Our Favorite Cookies {A Virtual Cookie Swap}

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In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, we are sharing our favorite cookies with our readers in a virtual cookie swap! Below are a handful of our favorite cookie recipes. We would also love to see photos of the cookies that YOU are baking this year!

Share your cookie photo on Instagram along with the recipe, tag us @fcmomsblog, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #fcmomsblogcookieswap.

Fairfield County Moms Blog | Our Favorite Cookies Featured Slide 3


Brown Butter Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies
{Abby‘s Favorite}

Cake Batter Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie {Kevin & Amanda}
Cake Batter Brown Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie {Kevin & Amanda}

What You Need:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
  • 1 (16.5 oz) box yellow cake mix
  • 2 (1.5 oz) packets Maple & Brown Sugar instant oatmeal
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 bag (12 oz) mini chocolate chips

How To:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Melt one stick of butter until golden brown, whisking constantly until butter melts. Immediately pour into the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add cake mix, oatmeal, and eggs, and beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
  3. Scoop 1.5 tablespoons of dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until edges are starting to turn golden brown.

{Original Recipe and Image Source: Kevin & Amanda}

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies
The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies {Michelle‘s Favorite}

What You Need:

  • 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

How To:

  1. 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, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
  3.  Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Decorate as desired! Cool completely.

{Original Recipe Source: Allrecipes}

Dipped Gingersnaps {Allison‘s Favorite}

Dipped Gingersnaps
Dipped Gingersnaps

What You Need:

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups canola oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • Additional sugar
  • 2 packages (10 to 12 oz each) white baking chips
  • 1/4 cup shortening

How To:

  1. In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil. Beat in eggs. Stir in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
  2. Shape into 3/4-inch balls and roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until cookie springs back when touched lightly. Remove to wire racks to cool.
  3. In a microwave, melt chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip cookies halfway into the melted chips; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set.

{Original Recipe Source: Taste of Home}

Chocolate-Mint Thumbprints {Keira‘s Favorite}

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints
Chocolate Mint Thumbprints

What You Need:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 16 drops green food coloring
  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons whipping cream
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 18 thin rectangular crème de menthe chocolate candies, unwrapped, cut in half diagonally

How To:

  1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
  2. In large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in peppermint extract, egg yolks and food color until blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking powder and salt.
  3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Using end of handle of wooden spoon, press a deep well into center of each cookie.
  4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Reshape wells with end of handle of wooden spoon. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
  5. In medium medium microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, cream and 3 tablespoons butter on High 1 minute, stirring frequently, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Fill each well with about 1 teaspoon chocolate mixture; garnish with candy piece. Let stand about 1 hour until chocolate is set.

{Original Recipe Source: Betty Crocker}

Pecan Tassies {Kim‘s Favorite}

Pecan Tassies
Pecan Tassies

What You Need:

  • 3 eggs
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 cup light or dark corn syrup
  • 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups pecans
  • 1 9-inch unbaked refrigerated deep-dish pie crust

How To:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Take the refrigerated pie crust and roll it out a little bit. Cut the pie crust into 2-inch circles. Grease a mini muffin pan and place the circles in each opening, pressing down.
  3. Mix eggs, sugar, corn syrup, chocolate chips, butter, and vanilla in a large bowl using a spoon. Stir in pecans.
  4. Pour about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling into each mini pie crust.
  5. Bake on center rack of oven for 15 minutes, or until golden crisp.
  6. Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then cool on baking rack. Makes approximately 36 pecan tassies.

{Original Recipe Source: Karo Syrup}

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles {Aarika‘s Favorite}

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles {Love & Olive Oil}

What You Need:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sicks) butter or margarine, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup milk or cream
  • 1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 14 oz dark chocolate candy coating

How To:

  1. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk or cream and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt and mix on low speed (or by hand) until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
  2. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour.
  3. When dough is firm enough to handle (it may help to lightly flour your hands), form dough into 1-inch balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place sheets in freezer and let chill for 30 minutes.
  4. Melt chocolate candy coating in a double boiler or in microwave according to package directions. Using forks or a dipping tool, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Tap fork on side of pan to remove any excess coating, and return to waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until set. Store, chilled, in an airtight container up to 1 week (or store in freezer for longer). If you are short on time and want to skip this last step, they are also delicious without the chocolate coating.

{Original Recipe and Image Source: Love & Olive Oil}

Pistachio Cherry Meltaway Cookies {Amy‘s Favorite}

Pistachio Cherry Meltaway Cookies {The Girl Who Ate Everything on i heart naptime}
Pistachio Cherry Meltaway Cookies {i heart naptime and The Girl Who Ate Everything}

What You Need:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 (3.4 oz) package instant pistachio pudding mix
  • 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
  • Green food coloring, optional
  • 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped finely

How To:

  1. With a stand mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, pudding mix, and flour. Mix until combined. The mixture may seem dry at first but will come together after beating.
  2. Add the almond extract and green food coloring if you want the cookies with a brighter green color.
  3. Finely chop the maraschino cherries. Using a paper towel pat the cherries removing all of the juice and excess liquid. You want to make sure you dry all of the red juice or you may turn your cookies a not so pretty color. Gently mix in the chopped cherries.
  4. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30-60 minutes or until firm.
  5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Take a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place cookie on the cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.
  7. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet. Once completely cooled sprinkle cookies with additional powdered sugar.

{Original Recipe and Image Source: The Girl Who Ate Everything on i heart naptime}

Venetians – Tricolored “Santa’s Cookies” {Julie‘s Favorite}

What You Need:

Venetians - Tricolored Santa Cookies {Playing with Flour}
Venetians – Tri-colored “Santa’s Cookies” {Playing with Flour}
  • 1 can (8 oz) almond paste
  • 1 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 cups flour, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Food coloring
  • 12 oz apricot preserves
  • 4 oz semisweet chocolate

How To:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line three 9” x 13” pans.
  2. Break up almond paste in a large bowl and add softened butter, sugar, egg yolks and almond extract. Beat for 5” until light and fluffy. Beat in flour and salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Then, stir egg whites into the almond mixture and gently fold. Spread 1 ½ cups into one pan. Put another 1 ½ cups into a small bowl and tint with green food coloring before spreading into another pan. Finally, tint the remaining batter red and spread in the last pan.
  3. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until edges slightly brown. Turn cakes carefully onto cooling racks and cool thoroughly.
  4. Once cooled, put green layer onto plastic wrap. Heat and then strain the apricot preserves. Spread half of the strained preserves on top of the green layer and then place the yellow/white layer on top. Spread the remaining preserves on top and then top with the pink layer. Cover with plastic wrap, place a cutting board on top and weigh down with cans overnight in the fridge.
  5. After refrigeration, melt the chocolate and spread half of it on top of the green layer. Once it cools, flip and repeat with the other half of the chocolate on the other side. Before chocolate hardens, slice into desired sized pieces. These cookies are very rich, so cut them small. You can also make them with white, light blue and dark blue colors for Chanukah.

{Original Recipe Source: Lynn Canning – Julie‘s mama}
{Image Source: Playing with Flour}

What is your favorite cookie? Please share it with us on Instagram along with the recipe, tag us (@fcmomsblog), and use the hashtag #fcmomsblogcookieswap.

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Aarika Friend
Aarika lives in Trumbull with her husband, two daughters (2013 and 2015), and son (2020). Originally from Ulster County, NY, she fell in love with her husband at a UConn football game when she told him he had nice biceps and the rest is history. Outside of work and motherhood, she enjoys eating good food, sharing a drink with friends, summer days spent at Pinewood Lake or on vacation in Cape Cod, and mindlessly streaming too many shows with her husband. Her favorite time of day is early morning before her kids wake up with a hot cup of coffee and a good book.

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