Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies

This delicious recipe for Jacques Torres's secret chocolate chip cookies is one of Martha Stewart’s all-time favorites.
Ingredients
Makes twenty-six 5-inch cookies or 8 1/2 dozen 1 1/4-inch cookies
• 1 pound unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons pastry flour
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 pounds Jacques Torres House (60 percent cocoa) Chocolate or other best-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add both flours, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla, and chocolate; mix until well combined.
3. Using a 4-ounce scoop for larger cookies or a 1-ounce scoop for smaller cookies, scoop cookie dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, but still soft, about 20 minutes for larger cookies and about 15 minutes for smaller cookies. Cool slightly on baking sheets before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Jennifer S.

1 cup butter, melted (I think you could use 1/2 cup and be just fine)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup chocolate chips
4 TBS peanut butter

In a medium bowl, mix together butter, cracker crumbs, sugar and 1 cup of peanut butter until well blended.
Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 13x9 pan.

Microwave the chocolate chips with 4 TBS peanut butter on high for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave and stir every 30 seconds until smooth.

Spread over the crust. Refrigerate for one hour before cutting into squares. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Makes 32 bars.

Whole Grain Ginger Snap Cookies

* 2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
* 2 cup(s) whole wheat flour
* 2 tablespoon(s) ground ginger
* 2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
* 1 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1 cup(s) sugar
* 3/4 cup(s) trans-fat free vegetable oil spread (60% to 70% oil)
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup(s) dark molasses
* Round white sprinkles (Nonpareils) (optional)

Directions

1. In medium bowl, whisk both flours, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until blended.
2. In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat sugar and oil spread until blended. On high speed, beat until light and creamy, scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Beat in eggs and molasses. On low speed, blend in flour mixture. Cover dough and refrigerate until easier to handle (dough will be sticky), 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. With greased hands, shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip tops of balls in sprinkles (nonpareils); place, 2 1/2 inches apart, on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake cookies until tops are slightly cracked, 9 to 11 minutes. (Cookies will be very soft.) Cool cookies on cookie sheets 1 minute. With metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in freezer up to 1 month.

Spice Cake Pumpkin Cookies

Kiran W.

1 spice cake mix
1 regular size bag of chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate)
1 regular size can of pumpkin (not sweetened)

mix together
bake 350 for 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven, and how big you make the cookies.

They are so moist and delish! A crowd pleaser for sure!

Santa's Snickers Surprises

Anna J.

Ingredients:
2 sticks butter
1 c. creamy peanut butter
1 c. light brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
13 oz. package Snickers miniatures
Dove milk chocolate
powdered sugar

Directions:
Combine butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, and salt to form dough. Cover and chill for 2-3 hours.

Unwrap Snickers. Divide chilled dough into 48 equal pieces. Take one piece, flatten it in the hand, and place a Snickers in the middle of it. Roll the dough into a ball around the Snickers and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. (Do not cool on paper towels.)

Melt the Dove milk chocolate. Microwave about 90 seconds and stir until smooth.

Use a spoon to drizzle melted milk chocolate in decorative stripes across tops of cooled cookies. (Dip spoon in chocolate and wiggle hand back and forth over cookies - looks pretty.) Finish with a fine dusting of powdered sugar over the cookies. Festive-looking and scrumptious! Makes 4 dozen.

Four County Sugar Cookies

Michelle H.

2 c butter
2 c oil
2 c granulated sugar
2 c powdered sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla
8 c flour

Cream butter and oil with sugars. Add eggs and beat. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown.

Caramel-Filled Chocolate Cookies

Michelle H.

2 ½ c. flour
¾ c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. butter2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 c. chopped pecans
48 Rolos, unwrapped
1 tbsp. sugar
4 oz. vanilla-flavored candy coating, if desired



In medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking soda; mix well. In large bowl, combine 1 c. sugar, brown sugar, and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Add flour mixture; blend well. Stir in ½ of the pecans. If necessary, cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes for easier handling. Heat oven to 375°. For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about1 tbsp. dough around 1 Rolo, covering completely. In small bowl, combine remaining ½ c. pecans and 1 tbsp. sugar. Press one side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place, nut side up, 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 7-10 min or until set and slightly cracked. Cool 2 minutes, remove from cookie sheets. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes or until completely cooled. Melt candy coating in small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Drizzle over cookies.

Bow Ties

Michelle H.

6 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1 c. butter
2 c. flour
raspberry preserves
apricot preserves
powdered sugar

Cream the cheese and add the butter and flour. Roll to 1/8” thickness. Cut into 2” squares. Put ½ tsp. preserves in center. Fold up 2 opposite corners sealing with a drop of water. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Marbles

Michelle H.

2 c. flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. brown sugar
½ c. sugar
½ c. butter, softened
½ c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix and set aside. In separate bowl, combine sugars and butter. Then add sour cream and vanilla. Combine with the flour mixture. Melt chocolate chips and fold into dough until “marbled”. Drop onto cookie sheet. Bake 23-25 minutes at 300°.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Michelle H.

2 sticks butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 c. flour
2 ½ c. oatmeal, ground
1 bag chocolate chips
5 oz. Shaved chocolate bar

Cream butter and two sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour, salt, soda, and powder. Mix in oats just until blended and then chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes at 350°. Look for soft on top.