Perfect Recipe

Lemony Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of almond flour (if you don’t have any, just use the same amount of all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of 2 large lemons
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Rolling ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar for rolling cookies
Zest of one lemon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine the lemon zest and sugar. Using your fingertips, run the zest into the sugar until the sugar becomes moist and aromatic. Set the bowl aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or any large bowl, if using a hand held), beat the butter just until it’s smooth. Add the lemon sugar mixture and beat until creamy.
Add the egg, almond extract, and lemon juice. Mix to combine.
With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture. Beat only until the streaks of white have disappeared. Turn off the mixer and, using a rubber spatula, give the dough a few more stirs.
Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the rolling ingredients.
In a large, shallow bowl, combine the sugar and lemon zest. Using the same technique that you used for the dough, rub the zest into the sugar.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and, using a rounded tablespoon per cookie, roll the dough into balls. Roll each ball into the lemon sugar mixture to coat.
Leaving about 2-inches between each one, place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to turn brown. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to rest on the sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Coconut White Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup oil
1 cup bread flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup old fashioned oats (I lightly toasted mine in the oven for 10 minutes)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

Process coconut and oil in a food processor until very finely ground.

In a medium bowl, sift together bread flour, cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together ground coconut and sugar until well combined. Beat in vanilla and eggs until combined – about 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in flour mixture until just combined. Stir in white chocolate chips and oats until well combined.

Chill dough in refrigerator or freezer for 20 minutes or until firm. Using a cookie scoop, place scoops of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
About 24 cookies

Ingredients:

1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups chopped Snickers candy bars (about 4 regular size bars)
¾ cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the milk and the vanilla extract and mix again. Add the flour mixture and beat until flour disappears. Stir in the chopped Snickers and chocolate chips.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. (I weighed mine out to about 2 ounces of dough per cookie.) Gently flatten each cookie ball with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on the edges. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 to 10 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Snickerdoodle Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup Butter, Softened
1 cup Sugar
2 whole Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla
2-¼ cups Flour
¾ teaspoons Baking Powder
¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
¾ teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
½ teaspoons Salt
1 cup Sour Cream
¼ cups Buttermilk

For the topping:
2/3 cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Prepare a muffin tin with liners. (I learned the hard way that they are too fragile for just cooking spray.)

In a mixer, combine the butter and sugar and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and combine.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl and stir to combine. Add the sour cream and buttermilk and mix to combine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix until you have a smooth batter.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping.

Use scooper and plop a scoop of batter into the bowl with the sugar and cinnamon. Gently roll the batter in the sugar and cinnamon. Place the ball into the muffin liner.

When you have completed all of the muffins, sprinkle the leftover cinnamon sugar onto the tops of all of the muffins.

Bake the muffins at 350ºF for about 15-18 minutes or until they are golden on top and just baked through.

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
± 16 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.