Category Archives: Cookies

Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Cookies and tagged with , , ,

Flourless peanut butter cookies 3

Here’s a fast and fabulous flour-less cookie from Kraft that you can whip up in no time. It takes just a few ingredients that we all have on hand. This recipe only makes about 20 cookies so you might want to double it up. Pour yourself a glass of milk and enjoy!

Flour-less Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped cocktail peanuts
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium size mixing bowl beat egg until foamy. Add sugar, peanut butter and vanilla and mix well. Stir in chopped peanuts.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat. Use a tablespoon or cookie scoop and make 1 1/4 inch balls. Press down with the tines of a fork in a criss cross pattern. Place cookies 2 inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Snickerdoodles

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Cookies and tagged with ,

Snickerdoodle 2

Another winning recipe from Pillsbury’s Complete Book of Baking. This cookie with the whimsical name is a vanilla-butter confection rolled in cinnamon sugar. Chewy, with a little bit of crunch, the Snickerdoodle is a delightful change of pace and they are quick and easy to prepare. This recipe makes 3 dozen 3 inch cookies.

Snickerdoodles

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup (1stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups sugar with butter until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined.

Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt and blend until well mixed.

In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar with cinnamon.

Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and roll them into the cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper or a silpat.

Bake for 10 minutes. Move from cookie sheets to wire rack to cool.

snickerdoodle3

Coconut Macaroons

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Cookies and tagged with , , , , ,

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons (Barefoot Contessa)

I’ve tried a lot of Ina’s recipes and this is one of my favorites.

This is an easy flour-less cookie from Ina’s Family Style Cookbook. The cookies are delightfully sweet and chewy. If you love coconut, you will love this recipe.

14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.

Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks.

Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture.

Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or 2 teaspoons.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Cool on wire racks.

coconut macaroons 2

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Cookies and tagged with , , , ,

Pudding Cookies

I heard about this recipe from my daughter-in-law Laura. She is quite an accomplished cookie baker and she makes these often. The recipe comes from Kraft, but they call them “Not Just for Santa Cookies”. Whatever you want to call them, they will knock your socks off! Made with instant vanilla pudding mix, they are so moist and chewy, they melt in your mouth. The recipe is very versatile. You can add dried cherries or cranberries, use white, dark or semi-sweet chips. Sometimes I like to use coconut oil for a healthier option in place of butter. It also gives a wonderfully subtle coconut flavor to the cookie.

Today I used butter, 6 ounces of white chocolate chips, 6 ounces of dark chocolate chips and a cup of chopped walnuts. I baked half the recipe and froze the rest. To freeze, I roll the dough into balls and place on a cookie sheet and into the freezer until frozen solid, then move them to a freezer bag for storage. They can be baked frozen or thawed.

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies (Kraft)

2 1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup softened butter
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 pkg. (4 oz. serving) instant vanilla pudding
2 eggs
1 package (12 ounces) chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Combine butter, the sugars, vanilla and pudding mix in large bowl. Beat until creamy. Then beat in eggs. Gradually add flour, soda, chips and nuts. Batter will be stiff. I use a small cookie scoop which is about a tablespoon, heaping full. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

cookie scoop

Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes about 36 cookies.

Pudding cookies 2

Warm, crispy, gooey. Who could resist?

cookies 2

Valentine Peanut Butter Blossoms

Posted by Brenda K. Agresta in Cookies and tagged with ,

Valentine Peanut Butter Blossoms

Peanut butter and chocolate, a fabulous combination of flavors that really satisfies a sweet tooth. Peanut butter and Dove dark chocolate; even better. A Christmas-time favorite, this easy peanut butter blossom recipe has been reinvented for Valentine’s Day.

Valentine Peanut Butter Blossoms
(adapted from Betty Crocker recipe)

You will need:
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups Bisquick biscuit mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sugar
36 Dove Chocolate Hearts

Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
Beat sweetened condensed milk and peanut butter in large bowl until smooth.
Add biscuit mix and vanilla; mix well.
Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake until lightly browned on bottom, about 6 to 8 minutes. Be careful not to over bake.
Remove from oven, press a chocolate heart into center of each cookie.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Recipe makes 3 dozen cookies.