On The Trail Monster Cookies

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup butter-flavor or regular shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking old fashioned oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
2 cups candy-coated chocolate candies
1 cup peanuts
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

Heat oven to 375. In large bowl, beat sugars, peanut butter, butter, shortening vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, or mix with spoon. Stir in oats. Stir in flour, baking powder and baking soda thoroughly. Stir in candies, peanuts and raisins.

Onto ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls about 2 inches apart. Flatten to 3/4-inch thickness with bottom of glass.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or just until cookies are set and begin to brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Chocolate Cherry Cookies

8 (1 oz.) Squares Semi-sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 C Butter
1 1/2 C Sugar
4 Large eggs
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Ex.
1/2 tsp. Almond Ex.
2 C All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 C Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1 C Chopped dried Cherries
1 C Slivered Almonds

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a med. bowl, combine chocolate squares and butter. Microwave on HI in 30 second intervals, stirring between each, until chocolate is melted and smooth (about 2 minutes). Let cool.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, eggs, vanilla and almond extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly beat in chocolate mixture until combined.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture beating until well combined. Beat in chocolate chips, cherries and almonds. Drop cookies by Tablespoonfuls 2" apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until edges or cookies are light brown. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool.

SnIcKeR BaR cOoKieS

I love these cookies. They are just like simple peanut butter cookies but they have a mini snickers bar inside which makes them extra yummy. It is a really easy recipe and makes maybe 24 cookies. Just a small little batch. Enjoy!!!

1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Margarine
1 tsp. Vanilla
1-1/2 C Flour
1/2 tsp. Soda
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1 Egg
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Salt
Mini Snicker Bars

Cream together in order. Wrap the cookie dough around the candy bar so it is covered. Bake 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

We have been making cookies a lot lately. This is a recipe we got from Scott's grandma. He remembers having them a lot. They are really good, but there is a lot of dough.

Chocolate Pudding Cookies

Makes 6-7 Dozen Cookies.

2 c. Shortening (½ Margarine)

1 ½ c. Sugar

2 c. Brown Sugar

1 8 oz. Pkg Chocolate or Vanilla Instant Pudding

5 Eggs

1 t. Vanilla

1 ½ t. Soda

1 t. Salt

5-6 c. Flour

1 pkg Chocolate Chips

Bake @ 350 F for 10 minutes. Do not overbake.

Recipe courtesy of Scott's grandma.

Ginger Cookies

Scott and I like Ginger Cookies. Scott likes them so much more than me, but I like them too. He decided to try this recipe. They were great cookies. We shared some with the neighbors and every one seemed to like them.

The cookies before baking.

The baked cookies.

Ginger Cookies

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

	1	cup butter
	2	cups brown sugar
	2	eggs
	¼	cup molasses
	4 ½	cups all-purpose flour
	2	tsp. baking soda
	3	tsp. ginger
	½	tsp. allspice
	½	tsp. cloves
	½	tsp. cinnamon

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
2. Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth, then add eggs and molasses and mix until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Stir them into the butter-egg mixture and beat until combined.
4. Roll cookie dough into golf-ball-sized rounds. Roll them in sugar if you desire. Place balls onto cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the cookies have spread. Cool on wire racks.

Link to original recipe from Culinate Kitchen.

Honeyed Chocolate Chip Cookies

These chocolate chips cookies are really chewy even after they are cool. You should give them a try.

Honeyed Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in honey and both eggs, adding the eggs in one at a time.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Working by hand or at a low speed, gradually incorporate flour mixture into honey mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape cookie dough into 1-inch balls and place onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie to allow for the dough to spread.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are golden brown. Cool for 3-4 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4-dozen cookies

Note: If larger cookies are desired, use rounded tablespoonfuls of dough and extend baking time by a few minutes, also until golden.

Link to original recipe on Baking Bites

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since it is the season for pumpkin, we have been trying some pumpkin recipes. These pumpkin cookies are really great. They are very different than any that I've had before.

The dough.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
pinch nutmeg
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 c chocolate chips or raisins
½ - 1 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Whisk together flour, leavening, salt and spices. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugars. Beat in egg, then vanilla, then pumpkin. Add flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans, if using.

Drop by tablespoons and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350F. Bake them until they’re lightly browned at the edges, but not dark. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Link to original recipe at Baking Bites

Sugar Cookies

I recently was given a sugar cookie recipe from another sister in my ward. We tried them and the cookies are really good and moist. They make a huge batch but are really tasty.

Sugar Cookies

1 cup margarine (softened - I use butter)
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
6 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt

* Since being in Texas, I added an extra cup of flour. Also, I am chilling it for for a few minutes before rolling out the cookies...they worked out great.

Mix together. Bake at 400° for 6-8 minutes. Frost the cookies with either a cream cheese or a vanilla buttercream frosting.

**Mom told me to cut it in half, use 2 mediums eggs and put in 3 1/2 cups flour. I have not tried that option yet.

Crunchy Fudge Cookies

I am putting myself on a little diet. I love brownies, especially brownies with ice cream. It's a Turner thing. Have to have a dessert after every meal. Brownies don't fit into a diet very well. However, I found this great recipe for crunchy fudge cookies that are made with a brownie mix and only have 70 calories per cookie and 1 gram of fat. Gives me the brownie taste I want while still being relatively good for me. I even took a picture. Are you proud?

Crunchy Fudge Cookies

1 box Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie Mix
2 cups Fiber One original bran cereal
2 tablespoons miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon canola oit
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg

1. Heat over to 350 F. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray
2. In large bowl, mix indgedients with spoon. Onto cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely. Store in tightly covered container. Freeze up to 2 months if desired.

Peanut Butter Cookies

We thought we'd post the peanut butter cookie recipe that we have used before. It is slightly different than Colette's. It is also from the Beary Special Cookbook.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. white sugar
1 c. butter
2 eggs
2 tsp. soda
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 – 3 c. flour
2 Tbsp. milk (optional)

Mix all ingredients together and form cookies. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes.

Peaut Butter Cookies

My favorite Peanut Butter Cookie recipe comes from the Beary Special Cookbook, of course. It is the best cookie/dessert cookbook ever made. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, when we were kids, the school district had all the students turn in their favorite recipes. Needless to say, the dessert section is huge. There are 10 different sugar cookie recipes and even more chocolate chip cookie recipes. This way, if I want to make cookies, and I'm low on certain ingredients, I just page through until I find a recipe that calls for the ingrdients that I have on hand. Anyway, I am totally off subject.

Peanut Butter Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. milk (optional) I always add it.

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. soda

3 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugars. (I've learned that if you cream the shortening and sugars for a long time like 7-8-minutes the consistency changes and it makes for better cookies). Add egg, vanilla, milk, then peanut butter. Mix dry ingredients together, then add to wet mixture. Roll piece of dough size of walnut in hand. Place on cookie sheet covered in parchment (it does make a difference). Press down lightly with a fork for that nifty design on top of all peanut butter cookies. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes. A friend, whose parents owned a catering business, told me to take the cookies out of the oven as they start to brown. Let them sit on the baking sheet for a few extra minutes to finish the baking process and you will have softer cookies.

No Bake Cookies

I don't think a blog in the Turner family would be complete without No Bake Cookies. The first time I had them was in Kindergarten when Miss Compton made them for our class. I was amazed there were cookies that didn't have to bake.

Do you remember making these on Sunday afternoons? We would eat them with spoons straight our for the pan as soon as they cooled off enough to be edible. I passed the tradition of eating them out of the pan to my kids. AJ called them "Kiki" when he was very young and the name has stuck. Almost everytime he is in charge of the treat for FHE, this is what he requests. By the way, we also discovered long ago that it makes a great ice cream topping while it is still warm. This is my favorite no bake cookie recipe.

No Bake Cookies

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 square butter

4 Tbs. cocoa

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups quick oats

Mix sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa. Bring to a fast boil while stirring. Boil for 1 minute. Add peanut butter. Add vanilla and oats. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow to cool (optional).

Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I like this recipe with craisins in it. Any way you do it, these are great cookies.




Spiced Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 tsp apple pie or pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup raisins or craisins

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, adding them in one at a time until well incorporated, followed by vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices. With a mixer on low speed (or by hand), gradually stir in the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Stir in the oats and raisins.

Drop the dough by heaping tablespoons (approx. 1 1/2 inch size balls) onto prepared baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies to account for spread.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, until cookies are a light gold color and look set.
Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Link to recipe at Baking Bites

Peanut Butter Bars

I actually got this recipe from Kim years ago. Whenever I make these someone always, always asks for the recipe. This is a good one to take as a dessert to a party or something. One thing to remember it is better is you make it the day before and let it chill overnight. Trust me it makes a difference.

Peanut Butter Bars

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour

Mix brown sugar, butter, sugar, eggs and peanut butter together. Then add oatmeal, salt, vanilla and flour. Mix well. Spread on greased cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes. Spread 2 cups of melted peanut butter over the bars while hot. Let cool. Refrigerate.

Frosting
2 sticks butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons milk
Powder Sugar

Mix together until well blended. May have to add more milk if the frosting is too stiff. Refrigerate.

Frost the bars with the chocolate frosting after both are completely cooled. Once the bars are frosted refrigerate again until ready to serve. Store in an air tight refrigerated container.