Peanut Butter Cookies

Today I took the kids for some back to school shopping.  We bought 1 backpack and 2 lunch bags...$75.00! When did going back to school become so expensive? I'm dreading going to buy the sneakers and clothes. Hold me? lol   Since the kids can't take peanut butter to their schools, I generally don't do much cooking with peanut butter during the school year. Today it was cool so I figured if I was going to bake peanut butter cookies it was a great day to do it.  Here is the recipe I used and they are delicious! Very reminiscent of the recipe I used to love about 15 years ago and lost.

Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 4 dozen

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine butter, peanut butter, sugar vanilla and egg, beating until light and fluffy. Stir together dry ingredients and add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly.
2. Shape into 1 inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Flatten with fork tines in a criss cross pattern.
3. Bake at 350 °F. for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Drop Sugar Cookie

Last night I was trying to think of a quick cookie I could make to send in lunches for the kids today. I decided to go with these, it only took me about an hour total to make them (cleaned up the kitchen while they baked), so not too bad at all. It made 4 dozen cookies using my cookie dough scoop.  One other note about these cookies you want to pull them out of the oven before they are golden brown. Last night I cooked them around 8 minutes. They didn't look really done, but let them cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack.  They will melt in your mouth. If they get golden brown they are still good but very crunchy.

Drop Sugar Cookies
makes 4 dozen

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cream butter, sugar, egg, canola oil, vanilla & almond extracts.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda & salt. Add to creamed mixture & mix thoroughly.
3. Roll into small balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press with fork & top with sprinkles (if desired).
4. Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to wire rack.

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Drop Sugar Cookie

Giant M&M Oatmeal Cookies

Last fall I wrote this post about a cookie recipe I lost and tried to recreate. Well, I found the recipe! And I made them...and they were just as good as I remembered. Now I want to share the recipe with you. The recipe as I'm going to give it makes huge cookies - like bakery style huge. You can certainly make them like normal cookies but I would watch the cook time since it won't need to be as long.

Giant M&M Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour (I used 1 cup all purpose & 2/3 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 salt
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups mini candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325F. In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in oats, chocolate pieces, and raisins; mix well. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake at 325F for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets

Giant M&M Oatmeal Cookies

Halloween Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

These are the best sugar cookies for rolling & cutting.  I love the fact that I don't have to chill the dough too.  I use this dough all through the year for making cut-out sugar cookies.  It's not an overly sweet dough so after frosting your teeth won't ache from sugar overload either.  It's also makes a nice sturdy cookie to decorate. I need to work on my decorating skills.  I really want to learn to decorate cookies with Royal Icing.  Maybe I can try it out with Christmas cookies.

Here is the recipe so you can try making some yourself.

Soft Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup margarine or shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 5 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
• 5 cups flour

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream together margarine and sugar in a large bowl. In a seperate bowl mix salt, nutmeg, baking powder and flour together. Add to sugar & margarine mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Mix throughly.
• Do not use flour to roll out (I place between 2 sheets of parchment paper). Cut out cookies with cookie cutter and bake for 8-10 minutes

I frosted these with store bought cream cheese frosting & used chocolate chips for the eyes. You can certainly make your own frosting if you would like.

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Halloween Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs