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I won't dare to give you a recipe because I want to see you here for many, many, MANY more birthdays and with my cooking....well...... :-) I do love Sugar cookies however, and the frozen ones from the grocery aisle do me just fine lol Just pop them in the oven and warm them up. But seriously, HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I know you will enjoy.
-Tasha

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Happy Birthday, Z and Merry Christmas!  

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Happy Birthday, Z and Merry Christmas!  

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The recipe I'm sharing is traditionally served during the Christmas season.
BOTER KOEK
Ingredients:

2 rolls almond paste

4 and 1/2 cups flour

1 lb. butter (softened)

2 and 1/3 cups sugar

Method

Cream butter, sugar and eggs

Add flour gradually

Divide dough into two balls.

Press one ball into greased 9" x 13" pan.

Distribute almond paste.  (Slice paste into thin pieces and flatten with your hands or roller.)  Make sure the paste slices cover the dough.

Distribute the second dough ball.  (Take small portions at a time and press onto almond paste layer.) Make sure dough is distributed evenly and covers all of the paste.

You can sprinkle the top with colored sugar to make it more festive, if you wish.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour.  (Check after 50 min.)

Cut the Boter Koek while it's still warm. Otherwise it hardens and it's almost impossible to cut.

Enjoy! this recipe comes from my friend who lived in the Netherlands

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

1/2 Cup(s) Earth Balance Margarine (I usually use a rounded 1/2 cup, not an even one)

3/4 Cup(s) firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 Cup(s) granulated sugar

2 Egg Replacements (I use Bob's Red Mill Egg Replacer)

1 Teaspoon(s) vanilla

1-1/2 Cup(s) all-purpose flour

1 Teaspoon(s) Baking Soda

1 Teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon(s) salt (optional)

3 Cup(s)
Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

1 Cup(s) raisins

~Steph

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Wishing you a sweet and tasty year full of adventure, good memories, and happiness. These Oatmeal Carmelitas bar cookies are one of a dozen kinds of cookies that are staples of our annual Xmas Eve dessert. Here's a photo of the recipe hand-typed by Grannie.

-Dale

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I hope you have a wonderful birthday and a fabulous year!

I'm a big fan of big, soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies! Here is the recipe that I've been using this past  year. So good!

-Sara

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All the good cookie eaters of the world!

We were made for such a time as this.

These cookies are soft, thick, bricks of chocolate chunks and buttery dough baked into a heavy, milk-loving cookie that is my most favorite chocolate chip cookie of all time. ♡

Wait, though. They are singing a love song to you: BAKE ME.

BAKE ME IN YOUR OVEN RIGHT NOW.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE OUR BEST SOFT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES:

How These Cookies Came to Be

A loooong time ago, when we were living in the Philippines, I accidentally discovered my new favorite way to make cookies. The recipe is many many years old, but if you like to creep, they can be located here.

And let me just take a moment to acknowledge that seriously without fail - everything good that I make is always inspired by haphazard accidents, including but not limited to broken refrigerators and lacking ingredients and my really strong tendency towards laziness. Everything including these cookies and all their iterations.

So in 90 bajillion degree Cebu, Philippines, back in fateful 2012, yes I WAS trying to bake chocolate chip cookies. In true Pinch of Yum must-have-the-food-now style, it made 0% rational sense. I had butter that was literally melted from sitting out on the counter for, like, three seconds, I had NO brown sugar, and I added a little too much extra flour. I proceeded to bake the accidental cookies in my oven which I had to start by lighting a FIRE with a MATCH inside of it and which had NO TEMPERATURE MARKINGS other than the numbers 1-5. I am laughing out loud over here - howwww did I do anything?

What Makes Them The Best

So where were we? I think we were about to count the number of cookies I've eaten as I've refined this recipe, which is approximately $&@^!# (censored).

I've always loved that old Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, but I've always kind of been annoyed about it, too. Like why does it need to melt only half of the butter? Does it really not work to melt ALL of it? And why does it need the spoonful of brown sugar? Or does it? Sheesh, how annoying is the person who wrote that recipe anyway? *WOOPS*

Now for the good news!

I replicated the ULTRA THICK, ULTRA SOFT texture (it called for bold, right?) and maybe even improved the flavor with this version that is similar, but way easier and more sensible than the original.

And by sensible, I mean... just... like, lazy sensible, okay? I don't mean THAT kind of sensible. You might need to start looking for another blog if you need your cookies to be sensible.

There is nothing sensible about this beautiful sugar and butter perfection.

We're always trying to eat a little better around here. Right? Maybe.

But there is one thing that I love more than anything in the world - yep - going there, and that is a really good, thick, soft, chocolate chip cookie with a glass of milk.

Today, tonight, whenever it is, if you're going to eat a cookie, please make it count.

Please make it a soft, hugely huge and always soft, and buttery and chocolate chippy and perfectly soft (did I already say that?) chocolate chip cookie that will take your life to the next level.

Other Favorite Chocolate Sweets and Treats:

Common Questions About Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why did my cookies flatten?

The three most important things about this recipe are 1) Melting the butter, 2) Adding enough flour, and 3) Not baking for too long. If you find that the dough is wet and it REALLY sticks to your hands, you probably need more flour. I'll usually add a few tablespoons at a time to get it to the right consistency. See the video in this post for reference as well as the cookie chart in the recipe card!

Why are my cookies so puffy?

This usually means that there's too much flour in the dough, keeping them from spreading more. Be sure to always measure your flour correctly (spooning it in to the measuring cup vs. scooping from the bag). Since you can always add more, it's important to not over-flour to start with. See the video in this post for reference on the correct consistency!

Can I freeze chocolate chip cookie dough?

Yes! Roll them up into balls, freeze them on a sheet pan, and then keep them in a bag in the freezer until ready to bake. We'd recommend letting them thaw on a sheet pan (covered) before baking.

Can I make these gluten-free?

We've never tried it with this recipe, but I'm sure you could! If you have a favorite 1:1 gluten-free flour, that's probably your best bet. We'd love to hear how it goes.

How should I store the cookies after baking?

The cookies can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, or in the fridge for a week. We like the fridge method to keep them fresh!

The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

From our recipe tester: If you're running into issues with your cookies, you can reference the examples above to help find out what may have gone wrong. One of the keys to achieving the perfect cookie is to ensure the correct amount of flour is used. Ideally, the flour should be weighed. In testing, we found that 6.75 ounces of flour was the correct amount. Without a food scale, don't pack the flour into measuring cups and always level the flour off.

Recipe Card powered by

TIME TO SHOW YOU OFF!

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One more thing!

This recipe is part of our collection of easy dessert recipes. Check it out!

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The Best Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies - Pinch of Yum

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All the good cookie eaters of the world! We were made for such a time as this. These cookies are soft, thick, bricks of chocolate chunks and buttery dough baked into a heavy, milk-loving cookie that is my most favorite chocolate chip cookie of all time. ♡ Wait, though.

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Tate's is a company around here (Northeast) that makes AMAZING crispy, thin chocolate chip cookies. Here's the recipe.
~Liz

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Why It Works

A food processor keeps the butter cold, while creating a powdery fine mix, encouraging tenderness and spread.

A mix of light brown sugar and raw cane sugar provides the right copycat vibe.

Commercial chocolate morsels keep the dough and chocolate distinct, for proper spread, flavor, and crunch.

These thin and crispy chocolate chip cookies have a big, butterscotchy flavor and an earth-shattering crunch. A blend of raw cane sugar and light brown sugar give them a bold flavor and golden brown color, studded throughout with chocolate morsels. Their slim profile and delicate texture come from using a food processor to combine the dry ingredients with cold butter for a uniquely textured dough.

8 ounces low protein all-purpose flour, such as Gold Medal blue label or Whole Foods 365 blue label (about 1 3/4 cup, spooned; 225g)

8 ounces light brown sugar, not dark brown (about 1 cup, firmly packed; 225g)

3 1/2 ounces raw cane sugar, not white (about 1/2 cup; 100g)

2 teaspoons (8g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use about half as much by volume or the same weight

1 1/2 teaspoons (8g) baking soda

8 ounces cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch chunks (about 16 tablespoons; 225g)

8 ounces assorted chocolate chips, preferably no darker than 70%, see note (about 1 1/3 cups; 225g)

1 large egg, straight from the fridge, well beaten (1 3/4 ounces; 50g)

1/2 ounce vanilla extract (about 1 tablespoon; 15g)

Special equipment

Food processor, 1-tablespoon cookie scoop, Half-sheet pan

Look for commercial chocolate chips or chunks in the 60% range; those that don't list this information may be too sweet or mild. For the best flavor, try mixing and matching several brands.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The prepared cookie "mix" can be refrigerated up to one week in an airtight container. The prepared cookie dough can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag and refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen up to 3 months; soften to about 68°F (20°C) before baking. The cooled cookies will keep in an airtight container up to 6 weeks at cool room temperature.

This Recipe Appears In

I don't like this at all. It's not the worst. Sure, this will do. I'm a fan-would recommend. Amazing! I love it! Thanks for your rating!

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Tate's-Style Thin and Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

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A food processor keeps the butter cold, while creating a powdery fine mix, encouraging tenderness and spread. A mix of light brown sugar and raw cane sugar provides the right copycat vibe. Commercial chocolate morsels keep the dough and chocolate distinct, for proper spread, flavor, and crunch.

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Wishing you the best for this year!!
Good old fashion Chocolate Chip cookies!
John M

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Here's a cookie I made last year and really loved. It's big enough to share with many people and is super yummy.  Enjoy!
-Jenn

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The only thing better than a plate of cookies is one big cookie meant to be shared by everyone around the table It's the kind of dessert that will encourage your friends and family to linger at the table and to keep the conversation going It's a brown-sugar cookie redolent of ginger, honey, cinnamon and clove that carries the scent of the season and tacks between crisp and slightly chewy, between gingersnap and gingerbread

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Happy Birthday! Here is a recipe for one of my favorites when I was a kid. They are a labor of love, and when done right they are crunchy on the outside, pillowy inside, and drenched in honey. I don't have my great-grandmother's recipe from Avellino but this recipe looks good. These are a favorite of Italians from around Naples at Christmas time.

Enjoy!

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Petrina Tinslay

If you've never encountered struffoli before, they are best described-visually at any rate-as the croquembouche of southern Italy: small dough balls, and I mean really small, the size of marbles, that are deep-fried and then rolled in honey before being assembled into a cone-as in the French piled-up profiteroles model-or a bulging wreath. Since I was taught the recipe by a pair of Calabrian sisters, I make mine as their Mamma makes hers; and this takes the wreath form.

I'll be honest: you don't make these because you're seeking some exquisite taste sensation; struffoli are about custom, celebration, and sweetness. This, in effect, is the festive centerpiece of Christmas in the south of Italy.

You get a very real sense of this if you make the struffoli not alone, but in company, with other hands to roll out the dough with you. Children love doing this, by the way, and their little hands are much better suited for rolling the small marble-sized dough balls you need. Obviously, children are best kept away from the deep-frying part of the operation.

As for the decoration, I've seen not only the regular cake-decorating sprinkles used but also candied fruit, glacé cherries, almond dragées, and cinnamon-preserved pumpkin pieces. It's the former, solely, for me. And although I've seen only the multicolored ones in Italy, I go for the festive and flag-resonant Christmas sprinkles in red, white, and green. The struffoli would look more beautiful, perhaps, left burnished but otherwise unadorned, although gaudiness not elegant restraint-I'm firmly told-is in order here; I have tried to maintain some balance between the two.

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If you've never encountered struffoli before, they are best described-visually at any rate-as the croquembouche of southern Italy: small dough balls, and I mean really small, the size of marbles, that are deep-fried and then rolled in honey before being assembled into a cone-as in the French piled-up profiteroles model-or a bulging wreath.

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I absolutely love these peanut butter blossom cookies. They are so soft and delicious. I can't keep them in the house because if I do, I eat one every time I walk by them!
Hope you enjoy these and your birthday. Wishing you a fantastic birthday filled with all of your favorite things! You deserve the best!
Erin

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For as long as anyone can remember, wedding receptions in Pittsburgh have featured cookie tables, laden with dozens of homemade old-fashioned offerings like lady locks, pizzelles and buckeyes For weeks ahead, sometimes months, mothers and aunts and grandmas and in-laws hunker down in the kitchen bak…

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Wishing you an amazing birthday and many, many wonderful things to come!

I love these cookies and hope you will as well!

xoxo
Felecia

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Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature, separated

2 tablespoons 2% milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup baking cocoa

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup finely chopped pecans

FILLING:

12 to 14 caramels

3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon shortening

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Refrigerate, covered, 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Preheat oven to 350°. Shape dough into 1-in. balls. In a shallow bowl, beat egg white. Place pecans in a separate shallow bowl. Dip balls in egg white, then in pecans, patting to help pecans adhere.

Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press a deep indentation in center of each with the end of a wooden spoon handle. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt caramels with cream over low heat; stir until smooth. Fill each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon caramel mixture. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over cookies; let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 128 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated fat), 17mg cholesterol, 55mg sodium, 14g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 1g fiber), 2g protein.

Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links.

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1/2 cup butter, softened 2/3 cup sugar 1 large egg, room temperature, separated 2 tablespoons 2% milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup baking cocoa 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup finely chopped pecans FILLING: 12 to 14 caramels 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 teaspoon shortening In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

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Wishing you a very happy birthday and an amazing year filled with love, happiness, health, and amazing new memories!
I love snickerdoodles! Here is a really easy recipe! Enjoy!

Anna Massaro

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Snickerdoodle Cookies - Super Easy Version Recipe - Food.com

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This is the first Snickerdoodle recipe I have tried that was adapted from a family cookbook, but I liked them and I hope you will too! Just give them a try...it uses mostly ingredients that you probably already have and can be easily modified to your taste, so use your imagination!

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Sending you wishes for an amazing birthday month filled with all good things plus many birthday cookies and some great hikes to beautiful places.

Here is a cookie recipe that I am going to attempt to make this week in your honor. I'll update this if it goes horribly wrong!

Edit- I didn't have any good jam to make these that week, so I made the meringues instead. Here is the link to the recipe for the vegan meringues: https://www.noracooks.com/vegan-meringues/

Christine

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These Vegan Thumbprint Cookies are insanely addictive and perfect for the holiday season. With a buttery shortbread cookie base, a sweet raspberry filling and a drizzle of almond flavored glaze, just try to stop at one!
These little cookies are the most delicious holiday treat, and they must be made at least once every year! They are so vibrant, thanks to the raspberry center, and have that perfect shortbread cookie crunch in every bite.

Made with very few ingredients, this is about as simple as a cookie recipe gets. I adapted these raspberry almond thumbprints from my vegan shortbread cookies, by adding a little almond extract, making an indentation and filling with raspberry jam.

The icing drizzle is completely optional, but it makes them fancy without much effort. Everyone will adore them! I have a similar recipe for lemon shortbread cookies made with lemon curd that are perfect in the spring or summer.

If you love raspberry flavored desserts, you should check out this simple recipe for Vegan Raspberry Bars, one of my personal all time favorites.

How to make vegan thumbprint cookies

1. In a large bowl, stir the flour and powdered sugar together. Add the softened vegan butter and almond extract and beat with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until well combined. It may look crumbly, especially if your butter was too cold. Use your hands to mush it all together if necessary, the warmth will help the dough come together.

2. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and place on a lined baking sheet.

3. Make an indentation with your thumb or forefinger in the center of each ball. You can also flatten the balls first a bit for a flatter cookie. Either way is just fine.

4. Fill with about a teaspoon of jam, enough to fill the hole.

(This is simply an overview with photos, scroll down to find the complete, printable recipe.)
Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 10 minutes, then bake in the oven for 15-16 minutes. Freezing first helps the cookies not spread while baking, so i don't recommend skipping it. The cookies won't look done and they will be very light in color still, not brown at all. They firm up a ton as they cool, so don't over bake and burn them.

Let them cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Once cool, drizzle with easy icing.

Tips for success

Use vegan butter that is softened, but not at all melted. If it's too cold, the dough will have a hard time coming together, but if it's melted, your cookies will spread in the oven. Just softened is what you want.

Measure your flour correctly, by using the spoon and level method. Spoon flour into a measuring cup, don't shake it down or pat it, then level off the top with a knife.

Use seedless jam - Unless you don't mind seeds. You can also use a variety of jams or fillings, such as apricot, strawberry, blueberry or even vegan caramel or ganache.

How to store

Store leftover cookies in a covered container at room temperature for 5-6 days. Or freeze them for longer, they are wonderful straight out of the freezer.

More vegan Christmas cookies you'll love

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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir the flour and powdered sugar together. Now add the softened butter and almond extract and mix with a hand mixer on low-medium speed until combined. The dough will look crumbly and soft but should smush together when squeezed in your hands. If it looks really crumbly, that means your butter was too cold. Use your hands to mush the dough together, the warmth from your hands will help it come together.

Shape the dough into 1 inch balls, about a tablespoon each, and place on baking sheets.

Make a small indentation with your thumb or finger in the center of each cookie, then fill with about a teaspoon of jam. For flatter cookies, flatten the balls a bit first, then make the indentation.

Place the baking sheet with the cookies in the freezer for 10 minutes before baking, then place in the preheated oven and bake for 15-16 minutes. This helps the cookies bake perfectly and not spread or flatten. The cookies will still be light in color and appear a bit underdone when you take them out of the oven, but they firm up as they cool.

Let cool for a few minutes on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the glaze: Whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until smooth, adding water as needed to thin the icing. You want it to be pretty thick and not too thin. Add the glaze to a small bag, cut a small tip from a corner and drizzle over the cooled cookies. Let them set, then store cookies in an airtight container.

1. Gluten free - Use a gluten free flour mix. I haven't tried this myself, but it usually works quite well.

2. Different flavor - Feel free to use a different jam in the center, if desired, such as apricot, strawberry, cherry, blueberry or omit the almond extract and fill with vegan caramel or ganache.

3. Butter - I used Country Crock brand, but have used Earth Balance as well. Any brand of vegan butter should work well. If you happen to get the unsalted sticks, add a tiny pinch of salt to the dough.

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Raspberry Almond Vegan Thumbprint Cookies

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These Vegan Thumbprint Cookies are insanely addictive and perfect for the holiday season. With a buttery shortbread cookie base, a sweet raspberry filling and a drizzle of almond flavored glaze, just try to stop at one! These little cookies are the most delicious holiday treat, and they must be made at least once every year!