Black Bottoms

{for the cream cheese mixture}
1 8 oz package of cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 ozs semi sweet chocolate chips
{for the cupcake mixture}
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350
Combine cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt. Mix well. Blend in chocolate chips. Set aside.
Sift together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Stir in water, oil, and vanilla.
Put paper liners in cupcake tin. Fill each 1/3 full with cocoa mixture.
Top with 1 teaspoon cream cheese mixture.
Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Pumpkin Pecan White Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
10 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup pecan halves

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs and vanilla, then stir in the pumpkin puree until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, and pumpkin pie spice; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Fold in the white chocolate and pecans. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be at least 2 inches apart.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets before removing to cool on wire racks.

Lemon Drop Cookies

3 1/2 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup cold butter cut into small pieces
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 teaspoons
Galliano liqueur (optional)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 cup icing sugar

In a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, lemon zest and pulse to combine. Add the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients until it resembles cornmeal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs and add the sugar, vanilla, the liqueur, and milk. Continue to whisk the wet ingredients until combined. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture, and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate all the ingredients. Pour the icing sugar in a bowl. Take a teaspoonful of the cookie dough and gently roll it in the icing sugar. Transfer to cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart and bake in a pre-heated 350ºF oven for 10 minutes. Makes 48 cookies

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Crisps Cookies

- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 C brown sugar, packed
- 6 T sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 t salt
- 1/2 t baking soda
- 1 C flour
- 2 1/4 C oats
- 1 1/2 C cocnut
- 12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chunks (2 cups) (I prefer mini chocolate chips – that really makes the cookie oh so delicious, in my humble opinion)
- 3/4 C chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 375 F. Beat butter and sugars at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs and beat till blended. Beat in vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add flour and mix at low speed until blended. Stir in oats, coconut, chocolate and almonds.

Arrange 1/4 cup mounds about 3 inches apart on large buttered baking sheets. Pat down to 1/2 inch. Bake in upper oven, rotation occasionally, 15-18 mins. Cool one minute. Tranfer to cooling rack.

Bake smaller cookies adjusting baking time.

Eskimo Snowballs

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 tbsp. water
1 tsp. vanilla
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 cups quick cooking oats
powdered sugar
flaked coconut
chopped nuts

Cream the butter, water, and vanilla together. Add the cocoa powder, granulated sugar, and oatmeal; mix well. Roll dough into 1" balls and roll in either powdered sugar, flaked coconut, or chopped nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 firmly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange zest (for me that was the zest of 2 oranges)
2 cups Guitard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Chips (I used Ghirardelli white chips)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture until combined. Stir in orange zest and chips.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Do not flatten cookies; it will make them dry. Bake 8 - 10 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Do not overcook! Cookies will be plump. Cool for several minutes on cookie sheets before transferring to rack to cool completely. Store in airtight container

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