The Richardsons and the Soft Brown Sugar Cookies

The Richardson family consists of 4 members, two of which are incredibly adorable. Sorry Mary Kate and Steve but the adorable ones are Quinn and Connor. Mary Kate is my stepsister and we have known each other most of our lives, even before we were related we were dancing together at Miss Bev’s. I always felt really close to Mary Kate. It’s hard for me to call her Mary Kate because for sooooo long she was Katie to me, but I guess Mary Kate just sounds more grown-up now or something haha. Anyway, I think part of the reason I felt so close to Mary Kate was she was the closest in age to me and we also went to the same college- yeah Geneseo!!! Since college she moved out to California where she met her awesome husband Steve. They now live near Seattle with the amazing sons- Quinn who is 3.5 years old and Connor who just turned 1 year old. I have yet to meet Connor but through Mary Kate’s amazing photography skills I feel like I already know him, and I have had a chance to meet Quinn but really have been able to watch him grow through the wonderful pictures. Well hopefully that can change and they can either make a visit home this year or I can make a trip out there. I mean the train ride is probably only like 3 days right?!?!?! Until then I hope these cookies find the Richardson family well and that they show how much I love and miss them all!!!


Soft Brown Sugar Cookies-these will MELT in your mouth!

Ingredients:

2/3 c. butter, softened

1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 c. sour cream

Directions:

Blend together butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time; blend well.  Add vanilla; beat until light.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with sour cream; mix well.  Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto non-stick or lightly greased baking sheets.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack; cool.  Frost with Browned Butter Frosting.  Makes 2 dozen


Browned Butter Frosting

1/4 c. butter

1-1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 T. Milk

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns golden.  Watch carefully as this will happen quickly. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and enough milk to make a spreading consistency.


I did not change a thing to this recipe!!!! And it wouldn't let me copy the link for some reason but the recipe can be found on pinterest.

The Nicholsons and Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

The Nicholsons, better known as Kecia, Corey, and the Bear (Barrett) are some of my closest friends and often provide me with a place of refuge when I need to escape NF. I met Kecia at the end of my freshman year of college when her, I, and four other girls decided to become roommates for the following year. I am sure that going into it they all thought I would be the quiet no-fun roommate, and I bet sometimes they wish it would've turned out that way, but nonetheless they forever became stuck with the real me. We stayed roommates for the next two years, it would have been three but she is a year older than us and graduated first. Although we have not remained roommates we have remained really really close friends and I am so thankful for that!!! I met Corey through Kecia as they were dating while we were in college. I have to admit some of the girliest moments I had in college were with Corey- watching The Wedding Planner and watching/learning figure skating moves like the triple sawcow (I am sure the spelling is wayyyy off there- but I bet Corey would know how to spell it)!!! All kidding aside some of my fondest, happiest, funnest, saddest, funniest, hardest, scariest, best memories have either been with them or they have helped me through them. I honestly do not know what I would do without them and (MOST OF) their advice. Corey can throw some insane ass advice out there- but I have to admit there are sometimes I have even listened to that advice. Now not to leave out the Bear but he just happen to come along much later in the picture. He is an adorable boy and I was lucky enough to have him as my new years eve date for two years in a row!!! And when he becomes a rockstar someday I hope he remembers his first date!!! I hope that they all enjoy these cookies and I hope to make it out to Rochester to visit again soon.

CARAMEL APPLE CIDER COOKIES
http://www.chef-in-training.com/ February 24, 2012 Blog
Makes 51 cookies.

1 cup unsalted butter, nearly melted
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (7.4 ounce) box Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink Mix *Not sugar free*
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14 ounce) bag Kraft Caramels

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper. It has to be parchment this time.

In a stand mixer, cream together butter, sugar, salt, and all 10 packets of apple cider mix until smooth and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract, then mix in the baking soda and baking powder. Add the flour and mix until just combined.

With a standard (size 50) cookie scoop, scoop the dough scrapping off the excess as you go up the bowl. Flatten the dough slightly in your hand and place a caramel in the center. Work the dough around the caramel sealing well. Place the cookies two inches apart on the sheets.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. After baking, carefully slide the parchment with the cookies onto the counter. Let cool until they are no longer soft but still slightly warm. Then place on a wire cooling rack to cool thoroughly.

Notes: If cookies get too cool before you twist them off, freeze the whole sheet for a few minutes and they’ll come right off.

Also, if caramel hardens after cookies have sat for a while, microwave them for a few second and the caramel will melt perfectly again!

The Gees (Scott) and the Gluten-Free Uncle Mac's Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies

You may remember a prior blog about a Gee family but don’t be alarmed this is not the same family, no one is getting a second batch of cookies. (At least I have not been bribed well enough to do so yet, hint hint wink wink). Anyway, this Gee family consists of two parents, Scott and Sharon, and six, yes SIX, men (it’s hard not to write boys here, but really none of them are boys anymore)- Derek, Chad, Kurt (you’ve already heard enough about him lol), Karl, Brig, and Gabe. I know I have said this before but if I were to actually write about each person and all the memories we have had together it would take like 25 pages. So I am going to attempt keep this short and sweet. The Gees are truly like a second family to me, I was welcomed in as a daughter and sister right from the start (many many many years ago). We have gone through/done so many things together that it is hard to list them all so here are just a few of my favorites: Vermont, D.C., listening to Karl sing across the hall, Gabe and his red footie pajamas, playing Pajama Sam with Brig, video games with Chad, Derek’s AMAZING photography, Scott’s hilarious jokes, and Sharon’s nurturing love and advice. But I think my favorite times/memories were just Sunday afternoons at the Gee’s house. We would have dinner and just hang out all day and it was honestly some of the best times (not to mention the best food) I’ve ever had. Although I do not get to see them as often as I’d like (and that is my own fault) I still love them all very very very much. Here’s hoping they enjoy the cookies!!!

Uncle Mac's Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies
By: EHATH 
"Soft, tasty peanut butter cookies with a touch of jelly on top. No flour needed."

Original Recipe Yield 12 cookies

Ingredients
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix together peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla until well blended. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use a fork to make a criss-cross pattern on the top. Make a small hole in the top of each cookie using the handle of a wooden spoon. Fill the holes with preserves.
3. Bake for 8 to 11 minutes in preheated oven. Allow to cool for a couple of minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
 
***Suggestions***
1. Double the recipe, the original is very small!!!
2. I whisked the fruit preserves to make it a little easier (runnier?) to scoop into the holes.
3. Very very lightly make the criss-cross pattern with the fork (really lightly enough that you can just barely see it).
4. Make the hole relatively shallow so that it doesn’t not allow the preserves to go through and split the cookie.

Mary Beth and the Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

They say you can’t choose your family, but even if Mary Beth (or MB as I like to call her) wasn’t family I would choose her to be part of mine. She is hands down the most selfless person I have ever met. She is a “Niagara Catholic” mom, which means she does anything and EVERYTHING for her kids. But it doesn’t just stop there. MB is always taking care of her parents, her friends, her favorite niece (yep, that’s right I’m saying I am her favorite), and EVERYONE else. She is constantly putting the needs of everyone else before her own. So I have to say that I am beyond thrilled that someone is FINALLY taking care of her now too!!! And we will just leave that statement at that ;) Anyway, MB is amazing and anyone who knows her would say the same thing. I am beyond grateful that she is a part of my life and I honestly don’t know what I’d do without her (and yay for not having to worry about that)!!! Love you MB!!!!
 
Amena's Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
By: Chef John 
"This recipe is very adaptable as far as what and how much you add to the basic dough. I used a normal amount of chips, but this amount can be doubled without issue. You can also toss in dried fruit and nuts fearlessly."
Original Recipe Yield 16 cookies
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.
2. Mash the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar together in a large mixing bowl with a spatula until creamy and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla; whisk vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds.
3. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking soda together in a small bowl; dump into the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold the semi-sweet chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, and milk chocolate chips into the mixture. Arrange onto the prepared baking sheet using a small scoop or large spoon.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes; remove from oven and allow to cool on the sheet for 10 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
***Changes***
1. I adjusted the temperature to 350. Still baked for 10 minutes.
2. I used 1 teaspoon of vanilla instead of ½ teaspoon.
3. I accidentally used salted butter (because that’s all I had and it tasted just fine).
4. The recipe truly only made about 18 cookies, so I doubled it.
5. I put about ½ cup of each of the chocolate chips instead of 1/3 cup because really who doesn’t want more chocolate chips!!!!

The WonderWomen and the Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I decided to move to Utah I went and interviewed with a bunch of different school districts. After numerous offers, I decided to take the one in Granite School District which led me to a job at Bennion Elementary. Someone from heaven must have been watching out for me when I made that decision because it was one that gave me some of the best friends I could’ve ever asked for. Some of these girls were there my first year and others came a little while after that but regardless we were instant friends and pretty much inseparable from then on. Kirner, Brooker, HaHa, Linds, Klagger, Duckey and Pom-Pom were truly my family out there and man did we live up every minute of our time together. When I think back on some of the things we did/got away with I literally have to laugh out loud. I would absolutely never be able to write about all of the things that we did so I will list just a few that hopefully will bring a smile to their faces (because they definitely do to mine). There was: movie-time Fridays, showers (bridal and baby), road trips to Seattle and NY, Mill Hollow, American Idol dinners, COUNTLESS pranks (jello, paper airplanes, stealing and hiding entire classes of kids, etc.), our “uniforms” on the last day of school, and just being with each other because it didn’t need to be a special occasion for us to have a great time!!! Although life has spread us out throughout Salt Lake City or the country (Klagger and myself) I still consider these wonderful women (hence WonderWomen) to be some of my closest friends. I hope these cookies find each of you well and are able to express how much I love and miss you all!!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
By: Evelyn Brown
"This recipe uses very ripe bananas, the ones which you would not want to eat. The riper the bananas are, the more flavor they have."
Original Recipe Yield 3 dozen

Ingredients
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together, and set aside.
2. Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the mashed bananas. Add the flour mixture, and stir until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

***Changes:***
1. I used ½ Cup of White and ½ Cup of Brown Sugar instead of 1 cup of White.
2. I used Milk Chocolate Chips instead of Semisweet Chips.
3. I used only 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder instead of 2 teaspoons.
4. I used about 1 ½ Cups of Mashed Bananas instead of 1 Cup.
5. Chill the dough for about an hour so it’s easier to work with.
6. Lastly I used a cookie dough scoop and so my cookies came out a little larger, and a little less of them, then the original recipe would have.

Amy and the Armenian Honey Cake Cookies

This week the cookies are going to the “Armenian Princess” so of course I had to make her some Armenian cookies. I actually found this recipe a few weeks ago for the Armenian Christmas, celebrated on January 6th, which up until a few months ago I had no idea even existed. I have to admit I am feeling a little cheated out of 29 years of presents!!! Anyway, back to Amy the center of attention (for this blog at least haha). Amy truly is a wonderful sister and one of my best friends. Can she be a bitch? Yes. Is she ever on time? No. But would she give you the shirt off her back if you needed it? Absolutely… well as long as it wasn’t from Calvin Klein. All joking aside Amy is an extremely thoughtful and caring and smart and funny and nurturing and beautiful woman (man would I kill for someone to think we were twins now). Although I may not have always acted like it (especially in middle/high school) Amy means the world to me and I cherish every one of our memories together. I am thankful every day that she is my sister. Love you Aim-Scaim!!!!


Armenian Honey Cookies ( http://www.thearmeniankitchen.com/2010/09/armenian-honey-cakes.html )

3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp ground cardamom  (PS- This spice is EXPENSIVE!!! Of course Amy’s recipe would call for such an expensive ingredient)

½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 egg
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flour
Additional sugar for rolling


1. Melt butter in a saucepan or microwave oven.
2. Place melted butter in a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients (except additional sugar), and mix until well blended.
3. Chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
4. Shape dough into balls about the size of a walnut.
5. Place additional sugar in a bowl. Coat each ball in sugar.
6. Place balls on a lightly greased sheet. With your fingers, gently press each cookie to slightly flatten.
7. Bake in a preheated 375ºF oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Cool on wire rack. When completely cooled, store in an airtight container.

 
*** The only modifications I made to this recipe were that I used a cookie scoop instead of rolling into balls and I DID NOT press down the cookies. This made for softer and thicker cookies***

The Frasers and the Blueberry Oat Cookies

***Due to internet issues, here is last week's blog... there will be another blog later this week as well***

Let me start off by saying that I never would have gotten to where I am today if it had not been for Jim and Donna Fraser. No seriously, I really wouldn’t be here….. they are my maternal grandparents and without them, well there wouldn’t be any me hahaha!!!All joking aside they really have helped to make me the person I am today. I have definitely gotten some of my best (and maybe a couple of my worst- just kidding) traits from them. Grandpa Jim: gave me his curly hair, showed me the importance of hard work, made up a “lovely” song about me when I was a kid, and taught me some very important “facts” (bread crust makes you hair curly and alcohol puts hair on your chest). Grandma Donna: gave me her height (or lack thereof), showed me that almost anything can be cooked in the microwave, made up some imaginary friends for my sister and I to play with (I miss Mr. & Mrs. Smith), and taught me hands-down some of the funniest sayings you will ever hear (schlackdahogendo and rrrrroooooollllllllllllll it). I love my grandma and grandpa very very very much!!! I hope they take these cookies as just a small small token of my gratitude.

Blueberry Oat Cookies
By: Elaine Gelina
"It's fun to make these cookies at the height of blueberry season when folks are looking for tasty ways to serve that juicy fruit. A hint of cinnamon adds a special touch."
Original Recipe Yield 18 servings

Ingredients
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine oats, flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the blueberries.
2. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Suggestions
- Use smaller blueberries so that they cook a little more thoroughly
- Stir in the blueberries with a wooden spoon so as to not make the blueberries bleed too much into the dough (although I kinda think blue cookies would be fun).
- Most importantly, DO NOT put the entire egg (shell and all) in the batter or you will have to start over!!!!