Jilly-Bean (& Blake) and the Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Much like the star of the previous post Jill, aka Jilly-Bean, aka Carney, was a roommate from college. Jill lived across the hall from our suite during our sophomore year. Then she saw how much fun we were and she quickly decided to live with us for the next two years. Jill (and Julie) were the “chemistry nerds” in our suite and they could often be found out in the quad-room studying for organic chemistry. I can still picture the molecules (or whatever they were called) drawn on the board. When she wasn’t being a science nerd then you could find her: eating (and never gaining a pound), playing euchre, in a history class, cuddling with me (as both of our boyfriends were not at school with us), watching Billy Madison, golfing, at study group, or enjoying a beverage or two (possibly the different colored Hawaiian Punches). Since college Jill has moved down South and is now married to a wonderful man named Blake. I’ve only met Blake once but in that short amount of time I could tell how much they loved each other and how happy he makes her, so that makes him a wonderful man in my book. Jill also just finished her Master’s Degree while working and still finding time to kick some ass on the golf course. I can’t even begin to explain how much I miss her. I hate how the warm weather and the year round golf (and probably Blake too) have captured her heart so that she will probably never move back here. But I know that she is happy and that’s really all that matters. So I hope these cookies reach her (and Blake) and remind her of all the fun times we had and hope much I love her!!!!!


Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Yield: about 3-4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
For the cookies:
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
Dash of allspice

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Recoat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

***No Changes***

The Kennedy Family & The White Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunchers

Jessica Kennedy, aka Jess, aka Kipp, aka Kipper, is one of my roommates from college, well kinda. Let me explain, it was not like Jess didn’t leagally reside in out suite, it was just that she was hardly ever there. Jess is your quintessential over-achiever! If I can remember correctly she was: in one of the singing groups, played soccer, played broomball, a building rep for something, double-majored, and volunteered for tons of other things that I am sure I’m forgetting. She’s pretty freakin’ amazing!!! After college Jess remained in Rochester where she met her husband Mike. Although I do not know Mike as well as I’d like to, I do know that he is a great guy, husband, and father. Jess and Mike have a son Carter who is absolutely adorable and one of Ella’s (my niece) favorite friends!!! They are really a wonderful family and hopefully Ella and I can see more of them this summer! So Jess take a minute to stop the 5,000 things you are doing and enjoy a few cookies!!!


White Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunchers
Makes 3 Dozen Cookies

Ingredients
2 Sticks Softened Butter
1 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 Tablespoon Real Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, Slightly Crushed Up
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Bag White Chocolate Chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. In a large bowl combine the flour, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the white chips until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden brown.
2. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.

*** No changes***

Jenn & Paul & The Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies

Jenn, or Jenny as Ella gets to luckily call her, is a friend all the way from elementary school. I actually calculated it and we have known each other for 20 FREAKIN’ years. That’s right, we’re old, the only nice thing is…… SHE’S OLDER!!!!!! Jenn, aka Jenny, aka Dr. Glose, is not only my optometrist she is my: psychiatrist, life coach, general physician, go-to-babysitter, confidant, problem solver, partner in crime, and seriously one of my best friends. I tell her this all the time and genuinely mean it; I don’t know what I’d do without her!!! Now, I can’t leave out Paul, nor would I want to. I met Paul in high school when Jenn and I went into music for less (that was the store right?) to check him out. We even had a nickname for him “blue cd” - because of his blue eyes. Since meeting Paul he has become a close friend and someone I know I can trust for some good advice, some good laughs, and definitely some good food. Now I am not exactly sure of these cookies but Jenn isn’t much of a sweets person so I tried to pick something that was salty/sweet, here’s hoping they turn out ok. And here’s hoping they both know how much they mean to me!!!
 
Chocolate & Peanut Butter Chip Pretzel Cookies
Makes 24 cookies
 
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/4 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1/2 cup of tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated sugar 1 egg (beaten)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup broken up pretzel pieces
Preztel Salt or Sea Salt
 
Directions: In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Stir in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and preztels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.

*** I did not change any part of this recipe***

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!!!!