4 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 C. butter, softened
1 1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 C. semisweet chocolate chips
2 C. chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Cream butter, sugars and vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chips, nuts, raisins and coconut. Preheat oven to 375°. Measure 1 rounded tablespoon for each cookie. Bake 9 to 11 minutes. Leave on cookie sheet for 2 additional minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Makes 60 cookies.

Mix together baking soda and flour; set aside. Mix margarine and sugars, then add eggs and peanut butter. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Make into balls and flatten with fork. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 400°.

3 C. butter-flavored Crisco
4 C. sugar
1 C. molasses (Cara recommends dark)
4 eggs
8 C. flour
2 T. + 2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground ginger

Cream Crisco and sugar. Add molasses and eggs. Mix well. Combine flour, soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and ginger. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Shape 1/2 cupfuls of dough into balls. Roll in sugar. Place 4 at a time on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes, or until edges are set.

Watkins vanilla is mandatory (my Mom always insisted on that).  Guess you could call it “an old family recipe”. 

3 eggs
2 1/4 C. brown sugar
Mix until frothy – at least 4 or 5 minutes (stand mixer works best)

Add and mix well:
3/4 C. melted margarine

Sift together and add:
2 1/4 C. flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Add:
1 T. Watkins real vanilla (no substitutes)

Stir in by hand:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Spread in greased 10 x 15 jelly roll pan.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20-25 min.
Do not over bake!

“I made smaller cookies than the recipe defines, and these were baked for 17 minutes at 350 degrees F.  Next time I’ll try 16.5 minutes.  A couple of good tricks are to use parchment paper or baking mats, to use thin silver cookie sheets rather than air-bake pans, and to make sure the baking powder is no older than nine months.”

2 C. minus 2 T. (8-1/2 ounces) cake flour
1-2/3 C. (8-1/2 ounces) bread flour
1-1/4 tsp. baking soda
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. coarse salt
2-1/2 sticks (1-1/4 C.) unsalted butter
1-1/4 C. (10 oz.) light brown sugar
1 C. plus 2 tablespoons (8 oz.) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. natural vanilla extract
1-1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt

1. 1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. 2. Using a mixer fitted with the 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.
3. 3. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
4. 4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
5. 5. 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.

   Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate (www.jacquestorres.com); Valrhona féves (oval-shaped chocolate pieces) are available at Whole Foods.

   Makes 1-1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies
   Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours for chilling

Cream sugar and margarine. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in premixed dry ingredients. Add cereal and chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes.

Makes about 3 1/2 dozen.

Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Chill at least 4 hours or overnight. Drop by spoonfuls into powdered sugar, covering each ball. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375º for 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake! Cool on rack.

Makes 6 dozen,

“The recipe came from my aunt, Leola Velo, who with husband Eddie raised 9 children, and tens upon thousands of turkeys on their farm in western Minnesota.  She was a volunteer extraordinaire in her church and community and any recipe from her was guaranteed to be good.”

1 C. sugar
3/4 C. shortening (Crisco)
1 egg
2 1/3 C. flour
1/4 C. molasses
1/4 C. chocolate syrup
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Cream sugar and shortening, add egg.
2. Add molasses and chocolate syrup.
3. Sift dry ingredients together and add to mixture.
4. Roll into balls the size of a walnut and place on cookie sheet.
5. Dip the bottom of a glass in sugar and press down on each cookie.
6. Bake at 350 degrees.

1 C. Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. Crisco
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. + 2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
36 Mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
1 C. Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips

• Heat oven: 350 Degrees
• Combine semi-sweet chocolate chips and unsweetened baking squares in bowl. Melt in microwave.
• Combine sugar and Crisco in another bowl. Beat in eggs, salt, and vanilla. Add chocolate
• Stir in flour and baking soda
• Roll into balls
• Cook 8-10 minutes
• Take out and immediately put in Reese’s cups in center of cookie.

Drizzle:
Put the Reese’s Peanut Butter Chips in freezer zip-lock bag and keep in one corner of the bag. Melt in microwave. Cut off part of corner and drizzle over cookies once cookies have cooled. Let dry.