Christina's Breakfast Cookies

from my mom

2/3 C butter
1/2 C sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Beat together well.

3/4 C flour (1/2 C white, 1/4 wheat)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Combine and add to butter mixture.

1 1/2 C quick oats
1 C (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 C wheat germ or finely chopped nuts (such as almonds or pecans)
6 crisp bacon slices, crumbled

Stir all together and add to dough.

Preheat oven to 350. Place cookies on greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges golden.

Christina's Non-Cake Mix "Oreos"

from Our Best Bites

1 1/2 cups flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled (don’t scoop!)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon water
1 large egg lightly beaten

To make cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  heat chocolate chips, brown sugar, 5 tablespoons butter and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until melted and smooth (there will still be grains of sugar though).  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and beat in egg.  Stir in flour mixture until just combined.  Don’t overmix.

If dough is too soft to work with, let it sit at room temp for a few minutes to firm up, or place in the fridge for a few minutes.  Gently roll balls, either 1 tablespoon full for large cookies, or about 1/2 inch balls for silver dollar sized cookies.  Place about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake cookies until just puffed in teh middle and edges are set but centers are still soft.  About 8-9 minutes for large cookies, and about 5 minutes for small ones.  If using 2 cookie sheets, rotate them half way through baking.  Cool for a couple of minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Christina's Snickerdoodles

from my mom

Makes 3 dozen.

1 C butter (or 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 cup coconut oil)
1 1/2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 3/4 C flour
1/4 C sugar
2 TBSP cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat butter to remove air pockets. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs and beat well again. Stir together dry ingredients and then add to butter mixture.

Mix together sugar and cinnamon

Roll batter into walnut-sized balls. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Space 2-3 inches apart on cookie sheet and bake for 1 minutes.

Christina's Coconut Lime Sugar Cookies

adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup coconut oil, heated until barely melted then cooled1 ½ cups white sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of two large (three small) limes
3 tbsp lime juice
1 cup coconut
½ cup sugar for rolling cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you haven't already toasted your coconut just put a layer of coconut on a cookie sheet and bake it at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Watch out. It goes from white to burnt really quick if you aren't watching closely.
2. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy.
4. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest.
5. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and toasted coconut.
6. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. I made mine too big and they ran together. These do spread quite a bit.
7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.
8. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Fantastic served with cream cheese frosting with the zest of a lime or two.

Christina's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

from ghirardelli.com

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups unsifted flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
3 cups oats, uncooked
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, beat butter with sugar and brown sugar at medium speed until creamy and lightened in color (about 4 minutes). Add vanilla and egg, and mix on low speed until incorporated. Stir flour with baking soda, salt, and spices; add to creamed mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats. Fold in chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes for a chewy cookie, 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on a cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling racks. Store in tightly covered container. Makes about 6 dozen 2-inch cookies.

Christina's Ultimate Ginger Cookies

These have quite the gingery kick. They are great, but it's not the type of cookie that you can just sit down and eat tons of them. I think they would be absolutely incredible with some eggnog--the perfect balance of sweet and spicy!

adapted from Ina Garten

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark), lightly packed
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
1 extra-large egg, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups (6 oz) chopped crystallized ginger -- I used 1.5 ounces fresh grated ginger (and it was plenty) and 1.5 ounces granulated sugar
Granulated sugar, for rolling the cookies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and salt and combine. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar, oil, and molasses on medium speed for 5 minutes. Turn the mixer to low speed, add the egg, and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for 1 more minute. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the crystallized ginger (or grated fresh ginger and sugar) and mix until combined.

Scoop the dough with a cookie dough scoop. With your hands, roll each cookie into a ball, roll in granulated sugar and then flatten lightly with your fingers. Place on the sheet pans. Bake for 8-9 minutes. The cookies will be crackled on the top and soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 1 to 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Christina's Orange/White Chocolate Molasses Cookie Variation

To the wet ingredients of the molasses cookies add the zest from 3 large oranges. 


Melt some white chocolate, about a half bag of white chocolate chips, melting in the microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Take the cooled cookies and dip the edges in the chocolate; shake in the air a bit to let excess chocolate drip off. Lay the cookies on waxed paper or parchment until the chocolate is hardened. 

Christina's Soft Molasses Cookies with Pumpkin Dip

from Kim Moore

3/4 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg. Add molasses. Combine dry ingredients and mix with batter. Chill, then shape into one inch balls and roll in sugar (optional). Bake at 375 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet for 6 to 8 minutes.

Dip

4 oz cream cheese at room temp.
1/2 15 oz can pumpkin
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin and beat well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill.

Christina's Chocolate Meringues

from Erika Sanofsky Loveland

These are a great way to get rid of leftover egg whites!

4 large egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa (such as Hershey's)
2 (1.4-ounce) chocolate-covered toffee bars (such as Heath), crushed or 2 ounces chocolate chips
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Beat egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.

Combine powdered sugar, cocoa, and candy bars (or chocolate chips or whatever sort of chip you have lying around) in a small bowl, and mix well. Fold half of cocoa mixture into egg whites (egg whites will deflate quickly). Fold in remaining cocoa mixture until smooth. Drop the egg mixture by rounded tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes (puffs will be soft in center).

Christina's Easiest Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix together. Plop on cookie sheet in balls. Mash with a fork to make that cute criss cross. Cook until done.

Addendums: I cooked mine for 10 minutes at 350. Also, I thought they were a little too sweet and so I used a rounded 1/2 cup of sugar the second time, but I'd say 90% of the population would prefer them just how they are. Also, I tend to toss in some chocolate chips just for fun.

Christina's Lemon Meringue Bars

adapted from Martha Stewart

Crust:
2 Sticks of Butter, unsalted
2 C flour
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 Teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt

Lemon:
6 large whole eggs
2 C granulated sugar
1 C lemon juice (at least half should be fresh squeezed for best results)
2 T lemon zest

Meringue:
4-5 egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Make crust: Put butter, flour, confectioner's sugar, lemon zest, and the salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until blended.

Transfer mixture to a 9 x 13-inch rimmed baking sheet. Press batter evenly into baking sheet. Bake 20-22 minutes till golden brown. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

Make filling: Whisk together whole eggs, granulated sugar, the lemon juice, and lemon zest. Pour over crust. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes making sure the filling is set. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Keep oven at 350°.

Make meringue topping: Put egg white in the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Add sugar and mix at end.

Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread meringue over filling, swirling to create soft peaks. Bake until meringue begins to brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut into bars. Bars can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

Christina's Banana Cookies

from Simply Recipes by Elise

* 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 cup of sugar
* 1 egg, room temperature
* 1 cup of mashed bananas (about 2 large bananas)
* 1 teaspoon of baking soda
* 2 cups of flour
* pinch of salt
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground mace or nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
* 1/2 cup oats or quick oats
* 1/2 cup pecans, walnuts or chocolate chips

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

2 In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes. The baking soda will react with the acid in the bananas which in turn will give the cookies their lift and rise.

3 Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. Mix together the flour, salt, and spices and sift into the butter and banana mixture and mix until just combined.

4 Fold into the batter the oats and nuts/chocolate. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Christina's Peanut Butter Cookies

from Smitten Kitchen

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature (smooth or chunky)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup peanut butter chips (optional)
½ cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, the baking soda, the baking powder, and the salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture and beat thoroughly. Stir in the peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets, leaving several inches between for expansion. Using a fork, lightly indent with a crissscross pattern, but do not overly flatten cookies. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cookies may appear to be underdone, but they are not.

Cool the cookies on the sheets for 1 minute, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Christina's Orange Poppyseed Cookies

from Simply Recipes by Elise

2/3 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1 egg, room temperature
1 tablespoon of orange zest
1 1/4 cup of flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of poppy seeds

Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the egg and the orange zest, beat for thirty seconds, scraping down the bowl part way through to ensure even mixing.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly sift it into the butter mixture until just combined. Fold in the poppy seeds.

Place heaping teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat, allowing them space as they will spread as they bake.

Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes or until just turning golden around the edges. Remove from oven. Let sit on the baking sheet for a minute or two to let the cookies solidify a bit, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Christina's Oatmeal Crispies

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

1 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3 cups quick oats
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped (optional)

Combine butter and sugars. Mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla. Again, mix well. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to butter mixture. Then add oats and pecans. Roll into a log and refrigerate 1 hour. Can be frozen in batches. Cut into cookies. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake in 350 oven for 9-10 minutes.

Christina's Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled until warm
1 large egg
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
2 Tbs honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts or pecans
3/4 cups white chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. By hand or mixer, blend together butter, brown sugar and honey. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Add to butter mixture and mix until combined well. Stir in remaining ingredients. Form into balls and bake on ungreased baking sheet in center of oven until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft, about 12-15 minutes. Makes 2 1/2 dozen 2-inch cookies.