Fluffy, Amazing, Pumpkin Cookies!

These cookies are so good! Even people who don't like pumpkin go crazy over them. They are so moist, and are kind of like a bread/cake. I like them with or without the frosting. I think the problem is that they taste kinda healthy. I can eat like 5 at a time and not feel guilty. That's totally awful, but they are worth the extra calories and extra hour of kickboxing to burn them off! lol! :)

The Original (with penuche frosting):

Original, Pumpkin with mini chocolate chips, and "The Works" (Mini chocolate chips & frosting)

This is my dog Harley, waiting for me to look away so he could jump and eat my cookies!

Pumpkin Cookies with Penuche (brown butter) Frosting:

• 1 cup butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• Frosting:
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 cups powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together shortening, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and white sugar. Mix in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts. Drop dough by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool on wire racks.
4. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the 3 tablespoons butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute, or until slightly thickened. Cool slightly, then stir in the milk, and beat until smooth. Gradually stir in 2 cups powdered sugar until frosting has reached desired consistency. Drizzle on cooled cookies.

*I made these without the frosting, but added mini chocolate chips, and they were really yummy!

Cowgirl Cookies

I made these cookie mixes for people for Christmas. I got the idea from Bakerella. She does the cutest things on her website. Her cake pops are the most amazing things ever! You have to check them out! Anyway, here is what my jars turned out like:

These are the finished product:

This particular batch had Christmas m&m's so it would be sort of a Christmas theme. I wanted the girls to be able to use it as decoration if they wanted, so that's why I didn't add the m&m's in the jar where they would be visible.

This is how you would arrange them in the jar:

Start with:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled


1 teaspoon baking powder


1 teaspoon baking soda


1/4 teaspoon salt


1 cup cooking oats

3/4 cup m&ms


3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


1/2 cup brown sugar, packed


1/2 cup white sugar


1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans, or enough to fill to the top of the jar.

*If you don't want to use nuts, just add more m&m's, or chocolate chips.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Stir dry ingredients into large bowl and add:

1/2 cup butter (almost melted)

1 slightly beaten egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix thoroughly. I used my hands to combine because the mixture was fairly dry. I also refrigerated mine for 30 minutes so mixture would stick together. Then roll into balls and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

These cookies turn out very chewy and crunchy. :)

Best Ever Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Coconut

My favorite cookies in the world are the Coconut Oatmeal Chocolate chip cookies from Paradise Bakery.... They are so amazing!!! I tried out this recipe and think they could easily rival Paradise. If you have had the one's from Paradise, you know that is a BOLD statement. But I am the toughest critic when it comes to my baking, and I think they are pretty close. So, try them, they are super easy, and let me know what you think...

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Coconut:

1 1/4 c. oatmeal

1 c. flour

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 c. flaked coconut

1 c. choc. chips (I use milk choc. chips)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. oil

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients, then add oil, egg and vanilla.

Mix thoroughly and add in chocolate chips.

Drop with cookie scooper onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 12 minutes. ENJOY!!!!

Peanut Blossoms

This is my mom's recipe. I used to beg her to make them when I was growing up because they were my favorite! Now they are my husband's favorite and he begs for them! :)

Peanut Blossoms

1-3/4 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

1 egg

2 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Hershey's Kisses (48)

1/2 c. sugar, set aside

Preheat oven to 375. Combine sugars, butter, egg, peanut butter and mix. Add flour, soda, salt, milk and vanilla. Chill. Shape dough into walnut size balls. (I use a cookie scoop to measure). Roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Immediately after removing from oven, place an unwrapped Hershey's kiss on each cookie. So yummy!!!

What? They're Whole Wheat?

So I have the day off work, and I really wanted to bake something new to put on the blog. (and to eat...of course!!!) Justin said I should try to make something "healthy". So I decided to make whole wheat cookies. In reality, they aren't really "healthy", but they are better for you than white flour cookies, they also have oatmeal and eggs.... so they are a GREAT balanced breakfast food. :) Okay, fine, I tried! Anyway, they are really yummy, and I really don't think people would be able to tell they are whole wheat, unless you told them. So try them and let me know what you think! :) Mine came out perfect and chewy with a slight crunch on the outside. Yum!

They say this recipe is similar to the Great Harvest Bread company cookies, which are one of my fav! I added vanilla to the recipe, I can't make chocolate chip cookies without it! I also accidentally forgot salt, but thankfully we didn't miss it! :)

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups rolled oats

2 eggs

2 tablespoons molasses

1 tablespoon milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 package milk chocolate chips (I love the ghiradelli ones!)

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Beat together brown sugar and butter until well combined. Add oats, eggs, molasses, vanilla and milk; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture; mix until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop dough and drop about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 13 minutes, until just starting to brown around the outside. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheets. Remove and cool on racks. Enjoy! :)