Cookie Monster
If you’ve known me for more than a hot second, you know that I love me some cookies.
Like loooooooove.
BUT…
There are two recipes in particular that are always fan favorites.
They’re the cookies we’re kind of “known for” and are always requested at potlucks and the like.
We are asked all the time for the recipe for these two delicious cookies, so I decided to share them on the blog today.
We each have our specialty.
Bry’s is the classic chocolate chip and mine is found in the brown sugar frosting on top of pumpkin cookies.
Note: There’s nothing too special about the recipes themselves. The real secret sauce is hidden between the lines. The little hacks and tricks to ensure these cookies come out perfectly. Every time.
Aaaaaand now I want some cookies!
Bry’s Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter (truly room temperature)
3/4 C granulated sugar
3/4 C lightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2-1 tsp salt
Ghirardelli 60% cacao baking chips
Preheat oven to 375*.
In a Kitchenaid mixer, mix butter, both sugars, vanilla, and the egg. (Scrape bowl to make sure it's not getting stuck.)
Mix dry ingredients using a mixer on low speed (flour, baking soda, salt.) I like to combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl to make sure they’re mixed in well.
Using a wooden spoon, mix in a 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate chips. (Add chipped nuts if desired.) Our favorite is Ghirardelli’s dark chocolate baking chips.
Using a small-ish cookie scoop, lay cookie dough balls on an (ungreased) cookie sheet at 375* for 9min 30sec or 10 minutes (CHECK AT 8 mins; sometimes they’re done faster depending on outdoor temp and the color/design of your pan).
As soon as you see any amount of browning on perimeter or peaks of dough, pull cookies out and let cool 5 minutes before removing. They will likely look a little underdone, but judge the “doneness” by the evidence of slight browning on the perimeter.
I promise you, they will NOT look like they’re cooked on top, but as soon as you see any brown on the bottom or sides, take them OUT!
They’ll cook for 5 more minutes on the pan outside of the oven.
Transfer to cooling rack, if you can wait to eat them.
Julie’s Pumpkin Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup shortening (aka Crisco)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup (canned) pumpkin
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup nuts - 1/2 cup raisins – I don’t add these nasty things.
Preheat oven to 350*.
Cream Crisco, sugar and egg in Kitchenaid mixer. Add pumpkin.
Sift dry ingredients & add. Fold in nuts (ewwww), raisins (ewwww) & vanilla (yummmmm.)
Drop by teaspoons or use cookie scoop on greased sheet (I don’t grease the sheet cause I’m too lazy and they still come out fine.)
Bake at 350* for 10-12 mins. Important!! Make sure to watch them around the 9-10 min. mark and take them out when you see any brown spots on top of the cookies. They won’t look done, but they are and they’ll keep cooking (5-10 more mins.) on the cookie sheet out of the oven.
Add icing 20-30 mins later or when they’re completely cool.
Icing (I double the icing for one batch of cookies. #oops)
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 tsp milk (cook to boiling & cool) – I don’t cook or boil it, and it comes out GREAT!
*Then add:
1 cup powder sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
