Rocky Road Cookies

Justus loves rocky road ice cream, so I thought we'd try a cookie version. Tastes more like a brownie, but it's definitely rocky road flavored. In fact, we thought next time we would try baking it as brownies. Maybe with a little less flour, though. Or add water.

Ingredients:
2 cups chocolate chips (we used semi sweet)
1 stick butter
2 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 t. Vanilla
3/4 cup flour
1/4 c. Cocoa
1 heaping t. Baking powder
1/4 t. Salt
1-2 cups chopped walnuts
1/2 cup mini marshmallows

Directions:
Melt butter and chocolate chips. Let cool. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix. Stir in walnuts. Drop by tablespoon full onto greased cookie sheet. Push a couple of marshmallows gently into the top of each cookie.
Bake for 10 minutes at 325.

Gingerbread Men

Somewhere between the 4 cookies that I just ate in the last 5 minutes, I realized that I haven't yet posted this recipe. This is something that we look forward to making every Christmas season. Traditionally we just cut out gingerbread men and decorate them but this year we decided to get a little more diverse. that's the fun part. You can do whatever you want with them.

Ingredients:
3 c. flour
2 t. ginger
1 t. Cinnamon
1 t. Baking soda
1/4 t. Nutmeg
1/4 t. Salt
3/4 c. Butter
3/4 c. Brown sugar
1/2 c. Molasses
1 egg
1 t. Vanilla

Directions:
beat butter and sugar. Add molasses egg and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients. ( gradually). Refrigerate until stiff. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Cut in shapes. If you want to make ornaments out of them, use a straw to punch a hole in the top. Bake 8 to 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Once they are cool you can frost and decorate. For the icing I just mix together powdered sugar, vanilla, a little milk, and sometimes almond extract. I don't have exact measurements, I just add the powdered sugar until it's really thick. Then I scoop the icing into a baggie, zip it up and snip a tiny bit of the bottom corner to squeeze it out. we use little candies and sprinkles for decoration.

If you like your gingerbread cookies more crispy, you can bake for a little longer. they will also get harder as they set. I like to just leave mine out until they harden a little.

Porcupine Cookies

2 cups butterscotch chips
1 cups peanut butter
3 cups marshmallows
4 cups chow mein noodles

melt chips over very low heat
remove from heat, mix in pb
add mallows and noodles. stir well
drop by spoonful on wax paper

These were once my favorite cookie. still love them though.

Rollout Sugar Cookies

I have made MANY many a sugar cookie and I would have to say these are my hand down favorite. They are not too soft and not to hard. They also taste better after completely cooled (and frosted of course!)

3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
2 1/2 c. flour

cream butter and sugar. add vanilla and eggs. and dry ingredients gradually.
mixture may be sticky. add a LITTLE more flour if needed. or just refrigerate for an hour or two until dough is stiff enough to work with.
roll out about 1/4 inch thick. cut into shapes. these don't spread very much.
bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes
NOTE!!! These will NOT get brown. maybe a TINY bit golden but if they start to brown they are too done.

This recipe doesn't make much, so If you are making this to give away, you may want to double the recipe. Or triple if you want a lot!

Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Got this from back of nestle choc chip bag. Lots of chocolatey goodness! I twice had someone even pay me to make them a batch of these.
This recipe makes a lot for a family of two (unless you're a choc-oholic). I like to prepare dough, then freeze them on cookie sheet. Once frozen, you can put them all together in a bag then pull out however many you want.

4 c. semi-sweet choc . chips
2 2/3 cup flour
1 t. soda
1 t. salt
1 c. butter or marg.
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 t. vanilla
3 large eggs

melt 2 cups choc chips, let cool a little. mix dry ingredients in small bowl. beat butter, sugars and vanilla in mixer bowl. add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. beat in melted chocolate. gradually beat in flour mixture. stir in remaining chocolate chips. drop by rounded teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes or until cookies are puffed. cool on baking sheet 2 minutes, then move to wire rack.
Note: these are somewhat hard to tell when they are done. watch carefully.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

What can I say, these are big, soft and gingery. yum. and they stay soft! If you like them crispy, leave them out to cool longer till they get hard.

2 1/4 c. flour
2 t. ginger
1 t. baking soda
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. salt
3/4 c. marg or butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 T. water or OJ
1/4 c. molasses
2 T white sugar

cream butter and sugar until fluffy. beat in egg. stir in water and molasses. stir in dry ingredients. refrigerate until hard enough to work with. roll into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. flatten on cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
bake at 350 8-10 minutes.
YUM I love these with milk.