Peanut Butter Butterscotch Cookies (4 Star)

Another one of my goals this year is to eat more cookies. Just kidding! But when I do eat cookies, I want them to be really good cookies. These are really good.

I have been on a peanut butter kick, lately. I don't know why, because I've never cared that much about peanut butter before, but now I just love to eat it, straight out of the jar, even. Or with raisins, (now you might get a little worried about me, but it's good!) or a spoonful of peanut butter with a spoonful of jam, or (this is where I can get out of control) with chocolate chips. I have been trying out many different things, lately, because I just can't seem to get enough of the stuff. One thing that I tried is butterscotch chips with peanut butter. Wow! It sort of reminds me of Reese's Pieces, only way, way better. Anyway, this whole long paragraph is just to explain that when I saw this recipe, I knew I was going to love these cookies. I was right!





Click here for the recipe from Picky Palate.

Play Dough Cookies (4 Star)

These cookies are so fun for kids to help make. They are very easy to mix up, as easy to work with as play dough, and they hold their shape fairly well when baked. Although some of my boys were not so thrilled with them, saying they lacked flavor, which I agreed with. Next time I make them I think I will experiment--maybe more or different flavorings, lemon or orange zest, crushed candy cane, or something like that.







They did like the ones with chocolate chips and sprinkles. I think I should have mixed crushed candy canes into the candy cane cookies or even sprinkled them on top. They were still eaten quickly, though.







This is a basic butter cookie recipe from Prudence Pennywise. Click here to view.

Snickerdoodles (4 Star)

There are many perfectly good snickerdoodle recipes in this world. However, I happen to think that mine is pretty much the best.



You may be astonished at my brazen assertion. Either I am uneducated, inflammatory, or I'm right. Give them I try and find out which it is.



This recipe comes from my mother's recipe file and was labeled "Laur's Sugar Cookies". Thanks Aunt Laur! I grew up on these so maybe I am a little biased. Or maybe not.



Snickerdoodles

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cream the butter and 1 cup sugar. Add egg, vanilla, cream of tartar, soda, and salt. Beat until creamy. Stir in the flour.

In a separate small bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll the dough into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll each ball in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 minutes.

Grandma's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (4 Star)

There are many good cookies in this world. But no matter how good other cookies are, I always come back to these, my absolute favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. I grew up on these as did my mother. I don't know where my Grandma got the recipe. I should ask sometime.

My second-born made these cookies yesterday and I'd say he did a good job. Although my boys love these cookies they only like the inferior version that includes just chocolate chips. The ultimate version is loaded with walnuts and raisins as well.

Grandma's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup olive oil
4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the above ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Then add 1 3/4-2 cups flour and mix well. This should make a stiff batter that still pours. Then add:

4 cups oats (regular or quick, based on preference)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup raisins
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Mix together and drop by Tablespoonful onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-13 minutes. Perfection of these cookies is chewy and a tad doughy in the middle when they come out of the oven. Some may beg to differ with me on this point, but they are wrong. The cookies firm up as they cool but remain soft.





Sometimes I also use a variation that has half the fat and is still very good. Instead of the oil, use:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup applesauce
omit the milk

Instead of 4 cups of oats, use 2 1/2 cups.

Otherwise, proceed as above.

Amazing Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (3 Star)

I found the recipe for these cookies on 101 Cookbooks and they are named something else but I am naming them "amazing" because they are. Let me tell you why:

a. They have no sugar (except in the chocolate chips).
b. They have no eggs.
c. They have no flour.
d. They have a small amount of oil.
e. They taste great!

I really like them. I have made them a lot. They do taste healthy compared with a typical sugar, butter, flour cookie, so don't expect them to taste like that. But they have a nice, soft, chewy texture (most cookies I've tried with such a low amount of oil added have a rubbery, dry texture) and a nutty, lightly sweet flavor punctuated with the chocolate. So if you are trying to reduce sugar intake or just want a healthy snack, these are great. They are not low calorie but the calories are nutritious. I have previously made them completely sugar free by using raisins and dried cranberries instead of the chocolate chips and I thought that was really good, too.

None of my boys hated these cookies but none of them were really excited about them, either. Only one boy asked for more. So I'm rating this 3 Star even though no one was repulsed. The banana flavor was complained about a little so next time I might try replacing the banana with applesauce. As for Brandon and myself, we enjoy them.