Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Adapted from here
Makes 2-3 dozen

Ingredients:
½ cups butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
Zest of 1 lemon
1-½ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoons baking powder
⅛ teaspoons baking soda
1-½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, egg, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies

These are my favorite cookies! The only ingredient you may not have on hand is the Andes Mint Chips (the small bits). They are difficult to ruin (good news for me) and I always eat way too many (not good news)!

Andes Crème de Menthe Chunk Cookies 

½ cup butter softened

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup white granulated sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 package (10 oz) Andes Crème de Menthe Baking Chips

2 2/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour 

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed. Stir in Andes chips and then flour. Chill approximately one hour. Measure out about 1 oz of dough and form ball and slightly flatten. Raise oven rack one level above middle and bake on non-stick baking pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on pans for two minutes before removing. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Chewy Brownie Cookies

We made these for FHE tonight. So yummy! If you want chocolate, make these. This recipe is from my Mother-in-law.

2/3 Cup Crisco (I use the butter flavor)

1 1/2 cups Packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp Water

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp soda

2 cups semi-sweet Chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. In large bowl, beat shortening, brown sugar, water, and vanilla until well blended. Add eggs. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounder TBSP 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 - 10 mins. or until cookies are set. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Do not over bake. Cool 2 mins. remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely before serving. Makes about 3 dozen.

Surprise Cookies

Since we had these at the shower tonight, I thought I would post. I have made these for showers and fun ladies night!

Surprise Cookies
1 ¾ cup flour (add 2 tablespoons for high altitude)
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
½ cup butter (room temp)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ cup whole milk (I always use skim)
1 t. vanilla
About 15 large marshmallows halved crosswise

1. Stir flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in bowl
2. Mix butter and sugar until fluffy (about two min). Add egg, milk, and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined
3. Using a 1 ¾ inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper
4. Bake on 375 for 8-10 minutes
5. Immediately press marshmallow halves on top of each cookie and bake 1 more minute
6. Frost cooled cookies with one tablespoon of frosting.
7. Store in air tight containers (if you have any left!!)

Frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
6 T. butter
¼ cup cocoa powder
6 T. milk
¾ t vanilla
Melt butter and cocoa. Add to powdered sugar. Whisk in milk and vanilla.
*Adapted from ‘Martha Stewarts Cookies’