A Cook's Quest

The theme this month for the Crazy Cooking Challenge (check out all the great links below!) is chocolate chip cookies.  I'm so glad because it forced me to try a new recipe, it has changed my view of my old cookie recipe.  After I tried these cookies from Megan over at WhatMegan's Making , I discovered that I had been settling in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe department.   These cookies aren't skimpy on the chocolate, oh no!  They are loaded with chocolate pieces nestled into a fabulous cookie batter and then topped with coarse sea salt.  The ingredients come together perfectly creating a rich and decadent cookie.  Truly, I would call them the Ultimate, the Best, the Awesomest, the Tastiest, which ever adjective you like, to describe them. I made a double batch for my son's game and every crumb was gobbled up before I could blink.   Please, please, please go make a batch of these cookies they are my new favorite!! ENJOY...

I am a lover of lemon and lime flavors most especially in the form of dessert.  Maybe it is the fresh flavor they bring to the end of a meal or the simple fact that most of the time a cook can interchange them in any recipe.  They are just simply delicious and I look for every opportunity to make something new.  I saw this recipe over at Closet Cooking and decided to adapt it to lemon from lime for the simple reason that I didn't have any limes in the house.  The result was a tasty lemon shortbread cookie that literally melted away in your mouth without too much sweetness. A great holiday cookie that is pretty to display and delicious to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee on a cold winter afternoon.  Enjoy! Lemon Meltaways Recipe Source: Adapted from Closet Cooking 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature) 1/3 cup powdered sugar Zest of one lemon 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon vanilla extract...

Because it is cookie month , and also because I wanted to make a special treat for my in-laws who had volunteered to watch all three kids for a majority of the weekend, I went searching for a fun cookie to make.  When I saw this giant cookie at My Kitchen Cafe I knew it would be perfect.  Sure, it tastes just like a regular cookie but I have to admit there is something special about a dessert that is typically small in nature and making it crazy big.  I let the kids help me with this recipe because it is your basic cookie recipe (except for the size) and very easy to mix up.  My favorite part is that after the dough is prepared you can mix anything into it that you want.  We raided what was left of the plain chocolate Halloween candy, chopped it up, and found a sad little bunch of butterscotch chips that were in the freezer but you can use anything. Wrap it up with a pretty bow and you have a very fun gift!  Enjoy!

Yes it sounds strange, but I promise you these cookies are very good.  They hold a very special place in my heart and are one of those foods that remind me of childhood.  My late Grandma W. used to make these cookies to serve with ice cream for dessert after Sunday dinner.  Always looking for a way to be thrifty, she would save her potato chip crumbs in a baggie until there were enough to make a batch.  These cookies are  rich, salty, and sweet all at the same time. They taste very good by themselves or with ice cream as Grandma always had them  Enjoy!

Yes, it is that time of year.  When food rules and cookies are the gift of the season.  December is the month that my baking goes into overdrive, from the basic sugar cookie, to the best ever chocolate chip cookies and on into the land of no-bakes and bars.  Who doesn't smile a plate full of cookies wrapped with a pretty bow? And don't forget about the big guy who needs delicious treats as he fills those holiday stockings! I'm declaring December 1st through the 24th official cookie making time here on the blog and I will be sharing old recipes that I love, along with some new ones.  Until then check out the recipes I have shared with you already, and get ready to bake away! Cookies and Bars

In this house peanut butter rules, add chocolate and everyone is in dessert heaven.  We will pass on anything sugar related if it means we will get some form of peanut chocolate decadence.  These Peanut Butter Bars were no exception.  Every single person stopped to comment on what I was preparing as I prepared it, and my husband literally did a little dance in the kitchen as he took his first bite.  Oh, and did I mention they were NO BAKE?  So we have, peanut butter, chocolate and no need for the oven, this cook is one happy lady!

I am a cookie snob.  I'll just get that out there now so you all know that bit of information, that being said, I love these cookies.  I have used similar recipes in the past, from the back of certain brand name fruit packages and they were good, but I thought they needed a little something more. A dash of this, and dab of that and the cookies I liked before are now cookies the I LOVE! Every single bit provides chocolate and fruit, and the hint of cinnamon just rounds all those flavors out perfectly. I love these cookies in the morning because they aren’t too sweet and I can tell myself they are healthy with the dried berries. Oh, I can’t forget to mention you can change up the flavor profiles, use dried cherries or blueberries, or regular chocolate instead of the white. These are delicious!! Cranberry White Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies Recipe Source: A Cook's Quest 2/3 cup Softened butter 1/3 cup brown sugar packed 1/3 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp...

Sure, it "looks" like an unassuming cookie as it sits on the plate, but it is not my friends.  This cookie is something else entirely.  I promise, if you like peanut butter you will love these cookies.  Oh, my heaven, they are so good--soft and chewy, with a warm chocolate gooey center and then a second surprise with the little kick of cinnamon.  I have mentioned before that my husband's favorite flavor combination is peanut butter and chocolate so I made these for him, but I will confess I ate about six of them before he got home.  This is a cookie that I could eat a lot of. Secret Promises Cookies Recipe Source: Adapted very slightly from Cookie Madness  by a Cook's Quest 1 1/4 cup all purpose unbleached flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup butter 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1 cup smooth peanut butter 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 24-30 good quality chocolate candies that don't get too hard when col...

Peanut butter and chocolate.  These two flavors are my husband's favorite, I don't think he can get enough of this flavor combination. I can't say that I blame him, the salty peanut butter combined with rich, velvety chocolate is a perfect match for just about everyone.   When I saw this recipe in my mother in law's newest issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray (March 2010) I knew that it would be something I made right away.  The final cookie is soft and chewy with a smooth peanut butter filling that is very rich.  Even better, this recipe was very very easy on the budget.  Next time I will make them smaller, I was a little generous when I was dropping the batter and ended up with pretty big cookies.  Penut Butter Stuffed Milk Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Recipe Source: Every Day With Rachel Ray March 2010 issue 2 1/2 cups (15 ounces) milk chocolate chips 4 T butter unsalted butter, softened and divided 1/3 cup plus 2 T flour 1 tsp baking powder ...