Rolled Sugar Cookies

1.5 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
5 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
4 eggs
1 t salt
1 t vanilla

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt. Cover & chill dough at least one hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 400F. Roll out dough on a floured surface1/4" - 1/2" thick. Cut into shades with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 6-8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

SUGAR COOKIE ICING
1 c powdered sugar
2 t milk
2 t light corn syrup
1/4 t almond extract
food coloring

In a small bowl stir together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring if desired. Dip cookies or ice with a knife.

Chocolate Mint Candies Cookies

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (4.5 ounce) packages Andes mints (I also used Fernwood mint sandwiches)

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the sugar, butter and water, stirring occasionally until melted. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate chips until melted and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Pour the chocolate mixture into a large bowl, and beat in the eggs, one at a time. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll cookie dough into walnut sized balls (I just used my cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, be careful not to overbake. When cookies come out of the oven, Press one mint wafer into the top of each cookie and let sit for 1 minute. When the mint is softened, swirl with the back of a spoon or toothpick to make a pattern with the green filling of the mint wafer. For smaller cookies, break mints in half. (You can place the cookie sheet back into the oven for a minutes if the mints don't melt all the way.)

Confetti Bars

18 oz. tube chocolate chip cookie dough
2 c miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 c chocolate-covered pretzels, broken into pieces
1/3 c rainbow sprinkles
1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat over to 350F. Grease 13x9" baking pan.
Press cookie dough into prepared baking pan.
Bake for 13-15 minutes or until endge are golden brown. Sprinkle marshmallows over cookie; bake another 1-2 minutes, or until marshmallows are puffed. Distribute pretzels, sprinkles & chocolate chips over marshmallows; press down lightly. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into pieces with wet knife.

Pumpkin Spiced Cookies

2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c butter, softened
16 oz. canned pumpkin
1 t vanilla
12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground cloves
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375F. In a small bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt & spices. Set aside. In a large mixer beat butter & sugar until creamy. Add pumpkin, eggs & vanilla & mix in. Gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips & nuts. Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls into a well greased cookie sheet.
Bake 18-20 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes on the sheet. Remove from cookie sheet & cool completely.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.

Oreo Balls

1 pkg regular oreo cookies, crushed
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 pkg white almond bark
1/4 pkg chocolate almond bark

Mix crushed oreos & cream cheese in a mixer. Roll into quarter-size balls and place on waxed paper on a cookie sheet. Let chill in the freezer for an hour.
Melt white almond bark in a double boiler on the stove. Using a toothpick, dip balls into the bark to cover, then spin to remove excess. Let set for 15 mintues. Remove toothpicks. Melt chocolate almond bark in a double boiler. Drizzle chocolate almond bark over the balls and let set.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

These are SO GOOD!!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
10 peanut butter cups, cut into eighths

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, cream together peanut butter, butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda in a separate bowl, then stir into the butter mixture. Mix in the chocolate chips and peanut butter chips. Gently stir in the peanut butter cups. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool for 1-2 minutes on sheet before removing, or they will fall apart.

NOTES:
I kept my cut peanut butter cups in the freezer until I needed them, to prevent them from melting.
Keep your dough in the fridge between batches to keep the peanut butter cups from melting.