FOR BIRTHDAY OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • pinch cardamom, optional
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
  • 1 & 1/2 cups raisins
  • 12 oz. mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Start by preparing your raisins and walnuts, if you plan to add nuts. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add 1 and 1/2 cup raisins to a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over the raisins. Set aside to plump (at least 10-15 minutes.)
  • In a small pan, add 1/2 cup walnuts and set over medium heat. Stir frequently for 3-5 minutes, until the walnuts are light brown and fragrant. Don’t burn them! Nuts are so easy to burn. Set side to cool.
  • In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until is is soft and creamy.
  • Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat together. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and beat for another 2-3 minutes, until fluffy.
  • Add 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 tablespoon molasses. Beat well until incorporated, scraping the sides and bottom.
  • Add 2 and 1/2 cups flour (spooned and leveled!) but don’t mix it in yet.
  • On top of the flour in the bowl, add 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Add in a dash of cardamom, but only if you already know you like cardamom. Stir it into the flour with a small spoon.
  • Use the beaters to stir the flour into the dough, but not all the way. Stop when the dough is still pretty white from the flour. Scrape down the edges.
  • Add 1 cup quick oats, 1 cup old fashioned oats, and the 1/2 cup of toasted walnuts, if you’re using them.
  • Beat just until the flour streaks are gone. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure it has all been mixed properly, but do not over mix (or you will get tough cookies).
  • Drain the raisins through a strainer. Lay out a paper towel on the counter and pour the raisins on top to dry them out a bit. Set aside 1/4 or 1/2 cup raisins to press into the top of the baked cookies, if you want.
  • Use a wooden spoon to stir the raisins and chocolate chips into the dough. If they are still a little wet, they may not mix in very well. Just do your best to get them incorporated.
  • Cover the dough and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 48 hours. If you are in a big hurry, you can shape the dough into balls right away, set them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking (they will chill faster if they are already shaped into balls).
  • When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Line a few baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
  • Use a 2 inch cookie scoop (< this is the one I have) to shape the cookie dough, or just use your hands. Your cookie dough balls should be about 2 inches across, or a little bigger than a golf ball.
  • Place the cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets with about 2 inches in between each cookie. I was able to fit 12 on a half sheet baking pan.
  • Bake at 350 for 11-12 minutes. The cookies should be firm on the edges and slightly golden. They should not be too shiny. A little bit of shine is okay right in the center, but not much. If the whole top of the cookie is still shiny, leave it in for 2-3 more minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the oven.
  • For an extra thick cookie: Immediately after you take them out of the oven (seriously, don’t wait) use two spoons to gently push each cookie together. I just used two regular spoons, the kind you eat cereal with. Push the cookie together so that it comes up a bit in the middle. That’s how you’re going to get a soft, thick center. If you wait even just a minute after taking them out of the oven, the brown edges will start to crisp up, and you won’t be able to shape the cookies. Work your spoons all the way around the edges so that your cookie is a nice circle shape. Work quickly to shape all the cookies before they crisp on the edges. HINT: do fewer cookies on each sheet
  • Press extra raisins into the top of each cookie, if desired. (You can use ones that you plumped or ones straight from the bag.)
  • Remove to a wire rack and let cool completely. But not before eating at least one!
  • Store covered on the counter. 

Notes

You can make this dough ahead of time and freeze for later. Shape the dough into balls, seal in a ziplock, and freeze for up to 3 months. No need to thaw before baking; put them frozen into a preheated oven and add 2-3 minutes to the bake time. Once the dough has been frozen, there is not as much need to use spoons to smoosh them together, although you can if you want.

Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies

Yield: 10 giant cookies Bake: 11-13 cookies NOTE: use Hy-Vee cake mix

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE COOKIES:

  • 1 box red velvet cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp red food color
  • ¼ c chocolate chips

FOR THE CHEESECAKE FILLING:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:

  • 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. To make cookies, in a large bowl combine cake mix and flour. Whisk until clumps disappear. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake mix, flour, eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap. The dough will be oily. Refrigerate for at least two hours.

2. To make the cheesecake filling, using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Using a teaspoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Continue scooping out cheesecake filling into teaspoon balls until you have 10. Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least two hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. To assemble the cookies, take about 1/4 cup of red velvet cookie dough and flatten in your hands. Place a teaspoon of cheesecake filling in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling. Gently roll into a ball and place on prepared baking sheet. Scoop onto lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheets. Only bake 3 cookies at a time. The cookies are large and will spread. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until the cookies begin to crackle. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove from baking sheet to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

4. Melt the white chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl or over a double-boiler. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cooled cookies. Let the cookies set until the chocolate hardens. Serve and enjoy!

Note: if you are going to store the cookies for more than a day, you may want to keep them in the refrigerator. You can make the cookies smaller. Just use less dough and filling. You want to make sure you completely wrap the cookie dough around the filling before baking-so it doesn’t leak. Enjoy!

Bailey’s Irish Coffee Caramel Cookies

Oven: 375 Degrees Bake: 13-15 min Yield: 15 cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
  2. Combine flour, baking soda, espresso powder, and salt in small bowl and set aside.
  3. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and whiskey in large mixer bowl until creamy.
  4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
  6. Stir in the Bailey’s baking chips.
  7. Using a regular size ice cream scoop, scoop out 15 cookies.
  8. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
  9. Remove from oven and while hot place the caramel pieces onto the hot cookies.
  10. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.