soft chocolate chip cookies

These are Mister's favorite cookies. Often times when these cookies are available it is because he made them. I am not ashamed to admit that my husband makes better cookies than I do. I love that these cookies stay soft longer than just the day they were made. Get creative with your mix-ins. We love to add Butterfinger, toffee, or caramel bits.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 Tbsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
1 1/2- 2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, and eggs. Add salt and baking soda. Slowly add flour and mix together in between each cup you add. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop 1" balls of dough onto a baking sheet (12 balls to a sheet). Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges begin to brown.

chewy red velvet cookies

I don't know if your family is like mine, but I feel like we always have somewhere we need to be during the month of December. I also feel like we have a million places we need to take some treats. These cookies are my new holiday favorite. They are so easy and such a crowd pleaser!

                               

Red Velvet Christmas Cookies 

1 box red velvet cake mix 

1/3 cup oil 

2 eggs 

Cream cheese frosting (I just use the  stuff from the store)

Sprinkles (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together cake mix, oil and eggs until well combined. Scoop out onto a baking sheet. Bake cookies for 10-13 minutes. Allow to cool, then top with frosting and sprinkles.

                                             

My husband absolutely loved these! He also came up with the idea of topping the frosting with crushed candy canes instead of sprinkles. You know we'll be trying that next time!

cookie "salad"

Asked to bring a salad or dessert? You could just bring both. We jokingly refer to this recipe as a salad because it has fruit in it, but let's be real. It will put you in the  creamiest coma you've ever known. It is a fan favorite, and I always leave with an empty bowl. You better believe it will make its appearance at Thanksgiving dinner.

Cookie Salad 

Ingredients 

1 package fudge striped shortbread cookies (broken into large chunks)

1 lb strawberries (sliced)

2-3 bananas (sliced)

1 small can Mandarin oranges

1 cup buttermilk 

1 small package vanilla pudding 

1-16 oz container Cool Whip 

Instructions 

Whisk the buttermilk and dry pudding mix together. Fold in the Cool Whip. Slice up strawberries and bananas, and add to  creamy mixture. Drain the can of Mandarin oranges and crush the cookies with your hands (you'll want big chunks). Add the oranges and cookies to the salad and carefully mix it all together. Enjoy!

twix cookies

Shortbread cookies are Mister's absolute favorite. For me, they are probably a one on a scale from 1 to 100. I want my cookies soft; I want them chewy. I found this recipe for Twix cookies on Chef in Training. Since I had all of the ingredient in the pantry, I decided to give them a go. I needed a last minute treat for the youth activity I was in charge of and I thought I'd get some brownie points from my husband for making shortbread cookies. I had no idea I was forming a new love connection.

These cookies are heaven sent. They taste exactly like a Twix candy bar, and they are incredibly easy to make. The girls in my youth group raved about them all night, and I saw Mister sneaking some to work this morning. I'm telling you, once you make these cookies your life will never be the same.

Twix Cookies

Ingredients

Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

Caramel Layer

15 oz caramel (use directions on packaging for melting)

Chocolate Layer

2 cups of chocolate chips (I used semi sweet)

2 teaspoons shortening

Instructions

Head to Chef in Training for the baking instructions. Enjoy!

pumpkin cookies with white chocolate, caramel, & cinnamon spice

Have I mentioned that we have a cat? Meet Atlas. She joined our family about a month ago when our brother-in-law went to school and couldn't take her with him. She is the sweetest little kitty that loves cuddling. I mention this cutie because she deserves the credit for these delicious cookies being made. We had to run to the store to get canned pumpkin to help her with a little.. ahem... constipation. Since I couldn't let the rest of the pumpkin go to waste, I got on Pinterest and made the first delicious pumpkin cookie recipe that came up. I've never made pumpkin cookies before, so I don't have the cook time down, but these cookies were delightful. I made a spin off of the recipe from Chelsea's Messy Apron. I'll share the ingredients I used, but follow the link to get the baking instructions.

White Chocolate, Caramel, Cinnamon Spice Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 cup white sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 large egg

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups flour

1 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup cinnamon chips

3/4 cup caramel bits

Instructions:

Check out Chelsea's Messy Apron for baking instructions.

super soft lemon coconut cookies

This is one of my go-to recipes when I need something delicious and quick. It is a crowd-pleaser and hard not to have seconds, or thirds, or fourths.

Lemon Coconut Cookies

1 box white cake mix

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

2 tsp coconut extract

1 can of store bought lemon frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together dry ingredients. Add oil, eggs, and coconut extract. Roll into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Once cool, top with lemon frosting.

**If you are lucky, and can find a coconut cake mix you can use that instead. Make sure to leave out the extract.