Norwegian Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

3 C All-Purpose Flour
2 t Ground Cinnamon
2 t Ground Ginger
1 t Ground Cloves
1/2 t Ground Nutmeg
1/2 t Ground Cardamom
3/4 t Sea Salt
1 C Butter, room temperature
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 t Vanilla Extract
1 Egg White (optional)
1 T Water (optional)

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time mixing in between, and add vanilla and mix several minutes until slightly fluffy. 

Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients.

For cut-out Cookies: Cover and refrigerate dough for one hour before rolling out and cutting with cookie cutters.

For softer, round cookies: Skip refrigeration step. Roll into 1-inch balls.

For either shape, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place dough shapes or balls on parchment-lined cookie sheets. If desired, mix egg white and water to create egg wash and brush on tops of cookies. Bake 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden. Remove to cooling rack.

Serve with coffee or black tea.

* Adapted from http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/norwegian-spice-cookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

10 T Butter, softened

1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar

1/2 C Sugar

1 Egg

1 t Vanilla

1 1/2 C Oat Flour

1 C Pamela's Gluten-Free Bread Mix (or other GF baking mix)

3/4 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

10 oz Chocolate Chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars. 

Add egg and vanilla and mix well. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda and salt. 

Pour dry ingredients into wet and mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips

Cover and refrigerate dough for at least one hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Drop spoonfuls of dough into baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. 

Remove from oven and let cool on pan for 2 minutes before removing to wire cooling rack. 

Yield: 2 Dozen Large Cookies

Gluten Free Oat Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 C Butter, softened

1/2 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C White Sugar

1 Egg

1 t Vanilla

1/2 t Baking Soda

1 t Cornstarch

1/2 t Salt

2 1/2 C Certified Gluten-Free Oat Flour

3/4 C Semi-Sweet or Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla until well mixed. 

In a separate medium bowl, stir together baking soda, cornstarch, salt and oat flour. 

Add dry to wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Mix in chocolate chips. 

Drop by small spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. 

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. 

Remove from oven and let rest on cookie sheet 2 minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack.

Yield: 3 Dozen Cookies

* Adapted from http://www.factoryfreeoats.com/cookies.html

Easy Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C Natural Crunchy Peanut butter (or creamy)

1 Large egg, slightly beaten

1/2 C Raw cane sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. 

Lightly spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Drop 1 level-tablespoon balls of dough about one inch apart. Flatten the dough-balls with a fork creating a crosshatch pattern. 

Bake for about ten minutes. 

Allow to cool completely before removing from cookie sheet. 

Easy Maple Almond Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C Raw Maple Almond butter

1 Large egg, slightly beaten

6 T Raw cane sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Thoroughly mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. 

Lightly spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray. Drop 1 level-tablespoon balls of dough about one inch apart. Flatten the dough-balls with a fork creating a crosshatch pattern. 

Bake for about ten minutes. 

Allow to cool completely before removing from cookie sheet. 

* From http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/12/3-ingredient-almond-butter-cookies.html

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 C Shortening

1/4 C Molasses

1 C Sugar (plus more for dipping)

1 Egg

2 C Flour

1 1/2 t Ground Ginger

1 t Ground Cinnamon

2 t Baking Soda

1/2 t Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a mixer, combine shortening, molasses, sugar, and egg. 

In a separate bowl, combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. 

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix. 

Roll into 1-inch balls, dip tops of balls into sugar, and place on lightly greased cookie sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart. 

Bake 12-15 minutes. 

Remove to cooling rack. 

Yield: About 30 cookies

* Old family recipe

Cowboy Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

2 C All-purpose flour

1/2 t Baking powder

1 t Baking soda

1/2 t Salt

1/2 C Butter

1/2 C Vegetable oil

1 C Brown sugar, packed

1 C White sugar

2 Eggs

2 C Oats

1 C Butterscotch chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter, oil, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. 

Gradually beat in flour mixture until well-blended. 

Mix in oats and butterscotch chips. 

Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. 

Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges are golden. 

Remove from oven. Allow to sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack. 

* Adapted from http://www.kitchme.com/recipes/cowboy-oatmeal-cookies

Healthier Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C All-purpose flour

1 C Quick-cooking oats

1/4 C Ground flax

1 t Baking soda

1/2 t Salt

1/2 t Ground cinnamon

3/4 C Coconut oil (at room temperature) or softened unsalted butter

1 C Granulated sugar

3/4 C Packed brown sugar

2 Large eggs

1 t Vanilla extract

1 C Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, flax, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

In a separate bowl, beat together oil (or butter), sugar, and brown sugar until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating together thoroughly. Add vanilla. 

Pour flour mixture into sugar mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. 

Spoon dough onto prepared cookie sheet by large tablespoons leaving about 2 inches between cookies. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

Remove from oven. 

Let sit on cookie sheet about 3 minutes before removing to cooling rack. 

Yield: About 30 cookies

* Adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/oatmeal-flax-chocolate-chip-cookies-recipe.html

Four Ingredient Healthy Cookies

Ingredients:

2 Large ripe bananas

2 T Peanut butter

1 C Quick-cooking oats (use gluten-free oats, if desired)

3 T Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Mash banana thoroughly with peanut butter. Mix in oats and chocolate chips. 

Spoon 16 slightly heaping tablespoons of batter onto a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. 

Bake at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm. 

Yield: 16 cookies

* Adapted from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2014/01/pb-j-healthy-oatmeal-cookies.html

Brown Sugar Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C Butter, lightly softened

1 1/4 C Brown sugar, packed

3/4 C Sugar

2 t Vanilla extract

2 Eggs

1 t Baking soda

1 t Baking powder

1/2 t Salt

2 C Gluten-Free Nightshade-Free All-purpose baking flour mix (or 2 1/4 C All-purpose flour)

1 C Quick-cooking oats

1 1/2 C Shredded coconut, sweetened

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream together sugars and butter until well-combined. 

Add one egg and mix until fully incorporated. Add the other egg and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated. 

Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well-distributed. 

Add about half of the flour and mix until just incorporated. Add second half of flour and mix until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. 

Add oats and coconut and mix until just incorporated. 

Roll dough into1-inch balls and place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake 8-12 minutes until edges are just slightly brown. 

Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for five minutes. Transfer to cooling rack. 

* Adapted from https://thedoughwillriseagain.wordpress.com/2012/01/19/brown-sugar-oatmeal-coconut-chewies/

Holiday Nougat Cookies

Ingredients:

1 C Butter
1/2 C Sugar
2 t Vanilla extract
2 C Sifted flour
1/2 t Salt
2 C Finely chopped nuts (your choice walnuts, pecans or cashews)
Confectioner’s sugar

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy.

Sift flour and salt, add to creamed mixture blending thoroughly.

Add nuts and mix well.

Shape into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet.

Bake at 325 degrees about 20 minutes. Do NOT brown! Cool cookies and roll gently in confectioner’s sugar.

*Adapted from http://www.grouprecipes.com/76488/archway-holiday-nougat-cookies.html

Banana-Oat Breakfast Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups oats, uncooked
2 ripe bananas, mashed with fork until creamy
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup raisins, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 medium apple
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat heat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix vanilla extract & cinnamon into the applesauce.

Blend applesauce mixture with all other ingredients & let sit for 10 minutes

Drop cookie dough, by spoonfuls, onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet & flatten cookies into rounds.

Bake approx. 30-35 minutes, or until golden & done.

Remove from oven & let rest on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then move to cooling rack.

Store in a covered container when completely cool.

* Recipe from my sister's modification of http://watching-what-i-eat.blogspot.com/2012/04/banana-oat-breakfast-cookies.html

Best Oatmeal Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix 2 ½ Cups flour, 1 Teaspoon baking soda, 1 Teaspoon salt; set aside.

Mix 1 Cup soft butter, ¾ Cup granulated sugar, ¾ Cup firmly packed brown sugar, 1 Teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ Teaspoon water; beat till creamy. Beat in 2 large eggs.

Add flower mixture; mix well. Stir in 12 oz. Chocolate chips. Add 1 ½ Cups oatmeal (quick oats).

Bake 10-11 minutes.

Variations:

6 ounces peanut butter chips and 6 ounces chocolate chips.

Or

6 ounces white chocolate chips and 6 ounces craisins (also good with 1 tsp orange extract instead of vanilla).

Or

6 ounces dried cherries and 6 ounces chocolate chips with ½ tsp almond extract and ½ tsp vanilla.

Notes: I think the trick to these coming out perfect is how to cook them. First, I put them in for 8 minutes, turn the pan around, and then cook for 2 more minutes (or 3 sometimes for the first pan full since the pan is cool) so that they cook more evenly. Then I take them out before they start to have more than just a TINGE of brown on the bottom edges. I let them sit on the hot cookie sheet on the counter for about 6 more minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. This process seems to help them to come out just perfect and soft.

* Adapted from an old Toll House recipe