I've made these thick, chewy oatmeal cookies for years from a recipe I found online somewhere and they are pure comfort in every bite—rich, hearty, and downright irresistible. Don’t flatten them with a glass—leave them beautifully mounded for that bakery-style texture. I didn’t have a large ice cream scoop on hand, so I used a 1/4 cup measuring cup, and it worked like a charm. They baked up perfectly in 16 minutes—golden on the edges, soft in the middle.

The flavor? Even better the next day—like they settled into their deliciousness overnight. Using a generous scoop makes a huge difference in size and density; they stay nice and thick and don’t spread out much at all. I went all in with 1.5 cups of raisins (yes, it’s a lot, but so worth it!) and added a full cup of chopped pecans for a nutty crunch in every bite. These cookies are everything you want them to be—chunky, chewy, and packed with goodness.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon molasses*
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups rolled oats**
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups raisins (soaked, drained well)
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts (pecans are my favorite!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and let sit while preparing dough.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, spices, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
4. In a mixer, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, then eggs one at a time, mixing well.
5. Mix in molasses until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl.
6. Add the dry ingredients in three additions, mixing gently.
7. Drain raisins very well (press out extra moisture). Stir into the dough with pecans.
8. Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, portion dough onto prepared sheets, about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake 15–17 minutes, until golden brown on edges and soft in the center.
10. Cool briefly on trays, then transfer to a wire rack. Store airtight up to 1 week, or freeze up to 3 months.

Notes

• Use dark molasses, not blackstrap. I prefer Grandma’s brand.
• Be sure to use rolled oats, not quick or steel-cut oats.
• Remove as much water as possible from raisins before adding to dough — this keeps cookies thick and chewy.

🍪 Looking for a cute way to keep your cookies fresh? Click here to check out this matte white ceramic cookie jar on Amazon. It seals tight to keep treats soft and delicious, and with its farmhouse style, it’s as cute as it is practical.

✨💛✨

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"🐶💕 Maggie says thanks for help keeping her treat jar full 💕🐶”

I make so many recipes with lemons that I always have a bottle of Minute Maid Frozen Lemon Juice in my fridge or freezer, sometimes multiple bottles, just because...  I don't always have fresh lemons and this works just as well and you don't have to squeeze.  Don't confuse this frozen lemon juice with frozen lemonade, two different products.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons lemon zest, you never can get too much lemon zest 
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

In a small bowl, add granulated sugar and lemon zest. Rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingers, this releases the oil in the lemon and makes the cookies more fragrant.

With electric mixer, beat butter and sugar and lemon mixture together until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.

Slowly beat in flour mixture on low speed until blended. Either roll cookies in a ball or drop dough by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Gently flatten dough with the palm of your hand.

Bake for 12-14 minutes or until cookies are just set and slightly golden brown. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 2 minutes and transfer to cooking racks. Cool completely.

In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and lemon juice. Take a spoon and drizzle each cookie with the glaze, or you can turn the cookies upside down and dip in the glaze.

Note:  I take a baking sheet, put a rack on it to let glazed cookie sit on until the glaze sets.  This prevents messy cleanup in case some of the glaze runs off of the cookies. 🍋
🍋
 🍋
 #lemon #lemoncookies #glazedcookies #foodie #yummy #yummyfood #homemade #jancooksrealfood #jancancook #janspicx #minutemaid #minutemaidlemonjuice

Adapted from David Leite, The New York Times

INGREDIENTS:2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds (about 3 1/2 cups) bittersweet chocolate disks or semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.  It is important to refrigerate for 36 hours before baking.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day.

Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Monster Cookies have always been a family favorite.  This adapted recipe from Bakerella would really simplify the process.  It’s on our “must try” list.  ~ Jan

Monster Cookie Bars
Makes 20

2⅔ cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
⅔ cup butter, softened
1½ cups light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup white chocolate morsels
1 cup M&M’s
½ cup dried cranberries, raisins or cherries
½ cup sweetened shredded coconut

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.

2. In a medium bowl, use a wire whisk to mix flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. Using a mixer, cream butter and sugar together until blended. Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated. Then add vanilla and mix.

4. Slowly add the flour and mix until combined. Stir in dark and white chocolate morsels, M&M’s, dried cranberries and coconut.

5. Spread into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes until done. If the top starts to get too brown, you can cover the top with a sheet of aluminum foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

6. Once cool, cut into 20 bars.

I’ve loved Country Living Magazine since it came out in the 80’s.  Even though my decorating style has changed, you just can’t take the girl out of the country (living).  So this afternoon I was leafing thru my Christmas issue and saw this cookie idea, it just rang my chimes.  And no, I’m not going to make them, so don’t be looking for them showing up on your doorstep, but maybe somebody else will!  So, so cute, buttonhole cookies with ribbon strung through them.

You like the idea, too, don’t you?  I knew you would…

Click here for the recipe and instructions on how to make them, and where you can buy the paper-mache boxes and stencils.

I made these granola bars a few days ago, and it literally took me 5 minutes.  Using condensed milk really simplifies this recipe and the results are excellent.

I omitted the butter, and instead of putting them in a pan, I patted them out into a rectangle on my SiloPat baking sheet, baked them for 20 minutes, and they turned out perfect.

Ingredients

    3 heaping cups quick oats old fashioned oats
    1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
   2 tablespoons butter, melted
    1 cup flaked coconut
    1 cup sliced almonds
    1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
    1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (I used raisins instead)

Directions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan.
    In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sweetened condensed milk, butter, coconut, almonds, chocolate chips and cranberries with your hands until well blended. Press flat into the prepared pan.
    Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, depending on how crunchy you want them. Lightly browned just around the edges will give you moist, chewy bars. Let cool for 5 minutes, cut into squares then let cool completely before serving.

Adapted from a recipe by Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• Soft butter, for greasing the pan
• Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar, sifted
• 1 cup brown sugar, sifted
• 8 ounces melted butter
• 11/4 cups cocoa, sifted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup flour, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

This great little cookie couldn’t be easier.  It tastes just like lemon bars, I’m sure it could be baked in a 9 x 13 pan if you don’t want to bother with making cookies.  It’s a keeper recipe, you can stir these up in five minutes.

~ jan

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
zest and juice from one lemon
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, zest, juice and lemon extract until well blended. Drop small cookie scopps of dough into a bowl of confectioners' sugar. Roll them around until they're lightly covered. Once sugared, put them on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.

While they are cooling, put additional powdered sugar in a small colander or sifter and dust the tops again…

Shepherd's Pie from Leftover Beef Roast and Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
• 14 tablespoons butter, divided (1 stick plus 3/4 stick)
• 1 1/2 pounds leftover pot roast, cubed
• Salt and black pepper
• 8 to 10 medium red new potatoes
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 cups instant biscuit mix
• 1 1/2 cups niblet corn or mixed vegetables, prepared according to package dire

Directions

OCookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups quick-cooking oats

Filling

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
Optional: 1/2 cup crushed peanuts 

Method

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine peanut butter and butter in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until well combined. Add brown and white sugars. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, until completely mixed in the batter. Add vanilla extract and mix again.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to batter and mix on low just until combined. Add quick cooking oats and mix until just combined. Drop cookie dough by the tablespoon on a cookie sheet, spread about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 – 12  minutes at 350 degrees and then let cool for 5 minutes on the cookies sheet. While they are cooling, take a tooth-pick and prick the top of the cookies. Transfer to a cooling rack and continue to cook all cookies.

3. For filling, combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Make little sandwiches with the filling.

Makes about 48 sandwich cookies.

This copycat recipe is adapted from The Family Kitchen

Cocoa Wafer Cookies
3 T. butter
1 egg white
1/4 c. brown sugar
pinch of Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. flour (plus 1/4 c.)
2 drops pure peppermint oil
Combine all ingredients together. Add flour as needed, until dough is roll-able and not sticky at all. Roll verrrry thin. Cut into desired shapes. Bake at 325 for 4-7 minutes, or until cookies have firmed and browned slightly around edges. Remove from oven and cool.
*
Peppermint Buttercream Layer
2 c. powdered sugar
4 T. melted butter
2-3 drops pure peppermint oil
1/2 tsp. heavy whipping cream
Optional: Crushed peppermint candy

Mix together until it becomes thick and easy to roll with a rolling pin. Roll until about 1/4″ thick. Cut into desired shape. Place atop cooled cookies. Place cookies into melted chocolate CANDIQUIK, spoon chocolate atop until fully covered. Allow to dry on a piece of parchment paper. Makes about 30 cookies.

This copycat recipe adaption is from The Family Kitchen

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Optional:  1/2 cup chopped peanuts 

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Beat until smooth. Add in egg and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl, if necessary. Add in vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, add in salt and flour. Mix until completely incorporated and dough is uniform. Shape dough into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2-3 inches. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets, about a half inch apart. Once you have made 30 cookies, wrap up the cookie dough, freeze, and save for another time. Bake for 8 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

3. Mix together peanut butter and powdered sugar. Form into small disks and press onto cookies. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals, and mix well after each interval. Coat cookies completely in chocolate and lift out with a fork. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let set, or freeze to speed up the process.

Source:  This copycat recipe is Adapted from a recipe from The Family Kitchen

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup superfine sugar (or granulated)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
Dipping Caramel (recipe follows)
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (available at health food stores)
12 ounces of chocolate chips
Optional:  1 cup chopped pecans 

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add in egg and beat until well incorporated, scraping down the bowl, if necessary. Add in vanilla. Beat until smooth. With mixer on low, add in salt and flour. Mix until completely incorporated and dough is uniform. Pull dough together and shape into a cylinder with a diameter of about 2 1/2 inches. Wrap in parchment paper and freeze for at least 25 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice dough into 1/8 inch disks and place on baking sheets, about an inch apart. Once you have made 30 cookies, wrap up the cookie dough, freeze, and save for another time. Use a tiny circle shaped cookie cutter or a large round cake decorating tip to cut a hole in the center of each disk. Refrigerate for an additional 10 minutes. Bake for 8 minutes, or until crisp. Let cool completely.

3. Add coconut into the caramel. Warm the caramel in the microwave for about 10 seconds if necessary. Take cooled cookies and gently dip them completely in the caramel. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Freeze until set, about 5 minutes.

4. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second intervals, stirring well after each interval, until fully melted. Place the caramel coated cookies in the chocolate. Use a fork to pull them out of the chocolate and place them on a parchment line cookie sheet. Use the chocolate still on the fork to drizzle stripes over the top of the cookies. Refrigerate until set.

Dipping Caramel

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar)
4 tablespoons corn syrup
6 tablespoons water
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons heavy cream (DO NOT use plain whipping cream)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan with high sides, combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt. Whisk until combined, and set over medium-low heat. Swirl the pan every now and then to help distribute the heat. Use can use a pastry brush dipped in water to brush the sugar crystals down the sides of the saucepan. When the sugar dissolves completely, raise the heat to medium. When it comes to a boil, watch very carefully for the bubbles to become more viscous (this means that the water has evaporated and that it is ready to go through the candy stages). As it is bubbling away, you want it to turn a deep amber color. When it does, remove the heat and, working quickly, use the spoon to scoop up a small amount of the candy and drop it into the small glass of water. If the blob turns hard like lollipop, then it is ready. If the blob is still soft, put the pan back on the heat. Keep testing until the candy is hard. Remove from heat.

2. Whisk in butter, 6 tablespoons of cream, and vanilla (Careful here, as the mixture should bubble violently for about 10 seconds). If the caramel isn’t smooth right away, return the pan to low heat and whisk until smooth.

This copycat recipe is adapted from a recipe from The Family Kitchen

Badass ginger molasses cookies photo from jellypress.com
Nancy Gail Ring copyright 2010. All rights reserved."

When John and Ryan were little boys, I baked these cookies a lot.  They were one of our favorites, and I sometimes substituted sorghum if I didn’t have molasses.  If you like a moist, chewy, spicy cookie, this one is awesome.  So good that they’re going in the Tried ‘n True Hall of Fame, as well as the cookie category.

I didn’t have a photo of these cookies, but the ladies at Jellypress allowed me to use theirs.  They are using a different recipe, but the cookies look very similar to mine.

Try a batch, your family will love them, pinkie swear!

~ jan

Silver Palate Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter; add sugar and molasses, and mix thoroughly. Lightly beat egg and add to butter mixture, blend well. Sift flour with spices, salt and baking soda, and add to first mixture; mix. Batter will be wet. Lay a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet. Drop tablespoons of cookie batter on foil, leaving 3 inches between the cookies. These will spread during baking. Bake at 350 degrees until cookies start to darken, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven while still soft. Let cookies cool on foil, but remove foil from cookie sheet. Makes 24 very large flat cookies. These soft, chewy, spicy cookies will stay moist, in an airtight tin, for at least a week.

Note - It is easy to overbake these cookies. Remove them from the oven earlier than you think.

We didn’t have non-stick foil when this recipe was printed, but it would work great.

Source:  Silver Palate Cookbook

Check out Jellypress – Old Recipes Modern Life, it’s a bookmarker, ladies.  Very visual and arty, these ladies did a great job!

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons red decorator sugar

1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookies

2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Black string licorice, cut into 1-inch pieces

• Heat oven to 350°F. Cut 17x12-inch piece of plastic wrap; place on work surface. Sprinkle red sugar evenly over plastic wrap. Roll cookie dough in sugar to coat. Wrap in plastic wrap; freeze 30 minutes.
  
• Remove half of dough from wrapper; freeze remaining dough until needed. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices. On ungreased cookie sheets, place slices 2 inches apart. Place 3 chocolate chips in center of each slice to resemble seeds. To form slice shape, make 2 indentations on 2 opposite sides with fingers. Repeat with remaining half of dough.
  
• Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until unsugared edges are light golden brown. Insert 1 licorice piece on top of each cookie to resemble stem. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Source:  Pillsbury

This is it, the chocolate chip cookie that I’ve been searching forever for.  They are so good, thick and chewy, not flat and thin like most chocolate chip cookies.

I’ve tried so many recipes, tried to fiddle with The Original Toll House Cookie recipe, too, by adding more flour, and could never get it right.  These are hands down, the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever made.  I’ll never try another recipe, I’ve found perfection!

I made these because of 750 positive comments on the Food Network site, and I was thrilled with the results.  It’s the bread flour, I believe, that makes them puffy not flat.  If you never make anything from my site, and you’re a chocolate chip cookie lover, than make these.  You will not be disappointed, pinkie swear you won’t!

The only adaptation I made was not using parchment paper.  I baked them on a cushioned,  air cookie sheet, it worked perfectly.

I chilled them for a half an hour, then scooped them into big balls with an ice cream scoop, the rest I baked off the next day after being in the refrigerator all night. 

~ jan

Ingredients

    * 2 sticks unsalted butter
    * 2 1/4 cups bread flour
    * 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    * 1 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1/4 cup sugar
    * 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
    * 1 egg
    * 1 egg yolk
    * 2 tablespoons milk
    * 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    * 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:

    * Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
    * Parchment paper
    * Baking sheets
    * Mixer

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Source:  Food Network