Buttery cutouts reminiscent of shortbread or biscotti, dipped in mint chocolate and perfect with coffee or tea!
Yield: 

3-4 dozen
Ingredients: 

1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon milk
4 cups sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Chocolate coating ingredients*:

6 ounces (1 cup) dark bitter-sweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or shortening)
1 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (not oil)
Instructions: 

1.
Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and milk and cream. Stir in
flour, baking powder, and salt, making a thick dough. Wrap dough in
waxed paper and refrigerate for several hours.**

2. On a well-floured surface, roll dough to about 1/4-inch thickness.
(No thinner!) Cut into shape. If cookies are sticking to the cookie
cutter, dip the cookie cutter into flour before each cut.

3. Place cut cookies on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, until just lightly browned on the edges or tips. If you bake too long, the cookies will be hard.

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Soft and chewy homemade classic chocolate chip cookies
Yield: 

8-10 dozen cookies
Ingredients: 

2 cups butter, softened (not melted)
4 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups flour
12 ounce bag (or as many as you prefer) chocolate chips*
Instructions: 

1. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and stir until fully mixed.

2. Drop by teaspoons onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes (or convect bake at 350 degrees for about 12 minutes).

This recipe is from Tammy’s Recipes.

Yield: 

8 large scones
Ingredients: 

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup quick or old-fashioned rolled oats
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold butter, sliced
1/4 cup buttermilk or kefir
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 eggs

Egg wash ingredients:

1 egg white
1 teaspoon water
Oats, for sprinkling

Glaze ingredients:

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Instructions: 

1.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, oats, baking powder, sugar,
and salt. Cut in the butter, using a fork or a pastry blender, until
butter is in pea-sized lumps. Some remaining lumps of butter are
perfectly fine, and help make flakier scones.

2. In a small bowl or a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the buttermilk,
maple syrup, and eggs, beating lightly to mix. Add to dry ingredients
and stir gently until a thick ball of dough forms.

3. With clean hands, gently knead the ball of dough a few times.
Dough should be slightly sticky/wet. Just gently form the dough into a
ball and then start flattening it into a large circle, about an inch
thick. You can flatten the dough on a lightly-floured surface, or right
on a large baking sheet.

4. Using a pizza cutter or knife, cut the circle of dough into 8
wedges. (If you want smaller scones, either cut the dough into 12
wedges, or make two, smaller circles of dough and cut each into 6-8
wedges.) Place the wedges on a baking sheet, either in  circle (close
together) or else separated (like cookies).

5. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg white and teaspoon of water.
Brush a thin layer over the tops of the scones. Sprinkle lightly with
oats.

6. Bake scones at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and done inside. Place scones on a wire rack to cool.

7. To make glaze, put powdered sugar in a small bowl or a 1-cup
measuring cup. Add vanilla extract, and then use a fork to stir in
enough maple syrup to make a glaze that will drizzle.

8. Drizzle glaze over hot or warm scones, or wait until scones are
cooled. More glaze will run off of hot scones, so let them cool a little
if you want a thicker glaze. (I prefer the glaze to end up on my scones
rather than mostly on the counter!) Enjoy!

Scones are best enjoyed within a day or two of being made, although they’ll keep longer. Store these in a sealed container or bag.

This recipe is taken from Tammy’s Recipes.

Yield: 

18 bars (2.3 ounces each)
Ingredients: 

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions: 

1.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a medium-size mixing bowl, cream
together the butter, honey, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. (I use an
electric mixer for this step.)

2. Add flour, baking soda, and oats. Stir until well-mixed. (Mixing
with clean hands works great for this step.) Mixture will be a soft,
fluffy, and somewhat crumbly. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Press mixture into a lightly-greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake
at 325 degrees for 18-22 minutes, until edges are just starting to
brown. Remove from oven and place dish on wire rack to cool.

4. After granola bars have cooled for 10 minutes, use a
smooth-bottomed measuring cup or glass to press the bars flat. (Pressing
while too hot will smear chocolate everywhere!) Allow to finish cooling
and then cut into 18 bars using a pizza cutter or thin sharp knife.

Store in a sealed container or bag at room temperature for up to a week or so, or freeze for later use.

This recipe was taken from Tammy’s Recipes

1/2 c butter, softened

1/2 c smooth peanut butter

1 1/4 c sugar

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1/4 c water

1 egg

1 T vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1 c rolled oats

1 c golden raisins (or chocolate chips)

3 c Cheerios

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Beat butter & peanut butter for 30 seconds.  Add sugar, baking soda & salt, beat until combined.  Add water, egg and vanilla until combined.  Beat in flour just until combined.  Beat in oats as much as possible.  Stir in raisins and cereal.

Drop large spoons fulls about 3 inches apart on a cookie sheet.  Flatten a bit and bake 10-12 minutes.  Cool on sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack.  Can be frozen up to 3 months.  Last only 5 days if left out.

Try maple syrup instead of sugar.  Would whole wheat flour work instead of white flour?  How about canola oil versus the butter??  Add some flax seed?  Maybe almonds?

Original idea from Better Homes & Gardens

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup real maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies in before cooking

2 1/2 cups flour (plus more for rolling out cookies)

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp kosher salt

2 sticks room temp butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk together flour, baking soda & salt.  Beat together butter & sugar until smooth.  Add egg and beat until fluffy.  Add vanilla and beat until mixed.  Gradually, add dry mixture until just incorporated.  Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, chill for at least 1 hour before shaping.

Bake at 350 degrees until slightly browned.

1 cup roughly chopped pecans (tossed, approx 350 for 8 minutes)
2 sticks of butter (room temp)
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
1/4 t salt
2 cups flour (all-purpose)

Beat together butter and 1 cup of sugar until fluffy. Mix in vanilla & almond extracts & salt. Slowly add flour and then mix in pecans.

Shape dough into tablespoon sized balls. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on cookie sheet in either refrigerator or freezer. If freezing, wait until balls are completely frozen and store in an airtight plastic bag for up to two months. Otherwise, refrigerate for 30 minutes and bake 18-22 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes.

Then while still slightly warm, roll cookies in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Just before serving sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

Cookies:
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter (room temp)
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/4 t salt
2 cups flour (all-purpose)

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2T lemon juice (fresh)
1 t grated lemon zest

Mix butter & sugar until fluffy, add egg yolks, vanilla & salt until combined. Slowly add flour until incorporated.

Divide dough in half, roll into logs (1 1/4 inch diameter), refrigerate about an hour

Preheat oven to 350. Slice cold logs into 1/4 inch slices and place on cookie sheet (sprayed or parchment) about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 16-20 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rake until completely cooled.

Whisk together glaze ingredients until thick, but pourable (using more lemon juice as necessary). Drizzle or dip each cookie and let set.

This dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months in the logs shape.

I have not tried this yet, but adding lemon juice or zest to the cookie itself might also be yummy and add more lemon flavor.

(Original idea from Real Simple magazine’s December 2008 edition page 250)