CRANBERRY CURRANT AND WALNUT OATMEAL COOKIES

One of my favorite things about the holidays is having all the kids at home. My daughter is almost 20 and moved out more than a year ago. She is in school and I don't get to see her as much as I would like. This may be just fine for her..., but I miss her. She is home for 4 whole days!!

As she becomes more responsible and out on her own, she needs to eat. Well, she needs to eat something more than fast/student food. She is quickly finding out that she needs to learn to cook. She didn't have a lot of interest in cooking when she lived at home, but I'm soooo happy that she wants to learn now!

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

In honor of National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day I decided to make my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. It's a unique recipe, using dark brown sugar and almond extract and the oatmeal gives it a chewy texture which is what I love so much! 

I hope you enjoy these as much as my family does!

GLUTEN FREE MAPLE CINNAMON CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Still on my quest for the perfect gluten free chocolate chip cookies. I think my recipe that I posted a couple weeks ago is hands down the best standard chocolate chip recipe. I wanted to spice things up a bit, so I tweaked the recipe a little to give it a little kick with some cinnamon and maple syrup. I loved how these turned out. The flavor is yummy and because of the maple syrup, the texture is moise and chewy, just how I like it!

PEANUT BUTTER AND MAPLE CHOCOLATE BALLS

I guess I'm revisiting my childhood lately. I've made Snickerdoodles and now these peanut butter balls. I started making these when I was in middle school in a 7th grade cooking class. I've tweaked it over the years and added a few things. I think now they are absolutely yummy. My husband says they taste just like Reese's peanut butter cups with a little crunch. Dipping in chocolate does take a little time, but you don't have to do all of them at once. Also, they can be frozen after they are done so you can save some for later!

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I'm still on a quest to help my girlfriend, who has celiac, get over feeling like she can't have her baked goodies! Today was all about chocolate chip cookies! I think I have the combination of ingredients down so that when you take a bite of this cookie, you won't even know it's gluten free! My husband ate 4 and he said he didn't even know they were gluten free! That's gotta be a good sign. I think these are the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever made, gluten free or not! I hope you enjoy them too!

SNICKERDOODLES

Sometimes revisiting classics is just plain fun. It feels like I'm reliving my childhood when I make things I used to eat as a kid. These are simple, yet delicious. Everybody seems to love a good snickerdoodle. Here is my take on an old classic.

DISHPAN COOKIES

I really like cookies. They are typically easy to make and easy to store, even in the freezer. My husband can take them to work in his lunch and it's easier to be disciplined as I can have just one cookie and not keep taking bites off that lovely cake that's sitting there! This is such an interesting recipe. I think it originally got it's name because the recipe was so large you had to use your dishpan to make them in, there wasn't a bowl big enough. I've cut the recipe down and added a few extras. I think they are easy and wonderful. I can imagine having them with vanilla ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce, the ultimate dessert. Enjoy!