Peanut Toffee Cookies

Peanut Toffee Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 8 ounce package Heath toffee baking bits
1 cup honey roasted peanuts

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large mixing bowl beat butter with electric hand mixer until smooth.  Add sugars; beat until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy.  Add flour mixture; beat just until combined.  Fold in oats, baking bits and peanuts.  Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets; bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden around the edges.


Makes 30 large to 60 small cookies.

Chocolate-White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate-White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 11 to 12 ounce bag white chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter until smooth.  Add sugars; beat until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy.  Add flour mixture; mix just until combined.  Stir in white chocolate chips.  Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets 2" apart.  Bake 8 to 20 minutes or until just firm around edges of cookies.  Cool on sheet 1 minute; remove cookies to cooling rack until completely cooled.


Makes 30 large cookies to 60 small cookies.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 14 ounce can sweetened shredded coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg whites, room temperature

Heat the oven to 325°F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Combine coconut, milk and vanilla in a large mixing bowl; set aside.

Place egg whites in a small mixing; beat with electric hand mixer on low until frothy.  Increase speed to medium until soft peaks form.  Increase speed to high until stiff peaks form.  Add egg white mixture to bowl with coconut; fold gently with large rubber spatula until just combined.  Scoop mixture onto prepared baking sheets.  The cookies may be relatively close together as they do not spread much.  Bake 23 to 27 minutes or until golden brown around edges.  Remove cookies from baking sheet immediately to cool completely on cooling racks.


Makes 36 to 40 cookies.

Chunky Jam Streusel Squares

Chunky Streusel Jam Squares

This is a super easy cookie--the dough is made in a food processor and then pressed into a pan; layered with jam and baked.  My favorite flavor of jam is strawberry so I usually use that but I once made it with a pineapple-apricot preserve with good results.  I think this would be good with raspberry jam as well.  The recipe that this is adapted from included chopped nuts and chocolate chips.  I left out the nuts because I am allergic.  I ended up making this without chocolate chips because the first time I made it I forgot the chocolate chips--they were supposed to be layered between the jam and the topping.  We liked it so much we never thought about adding the chocolate chips.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 to 1 cup jam or jelly, warmed in the microwave slightly

Note: This is the recipe for 8x8" pan, makes about 36-49 squares.  If I am making this for the holidays and need a large amount, I'd double the recipe and press the mixture in a 10x15" baking sheet with sides.  To make it easier for me, I make a single batch of the dough and press the entire amount in the baking sheet and repeat a second batch of dough for the top rather than doubling all the ingredients at once and then dividing it for the bottom and top.  Also, I like cutting the squares very tiny because they are quite rich.  Perfect with a cup of coffee or unsweetened hot tea.

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Line a 8x8" baking pan with foil and spray with nonstick spray.

Combine flour, oats, sugars, baking powder and salt and butter in the food processor bowl fitted with dough blade.  Process until mixture is well combined and crumbly.  Place half of the mixture into the prepared dish; press firmly to cover bottom of pan.  Spread with jam.  Crumble remaining dough over the top, spreading evenly and pressing lightly.

Bake 30 tp 35 minutes or until golden on the top.  Let cool completely before cutting into squares.


Makes 36 to 49 squares.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

I made these with crunchy peanut butter but creamy can be used with great results.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

In medium bowl sift together flour and baking soda; set aside.

In large bowl place butter; beat with electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add peanut butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar.  Beat until well combined.  Add vanilla and eggs; mix until fluffy.  Add flour mixture; mix just until well combined.  Scoop mixture into evenly sized portions 2" apart on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.


Makes 36 large to 72 small cookies.

Oatmeal Cranberry Orange Cookies

Oatmeal Cranberry Orange Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
finely grated zest of 2 oranges
1 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats, uncooked
2 cups dried cranberries (I used Ocean Spray Craisins Original)

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In large mixing bowl place butter and orange zest; beat with electric hand mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Add brown sugar; beat until combined.  Add granulated sugar; beat until combined and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; mix several minutes.  Add flour mix and oatmeal; mix just until combined.  Fold in cranberries.  Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets 2" aparts.  Bake 8 to 12 minutes or just until lightly golden on the edges.  Remove cookies to cooling rack to cool completely.


Makes 30 large to 60 small cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Everyone's favorite, this one makes a frequent appearance.  The dough without the chocolate chips has been the base for several other variations.  The recipe below notes semisweet chocolate chips, which is what I use most often but I also like it with bittersweet chocolate chips, makes for a dark and sophisticated twist.  Another favorite variation of this cookie is made with 1 bag of white chocolate chips and 1 cup dried cranberries.

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup golden brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 11 to 12 ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350°F.  Prepare baking sheets by covering with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl place butter.  Beat with hand mix on medium until smooth.  Add granulated sugar; mix in.  Add brown sugar; mix in until well combined and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs; beat until very well mixed.  Add flour mixture; mix just until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop dough onto prepared baking sheets 2" apart.  Bake 8 to 12 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges.  The cookies will not look set.


Makes 30 large to 60 small cookies.

Goals and Resolutions for 2014

So, it is 5 days into 2014 and I have yet to write out my goals and resolutions.  For sure, I need to work on my procrastination!  I've listed the things I want to work on and hopefully achieve by the end of 2014.  They are not in any particular order, but they are all of utmost importance to me.

FRIENDSHIPS AND RELATIONSHIPS:

• Learn to listen more carefully.
• Save my opinions for myself unless someone is hurting themselves in a reparable manner.
• Learn to not interrupt!
• Be more willing to try out activities with friends out of my comfort zone, try new things.
• Spend more quality time with people I love and less them dwelling on those who pissed me off.

HEALTHY EATING HABITS:

• Cook/prepare 80% of my meals with fresh, whole ingredients.
• Limit my meals out and junk food, alcohol and other foods that are not very healthful.
• Limit my portions of cookies, candy, cake/cupcakes and other treats.
• Try juicing/smoothies.

FITNESS GOALS:

• Continue exercising at least 3 times a week, 1 hour each session.  Hope to increase to 4 sessions a week this year.
• Start lifting/heavier strength training.
• Train for and participate in a running 5K.
• Reduce body fat to 28-30% of weight.  January 2013 I began at 43% and closed 2013 with 35.6%.

PERSONAL FINANCE:

• Set up a better budget and stick to the plan!  Continue saving in retirement funds and set up emergency funds.
• Reduce waste and maximize efficiency (i.e. stop overspending and making the most of what I do buy).
• Do the 52-week money jar challenge.  Week 1, save $1.  Week 2, save $2.  Week 3, save $3 and so forth.
• Give myself a more concrete incentive to exercise by paying myself $5 for each 1-hour exercise session, $2 for 30-45 minutes, and none for no exercise.  The money will be used for rewards if I stick to my plan.  (Hmm, maybe I need to make it more effective by removing money if I don't do my requisite 3 times a week...)

OTHERS, NO CATEGORY:

• Set up my happiness jar: It'll be a jar in which I add small slips of paper with things that made me happy throughout the year.
• To keep up with my household chores better: to never leave a pile of dishes in the sink and to get all the clean laundry put away quicker.
• Try at least 2 recipes I've pinned on Pinterest each month.
• Adopt a new habit of doing things as I go along rather than putting it off until later, or worse yet, when it's too late.
• Get 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly.  Try to keep a reasonable sleep routine.

I suppose this is quite a comprehensive list of goals and achievements I hope to accomplish this year, but it is in no way limited to.  My main new motto in life is, "This is a work in progress.  There is always something else to improve."