Chocolate-Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Cream together:

3/4 c. shortening

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

Add:

1/2 c. water and mix well

Add:

2 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Mix well.

Add:

2 c. quick cook oats

Mix well.

Add:

12 oz mini chocolate chips

Mix well.

Bake 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not overbake!

These are my husband's favorite cookies. The recipe comes from my mother-in-law. I'm not sure if she made up the recipe herself, or where she got it.

Chocolate Crinkles

1/2 c. vegetable oil
4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, melted, cooled
2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered sugar

In a large bowl mix in oil, chocolate, granulated sugar, and vanilla. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, refridgerate for 2-3 hours.

Heat oven to 350. Grease cookie sheet (or use parchment paper). Roll dough into small balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until almost no imprint remains when touched in the center. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling racks.

This is a Betty Crocker recipe my mom made during the holidays when I was a kid.

*Tip!!! Roll a bunch of balls first and then do the powdered sugar. Going back and forth for each one is just too messy!

Oreo Truffles

1 lb Oreo cookies (1 pkg)

8 oz cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 lb milk chocolate

1/2 lb white chocolate

1. Using a food processor, grind cookies into a fine powder. With a mixer, blend cookie crumbs with cream cheese and vanilla until well blended (no traces of cream cheese)

2. Roll into small balls and place on a wax-lined cookie sheet. Refridgerate for 45 minutes.

3. Line 2 cookies sheets with wax paper. In a double-boiler melt the milk chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon, lift balls out of the chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on lined cookie sheets.

4. In a seperate double boiler, melt white chocoate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Let cool.

5. Store in airtight container, in refridgerator.

This recipe was on Food.com

*As you can see by the picture, I reversed the order of the chocolates. Dipping first in white and drizzling with milk chocolate. After reading a lot of comments about this recipe online, I decided to used almond bark instead of the chocolate. I found it very difficult to work with and would try the chocolate next time instead. Suggests on the recipe also said to try different extracts, or different flavors of oreos (they make peanut butter, and mint ones for sure). I think the mint would be good and may consider trying them again. The recipe also suggested that instead of dipping them, to roll them in candy sprinkles, or cocoa powder, etc.

Cappuccino Crinkles

1/3 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 T instant coffee granules
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 c. low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 c. flour
1/4 c. granulated sugar

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer until softened. Add the brown sugar, cocoa powder, coffee granules, baking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in the egg whites and yogurt until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in the remaining flour.

Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Drop dough by a teaspoon into sugar and roll into balls. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

*This is a low-fat recipie. I found the batter to be rather difficult to work with. It was a bit sticky.

This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

Old Fashioned Butter Cookies

Mix together

3 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder

Cream together

1 c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

Add to creamed mixture

1 egg

2 Tbsp. milk

1 1/2 t. vanilla

Beat all ingredients together. Chill dough for up to 1 hour. Roll our on floured surface to 1/8-1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Bake for 5-8 minutes at 400 degrees on ungreased cookie sheet.

*This is a recipe from my great grandmother on my dad's side of the family. These are great frosted or you can use colored sugar on them before you bake them. As a kid we used to use this recipe to make Christmas cookies. My mom also always made us cookies for our birthdays in the shape of our age. I've been doing the same for my own son.

Peanut Butter Cookies

3/4 c. peanut butter

1/2 c. Crisco shortening

1 1/4 c. light brown sugar (firmly packed)*

3 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 large egg

1 3/4 c. flour

3/4 t. salt

3/4 t. baking soda

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in a bowl. Beat at medium until well blended. Add egg. Beat until blended. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to creamed mixture on low speed. Drop by round Tbsp 2 inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Flatten slightly and draw a star pattern with the dull edge of a knife. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely. Makes 3 dozen.

*When made these I ran out of brown sugar. I had read somewhere that you can subtitute white sugar and molasses for brown sugar. I had to do this for about 1/4 c. of the brown sugar. I'm not sure if it was the substitution, or just how these cookies are, but they were fabulously soft and did not get crumbly. I also used Skippy PB instead of Jif because that is what we buy. These are my new favorite peanut butter cookie- sorry mom :(

Recipe and photo from a magazine ad for Jif peanut butter.