Sugar Cookie Bars

BARS

1 cup butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg.  Add vanilla and mix well.  In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, and soda and stir with a whisk to combine.  Add to wet mixture and mix until combined.  Spread on a greased baking sheet (13 x 18 pan)  Bake at 375 for 10 to 15 min, until golden brown or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool completely and frost.

FROSTING

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
4 cups of powdered sugar
5 tbsp milk
food coloring if desired

For frosting combine butter and shortening until and smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla and salt.  Add powdered sugar in 1 to 2 increments until combined, then add mild and mix until smooth and spreading consistency.  Spread over cooled cookies.

Caramelita COOKIES Makes about 40 cookies Ingredients 1 1/4 cups butter (2 1/2 sticks) room temperature 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp salt 3 cups quick oats 2 cups chocolate chips approx 40 unwrapped Rolo candies, frozen How to Make In stand mixer cream butter and brown sugar together for about 1 minute. Add in eggs and vanilla and mix until incorporated and smooth. Turn mixer to low and add in flour, baking soda, salt and oats. Turn mixer up to medium until evenly mixed. Turn mixer down to low and add in chocolate chips. Mix until evenly distributed. Chill dough for at least an hour. During this time freeze your Rolo candies. When dough is ready preheat oven to 350° and line baking sheets with parchment paper. Take about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of cookie dough and wrap it around a frozen Rolo, forming a ball. Place your dough balls about 2 inches apart on lined baking sheet. (Make sure that you have enough dough on the bottom of the cookie that none of the Rolo is exposed) Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are golden and tops have just set. Let cookies cook on baking sheet for 4-5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. Notes Freezing candies and chilling dough is recommended because the Rolo will sink to the bottom of the cookie and stick to your pan. If you forget to freeze the candies and chill the dough, allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet.

Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

Yields approx. 2 dozen Ingredients 1/2 cup butter, salted 1/2 cup Crisco 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups old fashioned oats 1 1/2 cups sweetened coconut flakes Directions Preheat oven 350 degrees F. 1. In a standing mixer beat butter, Crisco, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. (About 8 minutes) Next beat in eggs. 2. In a medium sized bowl, whisk flour, cinnamon, and baking soda together; add to creamed mixture. Next stir in oats and coconut. 3. Shape cookie dough into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on a large baking sheet. Place on the middle rack in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cookies set on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Notes: Store cooled cookies in a covered container, sealed bag or cookie jar. If freezing store in freezer safe bags, covered dishware, such as Pyrex brand. Cookie Tip: When I’m feeling like a super woman, and this isn’t to often, I might add. I make several batches of different kinds of cookie dough, roll into 1 inch balls and lay on a large baking sheet to freeze. I then take the frozen cookie dough balls and transfer them to gallon sized freezer bags. When we feel like cookies and I don’t feel like making them, all I do is preheat the oven and pop in the amount of frozen cookie dough that I need and voila’, cookies in no time flat!

Oatmeal Squares

1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sal
3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins (or sub another ingredient. for the white chocolate/toffee ones I added one cup of each)

Preparation:
Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Bar Cookies: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered.

EASY and SOFT M & M Cookies

INGREDIENTS:-1 c. sugar
-1 c. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. butter (softened)
- 1/2 c. oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- Chopped M&Ms
- Whole M&Ms


DIRECTIONS:
1. Cream together sugars, butter and oil.
2. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.
3. Add dry ingredients as well as vanilla.
4. Mix in chopped M&Ms {however many you want}.
5. Place in balls on greased pan, insert 5 M&Ms on top.
6. Bake at 350 for 7-8 minutes.

Chewy No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Treats

One 16-ounce package of chocolate chip cookies
5 cups (1 bag) of large marshmallows
4 tablespoons of butter


Place chocolate chip cookies in food processor (or smash in a large Ziplock bag with a rolling pin) and pulse until crumbly, but not ground.

Melt marshmallows and butter in a microwave-safe bowl until puffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove and pour in ground cookies.

Quickly stir to combine, then transfer to a 8x8-inch baking dish lined with foil.

Allow to set for 10-15 minutes. Remove bars out of pan by the foil edges. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Chocolate chip cookie layer:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
1 T cider vinegar
1 large egg
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cheesecake layer:
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla


Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, sugars, vanilla, salt and vinegar. Beat in the egg, then the baking soda and flour. Stir in the chocolate chips. Divide the dough into two equal portions and set aside.

2. In a medium mixing bowl cream the cream cheese with the sugar until thoroughly combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

3. In a 9x13 pan, spread 1/2 of the cookie dough mixture evenly across the bottom. (This is somewhat tricky to do. I find it easier to add dollops of cookie dough throughout the pan and then spread all the dollops together. Spread the cream cheese mixture on the top of the cookie dough. With the remaining cookie dough, flatten chunks of dough between your hands into discs, and then place on top of the cream cheese mixture. (The dough discs don't have to touch, just place them near each other so they cover the surface as well as possible.)

4. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is brown and cooked through. Cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

(To make this in a sheet pan like pictured in this post, double the recipe and press into a 12x17" sheet pan. The cooking time is slightly shorter.)

Double White Chocolate and Pretzel Peanut Butter Cookies…with Sea Salt

from Picky Palates

1 stick softened butter, 8 tablespoons
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup white chocolate chips, to melt
1 1/4 cups creamy peanut butter (reserve 2 tablespoons to add to melting white chips)
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup broken pretzel pieces
1 Cup additional white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Melt white chocolate chips and 2 Tablespoons peanut butter over a double boiler until melted. Add melted chocolate chips and remaining peanut butter to beaten butter and sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt in bowl; mix to combine. Add to wet ingredients until just combined then pour in pretzels and additional white chocolate chips. With a cookie scoop, scoop dough onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. With the palms of your hand, gently press down each cookie to about 1/2 inch in thickness. Sprinkle each cookie with a touch of sea salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges become golden and slightly crisp. Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheet before removing.

3 dozen cookies

Soft Gingersnap Cookies

from Two Peas and Their Pod

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
Pinch of fresh nutmeg
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
White sugar-to roll the cookie dough in

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. Whisk the ingredients together.
3. With a mixer, combine the butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy. This will take a couple of minutes.
4. Add in the egg and vanilla extra. Mix until well combined.
5. Add in the molasses. Mix until the molasses is combined with the other ingredients.
6. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Add in a little at a time until all of the flour is mixed in.
7. Form the dough into Tablespoon sized balls. Roll the dough in white sugar.
8. Place the cookie dough balls on a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat. Make sure they are a couple inches apart.
9. I pressed down on the cookies slightly to help them flatten out. If you like puffy cookies, don’t press them down.
10. Bake for 8 minutes and NO longer. You want them to stay soft! Let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to a cooling rack.
11. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Pudding Cookies

recipe make about 3 dozen

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 3.9 ounce pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups chocolate chips

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Add the pudding mix and mix until creamy and smooth. Make sure to use your spatula and scrape down the sides of the bowl often. Slowly add the dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or just until light and golden. Do not over bake.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookie Sandwich

from Picky Palates
2 sticks softened butter
3/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla
3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
10 oz bag chocolate chips
1 bag Oreo Cookies, I used the double stuff

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add in eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. In a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with chocolate chips until just combined. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of an Oreo Cookie. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of Oreo Cookie. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk, enjoy!

Makes about 2 dozen VERY LARGE Cookies

Candy Cane Snowballs

30 ServingsPrep: 25 + chilling Bake: 20 min.

Ingredients
•2 cups butter, softened
•1 cup confectioners' sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1 cup chopped pecans
•8 ounces white candy coating, coarsely chopped (I used chocolate. Not a big fan of white chocolate)

•1/3 to 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy
Directions
•In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour and mix well. Stir in pecans. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or until easy to handle.
•Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. Apart on ungreased baking sheets.Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

•In a microwave, melt candy coating at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

•Dip the top of each cookie into the candy coating; allow excess to drip off. Dip into peppermint candy. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Yield: 5 dozen.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. dark chocolate chips
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together softened butter, shortening, brown sugar, and white sugar for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined. Mix in the chocolate chips.

Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the centers are set but still soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Top each cookie with an unwrapped Candy Cane Kiss. Allow to cool completely, long enough for the Kiss to harden. If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the Kiss.

Stop ‘n Go Cookies

From Sisters Cafe

1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
½ c. cocoa powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ c. butter softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp vanilla
Red, yellow, and green M&Ms

Combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Beat butter and sugar together until combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. Beat in flour mixture.
For each cookie, shape 1 Tablespoon of cookie dough into a rectangle and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. You may insert a popsicle stick into the cookie if desired. Press red, yellow and green M&Ms into each rectangle for the lights on the stoplight.
Bake for 8-10 minutes in a 350 oven. Makes about 26 cookies.
(Tip: always remember to place cookie dough on a cooled cookie sheet. Do not reuse a hot cookie sheet for baking another batch of cookies. Either cool it off first (only takes a few seconds if you wave it in the air a bit) or use two cookie sheets.)

S'mores Cookies

from Cheat Day Cafe

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
2 packages of 8 fun size Hershey bars

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 4 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push marshmallows and a section of Hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 4 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Note: I doubled this recipe with great results. Also, the dough looked a little wet to me, so I added some wheat flour (maybe 1 cup), little by little, until the dough was more "stiff". I also refrigerated the dough for about 30 minutes before I spooned the dough onto the cookie sheet.

Breakfast Cookies

½ c. shortening
½ C. butter (softened)
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour (white or whole wheat, I used wheat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 c. "Special K" or other flaky breakfast cereal. 1 c. oatmeal
Raisins, dates, nuts, etc. optional (I used 1 cup coconut)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In larger mixer bowl, beat shortening,butter, sugars, and eggs and vanilla until light and creamy. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Stir in oatmeal and breakfast cereal, and raisins or dates etc. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets. A great breakfast or snack.

Snickerdoodles

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 TBSP white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls. Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

from My Sisters Stuff


2 pkg. devils food cake mix
1 1/2 c. shorting
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs

Mix together and roll into balls. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Don't over cook and make small tsp. size. Cool and frost between 2 cookies to make Oreo sandwich cookie.

Frosting:
2 c. pd. sugar
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp vanilla

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 ¼ cups brown sugar
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 ¼ cups butter
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoon salt
2 ½ cups wheat flour
2 ½ cups oats
2 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Stir in dry ingredients and then chocolate chips. Scoop rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. *Makes 3-4 dozen.

Fudge Crinkles

1 box Devils Food cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together first 3 ingredients. Dust hands with powdered sugar then roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar and place on greased cookie sheet (or silpat, ungreased of course). Bake 8-10 minutes. Don't overbake! They should puff up during baking and flatten with cooling.