Deep Fried Oreos

Okay. This is the South. We love all things fried and battered. So how could anyone resist this recipe in the Taste of Home Summer 2018 issue?

Deep-Fried Oreos

18 Oreo cookies

oil for deep-fat frying

1 cup Bisquick

1 large egg

1/2 cup milk

Confectioners' Sugar

18 4-inch wood skewers

Thread one cookie on each of the wooden skewers, inserting the pointed end of the skewer into the filling. Freeze until firm. This takes about an hour.

Heat oil in an electric skillet or deep fryer until it reaches 375 degrees.

Whisk together the egg and milk. Place Bisquick in a shallow bowl. Pour the milk/egg mixture into the Bisquick and whisk until just moist.

Holding the skewer, dip frozen cookie into the mixture and coat both sides. Shake off the excess.

Fry the cookies, a few at a time, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Dust cookies with Confectioners' Sugar just before serving.

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Homemade Oatmeal Pies

I spotted this recipe in the October 2017 issue of Southern Living magazine. I enjoy the magazine and would recommend it to anyone. I love the cookbooks. They are my go-to sources when I'm looking for a special recipe. They should fill every cooks kitchen shelves.

This recipe looks like it will be fun to try. I think I'll leave out the toasted pecans though. I love pecans but generally prefer my cookies pecan free.

Homemade Oatmeal Pies

1 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups uncooked regular rolled oats
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Salted Caramel Buttercream (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter and sugars with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until creamy, about two minutes; add eggs and vanilla, and beat until just combined. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating on low speed just until combined, about 10 seconds. Stir in oats and pecans.

Using a 1 1/2-inch cook scoop, drop spoonfuls of dough 3 inches apart on parchment paper-lined baking sheets. (Or use your hands to shape dough into 2-inch balls.) Bake in preheated oven until golden but still soft in the center, 9-10 minutes. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets; remove cookies to wire racks, and cool completely, about 20 minutes.

Pipe or spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons Salted Caramel Buttercream on 1 flat side of half of cooled cookies; top with remaining cookies, flat side down, pressing gently.

Salted Caramel Buttercream

16 caramel candies (such as Kraft)
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (16-oz.) package powdered sugar

Microwave caramel candies and 1 tablespoon heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl on HIGH until mixture is smooth and melted, about 1 minute, stirring at 3-second intervals.

Stir in additional tablespoon cream. Cool at room temperature until lukewarm, about 30 minutes.

Beat butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla extract and salt. Beat until combined. Gradually add powdered sugar alternately with the caramel mixture, beating on low speed until blended after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon cream, 1 teaspoon at a time, to reach desired consistency, if needed.

Refrigerate the pies before packing away to keep the filling firm.

Makes 24.

Salted Peanut Butterscotch Bars

Once every quarter or so, the Coffee County Extension Office hosts a Crafting on a Shoestring Budget event. It costs $10 per person and we go home with some wonderful items we've assembled, painted, etc. And they feed us a snack. Like a mini-meal type snack. Super good. Really. This recipe is one of those snack items. I went back for seconds. It wasn't my fault. The pieces were just too small. LOL

We also had hotdogs on skewers. They'd taken crescent rolls, cut them into strips, and wrapped the dough around the hot dogs. Then they baked them. They didn't stop there. A triangle piece of cheese went on the top and upside-down cupcake holders went on the bottom. They were stuck upright in Styrofoam covered in bright red paper. The result? Rockets. My youngest nephews would LOVE this! Super good to eat too! As were the strawberries, blueberries, and marshmallows. Yes. In case you doubted at all, I've already got my reservation in for the next craft event.

Salted-Peanut Butterscotch Bars

15 whole graham crackers, broken up
3 tablespoons sugar
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
One 11-oz. package butterscotch morsels (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup chopped salted roasted peanuts

Line a 9-inch square baking pan with foil, allowing ends to overhang by 2 inches.

Process graham crackers with sugar and salt in a food processor until finely ground. Pulse in butter until moistened. Transfer to lined pan and press crumbs down evenly and firmly.

Place butterscotch morsels in a large bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove and stir until smooth and creamy. (Continue to microwave in 10-second intervals if morsels have not melted. Do not overheat or mixture will seize up and turn into a stiff mass.) Stir in peanut butter and peanuts. Blend well and spread evenly over graham-cracker crust. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour 30 minutes or until firm.

Lift bars out and remove foil. Use a sharp knife to carefully cut into squares.

Makes about 36 1 1/2-inch squares

Nita's Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have a sweet friend who thinks that all cookies should be crunchy. Well, I'm someone who likes soft cookies and that's usually what I make. Except Nita wanted Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies for her birthday. Seriously. It's all she asked for. Well, that and a card.

So I got busy searching. Do you have any idea how many Chocolate Chip Cookie recipes there are out there in cookie recipe land? The recipe I finally settled on comes from the folks who make Ghirardelli chocolate. It was a winner. She loved the cookies!!!

Here's the recipe. Well, my version of the recipe. I didn't add nuts. And I didn't shift the baking pans around. That's way too much trouble. I baked them like I always do and they turned out fine. If you like crunchy cookies, you'll probably really love it. If you don't, I've got plenty of other recipes you can choose from.

 

Crispy Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 1/3 all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/3 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly greased and flour two making sheets.

Mix the flour, baking soda and salt together. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine the butter, both sugars, corn syrup, milk and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. (Add nuts at this time if you want to.) The dough will be very soft.

Divide the dough in half. Divide one half of the dough into 10 equal pieces (each a scant 1/4 cup). Place 5 pieces of dough at least 3 inches apart on each baking sheet. Use your fingers covered with a piece of plastic wrap to flatten each scoop until it is 3 inches in diameter. (Cookies will spread even more as they bake.)

Bake about 15 minutes, watching closely, until the cookies are evenly dark golden brown all over. (Pale cookies will not be crispy). Let cool on pan for 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Makes about 16 4-inch cookies.

Gingerbread Cookies

I clipped this from a newspaper insert way back before Christmas but I never got around to making them. It was an advertisement for McCormick.

Today I baked them. The original recipe was for Gingerbread Men. I simply used a round cookie cutter with wavy edges. It worked great. Next time, though, I think I'll decorate with a little icing.

Gingerbread Cookies

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add molasses, egg and vanilla; mix well. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Press dough into a think flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured work surface. Cut into gingerbread men shapes with a 5-inch cookie cutter. (Other shapes work fine.) Place 1 inch apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies just begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Decorate cookies as desired.

Store cookies in airtight container up to 5 days.

Makes 2 dozen.

Peppermint Melt Away Cookies

I do realize that it is March. Seriously. I do. But I uncovered this holiday recipe booklet from Publix the other day and realized that one of the reasons I saved it was this recipe. (The other reason is a quiche recipe to be shared another day.)

For those of you who don't know, I started this blog to not only share recipes with others but to also be able to find recipes I love more easily. I LOVE my cookbooks. I ADORE my magazines that include wonderful recipes. But finding them later can be a challenge. For me anyway.

So even though it's March, these cookies sound fabulous! Besides, anytime is a good time for peppermint!

 

Peppermint Melt-Away Cookies

Pam Original Canola Spray
1 8-oz. package cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
large zip-top bag
1 cup starlight mints (or candy canes), finely crushed
1 large egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 16.5-oz. box Duncan Hines Class White Cake Mix, divided
1 cup Nestle Premier White Toll House Morsels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat baking sheets with spray. Cut cream cheese and butter into small pieces; place in large bowl to soften. Crush mints in zip-top bag using metal mallet.

Add egg, vanilla extract, and 1/2 of the cake mix to the cream cheese and butter mixture. Mix with electric mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until thoroughly blended. Stir in remaining half of cake mix, along with the white chocolate morsels and 1/2 cup of the mints until blended. Place remaining 1/2 cup mints in shallow bowl.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and press tops of dough into mints. Place on baking sheets, mint side up and 2 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden and center is barely set. Let stand 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool.

Makes approximately 48 cookies.

Sugar Cookie Sheet

This recipe comes from the March 2014 issue of Ladies' Home Journal. It looks so easy and so good. Can't wait to try it!

The frosting recipe isn't new. I've seen it in various forms for years. It is really, really good and easy to work with. Try tinting the frosting different colors and creating something beautiful and uniquely you!

Sugar Cookie Sheet

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla Frosting (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-by-13-inch pan with a strip of parchment, allowing edges to hang over opposite sides. In a large bowl whisk together, flour, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in egg, egg white, sour cream and vanilla and mix until blended. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.

With greased hands, gently press dough into pan. Bake until the edges are lightly golden, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool completely, then frost and decorate. Use the parchment overhang to lift form pan; slice and serve.

Makes 20 bars.

 

Vanilla Frosting

6 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
food coloring

Beat together butter, confectioners' sugar and milk until fluffy. Stir in vanilla extract and salt. Tint frosting with food coloring.

Gingerbread People

This recipe comes from the December 2012 issue of Cooking Light magazine. It reminds me of the gingerbread cookies my Gran used to make when I was a child. She always made at least one gingerbread man and woman, just for me. Of course, this recipe has way fewer calories and that is always a plus.

Gingerbread People

11 ¼ oz. all-purpose flour (about 2 ½ cups)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup golden cane syrup
2 tablespoons molasses
1 large egg

Icing
½ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare cookies, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, stirring mixture well with a whisk.

Place brown sugar and butter in a bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add can syrup, molasses, and egg; beat 1 minute or until well combined. Add flour mixture, and beat on low speed 1 minute or until just combined. Gently press mixture into a disc, and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for 30 minutes.

Divide dough in half. Roll each dough portion to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with 5-inch cutters to form 26 cookies. (Reroll scraps as necessary.) Place cookies 1 inch apart on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Remove cookies from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare icing, combine powdered sugar and milk, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Spoon icing into a small zip-top plastic bag. Snip a tiny hole off one corner of the bag. Pipe icing onto cookies as desired.

Makes 26 cookies at 124 calories each.

Crinkle Cookies

This recipe comes from the July 8, 2013, People magazine. It was provided by Carla Hall, who owns the cookie company Alchemy. They look delicious! I can’t wait to give them a try.

Crinkle Cookies

4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 large egg
½ cup sugar
¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup mini-chocolate chips
¼ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Microwave butter and cocoa in a glass bowl on HIGH for 45 seconds. Whisk mixture until smooth; set aside.

Whisk together egg, sugars, salt and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Gradually add egg mixture to chocolate mixture, whisking until well-blended.

Whisk flour and baking powder together in a small bowl. Stir flour mixture into chocolate mixture until well-blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes or until dough is firm enough to handle easily.

Place powdered sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop dough and form into ¾-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar. Arrange cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes. Cool cookies 1 minute on baking sheet; transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

St. Patrick's Day Green-and-White Cookies

How do you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Some of us simply ignore the day. Others might wear green (to keep from getting pinched) but otherwise just go about a normal day. Others really, really celebrate with parades and drink and a big party.

One town celebrates by hosting the world’s smallest St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Seriously. One person, dressed appropriately in green or other St. Paddy’s Day décor, walks down the street. Folks like the sidewalks and cheer. It’s great fun and a little ridiculous when you think about it. But, hey, it brings folks downtown and gives us all a reason to smile.

This recipe comes from the March 2013 issue of Family Circle magazine. It seems like the perfect hostess gift or festive snack for this awesome day.

St. Patrick’s Day Green-and-White Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2 minutes. Add buttermilk, egg and vanilla, beating until smooth. Gradually beat in dry ingredients until combined.

Chill batter for 15 minutes.

Drop batter in 2 tablespoon mounds onto ungreased baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 to 13 minutes, until just set. Remove from sheet onto a wire rack and cool.

Frosting

2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon mint extract
Green food coloring

Beat together confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth and a good consistency, adding an extra 1 to 2 teaspoons milk if needed.

Into half the icing, beat in mint extract and a few drops green food coloring.

Spread half of the flat side of each cooking with white frosting. Let dry. Spread other half with green icing and allow it to dry.

Makes 24 cookies

Premier Cheesecake Cranberry Bars

This recipe comes from the folks over at Nestle. I found it on one of those little recipe cards they place by their products for you to tear off and take home -- hopefully with said product in your cart. It worked for me. LOL These look wonderful and Nestle always does a wonderful job with desserts.

 

For more recipes head over to tollhouse.com.

 

Premier Cheesecake Cranberry Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups quick or old-fashioned oats
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups (12 oz. pkg.) Nestle Toll House Premier White Morsels
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) Nestle Carnation Sweetened Condensed Milk
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 can (14 oz.) whole-berry cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Combine flour, oats and brown sugar in large bowl. Add butter; mix until crumbly. Stir in morsels. Reserve 2 ½ cups morsel mixture for topping. With floured fingers, press remaining mixture into prepared pan.

Beat cream cheese in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and vanilla extract; mix until smooth. Pour over crust. Combine cranberry sauce and cornstarch in medium bowl. Spoon over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle reserved mixture over cranberry mixture.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cover; refrigerate until serving time (up to 1 day). Cut into bars.

Makes 30 bars.

Zesty Orange Cookie Cups

I found this recipe Wednesday in the commissary, right there in the holiday baking section. Doesn’t it look wonderful? I can’t wait until the FFA oranges come in and I try it. Be sure to check out all the recipes at tollhouse.com.

Zesty Orange Cookie Cups

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
2 cups al-purpose flour
2 cups (12-oz pkg.) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE PREMIER WHITE MORSELS
2 large eggs
1 can (14-oz.) NESTLE CARNATION SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
½ to ¾ teaspoon orange extract
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (1 medium orange)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 48 mini-muffin cups

Beat butter and sugar with wire whisk. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and orange extract. Spoon almost a measuring tablespoon of mixture into each muffin cup, filling about ¾ full.

Bake for 15-17 minutes or until centers are puffed and edges are just beginning to brown. Upon removing from oven, gently run knife around each cup.

While still warm, top each cup with 8 to 10 morsels (they will soften and retain their shape). Cool completely in pans on wire racks.

With tip of knife, remove cookie cups from muffin pans. Top with grated orange peel just before serving. Store in covered container in refrigerator.

Makes 48 cookie cups.

Halloween Cookie Bites

How fun are cookies that look like candy corn!? This recipe is in the October 2012 issue of Coastal Living magazine. The magazine also includes some other wonderful recipes and some tips on carving pumpkins with a coastal theme. Be sure to check it out!

Halloween Cookie Bites

1 cup butter, softened
1 ½ cups sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Yellow food coloring
Red food coloring

Beat butter and sugar together at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Combine flour, salt and lemon zest; gradually stir into butter mixture.

Divide dough into 3 equal pieces (about 1 ¼ cups each); tint 1 piece with yellow food coloring. Tint another piece orange using red and yellow food coloring. (Add 1 to 2 teaspoons flour to orange dough if food coloring makes it softer than other colors.)

Place white, untinted dough in bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, pressing down. Top with orange dough and then yellow, pressing down. Cover and chill 2 hours.

Turn dough out onto work surface. Cut slices 3/8-inch thick from dough; cut each slice into 6 triangles. Place cookies on parchment paper -- or aluminum foil -- lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, or until set but not browned. Cool on wire rack 1 minute; transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes 10 dozen.

Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies

One of the first things to learn when baking it how to properly measure your ingredients. It really doesn’t take but once or twice before a budding cook either gives up or learns a few lessons. Dry desserts just won’t do.

Always lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup. Then use a straight surface (I use the back of a knife) to level it off. DO NOT scoop flour from the bag or container into the measuring cup. It’ll make your baked goods dry. It’s funny how folks just always assume you know this.

This recipe likely originated with the folks over at Nestle. I have a yellowed newspaper clipping with no source listed. I don’t guess that’ll matter much when you’re enjoying these wonderful treats.

Toll House Chocolate Crunch Cookies

1 cup butter
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
¾ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon hot water
2 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans.)
2 (7 oz.) bars Nestle’s semisweet chocolate, cut in pea-size pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and eggs. Sift salt into flour. Dissolve soda in hot water. Alternate soda mixture, creamed mixture, and flour mixture until mixture is creamy. Add nuts and chocolate pieces. Stir in vanilla.

Drop by ½ teaspoons onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

Makes 100 cookies

REESE'S Chewy Chocolate Pan Cookies

Chocolate and peanut butter make for a must-have treat.

REESE’S Chewy Chocolate Pan Cookies

1 ¼ cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-oz.) REESE’S Peanut Butter Chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1-inch jelly-roll pan.

In large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually blend into creamed mixture. Stir in chips. Spread batter into prepared pan.

Bake 20 minutes or until set. Cook completely. Cut into bars.

Makes about 4 dozen bars.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve never tried Butter Flavored Crisco, though I swear by the regular white Crisco. It’s a must item for every kitchen -- at least one you plan to use for baking. This recipe is enough to make me purchase some Butter Flavored Crisco just because the cookies sound so wonderful. This recipe came from an advertisement for, you guessed it, Crisco.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

¾ cup Butter Flavor Crisco
1 ½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup large pecan pieces
NOTE: If nuts are omitted, use 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream Crisco, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Blend until creamy. Blend in egg.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture, gradually. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls (about 2 measuring tablespoons) of dough 3-inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies (they will look light and moist -- DO NOT OVERBAKE), 11 to 13 minutes for crisp cookies.

Cook on baking sheet for 2 minutes. Remove to cooling rach.

Makes 3 dozen 3-inch cookies.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I found this recipe on the top of a Quaker Oats oatmeal container. I LOVE Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. How about you?

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

½ cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets. Remove to wire rack. Cook completely. Store in tightly covered container.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Bar Cookies

Bake 30 to 35 minutes in ungreased 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan.

Jif Peanut Butter Cookies

I am a recipe collector. I have all these scraps of paper, newspaper clippings, magazine pages and handwritten notecards. Some have nothing more than a list of ingredients and, perhaps, an oven temperature. Others are so old that I have no idea where they originated. But there they are, valuable to me for the endless possibilities.

This recipe comes from the Jif peanut butter people. I think it was an ad, probably around Christmas. The photo reminds me of the peanut butter cookies I ate as a child. I can almost taste them. I guess that means I'm off to bake a fresh batch. How about you?

Irresistible Jif Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 cup Jiff Creamy Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Crisco All-Vegetable Shortening
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine Jif, Crisco, light brown sugar, milk and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended.

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie baking sheet. Flatten slightly in criss-cross pattern with the tines of a fork.

Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Hershey's Perfect White Chip Chocolate Cookies

It all started with an amazing sale on white chocolate chips. I can never resist a really good buy. And I love white chocolate. Oh, I know. It's not really chocolate. Maybe that's why I love it so much.

There are so many wonderful things to bake with white chocolate. But I needed something quick and easy and yummy. And there's nothing quite like the recipe on the back of the bag. My only complaint? Make the words LARGER folks!

The cookies are wonderful and have a taste that makes you want to eat another one and another one and another one and...well you get the picture. Give them a try. You'll love them.

Hershey's Perfect White Chip Chocolate Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12-oz package) Hershey's Premier White Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy.

Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into the butter mixture.

Stir in white chocolate chips.

Drop teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (I recommend spraying lightly with Pam!)

Bake 8 to 9 minutes (8 minutes in my oven).  Do NOT overbake. Cookies are supposed to be soft. They will puff while baking and flatten when cooling. Let the cookies cool slightly, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Store in an airtight container.

Grandma's Cookie Jar Oatmeal Cookies

This recipe comes from the Land O'Lakes butter company. They have a wonderful website with some super recipes. I love oatmeal-raisin cookies! Give this recipe a try.

3 cups quick-cooking oats
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup Land O'Lakes Butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except flour and raisins in a large mixer bowl. Beat at low speed, scraping the bowl often, until well mixed. This will take 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour. Continue beating until well mixed, another 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in raisins by hand.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

Yield: 4 dozen cookies