Melt in Your Mouth Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened

2 cups granulated sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs                                   

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

4 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (add until desired consistency/firmness)-We did 3 cups pd Sugar

ground cinnamon sprinkled on top (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl beat the 2 cups of butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder,baking soda,salt,the 1 teaspoon cinnamon,and the nutmeg. Beat until combined. Beat in the eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin. Beat in as much of the four as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour with a wooden spoon.

2. Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until tops are set. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

3. For frosting, in a small saucepan heat the 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar until melted and smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl. Stir in milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Spread frosting on cookies. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon if desired.

Caution... This recipe makes A LOT of cookies. Be prepared to give some away.. Or you will end up like me and eat 20 of them in one sitting. ;) ..No but really.. I ate at least 20. 


http://parentpretty.com/pumpkin-cookies-recipe/

4 Ingredient Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
bag of semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix first three ingredients, then add chocolate chips. Livi and I mixed by hand and it took some work, just so you know! :)
3. Spoon onto greased cookie sheet (about 2 inch clumps, we used our big cereal spoons - or if you have one of those nifty little cookie scoopers, use that!).
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

My favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

http://craftbakesewcreate.blogspot.com/2013/01/soft-chewy-oatmeal-chocolate-chip.html

Thank you Pinterest.

Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

[slightly adapted from Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies]

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 egg + 1 yolk

1 T. cornstarch

1 tsp. coarse sea salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350º.

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugars. Add in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sea salt, baking soda, flour, and oatmeal. Add into the butter mixture. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Scoop about 2 T. of dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 9-10 minutes. The edges should be lightly golden and the centers just set. Let cool for 2 minutes on the pan before transferring off to cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Andes Mint Grinch Cookies

Andes Mint Grinch Cookies

I found these on Pinterest and couldn't resist. When I realized I was eating all of the Andes before I had even made the cookies, it was a must do today. This is a simple but delicious cookie recipe, and mine turned out just like the picture! They are definitely best with a mug of hot chocolate. Since the recipe makes almost 4 dozen, I gave a dozen to a couple neighbors with this little gift tag. I can't wait to share this new tradition with my little family (I think I'll be making more on Saturday).

Ingredients

2 3/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter (at room temperature)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp mint extract
15-20 drops green food coloring
1 bag of Andes mints (chopped or broken apart)

Directions
Preheat oven 375 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. Unwrap the Andes Mints and chop/break up. (I used my potato masher, I ended up with some Andes crumbs, but they were awesome in the cookies!)

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and mint extract. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and add the green food coloring. Mix until even colored. Last fold in the chopped Andes mints. 

Put in the refrigerator until the dough is cool.

Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls.  To make them more rounded when they come out, flatten the balls as you place them onto ungreased cookie sheets. (I still used my silicone baking sheets)
Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before moving them to wire racks to cool. 

Semi-Homemade Oreo Cookies

Sometimes you just have to indulge in some no-so-low calorie cookies. And if you're going to indulge, these are perfect!!! They do take a bit of time in the making, and even more time if you have little helping hands (my 2 year old) - but they are worth it! I first found a recipe for these in one of my Mom's cookbooks - and rather than guess at my measurements, I found a similar one online at Mommy's Kitchen..

Semi-Homemade Oreo Cookies

Ingredients for Chocolate Cookies*:

• 2 boxes of Devil's Food cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 c of oil 

*These are the measurements for a double batch of cookies, this way you'll use all your filling!

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Filling:

• 1 8oz pckg of cream cheese (buy the good stuff, Philadelphia) - softened
• 3-4 c of powdered sugar (I just add the sugar in until I get the consistency I like)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 1 cube of butter (1/2 c) - softened (not melted!!!)

Directions for Cookies:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix the cookie batter using a wooden spoon and bowl - trust me on this, the batter will be so so thick, and you'll need your mixer for the filling! 
• Roll cookie batter into 1 inch balls and place on a greased cookie sheet (this recipe will make 3 1/2 cookie sheets full). 
• I had never done this before, but Mommy's Kitchen suggested flattening the cookies before baking using the bottom of a cup. Brilliant! My cookies were almost all the same size and width, and nice and flat for cookie sandwiches. Check out her photos for clarification.
• Bake for 8 minutes, and let cool until warm on the cookie sheet. Move to cooling rack.

Directions for Filling:

• Mix all ingredients in a mixer - I add the sugar about a cup at a time.

Assembly:

• Spread filling onto one cookie (to your liking) and top with a cookie of similar size. Mommy's Kitchen suggested using a pastry bag and 1/2 inch tip or a zip lock bag. I had both on hand, but a butter knife suits me just fine.