chocolate chip-cranberry cookies

These are one of my favourite cookies to make for the holidays.  When I make them at other times of the year, I leave out the cranberries.  At Christmas time, I like to use white chips with the cranberries.  They look and taste a little more decadent.  I completely forgot to pick up white chips for these though, so the teachers are getting the cranberry/milk chocolate chip version (which is still delicious).

Ok, here we go:

• 1.5 cups softened butter
• 1 cup each brown and white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp each baking soda, baking powder, salt
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups quick oats
• 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 2 cups dried cranberries

1. Cream butter and sugars in a very large bowl (I use my huge caesar salad bowl)
2. Add eggs and vanilla and stir well.
3. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl
4. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well.
   

   dough when completely mixed

5. Scoop a spoonful of dough and kind of press it into your hand to flatten it and place on a baking sheet (I use a baking stone which doesn’t require any spraying or greasing, but you’ll prepare your baking sheet the same way you do for other cookies).
   

   ready for the oven

6. Bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes.  Mine take about 11 mins on the stone.

they're done when the edges are just starting to brown

These cookies don’t really “brown”.  They’ll look pale with just a hint of brown on the edges.  Let them sit on the stone/baking sheet for a few minutes before moving them.  They need to flatten out and firm up before you transfer them to a cooling rack.  They’re a little delicate until they’ve completely cooled.

This makes a big batch (about 6 dozen med. sized cookies), so it’s great for the holidays, but you can easily halve the recipe  (although they’re always gone too soon when I do).

I’ve always wanted to experiment with add-ins like coconut, toasted pecans etc., but these are so dee-lish as-is, that I’ve never gotten around to actually doing it.  If you make them, and add some extras, drop me a line and let me know how they turned out!

Mmmm-Mmmmm!  These are going to school with Andrew tomorrow, for his teacher and our wonderful school secretary.

big soft ginger cookies

These are a favourite at our house.  If you like Gingerbread, but like your cookies soft, these are for you!

• 2 & 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c margarine
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 c molasses
• 2 tbsp white sugar (or more) for tossing dough balls in.

Preheat oven to 350.

1. Sift together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.  Set aside
2. In a large bowl, cream margarine and 1 cup sugar.
3. Beat in egg, and stir in water and molasses.
4. Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
5. Set covered in fridge for at least 20 mins so it’s not too sticky to form balls.
6. Shape walnut sized balls and toss in a small bowl of white sugar until lightly coated.
7. Flatten cookies to about 1/4 inch with bottom of a drinking glass. (if your dough sticks to the glass, press the glass into a bit of white sugar first)
   

   I love using this glass because of the design on the bottom.

8. Bake 8 to 10 mins (I go for the full 10 in my oven on my baking stone).

Store in an air tight container.

Enjoy!!

pumpkin-chip cookies

I’ll admit, the first time I heard about these cookies, I thought they sounded odd. Apparently they’re very common in the Maritimes, but most people around here have never heard of them.  These soft, fluffy pillows of cinnamony-y goodness are a favourite among the Hooligans, and anyone else who tries them.  They’re really popular with kids, (my boys’ friends love them), and I get asked for the recipe a lot.  Bonus:  they’re super easy to make.  We probably make them a couple of times a month, and I always double the recipe because they go fast.

Here is the single recipe: (makes approx 2.5 dozen) ( the pictures show a double recipe).

• 1 c. pumpkin purée
• 3/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c oil (I use canola)
• 1 egg
• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp milk
• 1 c chocolate chips
• 1 tsp vanilla

1. In a large bowl, stir together pumpkin purée, sugar, oil and eggs. Stir until well mixed.
2. Add flour, baking powder & soda, cinnamon, salt, stirring until well mixed.
3. Stir in vanilla and milk.
4. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drop by heaping teaspoonful onto your cookie sheet or baking stone.  You can place them fairly close together because they don’t spread.  They just puff up.
   

   ready to go into the oven...

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  I use a pampered chef baking stone for all my cookie baking, and these are generally done after 10 minutes on the stone.

Now, pour yourself a coffee or a cold glass of milk!  Mmmmmm, Mmmmm…  Just try to stop at one!

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

These cookies are soooooooo good.  All ginger and molasses, the kitchen smells heavenly when they’re in the oven, and I haven’t met a kid who doesn’t love them.

• 2 and 1/4 c flour
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c margarine
• 1 c. white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 c molasses
• extra white sugar for rolling cookies

1. Sift together flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside
2. In large bowl, cream margerine and sugar til blended.  Beat in egg.  stir in water and molasses.
3. Gradually stir in dry ingredients.  Cover bowl and set in fridge for at least 30 mins (I usually get busy and forget about it for an hour or so).  It will set up a bit so it doesn’t stick to your fingers when you’re working with it.
4. Shape walnut sized balls (slightly smaller than a timbit).
5. Have a bowl with your extra sugar in it (just use a few tbsp at a time), and toss your cookie-ball around in the sugar until it’s lightly coated.  Place on cookie sheet or baking stone.
6. With the bottom of a drinking glass (I like to use one with a decorative bottom), gently flatten the cookie to about 1/4 inch.

Bake 350 for 8 to 10 mins.

Giant Chocolate Chip Pizza Cookie

This is a relatively new favourite for birthday parties at my house.  Up until last year, every time a birthday rolled around, my boys would pick the kind of cake they wanted (Sponge Bob, Hockey Rink, Fire Truck…you get the picture), and I’d rent a pan and spend hours mixing and colouring icing, squeezing stars and piping lines, and washing up icing bags, icing tips, and about a dozen bowls.  Afterwards, my hands (and quite often, the counter and table would be stained with a lovely rainbow of gel colours.  So I have to say, I was pretty much ecstatic when last year, Matthew said he wanted a giant cookie.  A cookie?  Seriously?  Sound the bells and bang the gongs!  10 minutes of “work”, and 1 bowl to wash up.  Hah!!  I was all over it.  And Andrew, bless his little heart, wanted the same when his birthday rolled around 9 months later.

This recipe is SO easy and honest to goodness, this is one delicious cookie.  Serve it warm(ish) with a scoop of ice cream and you’re good to go.  Heck, you don’t even need to run out and get candles!  Could it bet any better than that?

Here you go:

• 1 c butter, softened
• 3/4 c white sugar
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 2 & 1/4 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips

In large bowl, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until soft and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually add flour, salt, baking soda, and beat until well blended.  Stir in Chocolate Chips.  Spread it out on pizza stone or greased pizza pan. (leave a good inch or so around the edge of the pan as it will spread when it’s baking – last time, mine ran over the edge a bit, but I just took a sharp knife and went all around the outside of the stone to clean up the edge of the cookie).

Bake 375 for 20-25 mins.

Use pizza cutter to slice into 16 pieces.