Welcome to Happylifeblogspot! A food blog with drool worthy recipes
Candy Cane Cookies are my favorite way to spread Christmas cheer! This nostalgic butter cookie has a rich almond flavor and is a Christmas staple in our house. It takes a little time and practice to get that perfect red and white swirl but I promise […]
Attention all chocolate and peanut butter lovers…I’ve got the recipe of your dreams right here!!! Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies are calling your name (and mine too). Chocolate and peanut butter is a combination that I just can’t resist and these soft, chewy, sinfully delicious […]
One bite of our Toffee Cookies will leave you thinking OMG!! Where have you been all my life? Seriously I’ve been reflecting how truly delicious these little nuggets are and I’m feeling a little guilty for not sharing them sooner. Toffee Cookies are the absolute perfect indulgence. These chewy, buttery cookies are jam-packed with chunks of toffee and just melt right in your mouth. I mean who doesn’t love that?!? I love to bake them most in the Fall because English Toffee bits fit in perfectly with all my favorite Fall flavors. This cookie dough is simple, but I promise if you add them to a cookie platter or bring them to a cookie exchange they’ll be the star of the show!
Here’s all you’ll need: butter, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, egg, vanilla, flour, and toffee bits.
If you learn one thing from this blog, my hope is that you’ll be able to make a darn good cookie! And this recipe is a great place to start. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup of softened butter until it’s light and fluffy. You can soften the butter by leaving it out on a counter top or you can “cheat” a little if you need to and nuke it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. We’re going for softened not melted.
Next add the brown sugar, baking powder and salt to the bowl and beat with a hand mixer. Now if you’re really serious about cookie baking then I highly recommend investing in a kitchen aid mixer. I absolutely love mine but only break it out for cookie baking marathons! It’s really nice to have.
Beat in the egg and the vanilla until well combined. Mix in as much flour as you can with the hand mixer and stir in the rest by hand. I’d shoot for about 1-1/2 to 2 cups with the hand mixer. Then it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get a little more hands on!
Stir in the toffee pieces by hand as well. We used Heath Bits of Brickle which can be found in the baking aisle alongside the chocolate chips and all those goodies. There’s actually two kinds of Heath baking bits: Heath Bits of Brickle (which we used in this recipe) are just plain toffee pieces while Heath Milk Chocolate Toffee Bits are covered in chocolate. I will never say no to chocolate so if you can’t find the plain toffee or just wanna get a little wild, then by all means use the chocolate covered pieces. All roads lead to deliciousness!
Shape the dough into 1-1/2 inch balls and place them about 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet. I find that I get my best baking results with parchment paper as opposed to cooking spray. If you want to elevate your cookie game, I highly recommend trying it! A cookie scoop is another great tool to have handy. I typically use the 1 or 1.5″ size for cookie baking (unless I’m making some giant, monster sized cookies). This one simple tool will keep your cookies uniform in size, which means they’ll all bake at the same rate.
Bake the cookies in a 300 degree preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the tops are cracked and the sides are set. Keep a close eye on them so the edges don’t brown. For perfect cookies every time I always rotate the baking sheets halfway through baking. Use the top and middle racks in the oven, never the bottom. And then about halfway through baking time swap positions. So the cookies that were baking on the top rack get bumped down to the middle rack and the cookies that were baking on the middle rack get moved up to the top. I also rotate the baking sheets so that the cookies that were in the front of the oven are now in the back and vice versa. This helps all the cookies to bake evenly and will give you the very best results. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool as soon as you get them out of the oven and can safely lift them off the cookie sheet with a spatula.
What are your favorite cookies? Toffee Cookies are definitely in my top five!!! Perfect for coffee dunking! I bet you’ll love our Oatmeal Raisin Cookies and Chewy M&M Cookies too!!
We’d love to hear from you! Leave us your comments and love down below!
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I’ve never met a cookie that I didn’t like and these Oatmeal Raisin Cookies are no different. I’ve gotta warn you though…they pack a wallop of flavor and are highly addictive. Just like the ones Grandma used to make, this delicious cookie is crispy on […]
Christmas is a time for family and love, a time for magic and wonder, a time for…..BAKING!!! We’ve been baking up a storm here at Happylifeblogspot this December and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. I wanted to share with you one of my […]
Peanut Butter Cookies were my absolute favorite as a kid. So when I grew up and started baking I knew that I needed a fabulous, no fail, peanut butter cookie recipe in my arsenal ASAP!! Well guys, this is that recipe!! These cookies are rich, chewy and soft, and chock full of peanut butter flavor. You’ll never need another recipe after you try this one. Promise! So go ahead and click print right now, laminate this baby, put it in a frame for safe keeping and ditch all those other peanut butter cookies. I’ve been making these delicious cookies year after year and they’re always a hit.
Here’s all you’ll need: butter, butter flavored shortening, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla extract, flour, baking soda, and salt.
Let’s get this party started! (BTW if you’re having a party and peanut butter cookie are involved I’m totally there!!). In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening (aka Crisco), white sugar and brown sugar. Can’t find the butter flavored shortening? Regular Crisco will work just fine too. Been there, done that, tried both.
Next add the eggs and blend until fully incorporated into the mixture. Then mix in the peanut butter and vanilla until well combined. I am a smooth PB type of gal but if you’re feeling especially “nutty” go ahead and toss in some crunchy. These cookies are so special that I even busted out my KitchenAid mixer! But don’t worry, a hand mixer will work just fine too. I just wanted to be fancy.
Blend in the baking soda and salt next. And then mix in the flour (on a low speed) about a half a cup at a time. The cookie dough will be THICK!!! But that’s how we like it.
In the spirit of keeping these peanut butter cookies perfect, I like to use my cookie scoop to keep them close in size. Scoop cookie dough by the spoonful (into your mouth) onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. I feel like I could write an entire blog post about my love for parchment paper (and maybe someday I will), but for now just know that it will elevate your cookie baking to the next level. Use it.
Once your cookies are scooped, we’ll need to roll them into cute little balls. And….did you notice the spacing? You will most definitely want to give these peanut butter cookies a little room to breathe because they will spread during baking.
Now it’s time to criss cross applesauce! Flatten the cookies with a fork in that traditional criss cross peanut butter cookie manner. I’m all about that classic look!
Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until cookies are set, but not hard. Do not over bake!!! 8 minutes is plenty in my oven, but this is really where you need to hone your technique. Don’t worry! After a couple of tries you’ll have it down. After you remove them from the oven, leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for an additional 2 minutes, where they’ll continue to “bake” from the warmth of the pan. Then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
Seriously…..who could resist a cookie that looks THAT good?!? Not me!! Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies will absolutely be on my Christmas cookie trays this year for all of you that are lucky enough to get one! If you love classic cookie recipes, be sure to try our Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies too!
We’d love to hear from you! Leave us your comments and love down below!
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Guys!!! I don’t like to brag but…..I found it!!! These Chewy M&M Cookies are THE HOLY GRAIL of cookies. They’re the best!! Like buttery soft, deliciously chewy, eat the whole dang batch kind of cookies. That’s if you can even get the cookie dough into […]
There’s nothing like a gingersnap to kick off the holiday season! They make the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving table or a Christmas cookie tray. I love to gift them all by themselves or in a cozy holiday basket. Best served with a nice cup […]
Cookies!!! (Did you hear the Cookie Monster voice? Nope! Just me? Ok!). Everyone needs a classic chocolate chip cookies recipe in their arsenal! After finding this one I’ve honestly never tried another. Really! It’s that good! Big, soft, chewy, chocolatey, baked to perfection cookies. And the best part is I literally ALWAYS have the ingredients on hand. So whenever I need to whip up a last minute dessert THIS is my go to. Plain and simple pantry staples that add up to a delicious and addictive cookie. Try to eat just one! I dare you!
Here’s all you’ll need: butter, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, flour, baking soda, salt, vanilla, and of course chocolate chips.
First, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.
Next add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla until well combined.
Then whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda and add to your egg, butter, and sugar mixture. Beat on low until well combined.
After that add the chocolate chips and stir by hand with a wooden spoon.
Mmm! Look at that! Most people would stop right there.
Scoop by heaping spoonful, roll into balls and place on to a cookie sheet. I used my cookie scoop to keep them nice and uniform. I also like to stagger them and leave plenty of room between cookies. These babies like to spread! Don’t overcrowd them.
Bake in a preheated oven for 15-17 minutes at 325. I always bake on the middle and top racks. Once the edges start to firm up and slightly brown they’re done! Allow them to cool on the cookie sheet for a minute or two. This will firm them up a bit and allow you to take them off with a spatula without any breakage or crumbles.
Here’s a trick I always use when baking cookies! For best results I rotate my baking sheets halfway through. Meaning after cooking for about 7-8 minutes I take the cookie sheet from the middle rack and place it on the top rack and likewise I take the cookies from the top rack and place them on the middle rack. I also rotate them 180 degrees. So the cookies that were in the front are now in the back and vice versa. This allows for a more uniform bake. Unless you have a professional grade oven, your cooking temperature isn’t 100% consistent throughout the entire space. Look at those perfect bottoms!!! They really are the Best Ever Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!
And those tops!! Perfection!
And what good are chocolate chip cookies without a big glass of milk?!?
Go ahead! Enjoy!!!
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Hi There! I’m Lisa. I’m a lover of all things crafty, creative, DIY, and delicious!!! Oh yeah and puppies too! I love cooking and baking for my friends and family but especially WITH my friends and family. I show my greatest affection through food. If I cook or bake for you, it means I really like you!
