It’s beginning to feel a lot like….Autumn! And I’ve got a big ‘ol grin on my face because its my favorite season. The crisp air, the shades of orange in the leaves that I never knew existed, the spooky aura when dusk hits, and of course…the distinct flavors that are only appropriate in baking this season.

I wanted to start this Fall’s baking binge with a bang…White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal cookies, with lots of cinnamon! This recipe is adapted from Recipezaar except I added more cinnamon because it compliments the ingredients so well. It gives them that classic oatmeal cookie flavor.

Next time I will double the recipe as it only made me 18 cookies. Even when doubling, it needs no more white chocolate. The white chocolate is wonderful, however very over powering and sweet. Nonetheless, these cookies got rave reviews from all my friends, especially the next day as the flavors had a chance to sit together. Warning: Keep a towel with you while these are in the oven to catch your drool, as you won’t be able to control your mouth watering!

Ingredients

• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/4 C packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 C unsalted butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 C all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 C quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 C dried cranberries
• 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped (I used Bakers)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer combine the sugar, brown sugar and butter; mix well to cream together. Add in egg and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.

Fold in the oatmeal, dried cranberries and white chocolate chips- making sure that all ingredients are uniformly distributed.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer cookies to cooling rack.

It’s smart to keep bananas in your freezer as they come in handy for some very flavorful baked goods. But bread isn’t the only thing that you can make. Bananas add a different element to cookies, a very scrumptious and wholesome element. Upon tasting them, the guys both loved the addition of the chocolate chips because they were sporadic and not overpowering. It’s not necessary to use a whole bag of chocolate chips for every batch of cookies; sometimes half a bag is just the right touch. The oatmeal leaves these cookies hearty enough to enjoy for breakfast, and the bananas help maintain the moistness for, well…however long they might last (not long!).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter-flavored shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in bananas, oats and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoon-fulls onto greased baking sheets. (Make them as large as you want! Feel free to use an ice cream scoop for evenly sized cookies.) Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes, 15 minutes for larger cookies. Immediately remove cookies to wire racks to cool.

Adapted from the Taste of Home Baking Book.

Ok now these cookies aren’t everyone’s favorite chocolate chip cookie. But if you don’t at least like them, I’m going to go out on a limb and say, there is something disturbingly wrong with you. This was my third time experimenting with this recipe and the cookies have turned out incredible with each twist I try.

The question on your mind…What makes them the world’s softest cookie? Pudding. That’s all there is to it. Delicious pudding. Exactly the reason why this recipe is so fun to play with. Pick your favorite pudding flavor, and go with it! This time I used Cheesecake flavored instant pudding and milk chocolate chips.

When making this for the first time, I recommend trying the Vanilla pudding flavor, as it’s the classic pudding for this recipe which goes so well with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Each time I make these cookies, I say that they remind me of the Chips Ahoy Soft Batch cookies, but better! I’m serious! Just have fun with this recipe and make it your own.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package vanilla pudding mix
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 1 12 oz. package)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Mix in the eggs, and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture, slowly in segments, only until incorporated. (Do not overmix.) Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (optional). Drop cookies by rounded Tablespoon fulls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10-12 minutes in the preheated oven (depending on size of cookie). Edges should be golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Possible Variations:

1 (3.4 oz) instant Chocolate pudding mix
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
1 pkg. Hershey’s toffee bits (1 3/4 cups)
-Mix 1 cup toffee bits in the dough and use extra 3/4 cup to sprinkle on top of dough before or right after baking.

1 (3.4 oz) instant Cheesecake pudding mix
2 cups milk chocolate chips (1 12 oz package)
-The pictures shown reflect this variation
-”Tastes like chocolate cheesecake,” raved one happy indulger!

~Adapted from All Recipes

I don’t mean to boast, but when I tried these cookies today, after baking them last night, I’ll admit… I gloated to myself just a little bit. Coconut macaroons to me are one of the most classic cookies. I looked to none other than the fab JoyofBaking.com for a tried and true recipe I could trust. And this my friends, is as big of a grand slam as one of Albert Pujols!

What attracted me to this recipe was the addition of cake flour. I always keep a box of cake flour on hand to give my cookies a cake-like texture. Often times it’s the addition of cake flour in my cookies, such as my chocolate chip cookie recipe, that make people go, “What is it in this cookie that makes it so good? You could sell these!” The cake flour in these coconut macaroons make them more hearty and satisfying.

I liked the technique of putting this batter together as well. I know anytime I whip out my double boiler, the end product is going to be a real treat! The egg whites are whisked and warmed over the double boiler with the sugar and salt. Already you can almost taste how creamy these cookies are going to be. Additionally, the dough needs to cool in the fridge for at least an hour to make it manageable while dropping onto your parchment lined cookie sheets. (Cut this time in half by sticking the dough in the freezer.)

The cookies puffed up beautifully and the sweetened coconut browned to perfection. You’ll know they’re ready to come out of the oven once they’re golden brown all the way around. Let them sit 10 more minutes on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Once cooled completely, I added the ultimate touch…Chocolate! Although on its own the cookie is delectable, dipping them in melted semi-sweet chocolate makes them out of the world. Mounds bar anyone?

Ingredients:

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
• 3 cups sweetened shredded coconut

Directions:

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water (a double boiler), whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt. When this mixture is warm to the touch, and nice and creamy, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract, cake flour, and coconut. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (170 degrees C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Place small mounds, about 1 tablespoon full, of the batter on the parchment lined baking sheets, spacing several inches apart. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Once cooled, melt 2-3 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (Bakers or Nestle chocolate chips) in a double boiler. Once melted, keeping the double boiler on the burner, dip the bottom of the cookie into the chocolate and immediately place on wax or parchment paper to cool completely. If dipping gets messy, brush the chocolate onto the bottom of the cookie with a pastry brush, or a small spatula. Bliss!

Makes about 2 dozen Macaroons.

Aahh, Williams-Sonoma, the eloquence of baking. I own just about every WS recipe book covering just about anything you could want to cook or bake. They are definitely fool proof recipes which is why I so often turn to them when I am not so interested in experimenting, but coming up with a product that I can guarantee will turn out right.

There are so many different recipes out there for Shortbread, with different techniques, methods, versions and flavors. Now, I’m always a sucker for the soft and chewy, often under-baked cookie, but I wanted to branch out and try a cookie classic…with lots of butter!

Baking cookies always begins with the creaming of the butter and sugars, but I had never creamed for as long as WS recommended in this recipe….and it paid off! First I creamed the butter on its own with a mixer for about 3-4 minutes until the butter was extremely fluffy and very light in color. After adding the 2 kinds of sugar, the recipe suggested to cream (beat) them all together until the sugar grains were completely incorporated. This took about another 3-4 minutes, and a lot of patience! You’ll know you’re ready to move on when you rub a little of this butter/sugar mixture between your thumb and forefinger and it feels smooth with no grains.

The outcome of this shortbread is absolutely delightful. The buttery, crunchy texture is to die for, not to mention very impressive. Never after baking cookies have I ever felt so sophisticated For me, the best part of making this shortbread was while I was taking in the aroma when they were baking. (One of the most rewarding parts of the baking experience.) I was brought back to every Christmas holiday when my mother and I bake my great grandmother’s butter cookies. What a special treat!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1 Tbsp for sprinkling
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on high speed until fluffy and pale yellow. Add the confectioners’ sugar and the 1/4 cup granulated sugar and continue beating until the mixture is no longer gritty when rubbed between your thumb and finger. Beat in the vanilla.

Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed or stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.

Using floured fingertips, press the dough evenly into an ungreased 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle evenly with the 1 Tbs. granulated sugar.

Bake the shortbread until the edges are golden, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately use a thin, sharp knife to cut the shortbread into strips 3 inches by 1 inch. Use a toothpick or the tines of a fork to decorate the shortbread with a pattern of dots. Let the strips cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes before transferring them to the rack to cool completely. Makes 27 bars.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, Cookies, by Marie Simmons (Simon & Schuster, 2002 ).

Got a sweet craving? These cookies deliver! The main ingredients that make up butterscotch are brown sugar and butter, which together sounds good enough to me to satisfy a rich fix anytime. Adding oatmeal balances out the butterscotch and makes every bite wholesome and satisfying. Not to mention the touch of cinnamon which you can taste in every bite. These cookies are just as good as devouring a toffee candy bar, simply mouth watering! Possibly the best part, how easy they are to throw together, and with the outcome, everyone takes you for a star baker! The recipe comes straight off the back of the Hershey’s Butterscotch Chips package so you’ll never have to dive through your books to find it.

While in the oven, the aroma in the house is to die for…not even a Yankee candle can compete. Out of the oven and cooled, if you can contain yourself from devouring all the dough, these have a wonderfully chewy texture. The recipe calls for you to drop the dough by heaping teaspoons full….however this is where I rebel, always, and drop more by like a heaping 2 tablespoons full! And why not? Get down with your bad self!

Ingredients:

With all the baking I do, I have to say, my passion lies with cookies. These ginger cookies are a true testament to everything I adore in a cookie: soft, chewy, and a load of flavor in every bite. Not to mention the scent of them baking, oh Lord, it was as if I had doughnuts in the oven…amazing! I had my first bite of this cookie 5 minutes out of the oven, and my mouth was bursting with a flavor I love, that reminded me of Autumn. Possibly because I was sipping on a pumpkin spice latte at the same time? But still, it made me want to skip this whole high humidity summer deal coming up and head back home to Wisconsin to watch the leaves turn brilliant shades of orange and yellow in the cool breeze.

I will note, I did not have ground cloves on hand, so I substituted nutmeg. Also, after rolling the dough in sugar before baking, I topped each cookie with a pinch of pumpkin pie spice powder. This was most likely responsible for the wonderful aroma as they baked.

The Tablespoon of water the recipe calls for is great, but feel free to get creative with other options such as Monin Pumpkin Spice syrup, Brandy-Orange Liqueur, orange juice, or even any “fall seasoned” liquid coffee creamer.

I adopted this recipe from All Recipes as it has received 5 Stars from almost 1,700 reviewers. If that isn’t enough to convince you to try this recipe for you and your loved one, or to share with neighbors and friends, then I’m speechless!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup margarine, softened (Butter flavored Crisco does the trick)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water (or get creative with 1 Tbsp of another liquid)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, and 1 Cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, then stir in the water and molasses. Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.

Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet, or a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and flatten slightly.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.