Brown Butter Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies

adapted from: broma bakery

 INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup browned butter
1/3 cup pumpkin puree, cooked down*
1 cup brown sugar (213g)
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup a.p. flour (220g)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2/3 cup cinnamon chips

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl mix together browned butter, pumpkin, and brown sugar until the brown sugar has dissolved.

Add egg yolk & vanilla, and mix until combined.

Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir until *just* combined. Light streaks of flour will probably still be chilling there.
Fold in cinnamon chips.

Scoop cookie dough with a #30 scoop (2.25 Tbsp). Place on a cookie sheet.

Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Place on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Slightly flatten the dough.

Bake for 13 minutes.

Let cook on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before transfering to cooling rack.

*Take a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree, and over medium heat cook down to half the volume. The puree will become thick, and the color will deepen significantly.

White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs cold
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
2 cups Ghirardelli Peppermint Chunks
1 cup miniature pretzels, crushed
Crushed Peppermint Candies
Miniature Pretzels
Flaky Finishing Salt

DIRECTIONS
Using a paddle attachment, further soften butter until lighter in texture.
Cream together granulated and brown sugar, until pale in color. Scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add vanilla extract, and mix to incorporate.
Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed until the mixture is smooth. Scrape bowl between additions.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. To ensure even distribution of baking soda and salt.
Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl, and pulse until barely incorporated.
Again, scrape the sides of the bowl, and be sure to lift the ingredients from the bottom.
Add remaining flour, and pulse until just mixed. There will probably be some flour still visible.
Again, scrape the sides of the bowl, and be sure to lift the ingredients from the bottom.
Add peppermint chunks, and crushed pretzels, and mix until incorporated.
It's okay if the paddle crushes the pretzels and chunks, the broken pieces are more evenly distributed.
Using a cookie scoop, (I used a #40 scoop, which is about 1.75 Tbsp), scoop your dough.
Place balls of dough on a cookie sheet, and scoop the entire batch.
Roll the top half of the dough in the crushed peppermint candies, and top with a miniature pretzel.
Refrigerate dough for at least half an hour, up to a day. Then bake.
Preheat oven to 375° F; at least 30 minutes before you begin to bake.
Place dough on cookie sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden brown.
Top cookies with flaky finishing salt.

This is legitimately my new favorite cookie. I first discovered the flavor combination when I mistakenly thought my niece's favorite thing was white chocolate and peppermint- (she likes it when it's on top of very thick dark chocolate)… so I grabbed a bag of these at Costco, and then quickly became obsessed with them. My favorite flavor of Perk Energy is even inspired by those White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzel Crisps. So when I was making chocolate chip cookies as a request from my grandma, I figured why the heck not? I grabbed a bag of Ghirardelli Peppermint Chunks from the freezer, crushed some pretzel until I had a cup, decided they didn't look quite festive enough, and bam! my new favorite holiday cookie was born. I took them to work the next day to test on some of our clients, and by the double fisting action that went on, I knew they were winners.

S'mores Cookies

recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

INGREDIENTS
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Hershey's Milk Chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup mallow bits
Optional:
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Candy Bars
Mallow Bits
Extra graham cracker pieces

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper, and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth. Scrape down the sids, and then add the egg, and vanilla extract, and beat until smooth.

Carefully add half of the dry ingredients, and mix until a dough starts to form. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until just combined - there should be crumbs on the bottom.

Gently fold in the mallow bits, and chopped chocolate bars. Taking care to lift all of the dry crumbs from the bottom of the bowl.

Scoop dough with your favorite cookie scoop, and plate rounded ball on prepared baking sheet. Flatten top of dough with the palm of your hand. Repeat, placing cookies about 1 inch apart.

Top dough with a pips of Hershey's Milk Chocolate, and mallow bits.

Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until cookies are set. Remove from oven, and cool on baking sheet for at least 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

*I used a #40 Scoop, which is about 1.75 Tbsp of dough. Which gives the perfect S'mores ratio of chocolate:graham:mallow, with the addition of a pip of Hershey's Milk Chocolate.

S'mores Cookie

Ain't nobody got time to build a fire, put out a fire, clean up the sticky mess, AND wash your hair- all in the name of eating America's favorite campfire treat, the S'more. These cookies incorporate all the best things about S'mores without all the hassle of S'mores. Truly a gift. The dough is fairly dry, so the cookie ends up crunchy like a graham cracker, and when eaten lone tastes like a graham cracker. The mallow bits are dehydrated mallows - like the ones from hot chocolate packets. So on the inside they absorb some the moisture from the dough and get soft & chewy; but the ones on the outside get a tiny bit browned, and are similar in texture and color to roasted mallows, just on a much smaller scale. The chopped Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars, and the pip get melty and gooey. Just like the mallows of your dreams, but with so much less mess. These are winners.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

INGREDIENTS
Cookies
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 cups sugar
1 lemon, zested
2 large eggs
1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup lemon juice
Glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, zested

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Prepare baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until pale yellow and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time. Add the ricotta, and lemon juice and beat until fully combined.

To the butter/ricotta mixture, add half of the prepared dry ingredients, and mix on low. Scrap sides of bowl and add remaining half of dry ingredients, mix until just combined. Gently fold the dough taking care to scrape the sides of the bowl, to finish the mixing the dough.

Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets. *I prefer a #20 scoop (3.5 tbsp), and can fit about 24 cookies on a half sheet pan. Prepared cookies sheets, and dough should be kept in the refrigerator if not in the oven.

Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove sheets from oven, and let cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes. The cookies are extra delicate when warm, and the residual heat of the sheet helps to firm up the bottoms. When cookies have cooled, prepare glaze.

Combine powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir until smooth. Dip cookies, and let glaze harden at room temperature. Enjoy!

Are these cookies a family favorite that will be gone in less than 45 minutes? Yes. My family loves them more than they love me. At least that's the vibe I get from my mother and sister. My sister has requested that if she ever marries that I make her wedding cake out of these cookies- stacked to be the cake. They are the perfect delicate little cookie. Sweet but tart, tender, moist, and just plain delicious. You should definitely make them, especially when lemons are in season. I added more flour than the original recipe calls for, and highly suggest taking care to be sure it's fully mixed. If not, the cookies will spread like the devil, and it will be a crunchy lemon sugar butter mess. Extra delicious? Yes. Beautiful cookie? heck no.

VARIATIONS:

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Berry Glaze
            Replace 2 Tbsp lemon juice with fresh berry juice of your choice.
            Strawberry & Raspberry SO good.
Orange Ricotta Cookies with Chocolate Glaze
            Replace Lemons with Oranges
            Double the zest in the cookies
            Chocolate Glaze

                        1 cup powdered sugar                            1 Tbsp butter, melted                        Orange Zest

                        2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder    1 Tbsp Orange Juice
                       
                       

Roll Out Cookie Hack

Rolled out cookies are always my favorite cookies. There is just something about eating a cookie that is shaped like a heart, or bear, or Christmas tree that just makes you happy!

However, rolling out the dough is the worst. There are so many factors at play that it's hard to nail it sometimes.

• The dough can be too cold.
• The dough can be too warm.
• The dough is sticky.
• The dough keeps cracking.
• The dough isn't rolling out evenly.
• The dough can't be worked too much.

 It is definitely the worst part about making delicious shaped cookies.

Most recipes call for some refrigerator chill time, because for cut out cookies, a lot of the rise comes from butter*, so you want to the dough to be cold, so that the butter doesn't melt prematurely. Premature melting is what causes misshapen, and greasy cookies. Ain't nobody got time for that.

Which is why older recipes always say to wrap your dough in cling film, and let rest in the refrigerator.

Which is nearly impossible to roll out after you've forgotten it for several hours, and it has unfortunately taken on the smell of the pungent onion your grandma cut and chucked into the refrigerator.


Which is where gallon sized ziplock bags came into my life and to the rescue. Instead of wrapping your dough in a ball in cling film, use a gallon sized ziplock bag. The pros are as follows

• ziplock bags are sturdy enough that you can make it as flat as possible without tearing
• you'll take up less space in the refrigerator
• the dough will be evenly chilled
• you will spend a lot less time working the dough
• you don't have to worry about getting caught in a roll of cling film

A gallon sized ziplock will perfectly hold a single batch of my Momma's Sugar Cookie Dough… and single batches of most other roll out cookie dough recipes.

When it's time to roll out your dough, just rip open the side of the bag and pull it out.

CCC: Tried + True CC Cookies by ABK

recipe adapted from: A Bountiful Kitchen

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt, or coarse sea salt
12 oz chocolate chunks*

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Prepare baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt, and set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract.

Add eggs, beating well.

Stir in flour mixture and chocolate chips. Taking care not to over mix.

Using a cookie scoop, drop onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 7-10 minutes on a middle rack until golden brown.

Remove from oven, and cool on baking sheets for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire baking sheets to finish cooling.

*Chocolate Chunks are necessary. Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chunks are best. Cheap and delicious.

A Bountiful Kitchen will never lead you astray. Her Tried & True CC Cookie recipe is literally the Toll House Cookie Recipe… aka Phoebe Buffay's Grandmother's Family Recipe. However it has all the tweaks that we need for high altitude. Si swears by baking these with a convection oven, and her cookies always look beautiful; but they work just as well in a conventional oven. THIS is my go-to chocolate chip cookie.

Rainbow Chip Cake Mix Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 box Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Cake Mix
2 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 jar Betty Crocker Rainbow Chip Frosting

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper or silpat, then set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs in the oil. In a medium bowl, whisk the rainbow chip cake mix to break up any lumps. Then dump the eggs/oil on top, and mix until combined.

Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the dough, and place at least 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet. Transfer from cookie sheet to cooling rack, and let come to just above room temperature.

Frost cooled cookies with your Rainbow Chip Frosting, and then have at it!

Som' Bitches

Recipe adapted from two.thirty.ate

INGREDIENTS
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
28 chewy caramels, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add peanut butter and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add vanilla, then eggs, one at a time until combined.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Gently fold in chocolate chips, and mix until just combined.
Using a two tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out dough then flatten in the the palm of your hand. Place caramel in the middle, then fold cookie dough up, pinching the seams to create a ball. Place cookies 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

If you know me, then you know that Peanut Butter Cookies are always a bust with me. Not that I don't love peanut butter cookies, but because I am THE WORST at making them. No matter what I do, they always end up terrible. After that famous episode of How I Met Your Mother where we actually met the mother, and she had made these cookies. When I watched that episode, I knew that I needed to make them. But with my terrible track record, I was SO thankful that my friend Kayla would make them. She taught me how, but for some reason every time I tried, they just didn't ever work. That is until I made them during the 2016 BYU/Utah Football game. I was SO stressed, that I had to do something. So while the game may not have ended the way I wanted it to, I have these cookies to help ease my pain.

Coconut Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
For the Cookies:
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
2 tsp coconut extract
5 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sour cream
1 tsp coconut extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. coconut milk (or as needed, to taste)
Toasted Coconut

DIRECTIONS
For the Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
In a stand-mixer or large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Cream together and slowly add in eggs. Then add coconut extract, and mix thoroughly.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture until combined and doughy.
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.
Dip the bottom of a glass into excess sugar and press on to each dough ball (re-dipping in sugar each time) to flatten the cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden-brown. Do not over-bake. Set aside to cool.
For the Frosting:
Cream together butter, sour cream, extract, and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar, and mix until desired consistency (you may not need all of it). Add coconut milk to thin if needed. Spread over cooled cookies, top with toasted coconut and serve! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to get that soda shop experience.

Sodalicious Cookies

Recipe Adapted from Favorite Family Recipes

INGREDIENTS

For the Cookies:
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. canola oil
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. water
2 eggs
1 tsp almond extract
5 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp almond extract
dash of salt
1 1/2 - 2 lbs. powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp. milk (or as needed, to taste)

DIRECTIONS
For the Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
In a stand-mixer or large mixing bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, powdered sugar, and water. Cream together and slowly add in eggs. Then add almond extract, and mix thoroughly.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well and slowly add to the butter/sugar mixture until combined and doughy.
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat.
Dip the bottom of a glass into excess sugar and press on to each dough ball (re-dipping in sugar each time) to flatten the cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until bottom is lightly golden-brown. Do not over-bake. Set aside to cool.
For the Frosting:
Cream together butter, sour cream, extract, and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar, and mix until desired consistency (you may not need all of it). Add milk to thin if needed. Mix in food coloring to desired hue. Spread over cooled cookies and serve! Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to get that soda shop experience.

Guys, I am slowly increasing my A1C with the addition of SodaBomb! in Roosevelt- they are fantastic! Thankfully, they do not have Sugar Cookies every day like those other soda shops (Sodalicious, Swig) and I can keep myself in check. BUT their sugar cookies are vanilla flavored- still delicious- but they don't quite live up to the amazingness that is a Sodalicious Sugar Cookie… sorry Swig, the one time I gave you a chance-at the original, your sugar cookies were meh. Anyway, I had to find something to fill in the void, and I finally gave making some myself a chance. I'm SO glad that I did. These are SO good! If you are a monster, and do not like Almond Extract, go ahead and make them with Vanilla- just know that they won't be as good! Also, these get SO MUCH BETTER after sitting in the refrigerator over night.

Cowgirl Cookies

adapted from Bakerella

INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup melted butter, cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, m&ms, chocolate chips, pecans, coconut, brown and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Blend well to break up any chunks of brown sugar. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.

In a small bowl, beat the egg, butter and vanilla together.

Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix together.

Scoop out 1 1/2 inch balls of dough, and place on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on cookie sheet before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Serve to that special cowboy or cowgirl in your life.

I first found this recipe during Erica Ellen's Cookie Extravaganza in Honor of Black History Month… and then I forgot about them. The other night my niece found out that I have a crap ton of cookbooks. Cookbooks are her new favorite books. So we were looking through my homemade one, and found this recipe and declared, "We HAVE to make these right now." I shot her down because it was 10:00 pm, and I am a grown up with a job. When I came home early from work the next day, we made them. I want to rename them because I added coconut, and have decided that they are even better, so I wanna rename them "Reverse Cowgirl Cookies" but I don't want you all to think I am super disgusting. Just know that they are that good, and easy soooo you need to make them yourself.

Candy Cane Sugar Cookies

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup candy cane powder*
1/4 cup whole milk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375* F.

Line dark baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, set aside.

In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

With the paddle attachment on a stand mixer, cream the butter, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, then vanilla until thoroughly combined. Then add in candy cane powder.
Add in approximately 1/3 of flour mixture to cream mixture, and slowly combine. Add in 1/2 of the milk, and slowly combine. Repeat. Then add the last 1/3 of flour, and mix until just barely incorporated.

Scoop dough into one inch balls, I used a tablespoon-sized scoop, and place onto cookie sheet, approximately 2 inches apart. The cookies will spread.

Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, until edges are slightly golden brown. Let cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet. Then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

*It took approximately 14 mini-candy canes.. I just threw them into a food processor and pulsed them until it was mostly powder, there were still some slightly larger chunks of candy cane-those are good!

Rocky Road Cookies

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 1/4 cup Mallow Bits
3/4 cup chopped almonds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Set aside.

With a mixer, cream butter and sugars together until smooth. Add in eggs, one at a time. Next, add in vanilla extract. Mix until blended.

Slowly add flour mixture to sugar mixture and mix until flour disappears. Stir in chocolate chips, Mallow Bits, and chopped almonds. Drop cookie dough by rounded teaspoons onto prepared baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.

Bake cookies for 8 minutes, or until the cookies are set around the edges, but still soft in the center. Don't over bake. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Move to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Rolo Chocolate Chip Cookies

INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1 1/4 cups mini-chocolate chips

Bag of Rolo Candy, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt.

Cream the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time until fully incorporated. Add vanilla.

Slowly add in dry ingredients, then mix in pecans and mini-chocolate chips.

Take one tablespoon of cookie dough, and wrap around one Rolo candy.

Make sure that the entire Rolo is covered with dough.

Place on cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from cookie sheet, and place on cooling rack.

Serve warm, so that the caramel will still be hot and gooey.

The Origin Story : EECEM

The origin of this quest of "baking it up as I go" started in February 2011. A month that will forever be known to my Cedar City Family as:

Erica Ellen's Cookie Extravaganza Month

I had insane Bucket List Item to "Bake A Different Batch of Cookies Everyday For A Month".

Why yes, I am a complete idiot. WHO DOES THAT? Someone with undiagnosed bipolar ii disorder. This is what I had to say about my endeavor:

"So, much to the misfortune of my waistline, and the waistlines of my roommates and neighbors. I will be making a different batch of cookies everyday for the month of February."

And I did it. I made some yummy cookies, and a lot of less than delicious cookies. I'll probably revisit some of them, and snag better pictures… but here is my post with all the original pictures, and links to the recipe sources: SOME of these are linked to recipes here… some don't have a recipe linked because I firmly believe that NO ONE should repeat my mistakes. A lot where just the Toll-House Cookie Recipe, but I'd sub the chocolate chips for different mix-ins.

1: Chocolate Chip Almond Toffee Cookies	2: M&M Cookies
3: Peanut Butter M&M Cookies	4: Salted Chocolate Caramel Turtle Cookies
5: Italian Almond Cookies	6: Cowgirl Cookies
7: Lime Meltaway Cookies	8: Chocolate Reese's Pieces Cookies  (I subbed RPs for Rolos)
9: Rolo Cookies	10: Butterscotch Cookies  (subbed Butterscotch Chips for Chocolate Chips)
11: English Toffee Cookies w/ Chocolate Drizzle  (subbed Toffee Bits & Drizzled with Melted Chocolate)	12: Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies  (3/4c white CCs, 1 1/4 CCs, 1c coconut)
12: Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies (3/4c white CCs, 1 1/4 CCs, 1c coconut)	14: CC Pecan Toffee Cookies of Love (failure is inevitable. so are penis cookies)
15: Pretzel M&M Cookies	16: Pretzel CC Cookies
17: Better-Than-Brownies Chocolate Cookies	18: Coconut Rum Cookies
19: Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips	20: World Peace Cookies
21: My Momma’s Sugar Cookies	22: Lemon Drop Cookies
23: Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies	24: Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
25: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies	26: Candy Bar CC Cookie Sandwiches
27: Skookie	28: Triple Chocolate Cookies

To say that I had a hell of a time is an understatement. I'm also kind of ashamed of how spectacularly I failed time and time again during this experiment- some of these cookies are fugly and others were just NOT good. But obviously not ashamed enough to not show to fruits of my labor… I'm also extra proud of myself, because it was completely crazy, and I stuck it out. My roommates and neighbors are the real MVPs; they provided excellent motivational speeches, and ate all the cookies. Event the yucky ones.

Candy Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

adapted from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
10 oz bag chocolate chips
Variety of snack size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and Kit Kat

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until well combined.

Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.
Place flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl; mix then slowly add to wet ingredients.

Add chocolate chips to combine.

Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of snack size candy bar.

Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of candy bar.

Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until candy bar is enclosed with dough.

Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking.

Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk, enjoy!

Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

adapted from Picky Palate

INGREDIENTS
24 snack size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
1 large egg
Sea Salt if desired

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Unwrap all Reeses cups and place into a food processor. Pulse until smooth and combined.

Add an egg and pulse until combined.

With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.

With the heel of your hand, press each cookie down to about 1/2 inch thick.

Sprinkle with sea salt if desired.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until cooked through and edges start to crisp.

Let cool for 15 minutes on baking sheet before removing to cooling rack.

Oreo Cheesecake Cookies

adapted from multiplydelicious on TastyKitchen

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cups mini chocolate chips
1 cup Oreo Cookie crumbs
½ cups white chocolate chips, melted (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla and mix until ingredients are light and fluffy.

Slowly incorporate the flour. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.

Scoop the dough into 1″ balls, and roll in Oreo cookie crumbs so cookie is covered. Place covered cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.

Cool on the pan for two minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Once cool, drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. Enjoy!

Coconut Rum Cookies

adapted from All Recipes

INGREDIENTS1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon rum
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.

Beat in the egg and vanilla until light and fluffy.

Gradually blend in the flour mixture, then mix in the coconut.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. 

Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly toasted. Cool on wire racks.

Better-than-Brownies Chocolate Cookies

from Brown Eyed Baker

INGREDIENTS
2 2/3 cups (about 16 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until completely melted and smooth.

In the meantime, stir together the eggs, vanilla and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.

Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and stir to combine well. Slowly add the dry ingredients, folding them into the batter. Once all of the flour is incorporated, stir in the chocolate chips.

Scoop 1½ tablespoons of dough (a medium cookie scoop’s worth) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they are firm on the outside. Like brownies, do not overbake! Leave to cool completely on the baking sheets.