Somewhat healthier, yet still yummy cookies!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Inspiration: sparkpeople

Ingredients

• 3/4 c oatmeal
• 1 c whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 c coconut oil
• 1/4 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 c light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 c dark chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grind oatmeal in blender or food processor until flour consistency. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in flour, baking soda and salt. 
3. In a separate bowl soften coconut oil in microwave about 15 seconds. Cream together oil and sugar. Add applesauce, egg, and vanilla, mix until smooth and creamy. 
4. Add in the dry ingredients until just combined. 
5. Add chocolate chips to the cookie dough and mix until just combined.
6. Spoon cookie dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until the tops are golden. If the cookies have a tendency to flatten, put the dough in the fridge between baking.
7. Cool the cookies for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to cool completely.

Well these are just GOOD

Chocolate Chip Cookies
source: Cassie Jones
Ingredients:

• 3/4 c sugar
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 c butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 c flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3 c chocolate chips
• 1 c chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine sugars and add butter. Beat until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs.
3. Sift flour, soda, and salt.
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix well. Add chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Use small ice cream scoop to drop dough onto cookie sheets.
6. Bake about 10-12 minutes. Pull them out when they're still a little gooey... YUM.

Do you ever just CRAVE chocolate chip cookies??

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 c butter flavored Crisco (we didn't have butter flavored so we did 1/2 c plain Crisco and 1/2 butter)
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 3/4 c sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/4 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, and vanilla. 
3. Mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda.
4. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.
5. Drop by large tablespoonfuls on to ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes.

**NOTE: you can refrigerate or freeze the cookie dough and use it at a later date. Roll into balls first, it is much more difficult to do once it's cold!

Russ has been craving sweets lately!

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
3. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet.
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

We found this recipe here.

AMAZING cookies

Melt Away Heavenly Pieces

Source: Jessica LeBaron
Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb butter
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Blend the ingredients together in a bowl.  Cover the bowl and chill all the way through.
2. Break off pieces and roll to about the size of a large marble. Place on cookie sheet.  They don't spread much so you can put them fairly close together.
3. Bake for 12 minutes until lightly brown.
4. Cool.  The cookies can be frozen at this point for consumption at another time.

Cream Cheese Frosting

 Ingredients:

•  8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• food coloring(optional)

Directions:

1. Use a hand mixer to combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla. If making more than one color, divide into separate bowls.  Add food coloring to make the desired color(s).

1. Put frosting into ziplock bags and trim the corner. Apply frosting generously to cookies. These may be frosted the day before serving and stored in the refrigerator.
   

   
   

Seasonal Cookies

Old-Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 1/2 c butter, softened
• 1 c Pumpkin Puree
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Glaze (recipe follows)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. 
3. Beat sugar and butter in large mixer bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. 
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.
5. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. 
6. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies.

for glaze
Ingredients:

• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in small bowl until smooth.