"C" is for cookie

I have loved chocolate chips cookies for as long as I can remember. They are the ultimate comfort food for me. I have been baking them since I was about 12 years old. My mom would have me make them for family camping trips, family parties, and when ever my Aunt Nell had a bad day she would call ask for chocolate chip cookies, I baked those too.

My first batches were really sad to look at, but the more I made them the better I got until I came to what I think is perfection.

Yield 5 dozen
preheat oven to 325*

3 sticks of butter melted
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
4 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 1/4 cups flour
3 cups chocolate chips

Mix melted butter, brown sugar, sugar together. Add eggs and egg yolks, mix. Add vanilla, baking soda, salt, mix. Add flour mix. Add chocolate chips. Drop by spoon or scoop onto cookie sheet and bake for 14 min rotating pan half way through.

Speculaas

I know it is not Christmas but this cookie will always mean Christmas to me. They just taste like Christmas. Growing up my mother would get these cookies from my Uncles Bakery, but then I got married and moved away and have been reverse engineering ever since. I think this recipe is close but I could be wrong, it has been so long since I have had the real thing.

Speculaas

1 Cup butter
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
2 3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup almond paste
sugar
sliced almonds

Beat butter with a mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add dark brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, coriander, allspice, and salt. Beat in egg and flour and almond paste. Refrigerate over night. Sprinkle sugar and sliced almonds into speculaas board, pound in dough, remove excess with a piano sting and bake at 350* for 8-10 min.

If you do not have a speculaas boards roll dough into a log and slice dipping each slice in the sugar with almonds.

Rolo Cookies

I would make these cookies for my sister during her finals.

ROLO COOKIES

2 1/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1 tsp. soda
1 c. sugar
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
60 Rolo candies
4 tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and soda; blend well. In large bowl, beat sugars and butter until fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; beat well. Slowly add flour mixture; blend well. Stir in 1/2 cup nuts. For each cookie with floured hands, shape about 1 tablespoon dough around caramel candy, covering completely. In small bowl, combine 1/2 cup nuts and 4 tablespoons sugar. Place on greased sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes. Cool slightly and remove from sheets. 60 cookies.