Chocolate Crinkles

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch process)
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.
2. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
3. Form the dough into balls (each equal to 1 level tablespoon). Roll the balls in the confectioners’ sugar and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until the cookies are firm and the tops crack, 13 to 15 minutes.
4. Cool slightly on the baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

       

Chocolate Mousse

Crust

2 1/2 cup chocolate chocolate chip cookies
2 1/2 cup nilla wafers
1 1/2 stick butter, melted

Press into springform pan and chill

Mousse

18 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 squares Baker's unsweetened chocolate
3 whole eggs
6 separated eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Meal all chocolate and then remove from heat and let cool slightly so eggs won't cook when they are added. Beat in 3 whole eggs,  then beat in 6 egg yoke, one at a time. Add vanilla

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until they form a peak. Then fold into chocolate mixture. Whip 3 cups heavy cream and fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon into springform pan and chill. Top with 3/4 cup of whipped cream if desired before serving.

Broken Cookie Salad

Cookie Salad

Beat together:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 small package instant French vanilla pudding

Fold in:

• 1 8 oz. carton Kool Whip

Add:

• 1 can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
• Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies, broken up

Mix well and serve.

Don't mix in cookies until ready to serve.

* Great for a salad or dessert!

Alfajores

Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 small bag finely shredded coconut (optional)

Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk (I just buy the Dulce de Leche - I like to eat it on French bread)

For filling, place an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a large pan and cover completely with water. Bring to a boil. Turn heat down to medium, cover pan, and continue boiling for four hours. Make sure that the water ALWAYS stays above the top of the can or the can may explode. You may add more water periodically if you need to. After four hours, remove the can from the pan of water and let cool. The milk in the can has now turned to dulce de leche.

For cookies, heat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with sugar. Add flour and mix until the dough holds together. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into small (1-1/2 inch) circles. Bake cookies for 10 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet. Cool cookies.

Open can of sweetened condensed milk and spread about one Tablespoon of dulce de leche on the bottom of one cookie. Put another cookie on top so that the bottoms of the cookies are facing each other. Optional: spread more dulce de leche around the edge of the assembled cookie, and roll edge in finely shredded coconut. Makes 2-3 dozen assembled cookies.

Chocolate Fruit and Nut Cookies

1 ¼ cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

¾ cups cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups choco chips

1 cup chopped dried apricots (or crasins or both)

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

In large mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. In separate bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; blend into butter mixture. Stir in choco chips, apricots and nuts. Roll into balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-14 min.

I add half white chips, half chocolate chips. Also, I never combine the dry separately, I just add all the dry after the wet has been mixed well. You might have to adjust the flour for altitude. In Colorado (really high), the 2 cups are pretty well-packed cups. Less for lower altitudes... Finally, I like softer cookies, so I only bake them for 11 minutes.

Molasses Gingerbread Cookies

1 C sugar
3/4 cup butter/margarine (I use shortening- the cookies always turn out better)
1 egg
2 C flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 C molasses

Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and molasses. Dry ingredients. Roll into balls and then into granulated sugar. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Don't overbake. Cookies should be soft and chewy :)