Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 c. light brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 lg. eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Sift flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until blended, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute. On low speed, add flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated. Mix in chocolate chips.

Drop 10 heaping tbsp. of dough, 3 inches apart, onto one of the prepared baking sheets.
Set aside remaining dough. Bake until edges of cookies are lightly browned but centers are golden, about 13 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Break cooked cookies into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces. Add pieces to reserved dough and mix on low speed to distribute evenly, about 10 seconds. Drop heaping tbsp. of new dough about 3 inches apart, and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes, until browned but still soft in the middle.

Peanut Butter Cup Surprise Cookies

2 c. creamy peanut butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
24 mini Reeses peanut butter cups, unwrapped
Mini marshmallows
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
Mini M&Ms

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine peanut butter, sugar, and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until well-combined. Divide dough evenly between 24 wells of a mini-muffin pan (there may be a bit left over, but that's okay, you need to leave room for the candy). Make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, until almost done. Remove from oven and press a peanut butter cup into the center of each cookie until it is flush with the top of the dough. Top each cookie with 3 or 4 mini marshmallows. Return pan to oven and bake 2 to 3 minutes more, until marshmallows have puffed up. Transfer pans to a wire rack and allow cookies to cool completely in the pan before removing them.

Once cookies are completely cooled, transfer to a wire rack over a sheet of wax paper or aluminum foil. Place chopped chocolate in a small bowl. Bring cream, sugar, and water to a boil, then pour liquid over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk mixture together until smooth. Leave glaze to sit until it thickens a bit to your desired consistency, then drizzle over the tops of the cookies. Sprinkle with mini M&Ms before the glaze hardens. Makes 24 cookies.

Chewy Chocolate White Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. dutch-process cocoa powder*
1/2 c. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. milk
1 1/2 c. coarsely chopped white chocolate (about 6 oz.)

*Substituting all-natural cocoa powder is not recommended.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add sugars and cream and continue to beat on medium-high speed. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Add half of the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until incorporated. Add milk and mix until combined. Add remaining flour mixture and beat on low speed just until dry ingredients have been mixed in. Gently fold in chopped white chocolate with a rubber spatula. Chill dough in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheets using a medium-sized cookie dough scoop (about 3 tbsp. of dough), pressing down slightly. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating pans top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let cookies cool completely on baking sheets. Store in an airtight container. Makes 12 to 14 cookies.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze

Cookies:
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese (part-skim is okay)
3 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

Glaze:
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
3 tbsp. lemon juice
Zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time and mix well to incorporate, scraping down sides of bowl between additions. Add ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix to combine. Add in dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated.

Spoon dough onto baking sheets (about 2 tbsp. per cookie). Bake 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make glaze, in a small bowl combine powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Whisk until smooth. Spoon a small amount of glaze onto each cookie and spread gently using back of spoon. Let cookies sit to allow glaze to harden, about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container.

Super Sugar Cookies

3/4 c. margarine or butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour

Frosting:
1 stick (8 tbsp.) butter, softened
1 to 2 tbsp. cream or whole milk
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. powdered sugar, sifted

Cream margaring or butter and sugar well in bowl of stand mixer. Add vanilla and eggs; mix well to combine. In a separate bowl, sift baking powder, salt, and flour together. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture until thoroughly combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and firm.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove cookie dough from fridge. On a well-floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies in desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Check often to prevent over-cooking or burning. Remove from oven and allow to cool on cooling rack.

To prepare frosting, cream butter, milk, and vanilla together until smooth. Slowly add powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached (add extra milk if necessary). Add liquid food coloring if desired. Decorate cookies once they have cooled.

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

3 eggs, well beaten
1 c. dried cranberries
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. oatmeal
1 c. white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine eggs, dried cranberries, and vanilla and let stand for 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap. Cream together butter and sugars. Add flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda to sugar mixture. Mix well. Blend in egg-cranberry mixture and oatmeal. Dough will be stiff. Fold in white chocolate chips. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet or roll in small balls and flatten slightly on cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
10 oz. white chocolate chips
5 oz. chopped macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Stir in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into creamed mixture. Finally, stir in white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. Drop cookies by heaping teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, about 2" apart.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks. When cool, store in an airtight container.