Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Babies

I can't claim discovering this recipe or the blog. Kristi found it and shared them with me. And I love them for many reasons.

1. They are yummy.
2. They are healthy.
3. In my old age I am really enjoying the flavor of dried fruit.
4. They have chocolate.

And, you can mix things up with them. Try different nuts, add peanut butter, different dried fruits. They're fantastic. And, I get to use my food processor. I feel all granola-ish when I make them. And I feel good eating them.

Give them a go--especially if you need digestive help like some of us *me* need. :)

Cookie Dough Babies
(a.k.a. Raw Cookie Dough Balls)

Scant 2/3 cup pitted dates (80g) (I highly recommend Sunmaid dates, found in regular grocery stores near the raisins. They’re softer and easier to blend.)
handful of chocolate chips or Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
1/4 cup cashews (30g) (or another nut, like almonds.)
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
tiny pinch of salt (can be omitted)

Blend the dates, cashews, salt, and vanilla in a food processor. (You can use a blender, but they’re much harder to blend and they can get very sticky.) You can either blend the chocolate with the other ingredients or chop it separately, then mix the pieces into the dough. Make bars, balls, or shapes of whatever size you want.

I used prunes (I need some serious help!) and they turned out really moist so I added extra nuts. Also, refrigerating them helps with the stickiness. 

Nutritional Info for the Homemade Larabar Recipes:
The homemade larabar nutritional info is based upon the girl-scout cookie larabars; however I think all the flavors are probably pretty similar. Each Larabar-sized bar (45 grams) will have around 175 calories, 8 grams healthy fat, 2 grams protein, 25 grams carbs, 5 grams fiber, and zero grams of added sugar.

Pumpkin GInger Snaps

These are the ultimate Christmas cookie.  They are soooo soft and yummy and I could eat a million of them! Plus, pumpkin is on sale right now!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

½ cup of butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies
½ cup of pure pumpkin (I used Libby's canned pumpkin)
¼ cup of molasses
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Add the pumpkin, molasses, egg, and vanilla extract, mix until well combined.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days.

3. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Place sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon-sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on prepared baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until cookies look cracked and set at the edges. The cookies will still be soft. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a 2-3 minutes after removing them from the oven, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

Hey everyone, I'm sorry that it has been a couple of weeks since I have posted, but we have been trying out some new recipes (as always), but unfortunately, none of them were share worthy! Fortunately, though this recipe is amazing! Then again, how can you go wrong with so much chocolate. this amazing recipe and many more are from: http://blog.babygizmo.com/2012/02/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-oreo-brownie-bars/. She also has a recipe for a similar bar with Reese's that I can't wait to try. Too bad for me that Ethan is a huge Oreo fan and they were on sale. I guess hubbies have to win an occasional battle too. These are also the easiest layered dessert I think I have ever made. Note: all the blue instructions are mine for using an 11x9 pan.

Ingredients:

• Package of Brownie Mix (+the eggs, oil and water needed for that!) Warning: Ethan and I needed two boxes of Ghirardelli's Brownies to cover our Oreos.

• Package of Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix (I opted to make the Original Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough from scratch! If you go this route – use a little less flour than you normally would to keep the cookies moist.)

• Package of Oreos (regular or Double Stuffed – you choose!)

How to Make Them:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×9 baking pan with wax paper or foil and spray with cooking spray. (You can opt for a 13×9 pan if you want thinner bars.) If you choose to use a 11x9 pan as we did, you will need to use a little more cookie batter and an extra box of brownies.
2.  Make your cookie dough whichever way you like and spread in the bottom of the pan. If you are making a full batch of homemade Toll House cookie dough, you will only need half the batch!
3. Top the cookie dough with a layer of Oreos. We used a whole bag minus a half dozen or so. 






 4. Pour Brownie batter evenly over the oreos. Warning: if you use a bigger, 11x9 pan you will need two boxes of brownies. 







5. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  11x9 pan needs about 50 minutes to heat through the middle of the brownie.
6. Cool for 5 minutes and then enjoy!  Add some ice cream to completely put this indulgence over the top!

Recipe, and mouth watering photos from:  http://blog.babygizmo.com/2012/02/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-oreo-brownie-bars/

Fruity Cookie Cups

Once again Pintrest has come to the rescue!  This is actually a Pillsbury recipe but I never buy pre-made cookie dough so I just used my favorite sugar cookie recipe.  These were AMAZING!  I took them to a BBQ and they were gobbled up so fast.  The kids and adults both loved them!  They are light and fruity and a perfect dessert for summer time!

2 rolls of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough, or 1 recipe for sugar cookies (mine will follow)

1/2 c. almonds finely chopped

1 egg white

any flavor yogurt

chopped fruit such as kiwi, fresh pineapple, strawberries, mango, blueberries, raspberries etc.

Break up cookie dough in a bowl (or mix up your favorite sugar cookie recipe). Add chopped almonds and mix well.  Make dough into large balls, about 1 1/2 in. and place in greased muffin tins.  Flatten slightly and bake at 350 for 15 min.  Remove cookies and poke a hole in the middle of each one to make a cup (I used the bottom of my ice cream scooper).  Brush the inside of each cup with egg whites so they won't get soggy when you add the yogurt and return to the oven for about 5 more min. or until mostly firm and very slightly brown.  Allow to cool completely.  Add a spoonful of yogurt to each one and top with fruit!  Sooooo good!!

Perfect Sugar Cookies

1 c. butter

1 1/2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1/2 tsp. lemon extract

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 tsp. almond extract

4 1/2 c. flour

1/2 tsp. soda

3/4 tsp. salt

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add flavorings and eggs.  Sift together dry ingredients and add. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Everything Cookies

This is a recipe that my brother and I started playing with as kids. We started out with plain Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and then over the years started adding everything else. Over the years we slowly added peanut butter, coconut and of course more chips! However, because we had added so much to the recipe I found that i needed to tweak the recipe in order for the cookies to come out perfect. Or at least as perfect as a Tia can get a cookie. If you're looking for a cookie recipe that has a little bit of all your favorite cookie ingredients, you just may fall in love with this one. I hope you guys love this family favorite as much as we do!

Better Homes & Gardens Recipe that has been Tweaked and added to

1 cup butter, softened (not melted!)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup[ peanut butter

Cream these together until the butter and sugars are nice and creamy.

1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash nutmeg (i just give a quick shake or two)
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla

Mix to combine.

2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1/2 coconut
2 cups chocolate chips

Mix until just combined. Be careful not to over mix this recipe at this point because cookies won't be as soft. I usually just give it about 4-5 turns in the Kitchenaide, and then 2-3 more with a wooden spoon to make sure everything is really mixed in.

Make sure that this dough is still pretty cool when you scoop it, otherwise the cookies will spread too much and not cook right. I use a scoop, for this recipe to get the most consistent cookies.

Bake @ 375 for 8-10 minutes. Makes about 24 cookies.

Super Soft Snickerdoodles

I shared my snickerdoodles at IKEA today and Christina asked for the recipe. And since I now have a laptop, I respond MUCH faster to things like that! This recipe is from the Lionhouse Desserts cook book and they are so soft and good. Yesterday, all I had for breakfast was this cookie dough! If you haven't bought a cook book in a while or you have a birthday coming up, I highly recommend this one. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING in this book is delicious! The Lionhouse has got it figured out!

Snickerdoodles

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. butter

2 1/2 c. sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 Tbls. water

5 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. cream of tarter

1 tsp. soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat over to 350. Mix 1/2 c. sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl and set aside. in a large mixing bowl, combine butter and 2 1/2 c. sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and water and beat until fluffy. Add flour, cream of tarter, soda and salt and mix until well combined. Drop cookies by round tablespoonfuls into cinnamon/sugar mixture and roll until completely coated. Place on cookie sheet sprayed with PAM and bake for 9-10 min.

Makes 5 dozen

Cake pops

Has anyone heard of these? They are so stinkin' cute and absolutely delicious! The ones in this picture are pretty tricky but they don't have to be that fancy. My sister made them last night for our Halloween party and just sprinkled them with Halloween sprinkles. This picture is from Bakerella.com. She makes the most amazing cake pops and they are so easy! She also has a book out now entirely about cake pops. I'm thinking neighbor gifts for Christmas and take home gifts for birthday parties! The possibilities are endless!

Recipe:
1 cake mix any flavor
1 can cream cheese frosting
almond bark or other dipping chocolate
sucker sticks
sprinkles or other toppings

Make cake according to package directions. Cool cake completely and crumble in a bowl. Add cream cheese frosting and mix until well combined. Roll into golf ball size balls, add sucker sticks and freeze several hours until firm. Melt almond bark and dip. Immediately sprinkle with toppings as the chocolate will harden very quickly.

Alternate Recipe:

Oreo crumbs
8 oz cream cheese, softened

Mix oreo crumbs and cream cheese and follow instructions for cake balls.

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies

Props to The Sisters Cafe for this awesome recipe. I whipped these together the other night after seeing these gals post the recipe on facebook. They got this recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and her site has amazing recipes too!

You can't go wrong with coconut in my house. Olivia even asks for coconut ice cream with coconut flakes in it when we go to Cold Stone! And Adam and I drank wayyyy too many virgin Pina Coladas on our cruise a while back. Anyhow, I had all the ingredients on hand and these were super easy to make. Everyone absolutely loved them. They aren't too coconutty, just enough to make the cookies sweet. And they kind of make you think of somewhere tropical, like Hawaii! And who can't use a little more oatmeal in their diet, even if you have to get it by eating cookies :)

These are my new fave cookie, by the way!

Photo courtesy thesisterscafe.com

Oatmeal Coconut Chewies
courtesy thesisterscafe.com

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to cool room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour (you can add an extra 1/2 cup flour for higher altitudes, like Utah)
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
1 cup quick oats

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, eggs, butter and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a greased or lined (silpat or parchment) baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes, until the cookies are set but not overly browned. Don't overcook these or they will be crisp, unless that is what you are going for!

Chocolate marshmallow cookies

I went to a cookie party last night and made these yummy concoctions. They are sooo moist, gooey and chocolatlie, you can’t go wrong! I wish I would have thought to sprinkle crushed candy cane on top to make them festive!

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup milk
1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup cocoa

1 package large marshmallows

Blend butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, milk and remaining ingredients, leaving out marshmallows. Scoop out cookies with mini ice cream scoop. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes. Remove from oven.

Cut marshmallows into thirds. Push a third of a marshmallow into the center of each cookie. Bake for 2 more minutes. Let cool and frost. Makes just shy of 2 dozen with a pampered chef med. Scoop!

*frosting*

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons cocoa

3 tablespoons melted butter

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I actually came across this recipe because my Aunt Jodi asked me to make cookies for Girls Camp, and I didn't want to make plain old chocolate chip. So when I went to make peanut butter cookies I realized that *gasp* I didn't have any white sugar in the house! Really? I have ten boxes of crackers, eight large bottles of ketchup, and enough shredded cheese to get me through any natural disaster, but I don't have sugar in my food storage? Trust me. It was an eye opener.

Anyway, I found this peanut butter chocolate chip cookie recipe that doesn't call for white sugar. Hooray! It's really good and really easy. And the odd thing? It asks for 1/4 cup of cornstarch in the mix. This is the first time I've ever used cornstarch for anything but thickening gravy. But they taste awesome!

Photo from Allrecipes

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I added a little more. Some other people used M&Ms, which I would have totally used if I had them.)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2.Cream together butter and brown sugar. Beat in eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.

3.Add flour, cornstarch, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips.

4.Roll into balls about 1 1/2 teaspoonfuls (or use cookie scoop) and place onto ungreased cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly because they do not flatten much while cooking.

5.Bake for 10 minutes.

Cheesecake Cookies

Brent has a broker who emails recipes. When I saw this one, I knew I had to try it. You should know that I have an infatuation with Lorna Doone shortcake cookies. And, I didn't realize the cookie part of these are shortbread (made with cream cheese). I was in heaven. They're filling and sweet. So, it doesn't leave you wanting to eat a dozen (like chocolate chip cookies do). They're a grown-up's cookie.

Cheesecake Cookies

Cream Cheese Filling:
4 oz cream cheese
2 TBSP sugar
½ tsp grated lemon rind
1 egg yolk
1 TBSP half and half or sour cream

Beat together until smooth. Refrigerate.

Cookies:
1 cup butter
4 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 TBSP lemon juice
2 ¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ cup fine graham cracker crumbs

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until blended. Add egg, lemon rind and lemon juice. Mix well. Combine flour and baking powder. Add to first mixture and blend well. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in graham cracker crumbs. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets. With finger make an indentation in center of each cookie. Fill with ½ tsp of filling. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Remove to cool on wire racks. Store in airtight container.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy

This recipe seemed kind of weird at first but I decided to give it a try and HOLY COW! They were so so so good and I think Christina and Brent will vouch for these! Everything about them is delicious but my favorite part is the caramel filling. It just oozes all over. I seriously could have eaten the whole pan if I didn't know how many calories were in these! I hate it when they put the nutritional facts on the recipe!! btw, this recipe came from my Taste of Home magazine.






Ingredients
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, cubed
1/3 cup 2% milk
2 sleeves butter-flavored crackers (about 80 crackers)
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

Directions
In a saucepan, combine the cracker crumbs, sugars, butter and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 5 minutes longer.
Place a single layer of crackers in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. dish; top with half of crumb mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining crackers.
In a small saucepan, combine the butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and peanut butter. Cook and stir until smooth. Pour over crackers. Let stand until set. Yield: 15 servings.
Editor's Note: This recipe was tested with Keebler Town House crackers.

Easy Cake Cookies

I know we all have our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe but this recipe caught my eye because of how versatile and easy it was! You make this cookie with a box of cake mix! Since I stock up on my boxed yellow cake mix when it is on sale (for lemon blossoms!) I used that and normal choc. chips. You can change this up and make any kind of cookie you could imagine. They are fluffy and have a great taste to them. Give them a try the next time you are in a pinch for time, you won't be disappointed.

Easy Cake Cookies

1 Box cake Mix (any flavor)
1/4 C. Flour
1/4 C. Water
1/2 C. Oil
1 Egg
1 C. Chocolate Chips (any flavor)

Mix together all ingredients adding choc. chips last. Drop spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. The cookies will be lightly browning on the ends. You can mix up this recipe and make chocolate cookies with butterscotch choc. chps or maybe mint! So many possibilities I cannot wait to make some more flavors!!!

Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies

I stole my husband's lap top for a minute so i can finally post something! These were by far my favorite Christmas cookie this year and I made them several times. They really taste like a truffle because they are so soft and moist inside the chocolate shell. And they are tiny so you can eat a million of them and not feel too bad!

Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies

1/4 c. butter, cubed
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 egg
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. peppermint extract
1 c. flour
1/3 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c. Chopped Andes mint candies
dipping chocolate, white, milk, or dark chocolate
optional toppings: sprinkles, nuts, crushed candy canes

In a small pan, melt butter and 1/2 c. chocolate chips. Remove from heat and stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Stir in the egg, sugars, and extracts. COmbine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and stir into chocolate mixture. Fold in 3/4 c. chopped Andes mints.
Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 min. or until tops appear slightly dry. Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire rack to cool completely.
Dip cookies in melted dipping chocolate and sprinkle with toppings.

*I couldn't find Andes mint candies so I chopped up those green mint chips and used them instead

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

I was looking for something to make for our ward Christmas party and had some Candy Cane kisses in the house. The recipe on the back for those "kiss" cookies you always see (you know, where the kiss is pressed in the middle of it?) was a sugar cookie and I didn't think that candy canes went well with sugar cookies, so I looked online for a chocolate cookie recipe to use. This recipe off of allrecipes.com got really good ratings, so I baked them like the recipe says then added the candy cane kiss in the center after they had cooled a few minutes. The kisses melted a little (DON'T touch the kisses until the whole thing has cooled or they'll lose their cool shape!) and melted into the cookie perfectly. If you wait too long to put the kiss on, they won't stick well to the cookie. These cookies were gone soooo quick at the party and were super festive. Next time I want to try and wrap the dough around the kiss and bake them that way so there is that melted candy cane kiss in the center when you are done!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)- I didn't add this, but would be yummy if you aren't using the kisses

1 bag candy cane kisses, unwrapped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets and add a candy cane kiss to the center of each cookie after they have cooled 3-5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

TIP: Don't press the candy cane into the cookie while it is on the wire rack because it will push the cookie through the bottom of the rack. I know this from experience :) Press them into the cookie while the cookie is still on the cookie sheet!

Edible Turkeys

I was looking for a thanksgiving-themed treat to take to the sisters I visit teach (because I didn't get around to actual visits this month!) and I found these on perpetualpreschool.com . So cute and fun! My kids helped me stick the "feathers" in and we even made enough to use as decorations for our Thanksgiving dinner table setting!


Double stuffed Oreos
Whoppers (Chocolate Malt balls)
Candy Corns
Frosting for "glue"


Stick candy corns point side down into the oreos to make "feathers". Use the frosting to stick one malt ball onto each oreo. Cut the tip off a candy corn and stick on the malt ball for the beak. Dab frosting on for eyes. DONE! Let them sit out for a couple hours so the frosting will harden.

Butterfinger Fudge Cookies

These cookies are so good and so easy to make! And even though they aren't super healthy, they are really rich, so you really only eat one at a time (I ate like two, but whatever, who's counting??). I got this recipe from Picky Palate, and there are only a few things I'd change. She used dark cocoa powder (like Hershey's special dark) and I thought they were really rich, so you can totally use whatever cocoa you have. Also, I'd omit the chocolate chips (too rich and not needed) and add another Butterfinger bar, making the recipe use three bars instead of two. I'm posting the recipe as it was found on Picky Palate, so you can choose to do it her way or mine. Both are yummy!! It's just a preference thing :)

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour

1 1/4 cup dark cocoa

2 tsps baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 full size Butterfinger bars, crushed

1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 and use cookie sheet with a silpat (or silicone) liner. (I have one, and you need it, or try parchment paper. The dough is sticky and will easily stick to a pan.)

In a large bowl cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

In another bowl add flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients and then stir in crushed Butterfingers and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. It should still be soft in the center (they will set as they cool). Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Eskimo Cookies

For our Beehive activity, we had an alphabet picnic where the girls were assigned a letter and had to bring something that started with that letter. We weren't thinking when we assigned one girl the letter P. She got creative and brought "poop". Only it tasted amazing. I thought they were like No Bakes, but they were so much better. They taste like cookie dough. She refuses to give out recipes (she's 13!) but she mentioned they were called Eskimo somethings. So, I looked them up on Allrecipes and gave them a try. They're very quick & easy. And, it's like eating cookie dough! I was surprised I've never had them before.

Eskimo Cookies

3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP water
2 cups rolled outs (you can use less--depending on your taste)
1/3 cup confectioner's sugar for decoration

Soften butter & beat well. Add sugar & mix well. Add cocoa, vanilla & water. Then add oatmeal. Shape into 36 balls and roll in powdered sugar (I skipped this step). Keep in refrigerator.

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookie

I got this recipe from "Studio 5" on KSL and these cookies are amazing! Along the same lines as the layered mint chocolate brownies but different and sooo good. I made them twice in one week for two different events and both times they got eaten right up. I love that the middle mint layer is just melted mint chips! How easy can it get! You can also use store bought chocolate frosting for the top if you want even less work. These are worth every bit of effort and perect for St. Patricks Day!

Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar and mix until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture until well combined.
Using a 2 inch ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes or until firm. You don't want to under bake or over bake these cookies. Let cool.

For the middle layer

Ingredients:
1 cup Guittard green mint chips, melted

Spread a layer of the melted mint chips over the cookies. Put them into the fridge to let them set for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the frosting.

Frosting

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter, at room temperature
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
milk

Using a mixer, cream the butter. Whisk together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa until well combined. Slowly add to the butter. Add the vanilla and a dash of milk at a time until the consistency is thick enough to spread on the cookies. Beat until smooth. Spread the frosting over the mint layer.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

I've found my new favorite cookie! My mom brought some really amazing recipes when she came to help me with the baby and this was one of them! The recipe doesn't sound very appetizing but you have to give these a try. They really are sooooo delicious!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cookies

2 cans (16 oz. each) Chocolate Fudge Frosting
1 egg
1 c. peanut butter
1 1/2 c. flour
sugar

Set aside 1 can plus 1/3 cup frosting. In a large bowl, combine egg, peanut butter and remaining frosting. Stir in flour until moist. Drop by tablespoons 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Flatten cookies with a fork dipped in sugar. Bake at 375 for 8-11 min. Cool completely and spread with frosting.