Ingredients

• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup butter cut into tablespoons
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon each: baking powder, salt
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, but not natural peanut butter
• 1/2 to 2/3 cups chopped peanuts

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Melt 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips and the butter in a large saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly; let cool. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in small bowl; set aside.

2. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined; gradually add the dry ingredients, beating well. Add the reserved chocolate mixture; beat well. Spread the dough onto a greased 15-by-10 inch rimmed baking sheet; bake until firm, about 12-15 minutes. Cool until barely warm, about 20 minutes.

3. Spread the peanut butter over the chocolate layer; sprinkle with the peanuts. Melt the remaining 1 1/2 cups of the chocolate chips; spread while warm over the nut layer. Let cool completely; cut into squares.

Note: Sue Manos says she microwaves the peanut butter for 5-10 seconds to soften it for spreading.

Chicago Tribune

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. maple syrup
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• a pinch salt
• 1 c. all-purpose flour

Preparation

Mix together maple syrup, brown sugar, canola oil, peanut butter and vanilla extract. Then add the cup of flour and the salt and mix to combine.

Form teaspoon-sized balls with your hands and press down with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350.

To make these chocolate peanut butter cookies, change the flour for 2/3 c. flour and 1/3 c. cocoa powder.

Makes 2-3 dozen.

VegWeb.com

Ingredients

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 1 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. molasses
• 2 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1 c. coconut flakes
• 1 c. bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 c. peanut butter chips
• 1 c. butterscotch chips
• 1 c. Heath chips
• 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 c. macadamia nuts, chopped
• 1 c. pecans, chopped

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Stir in molasses. Combine the baking soda, salt, and flour. Stir into butter mixture. Add oats and coconut and stir until well blended. In a separate bowl, toss together the chips and nuts. Add chips and nuts to batter and stir until well combined. Form 1.5-ounce balls and place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 15-17 minutes. Remove and let cool on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then a wire rack.

Holly Allen

Ingredients

• 1 Cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 5 TB. butter
• 6 TB. cocoa powder
• 1 Cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 extra large eggs
• 1 Cup finely chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/2 Cup powdered sugar (for rolling cookies in)

Preparation

In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over low heat, add cocoa powder, blend well with a fork or a small whisk until smooth. Remove pan from heat, stir in sugar until combined (it will be dark brown at this point). Transfer to a large mixing bowl, add vanilla extract, then eggs one at a time, stirring well with a wooden spoon or hand mixer after each addition. Add flour mixture and nuts if desired (skip the nuts if baking for children, as most don’t seem to enjoy them), mix well. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, refrigerate until chilled (at least 2 hours). The dough never gets really stiff, but it won’t roll into nice balls if it’s warm. Preheat oven to 400°. Grab a handful of dough, enough for a cookie sheet, leaving the rest in the fridge. Roll each hunk of dough into a 3/4" ball, then roll in powdered sugar. It is easier to roll the dough into balls if you coat your hands with powdered sugar (kids love doing this). Place the sugar coated balls onto a greased cookie sheet, 2" apart. Bake cookies for 8 minutes at 400°, let cool a minute, then remove from pan. Store in an airtight container to maintain the soft and chewy texture of these cookies. If you’d like a crisper cookie, cook a minute longer (be careful not to burn the bottoms).

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 1/2 C shortening (no substitutes)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/4 C molasses
• 1 3/4 C unsifted flour
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp Powdered Ginger
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 C seedless raisins
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts
• 1 egg white (optional)
• 2 T Vanilla Sugar or sugar (optional)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the shortening, egg and the sugar. Gradually add the molasses and continue beating until fluffy.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, Cinnamon, Ginger, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating just until blended. Fold in the raisins and walnuts.

4. Divide the dough into two equal portions. Place on a cookie sheet and form each half into a 12x2" rectangle, leaving 3" between the halves.

5. Bake 13-15 minutes. The dough should be slightly soft in the center.

6. In a small bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg. Remove the dough from the oven; brush each half with egg white and sprinkle with Vanilla Sugar if desired (if you are concerned about using raw egg, use pasteurized eggs or simply omit). While still warm, cut diagonally. Cool on a wire rack.

Penzey’s Spices

Ingredients

• 5 eggs
• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp anise oil
• 1/2 tsp lemon extract
• 1 lb flour (plus more for rolling)
• 2 tsp baking powder

Preparation

Beat 5 eggs until smooth. Add 1 lb. of sugar, and beat in mixer approximately 25 minutes (until you can’t feel the sugar). Add 1/2 tsp. anise oil and 1/2 tsp. lemon extract.

Fold in 1 lb. flour (4 c. sifted) with 2 tsp. baking powder. Roll out 1/2" thick and press with a springerlie board or roller. Let stand overnight. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Makes 1 lb, about 6 dozen.

Ingredients

• 12 whole graham crackers
• 1 c butter
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 c nuts

Preparation

Arrange the graham crackers on an ungreased cookie sheet. Combine the butter and sugar in a sauce pan; heat to boiling point, stirring constantly. Boil 3 min. Stir in nuts and pour over crackers. Bake at 350 for 10 min. While they are warm, cut the crackers in half.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/8 tsp mace
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, diced
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 1/2 cup old-fashioned oatmeal

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350º. Cream together the sugars and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture a bit at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix together the pecans, apricots and cranberries in the bowl that used to hold the flour. Alternate adding the oatmeal and the fruit/nut mix to the batter, mixing well after each addition. Form walnut-sized balls of dough and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten the cookies slightly with your hands. Bake for 6 minutes and the flip the cookie sheets from front to back and top to bottom if baking with two sheets at once. Bake and additional 6 minutes. Let cool on a tray. Keep the dough in the refrigerator between batches.

Penzeys

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup pecans

Preparation

Heat oven to 325. Cream softened butter, add sugar and eggs and mix throughly. Add flour and baking powder to bowl and mix well. Add vanilla and pecans. Bake in well greased 8 x 8 pan for 40 minutes. Cool in pan. Cut into small squares.

Ingredients

• 7 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preparation

Line two baking sheets with parchment. Chop chocolate into 1/4-inch chunks; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and cocoa.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and grated ginger until whitened, about 4 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat until combined. Add molasses; beat until combined.

In a small bowl, dissolve baking soda in 1 1/2 teaspoons boiling water. Beat half of flour mixture into butter mixture. Beat in baking-soda mixture, then remaining half of flour mixture. Mix in chocolate; turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Pat dough out to about 1 inch thick; seal with wrap; refrigerate until firm, 2 hours or more.

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll dough into 1 1/2- inch balls; place 2 inches apart on baking sheets. Refrigerate 20 minutes. Roll in granulated sugar. Bake until the surfaces crack slightly, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Martha Stewart