While doing some of my blog rounds I came across something at Baking Bites that made me extremely happy: homemade Girl Scout cookies, specifically, homemade Tagalongs! Don’t they look amazing?

Homemade Tagalongs (a.k.a. Peanut Butter Patties)

Cookies
1 cup butter, soft
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, followed by the vanilla and milk. The dough should come together into a soft ball.

Take a tablespoon full of dough and flatten it into a disc about 1/4-inch thick. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough. Cookies will not spread too much, so you can squeeze them in more than you would for chocolate chip cookies. (Alternatively, you can use a cookie cutter, as described in the post above).

Bake cookies for 11-13 minutes, until bottoms and the edges are lightly browned and cookies are set. Immediately after removing cookies from the oven, use your thumb or a small spoon to make a depression in the center of each cookie. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Filling
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter (natural or regular)
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
generous pinch salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
about 8-oz semi-sweet chocolate

In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar, salt and vanilla. When the mixture has come together, heat it in the microwave (in short intervals, stirring frequently), until it is very, very soft. Working carefully with the hot filling, transfer it to a pastry bag (or plastic bag with the tip cut off) and pipe a generous dome of the filling into each cookie’s “thumbprint”.

Chill cookies with filling for 20-30 minutes, or until the peanut butter is firm.

Melt the chocolate in a small, heat-resistant bowl. This can be done in a microwave (with frequent stirring) or on a double boiler, but the bowl of melted chocolate should ultimately be placed above a pan of hot, but not boiling, water to keep it fluid while you work.

Dip chilled cookies into chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on a sheet of parchment paper to let the cookies set up. The setting process can be accelerated by putting the cookies into the refrigerator once they have been coated.

Makes about 3-dozen.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate chip cake mix with pudding
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Mix together the cake mix, eggs, oil, raisins, oatmeal and chocolate chips. Stir well. Drop by teaspoonful onto a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet.

For even more chocolate, put a large chocolate kiss in the center of each cookie one minute before removing from oven.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

16 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 c butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 cups chopped nuts (optional)

……….
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coarsely chop 8 oz of the chocolate; set aside.

Microwave remaining 8 oz of chocolate in large microwaveable bowl on high 1 to 2 minutes. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla with wooden spoon until well blended. Stir in flour and baking powder. Stir in reserved chopped chocolate and nuts. Drop by scant 1/4 cupfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and feel set to the touch. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 1-1/2 dozen large cookies.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

My daughter brought home a note from her teacher yesterday requesting cookies for an end-of-year school party tomorrow. It was short notice but I was able to go with an old standby: oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups rolled oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl cream shortening, butter, vanilla, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Add eggs and mix thoroughly.
3. Combine the baking soda, salt and flour and stir into creamed mixture.
4. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips and stir until well blended.
5. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Post from: Chocolate Bytes