Brian Family Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my new go-to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe.

• 1 cup butter shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. HEAT oven to 375°F.


2. COMBINE shortening, sugars and brown sugar; beat at medium speed in mixer until well blended. Add eggs, milk and vanilla. Blend. Add baking soda and salt. Blend some more. Stir in flour, oatmeal, and choc chips.
   


3. Form into balls and place 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
   


4. BAKE 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheets. Place on cooling racks to cool completely.

UBER-CHOCOLATE COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup Crisco® Butter Shortening
OR 2/3 stick Crisco® Butter Shortening Sticks
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup DARK cocoa powder (such as Hershey's special dark)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (12 oz.) package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:

1. HEAT oven to 350ºF. Coat baking sheets with no-stick cooking spray or use a Silpat.

2. BEAT brown sugar, shortening, water and vanilla with electric mixer at medium speed until well blended. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa powders, salt and baking soda. Mix into shortening mixture at low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded measuring tablespoonsful 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets.


3. BAKE 8 to 10 minutes, or until cookies are set. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Place on cooling rack to cool completely.

MARIE'S OATMEAL COOKIES

I make these so often that now I can whip up a batch without even looking at the recipe. This is the basic template, but feel free to tweak it however you like.

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 TBS vanilla
1TBS sour cream
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup steel cut oats
2 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
chocolate chips or raisins as desired (if I'm doing choc., I add the whole bag 2 cups.)Heat oven to 350 F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and sour cream; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, and salt; mix well. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Add oats, wheat germ, and raisins or choc chips; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

SCHOOL LUNCH PEANUT BUTTER BARS

For years a favorite bar cookie of Utah Valley students. I ate my fair share in high school, which is probably why I was never skinny in high school, come to think of it.

Layer One:

¾ cup butter, softened

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

3 eggs

¾ cup peanut butter

¾ tsp soda

½ tsp salt

½ Tbs vanilla

Mix well with electric mixer.

Add 1 3/4 - 2 cups flour and 1 3/4 cups quick or rolled oatmeal. Mix in well. Spread evenly on greased 12 X 16 inch cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Layer Two:

Spread chocolate chips over layer one while still warm. Let cool.

Layer Three: (optional)

3-4 cups powdered sugar

1 ½ cups peanut butter

8 Tbs evaporated milk

Mix together and spread over top of chocolate layer. Cut into bars.

Or you can change Layer Two to: spread creamy peanut butter over top and for Layer Three: Melt until smooth, 1 Tbs butter and 1/3 cup cocoa. Add to above mixture and beat until smooth: 2 ½ cups powdered sugar ½ Tbs vanilla, 1/8+ milk. Spread over peanut butter layer.

OR you can add chocolate chips to the oatmeal batter and when cooled, frost with chocolate frosting (preferably Duncan Hines classic chocolate.)

Cut into bars.

EASY SPICE PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

It doesn't get any easier to make cakey pumpkin choco chip cookies than this.

1 box spice cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients, adding as many chocolate chips as you like. Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 14-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

SOUTHERN MOON PIES

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

½ tsp. salt

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ cups marshmallow crème

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

To make cookie crusts: In a large mixing bowl, cream together ½ cup butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, and baking powder. Add flour mixture slowly to sugar mixture while stirring. Mix until all ingredients are combined.

Drop the dough onto greased cookie sheets by rounded tablespoonfuls. Leave at least three inches in between each one; dough spreads.

Bake for 6-8 minutes, until firm when pressed with finger. Allow to cool at least one hour before filling.

To make filling: In a bowl blend together ½ cup butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and marshmallow crème. Mix until smooth. Assemble pies by spreading filling on flat side of cookie crust, then covering filling with flat side of another cookie crust. Wrap each individually in cellophane and store in refrigerator.

SOUR CREAM COOKIES

It's the brown butter frosting that make these cookies really good.

1 stick butter or margarine

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cups nuts

Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Sift together all dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients with sour cream to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Stir in nuts and chill. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Frost when cool with:

Brown Butter Frosting:

6 T. Butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 t. vanilla

1/4 cup hot water.

Brown butter over low heat. Add remaining ingredients. Beat together.

ROSETTES

1 egg
1/2 cup flour
1 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup milk
1 T. salad oil

Beat all the ingredients together until well blended. Cook in hot oil using rosette iron. Makes about 20.

RUSSIAN TEACAKES

1 cup soft butter
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
2 1/4 cup sifted flour
1/4 t. salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts

Mix the butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla thoroughly. Sift flour and salt together and stir into the butter mixture. Mix in the chopped nuts. Chill dough. Roll into 1 inch balls. Place on ungreased baking sheet ( cookies do not spread). Bake until set, but not brown, about 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees. While still warm roll in powdered sugar. Cool. Roll in powdered sugar again. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

SNICKERDOODLES

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
2 t. cream of tartar
2 t. cinnamon
2 T. sugar

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine next 4 ingredients. Stir into creamed mixture. Chill. Shape into balls. Mix cinnamon and 2 T. sugar in small bowl. Roll cookies in sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

RICE KRISPIES COOKIES

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup margarine
1 cup salad oil
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1 t. salt
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup coconut
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix together sugar, margarine, oil, egg, and vanilla. Add flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add the Rice Krispies, coconut (if you don't like coconut just add 1/2 cup more Rice Krispies and omit the coconut). Add the oatmeal and chopped nuts. Mix well and chill 1 hour. Roll in small balls and bake at 325 degrees till light brown.

PEANUT BLOSSOMS

Pam makes the real thing. I just buy refrigerated peanut butter cookie dough and stick a chocolate kiss on top.

1 3/4 cup flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 T. milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
48 chocolate kisses

Combine all the ingredients, except candy, in a large bowl. Mix on low speed until dough forms. Shape dough into small balls. Roll them in a small amount of sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Top each with a kiss.

NO-BAKE COOKIES

Garron's favorite cookie.

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
cube of butter
4 T. cocoa
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter

Put the butter, cocoa, sugar, and milk in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Next add peanut butter and oats. Spoon out onto wax paper. Cool. Store in an airtight container.

MACAROONS

These are one of my favorite holiday cookies. They stay fresh for a long time. Stick a whole almond on the melted chocolate for a yummy Almond Joy.

14 oz. bag flake coconut

scant cup flour

¼ tsp. salt

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 ½ tsp. vanilla

Mix coconut, flour, and salt in a large bowl. Add milk and vanilla; mix well with spoon. Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Grease hands and shape into balls. Bake at 375 for 13 minutes or until a few flakes of coconut look toasted. Don’t overbake. Can dip in melted chocolate if desired.

ICED PUMPKIN COOKIES

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 t. ground cinnamon

½ t. ground nutmeg

½ t. ground cloves

½ t. salt

½ cup butter, softened

1 ½ cups white sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 t. vanilla

Icing:

2 cups confectioners sugar

3 T. milk

1 T. melted butter

1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the ½ cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 t. vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoons. Flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cook cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork.

To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, melted butter and vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve drizzling consistency

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

This is a recipe I still have from my 8th grade Home-ec class. Just make sure that you don't overbake them or else they get too crisp.

CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled or (3/4 cup cocoa and 4 T.partially melted butter)
2 t. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups flour
2 t. baking powder
sifted powdered sugar

In mixing bowl, combine sugar, oil, chocolate and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Stir flour and baking powder together. Stir into chocolate mixture. Cover and chill. Shape into balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Bake on a greased cookie sheet @ 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.