...& everything nice

Snickerdoodles are simple, familiar and an all around crowd-pleaser of a cookie.  The cinnamon sugar coating is something everyone can appreciate and the soft, chewy nature of it is enough to please even the toughest critic.

Start by creaming the butter and sugar together.  Beat in eggs and vanilla followed by a gradual addition of the combined dry ingredients.  Voila! Snickerdoodle dough!

I chose to chill mine in the fridge for about 15 minutes so it would firm up a bit. Afterwards I formed the dough into balls and rolled them into a cinnamon sugar mixture before using the heel of my hand to flatten them a bit. Bake between 375°- 400° (depending on your oven...be very careful not to overcook!) for 7-8 minutes.

The cookies will be just barely set, but don't worry, they'll harden slightly as they cool.

Eat up!

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cocoa loco

Let me preface this post by saying this is a cookie for everyone.  Not only because it's ridiculously good, laden with chocolate, and easy to make...but because it has Oreo's and Mounds in it...how could anyone in their right mind turn down a combination like that? Searching for a good recipe for anything usually leads me to google search "best (insert item here) recipe" and seeing what results peak my interest.  These gems were hiding amongst the crowd and boy am I glad I took the time to poke around.

Beat 3/4 c unsalted butter and 1/3 c butter-flavored shortening until creamy.  Gradually add 1 c granulated sugar  and 3/4 c dark brown sugar and mix until it's light and fluffy.  Beat in 2 eggs and 2 tsp vanilla.  After all those ingredients are well blended slowly add 2 c flour, 2/3 c unsweetened cocoa, 1 tsp baking soda and a pinch of salt until combined.

Stir in your coarsely chopped Oreo's and Mounds.  The Mounds cut much easier if they're chilled for a bit first, which I recommend doing.  Wrap the dough in wax paper and refrigerate for at least a half hour. After they've firmed up make approximately 1/4 c sized balls and place them about 2" apart. 

Bake at 350° on parchment paper for 10-12 minutes-the cookies will barely be set at this point.  Let them cool before transferring to a wire rack

The recipe calls for an additional cup of chocolate chips- I chose to leave these out since I wasn't looking to get punched in the face with chocolate...moreso a sweet caress.  Mission accomplished.  I think chopped walnuts (or any other nut) would be a nice addition to this sweet treat.  This recipe yields about 30 cookies.

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powerless over flourless

These flourless peanut butter chocolate chip cookies were probably one of the easiest baked goods I've ever made.  With 6 simple ingredients you have a rich, peanut-buttery cookie loaded with melty chocolate chips.  What's not to love?  I've made them twice already...they don't last long, believe me.

Combine peanut butter, sugar, egg, baking soda and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes on parchment paper.

& that's it.

Seriously.

You should get about 2 dozen out of one batch- they're relatively small cookies but once you taste how rich there are you'll understand why they don't need to be any bigger.  Make sure you let them cool for at least 15 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a wire rack- some of mine crumbled (which of course I ate) when I tried to be ambitious and move them earlier. 

Enjoy!

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