I didn't let my mixture cool long enough so when I mixed in the chocolate chips, they melted instantly.

  

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Menu for the week

Monday- Hot Beef Sandwiches (I take a short cut and use beef lunch meat)

Tuesday- Eat out at Pizza Ranch

Wednesday- Lasagna

Thursday- Bubble-Up Enchiladas 

Friday- Left-overs

 

Another Chocolate Chip Cookie

Here is the cookie recipe I promised I would post last week. These were really tasty and had a different set of ingredients. I really liked the fact that you used cold butter. I never remember to set my butter out ahead of time, mostly because I don't think ahead about making cookies. I still think I like this recipe better.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields about 15 cookies (recipe could easily be doubled)


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, diced into cubes
1 cup minus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 Tbsp molasses
2 1/2 Tbsp original or french vanilla coffee creamer powder*
1 large egg
1/2 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or substitute 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Directions:


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together chilled butter, sugar, molasses and coffee creamer powder until well blended and slightly fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Stir in egg and vanilla bean paste.  Slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well incorporated (mixture will be very thick).  Mix in milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Form dough into about 2 1/2 tablespoon balls (a bit larger than a golf ball), then drop 8 per sheet onto buttered cookie sheets.  Bake 10-11 minutes, until edges are very lightly golden.  Cool on cookie sheet several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool.  Store in an airtight container.  To enjoy warm cookies later on, pop cookie in the microwave for 10 seconds if desired.

Cookies, Cookies, Cookies!

Carmel Yogurt Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The other day at work we were talking about cookies. I realized I hadn't made any for awhile. So, being it was a rainy day I decided it was time to bake! As I set out to make cookies I noticed I had a container of carmel yogurt in the fridge that needed to be used, so I searched the internet to see if you could use yogurt to make cookies. Enter Happy Tummy Blog, this blog had a recipe for oatmeal yogurt cookies that I decided to try. There isn't any butter or eggs, so I figure they have to be somewhat healthy right?!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2/3 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup carmel (or whatever kind you have)
• 1/8 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly oil 2 baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

I usually don't follow this step, because I HATE getting another bowl dirty- In a large bowl, sift the flours together with the baking powder and cinnamon. Whisk in the sugar and oats, then stir in the raisins and chocolate chips. Beat the yogurt with the oil, then add to flour mixture to make a dough.

Instead I just Beat the yogurt and oil, then add brown sugar, baking powder, oats, and flour.

Roll into small balls and place on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten and bake for 17 to 20 minutes, or until firm and brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.


Also by popular demand...here is the recipe for my favorite go to cookies...Sorry no pictures, just trust me these are sweet, salty irresistible morsels
Oatmeal Scotchies
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick oats
2 cups flour
1 - 12oz package of butterscotch chips


Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together all the ingredients in order listed. 
Bake for 10 minutes! 
Cool and enjoy! 


I bet you can't eat just one! There is something addictive in the butterscotch chips.