Cookie monster

So I know cupcakes are all the rage right now ... but I am obsessed with the good old-fashioned cookie.My all-time favorite cookie is my family's sugar cookie recipe. Part of it is the taste and part are all the memories I have of baking and eating these cookies with my favorite people. Cream 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter or margarine and 1 egg. Add 2 T milk, 1/2 t soda, 1 tsp vanilla and 2 1/2 cups flour. That's it - easiest dough ever. I usually prepare and then freeze the dough about a week ahead of when I'm actually planning to make the cookies. When you're ready to bake, roll out and cut out the cookies and then bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. I like my cookies to be soft, so I usually cut them a little thicker and bake for a little less time. For the icing, melt 1/3 cup butter or margarine and stir in a splash of milk, 1 t vanilla and powdered sugar until spreading consistency. I usually make the icing a little thicker than I want it so it will even out when I add food coloring. I love these cookies for any holiday, but Halloween, Christmas and Easter are when you're sure to find these at my house. Here are my Halloween cookies from this year (not as detailed as usual - I was impressed I even got them iced during Addie's naps)

My new favorite blog, BrownEyedBaker, has blown me away with cookie recipes. Here are the ones I've tried recently (have I mentioned that being a mom has turned me into a crazed baker???):

Peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies Seriously - all my favorite things in one little cookie. These are amazing. I could eat a dozen in one sitting. Chewy from the oatmeal, moist from the PB. So, so good.

Thick and chewy chocolate chip cookies Better than Nestle. She says: "The secret to the thick and chewy cookies is the combination of using melted butter, an extra egg yolk, and a higher ratio of brown sugar to white sugar." My dough was a little runnier than I liked, so I added about 4 T more flour than the recipe called for. Next time I'd just add 2 extra. 

Salted double chocolate peanut butter cookies Can you tell I love peanut butter and chocolate? I am not a huge fan of nuts in my cookies (that just made me laugh out loud), so I'd probably omit the peanuts next time - maybe add in peanut butter chips or Reese's pieces instead. I didn't try the salt on top.

Happy cookies!