This time of year, I get two common requests: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies and Snickerdoodles. When I saw this recipe in my google reader, I knew it would be a winner this holiday season. We had multiple Halloween parties this past weekend, so I whipped up a double batch of these cookies and they surely did not disappoint. Try these for the Snickerdoodle lovers in your life. They will love them!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
yields 3-4 dozen

For the cookies:
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Source: slightly adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from dlyn

Raise your hand if you grew up with Little Debbies? Surprisingly, I didn't have one of these until last year and I wasn't particularly floored by it. Maybe it has something to do with eating them when you are young versus trying them with a more... umm... mature palette. (Says the girl who can't get enough pizza, hamburgers and macaroni and cheese.) But moving on....

Justin requested some oatmeal cream pies from the grocery store, and I figured I could just as easily make them myself and save a few pennies (not to mention a ton of additional preservatives and calories.) I made these for a barbecue at a friend's house and they were a huge hit! Everyone loved them and said they were a better version of their childhood fave. Grab a glass of cold milk and enjoy one of these at your next cook out.

Homemade Oatmeal Cream Pies

For the cookies:

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups quick oats

For the filling:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups marshmallow cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 Tbsp. water

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, cinnamon and oats, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars. Add eggs one at a time, until well combined, then add vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, and blend until well-combined. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a dough scoop or a tablespoon, drop dough onto cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until they are just starting to brown around the edges. (They will look moist in the center, so don’t overcook.) Put them on a wire rack to cool.

To make the filling, cream the shortening with the marshmallow cream. Slowly, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat on low for about a minute. If it’s too thick, add a little water. (You want it to be spreadable but not runny.)

To assemble, pair the cookies based on size on your work surface. Frost the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Place the other cookie of each pair on top of the frosting, flat side down. Lightly press down until the frosting reaches the edge of the cookies.

Source: adapted from honey and jam

Happy Holidays to all my wonderful readers! As this year comes to a close, I've been looking back on this year, and I am so thankful for everything I have. This little blog is almost a year old, and I thank all of you for taking the time to read about my adventures in the kitchen. I plan to start to the new year strong with new recipes and plenty of blog posts, so stay tuned! Now enough of my rambling...

A friend of mine asked if I could make some cookies for her Christmas celebration, and I immediately said yes! She requested snickerdoodles and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Since I had never made the latter, I went in search of the perfect recipe. And guess what? This is definitely it. My kitchen smelled amazing as they baked in the oven, and they tasted even better. Try them for yourself!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
yields 1 1/2 - 2 dozen cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (chopped, if needed) macadamia nuts
2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Beat together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Whisk in the egg, then beat in the egg yolk and the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture until just moistened. Stir in the macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips by hand with a rubber spatula.

Roll into balls or drop by spoonfuls onto a greased or lined baking sheet, and press down on the cookies with your palm a bit to flatten (not too much!).

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges look golden brown. Allow to finish cooling on a rack.

Source: adapted from Crepes of Wrath

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Now that the holiday season is in full force, I am starting to gather recipes for holiday baking. The National Aquarium in Baltimore had a bake sale last week, and Mrs. W asked me if I would mind contributing. I thought these would be perfect for the occasion!

Snickerdoodles
yields 3 dozen 3-4 inch cookies

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, with one rack in top third and one rack in bottom third of oven. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs, and beat to combine. Add dry ingredients, and beat to combine. Chill the dough for at least an hour (or overnight) before scooping it.

Once dough has chilled, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the ground cinnamon. Use a small ice-cream or dough scoop to form balls of the dough, and roll in cinnamon sugar. Place about two inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are set in center and begin to crack (they will not brown), about 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets after five minutes. Transfer the sheets to a wire rack to cool about five minutes before transferring the cookies to the rack. They can be stored in an airtight container up to one week.

Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen, originally Martha Stewart

As Thanksgiving approaches, all I can think of is eating my weight in mashed potatoes the wonderful food that is in store for us. Unfortunately, dessert seems to take a backseat to the amazing meal. By the time dessert is served, everyone is leaning back, full and bloated, with the top button of their pants undone. (Or is that just me?) I love these cookies because I think they will be perfect for the "I'm too full to eat another bite" crowd. What's one more cookie, right? If not, they will make the perfect breakfast for Friday morning, before hitting the Black Friday hysteria sales. :)

When I first made this recipe, I thought they were going to be terrible. The batter was thin, runny, and unmanageable. I nearly threw it away, but decided to pop in a baking sheet anyway. I think I would have been devastated if I threw away these amazing cookies! They have a cake-like consistency, and are just scrumptious. If you are a pumpkin lover, you will truly be addicted to these!

Pumpkin Chocolate-Chip Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in to the pumpkin mixture. Add flour mixture and mix well. Add vanilla, and stir until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. Move to wire rack to cool completely.

Source: adapted from My Baking Addiction, originally All Recipes

Justin went down to South Carolina a couple weeks ago to see our beloved South Carolina Gamecocks and our even more beloved best friend, Grant. Since we have a new kitten, I decided to stay home and pout take care of him. I wanted to send Grant a little something, so I found out soft chocolate chip cookies with M&Ms are his very favorite. Too bad they are also Justin's favorite, so these somehow never made it to the post office. I guess I'll need to find something else to send South!

I used my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe and just subbed some M&Ms for chocolate chips. These cookies are thick and chewy, chocolaty and oh so good.

Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies

2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
M&Ms

Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and preheat oven 325°. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk dry ingredients (excluding sugars) together in a medium bowl, and set aside. With electric mixer, or by hand, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla until combined. Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet, leaving ample room between each ball. Press 3-5 M&Ms into each, making sure to press slightly into the dough. Bake, reversing position of cookie sheets halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 11-14 minutes). Do not over bake.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats, originally Baking Illustrated

Justin and I went to a graduation party last week and I was asked to bring a dessert. I had a plan to make these delicious (looking) White Chocolate Lime Bars. That would have worked out well had the recipe not been a flop. (Don't worry - I am going to try again with some adjustments.) Fast forward to the day of the party, and I still didn't know what to bring. I remembered seeing these bars a couple times and figured I would give them a try. And boy were they easy! They were in the oven in 10 minutes and frosted in 5. I love my go to sugar cookies, but these are perfect when it's a cookie emergency (and let's face it - we all know those come up now and then).

Sugar Cookie Bars

For the bars:
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

For the frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups powdered sugar
5 Tbsp. milk
food coloring (if desired)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a jelly roll pan, then line with parchment paper. Lightly grease and flour paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda, and whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on greased jelly roll pan. Bake for 10-15 minutes, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

To prepare the frosting, cream butter and shortening until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla and salt. Add powdered sugar in 1-2 cup increments until combined, then add milk, and mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Spread over cooled cookie and cut into bars. Add sprinkles if desired.

Source: adapted from Beantown Baker, originally from Anissa's Kitchen

It is the time of year that Justin and I look forward to each year. (In my best Alice Cooper impression) "School's out for SUMMER!" This is the time that Justin finally gets to relax (in between working on the house and his summer job at the zoo). He works harder than anyone else I know, and I am always so happy when he finally gets a break. (And it doesn't hurt that he has more time to help me around the house, too!)

On the last day of school, I sent Justin in with these sugar cookies as a treat for all the hardworking teachers. I adore this sugar cookie recipe - this is the third time I've made it and I get rave reviews each time.

In honor of Valentine's Day, I made some Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies! I used this recipe with some Red Velvet cake mix and this cream cheese frosting recipe. So festive!

Justin's sweet tooth has struck again! We gobbled up the sandwich cookies and he was yet again asking if we had anything sweet in the house. Being limited to only 1/2 cup of butter and two eggs, I decided to finally give this recipe a try. (I halved the recipe.) The verdict? Justin's favorite cookie is chocolate-chip, so he said this was a great alternative for something different. (Although he made sure to throw in that he still liked his old favorite better.) So, if you are looking for something different than the same old (yet wonderfully yummy) choc-chip cookies, give this one a try. (The original recipe called for 2 tsp. vanilla extract, but I just realized I forgot to add it. Oh well, they were yummy without - I will make sure to add it in next time.)

Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter, sugars and eggs in large bowl. Beat on high until fluffy, about five minutes. Add salt and baking soda, and mix until incorporated. Gradually add flour to creamed mixture on low speed. Add oats, just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Drop 1-2 inch rounded spoon fulls (I used a 1-inch dough baller) onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Press dough down to flatted. (This is important - this dough does not expand as you can see in the picture of my first batch:

Last week, Justin told me I was baking too much, since neither of us have a huge sweet tooth. So I took a break from baking. The next day, Justin said he was craving something sweet. I can't win with him! :-)

In response to his craving, and to make sure I had a delicious treat for LOST night (which was great by the way, thanks for asking), I decided to make these adorable sandwich cookies. I have been on a "let's bake everything from scratch" kick, but I couldn't resist such an easy recipe. And the result? Of the 12 it yielded, I only have 3 left. (Typing this reminded me that I forgot to pack one in my lunch, and now I am sad.) Definitely give these a try!

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:
1 package chocolate cake mix (or any flavor of your choice)
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature

Frosting:
3/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 Tbsp. milk

Sprinkles, M&Ms, etc for decorating (optional)

Cookies:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. With an electric mixer, combine cake mix, eggs and butter until just combined, and dry mix has been incorporated. Roll the dough into 1 - 1 1/2 inch balls, place on the prepared baking sheets and press down to slightly flatten.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until inserted toothpick is clean. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

Frosting:
Beat butter on medium-high speed, until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, and beat until incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat until fully incorporated. Add 2 Tbsp. of milk and beat until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, add the remaining Tbsp. of milk and beat until incorporated.

To assemble, pair the cookies based on size on your work surface. Frost the flat side of one cookie from each pair. Place the other cookie of each pair on top of the frosting, flat side down. Lightly press down until the frosting reaches the edge of the cookies.

To decorate, place sprinkles or candies in small bowl. Dip the sides of each cookie in bowl, pressing down gently and rotating to cover the sides completely.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats

Welcome to my cooking blog! I'm hoping this blog inspires me to cook more and try new things. So onto my first recipe...

My grandmother used to make Russian Tea Cookies when I was little and now I make them when I feel like I want a sweet snack but don't have a lot of ingredients at home.

Ingredients

1 cup of butter (softened)
2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour divided
1 cup powdered sugar (plus sugar to roll the cookies in after they come out of the oven)
1 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter until soft. Add 1 cup of flour; stir to combine. Mix in sugar, water and vanilla. (It is normal for the mixture to seem very dry.) Once mixed, beat in 1 1/4 cups flour. Refrigerate dough for one hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease baking sheet. Roll cookies into 1-1 1/2 inch balls. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Let cookies cool for 2-3 minutes, then roll in powdered sugar and serve warm. This recipe yields about 36 cookies.

Enjoy!

Source: My Nana