Orange Kissed Cookies

I love oranges and pretty much anything that tastes like oranges.  Orange soda, orange flavored candy, orange gum, orange...well you name it, I am a fan.  Our family has gotten into the "chocolate rut".  This is where you can't eat anything that doesn't at least have some chocolate in it.  I have been feeling like we need to branch out and I have been buying those huge bags of oranges and the kids were getting a little done with oranges.  I decided to make these one day as a treat that is something different than we are used to.  I have to tell you, I immediately fell in love.  I wasn't the only one either.  Pretty much anyone (other than my pickiest children who wouldn't go near them as they weren't brown in color and didn't scream that they were made of chocolate) that tasted them went crazy over them.  This recipe was featured on allrecipes.com, but it comes from the ever famous and incredibly talented gals of Our Best Bites (got their cookbook for Christmas and I am loving it!  These are a must try!
 

Orange Kissed Cookies
Recipe from Allrecipes.com

1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (add another 2 tablespoons for high altitudes)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. thawed orange juice concentrate
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
Frosting
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 c.  thawed orange juice concentrate
1/2 c. softened butter
3 c. powdered sugar
2-3 drops orange food coloring (optional)
Preheat oven to 375.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a mixer, combine the white sugar and shortening.  Beat until well-combined.  Add the egg and beat well, then add the sour cream and vanilla and beat for about 1 minute or until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Add the orange juice concentrate and orange rind and mix well.
Using a cookie scoop, drop the dough/batter (the mixture will be VERY moist–thicker than a cake batter but thinner than traditional cookies) by the tablespoon-ful onto a lined, un-greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10 minutes or until the cookies are set and just starting to turn golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.
For the frosting, combine the frosting ingredients with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Pipe or spread over the cooled cookies.
Yield: Approximately 36 cookies.

Toll House Cookies

I have decided that these are my favorite chocolate chip cookies.  I have been trying out a million different recipes over the years and this is hands down my favorite.  I used to not like it as much because it seemed that they always flattened out in baking.  I now just add extra flour, cook one without chocolate chips and add flour until they are the thickness I want, based on how thick the first cookie turns out. The best thing about this is the dough!  So good.

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 1 cup chopped nuts 
•  
• PREHEAT oven to 375° F.
  
  COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
  
  BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
  
  PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.
  
  SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
  PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies.
  
  * May be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week or in freezer for up to 8 weeks.
  
  FOR HIGH ALTITUDE BAKING (5,200 feet): Increase flour to 2 1/2 cups. Add 2 teaspoons water with flour and reduce both granulated sugar and brown sugar to 2/3 cup each. Bake drop cookies for 8 to 10 minutes and pan cookie for 17 to 19 minutes.
  

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Recipe from HERE

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls.

Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Simple (yet delicious) Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Photo compliments of google

1 spice cake mix
1 regular sized can (15 oz.) of pumpkin
1 bag of chocolate chips

Mix it all together, put it on a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for 12 minutes. So delicious!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Em has invited the sisters to contribute to this amazing cooking blog. Seeing how Em's stuff is all gourmet (and tastes incredible!)... I feel a tad intimidated. So... you know how on those workout videos where there s the gal in the corner doing the "simplified version" of the workout? Well, that is going to be me... Miss Simplified.

Here is a delicious recipe that I just found from the cookbook "101 Things to do with Chocolate" (yes... my kind of cookbook). Super simple.

Here is the cute little cookbook by Stephanie Ashcraft


Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 devil's food cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter of margarine, softened

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, mix together cake mix, eggs and butter until dough forms. Stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips. Bake 10-11 minutes. Makes 30-36 cookies

Deeelish.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies-No Really They Are

I got this recipe from my friend Melissa. I have been looking for a good chocolate chip cookie recipe. This so far is my favorite!

1 stick of crisco butter bar
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs

beat all together until smooth

mix:
2 1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/2-1 tsp. cinnamon

Add mixture slowly to the butter batter.
When mixed thoroughly add 1 bag of milk chocolate chips and 1/2 bag of butterscotch chips.

Note** Something that I found to make the difference in cookies is to cook them until the edges are barely golden and the inside isn't soggy looking. They will look not quite done but when they cool off they turn out soft and perfect!! In my oven that is 9 min. per dozen.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar Cookies

One of my favorite fall traditions

2 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. vanilla extract
1 egg

Combine flour and baking soda; set aside. In another bowl, blend butter and powdered sugar together; add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and egg. mix in flour mixture; blend well. Cover dough; refrigerated for 2 hours. roll dough out on a lightly floured surface; cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters, Bake at 350 degrees on ungreased baking sheets until golden, about 8 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

Forgotten Kisses

These cookies are a little tricky, but so good and pretty quick to make.

2 egg whites
3/4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
dash of salt
1 tsp of vanilla

Beat egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Slowly (must be very slow) add sugar. Add rest of ingredients. Bake @ 350 degrees until light brown on top. Line cookie sheet with white paper (I just use computer paper).

This is what they will look like when you are done, toasty brown on the top. We sometimes will color them for different occasions.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I am a chocolate chip cookie lover. I try a spin on the classic with these. My kids call them brownie cookies.

* 1/2 c. softened butter
* 1/2 c. shortening
* 3/4 c. white sugar
* 3/4 c. brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2/3 cup cocoa powder
* 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups chocolate chips (I used milk)
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (I love walnuts and make my family suffer through them)


DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.