Chocolate Chip & Fig Oatmeal Cookies

 2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup almond flour

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 oz chopped dried figs (we buy them in a big bag from Costco)
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter  and sugar together in a medium mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs & almond extract,  mixing well. Combine oats, flours, baking soda and salt in a separate mixing bowl. Add to butter mixture in several additions, mixing well after each addition. Stir in figs and chocolate chips

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire rack.

Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Cardamom Ginger Cookies

http://threemanycooks.com/recipes/sweet-treats/cardamom-spice-cookies/

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cup oats
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoons ground cardamom, more for sprinkling
• 3/4 cup candied ginger
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 12 tablespoons very soft butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (or coconut flakes from Trader Joes)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecan are my favorite)
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 large eggs

Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies

https://www.handletheheat.com/chewy-chocolate-gingerbread-cookie/

We had cookies like these at a wonderful little bakery in Edison, WA one cold fall weekend & I hunted the internet for a similar recipe.  These are VERY close and SO yummy!  We liked the crunch on top at the Edison bakery, so we subbed the granulated sugar on top for that big, crunchy decorating sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon (200 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated peeled ginger
• 1/2 cup (100 grams) packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (170 grams) unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water
• 7 ounces (200 grams)semi-sweet chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

Directions

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and fresh ginger on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar and beat until well combined. Add the molasses and beat until combined.
3. In a small bowl, dissolve the baking soda in boiling water. Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture then beat in baking soda mixture. Beat in the remaining flour mixture. Mix in the chocolate until just combined. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon balls (I like to use this medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Chill for 20 minutes. Roll each ball in the granulated sugar.
5. Bake until surfaces just begin to crack, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Cookies are best the day they are made, but can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 5 days.

Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Cookies:
1 Tbs orange zest
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbs milk
optional: orange & green food coloring for tinting frosting OR orange and green colored sugar/sprinkles

Cream together zest, brown sugar, & butter until fluffy (about 3 min)
Stir in pumpkin, egg yolk, & vanilla.
In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients (flour, spice, & salt)
Add dry mixture to wet mixture and slowly stir to combine. 
Divide dough in half, flatten into circles, wrap in plastic wrap, & refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour countertop & roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut out pumpkin shapes (or circles) & transfer to baking sheets.
Bake 10-12 minutes until cookies are set but not brown.
repeat with remaining dough & cool cookies

For frosting, cream together butter & cream cheese.  Mix in 1 cup powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.  Once well combined, add remaining sugar and blend until smooth (add food coloring if desired)
Frost cooled cookies and decorate as desired.
Store cookies in an airtight container

Lemon Cream Cheese Meltaways

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/cream-cheese-meltaways-with-lemon-glaze-10000001134051/

I made a few changes (upped the lemon flavor and made them drop cookies instead of balls~use link to see original recipe)  These cookies are pretty good fresh, but even better an hour or 2 later when the glaze soaks into the cookie

• Cookies:
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (about 5 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened 
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) block-style 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• zest from 1 lemon
• Glaze:
• 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• a drop of yellow food coloring if desired

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. To prepare cookies, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornstarch, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
3. Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, butter, cheese, lemon juice and zest and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 4 minutes). Add flour mixture; stir until just combined (dough will be dry and crumbly but if you overmix it gets really sticky). Spoon drop cookies onto a baking sheet (or form into balls if preferred) Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes on pans on wire racks. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
4. To prepare glaze, combine 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar and lemon juice, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Drizzle glaze over cookies (or dip cookies into glaze if making balls)

Reindeer Cookies

Love the idea of using a gingerbread man cutout to make reindeer cookies~either with :
http://boydrecipebox.blogspot.com/2011/02/to-my-valentine-cut-out-oatmeal-cookies.html
or
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/gingerbread_man_cookies/

Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies (2 ways)

• 1-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Pumpkin Puree
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1-½ cup White Chocolate Chips

OR

omit the white chocolate chips and cool and ice the cookies with:

1 3/4 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbs maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars. Add the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Slowly add the dry ingredients and the oats. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Cool for a couple minutes on the cookie sheet. The recipe makes 36 small cookies or 18 large cookies.

Funfetti Cookies

For Kenny, my sprinkles obsessed child

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/05/funfetti-cookies/

• 1 cup Butter, Room Temperature
• 1-¼ cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• 1 whole Egg
• 2-½ cups Flour
• ¼ cups Cornstarch
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ cups Rainbow Jimmie Sprinkles
• 2 Tablespoons Nonpareil Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 375 F

Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer (or hand mixer) for about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Add the vanilla, almond, and egg. Beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, soda, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and continue on low speed until it’s all added and combined. Mix in the sprinkles (don’t overmix or the sprinkles will start to bleed into the dough).

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (fits 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 15 minutes. (Note: Only bake until they very slightly start to turn light golden brown just on the edges. You don’t want them to totally turn golden or they’ll be crisp cookies. Check them around 10 minutes, then 12, and so on.)

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

Jar Cookies: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip

From Covenant Kids Christian Preschool
Daddy & Me Night, 2012

Layer in a large Mason jar:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups oats
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Put lid on and tie with a ribbon. Include these directions:

To Bake Your Cookies:
Ingredients:
Cookie Jar Mix
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs milk
1/2 cup softened buttered
1 egg

Beat butter, vanilla, milk, and eggs until smooth.
In a separate bowl, whisk together ingredients from cookie jar.
Add blended cookie mix to butter mixture and blend well.
Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets and bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes

Makes about 30 cookies.

Parmesan Shortbreads

• 24 SERVINGS
• 
• PREP: 30 MIN
• 
• BAKE: 15 MIN

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INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz. parmigiano-reggiano, cut into chunks
• 1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

DIRECTIONS:

1. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 325°.
    Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment. Using a food processor,
    pulse the cheese until finely chopped.
2. Using an electric mixer, mix the butter, grated cheese, salt and cayenne
    at low speed until just blended. Sprinkle both flours over the butter mixture
   and mix at medium speed until the dough comes together.
   Gather the dough into a ball and, if necessary, knead briefly until smooth.
3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a scant 1/4 inch.
    Using 2-inch cookie cutters (choose your favorite shape), cut out the cookies.
    Transfer to the prepared cookie sheets. (Gather the scraps together and reroll once.)
4. Bake the shortbreads until lightly browned on the edges and slightly firm,
    13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to racks to cool.
   
   
   http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/dessert-recipes/parmesan-shortbreads

Snowman Cookies

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/e2809cmelted-snowmane2809d-cookies/

LOVE this idea, although we haven't tried it yet. I love my Grandma's sugar cookie & icing recipe, so I would probably use that instead of the store bought dough and cookie icing, but the recipe below is definitely the fastest way to make these.

• Sugar Cookie recipe of your choice (or even store bought would be fine)
• 16 ounces, weight Betty Crocker Rich And Creamy Vanilla Frosting
• 2 packages 7 Oz. Betty Crocker White Decorating Cookie Icing
• ½ packages 10 Ounce Jet-Puffed Large Marshmallows
• Butter Or Margarine, For Greasing Your Plate
• Several Small Ziplock Sandwich Bags (about 6-8)
• Food Coloring Colors Of Your Choosing

Preparation Instructions

I used a value size (30 ounce) roll of Pillsbury Ready to Bake sugar cookie dough. I sliced them according to directions, about 1/4 inch thick. Bake your ready to bake cookies according to directions on packaging (based on the time and temperature specified on the packaging – mine baked in about 12 minutes). Remove from oven and allow to cool.

While your cookies are cooling, take the container of Betty Crocker Rich and Creamy vanilla frosting, and use your favorite food coloring and split it into several bowls and use the food coloring to make all different colors of frosting to decorate your cookies with. (If you are in a rush, you can just buy tubes of icing already made!) Then put each color frosting in a different ziploc sandwich bag, and make a small snip on one corner of your bag… (This will be your piping bag.)

Next use your Betty Crocker Decorating Cookie Icing, and ice your cookies. Make sure to let a little bit of icing spill over onto your plate.. for the “melting effect”. You can use a spoon to help spread the icing on your cookie.

Then use a little butter or margarine and lightly grease a small plate. Place a couple of marshmallows at a time on the plate, and microwave for only about 5 seconds. (May take a bit longer depending on your microwave.) You want them to puff a little but not double in size, or melt. Grease your fingers, and pick up your marshmallow and place it on the edge of your cookie… and press it down ever so slightly. Voila! Melty snowman!! Now all you have to do is decorate it however you like, using the colored frostings. I put scarves, bows, little arms and everything on mine.

Makes about 12-15 cookies, depending on the dough you use.

Happy decorating!

(Note: You could always make your own favorite sugar cookie recipe, and your own royal icing.. but I have two babies and needed a good shortcut!)

Maple Nut Goody Cookies

http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/recipes/desserts/maple-logs/

• FOR THE COOKIES:
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Maple Extract
• 1-½ cup Flour
• 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
• _____
• FOR THE ICING:
• ¾ cups Powder Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Butter, Softened
• ½ teaspoons Maple Extract
• 6 teaspoons Milk, Or More As Needed

Preparation Instructions

Beat brown sugar, butter, egg and maple extract until combined. Mix in flour and peanuts and beat until dough clumps together.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or freeze for about 10 minutes.

Shape into 2-3 inch logs.

Bake at 375F for 6-8 minutes. Allow to cool before icing.

Beat all icing ingredients together. Depending on your preference for the thickness of the icing, you can add more or less milk. I usually use about 10 teaspoons because I like it a little more liquid-y.

Lay all the cookies right next to each other in rows on a piece of waxed paper. Then I put the icing in a ziploc bag, cut off the tip and drizzle the icing over all the cookies.

Either way works and makes for a delicious cookie.