week 10: coconut macaroons

These came out way overcooked.

I think I should have cooked them at a lower temperature. They were still overcooked after 14 minutes of cooking.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Coconut-Macaroons

I also made sugar cookies from a store bought mix that my friends gave me. I made a simple icing with powdered sugar and milk.

week 9: Chocolate Crackled Cookies

These cookies are so good! The batter looks and smells like chocolate ice cream. I was afraid that chocolate chips plus cocoa powder would be too much, but as always, there's no such thing as too much chocolate.

My husband, who is not a big chocolate fan, loves these. I think he ate 5 of the m the first night. We are so bad.

The recipe didn't say to add more powdered sugar after baking, but everything needs more powdered sugar.

Here are the cookies under the tree.

Look who I caught in the cookie jar!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Chocolate-Crackled-Cookies?pmcode=IKLDP02T&_mid=831932&_rid=831932.618800.236628

week 8. Chocolate waffle cookies

These are really easy and fun to make. Make sure you spray the waffle iron good in between each batch with cooking spray. The recipe says to cook for 1 minute, but mine needed about 3 minutes.

When they're done, they still are really soft. I used a fork to scoop out one side and then pushed the fork through the middle. This usually worked to get the cookie out whole, but be careful. The ones that break are quickly eaten. Once they've cooled, they become this light, crispy, delicious cookie! As you see in the first picture, I didn't "dust" them with powdered sugar. I coated them! The recipe didn't make very many cookies, but it's great if you just want some cookies right now. They're very quick and easy. They might just be my favorite!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Chocolate-Waffle-Cookies

week 7. Potato chip cookies.

I've really wanted to make cookies with butterscotch, and I wanted something without chocolate chips this time, so I tried these:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Potato-Chip-Cookies-3

I wasn't sure how these would turn out when I was mixing them. it seemed like a lot of potato chips and not much butterscotch. It took most of a 5 oz. bag of potato chips, and only 1 cup of butterscotch. I really liked out they turned out, and I'm not at all disappointed with the amount of chips. My husband and I liked the crunch of the potato chips.

Week 6. Cookie Sticks

This week I needed something that didn't use butter. I was all out of butter and really didn't feel like going to the store. I found this recipe in my book and it is yummy! I used pecans instead of walnuts.

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cookie-Sticks

I think next time I might cool the dough for awhile in the fridge before spreading it out on the pan. It spread out more than 3 inches wide, like the recipe says to, and then when it baked, it spread out even more.

I really like the chocolate chips and nuts on the outside of the cookie. That way the flavor isn't hiding inside the cookie. You get the most flavor right on the outside.

Mine are nearly as pretty as they are in the recipe's picture, but they are still really good. See my awesome cookbook holder?

The sticks from the inside were covered in lots of chips and nuts, while the outside had little or none.

Here's the book all of my recipes have come from so far. This book is the reason I wanted to make cookies every weekend. So far, all of the recipes have also been online.

Week 5. Pumpkin chip.

These were very yummy, soft, chewy, delicious pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Loved them!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pumpkin-Chip-Cookies

Week 4. Bake Sale Cookies

I had a yard sale/bake sale on Saturday, and it was not very successful. The yard sale did OK. The bake sale was to try to raise money for the Great American Bake Sale to end childhood hunger. I baked several dozen cookies, and my neighbor donated a couple of delicious items, but we only made a very sad $4.50. I guess no one wants cookies at a yard sale. I didn't do a very good job of advertising either. I'll know better for next time.

I baked 4 different kinds of cookies this week, but nothing really new or authentic.

The top left is a pumpkin spice cookie that I baked from a store bought mix, with store bought cream cheese icing. The top right is my candy corn cookie that I made on week 1. The bottom right is the mummy oreo pops that my neighbor made. So cute! And the bottom left is a nutter butter ghost. The directions for the nutter butter ghosts are here. Not pictured I also made sugar cookie pumpkins with orange icing and sprinkles. They're my favorite.

Week 3. Owl Cookies

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Owl-Cookies-3

Here's the stuff I used.

I made smaller cookies than the recipe says to and added about 1/4 cup of flour, instead of 1/2 cup. I rolled the dough into balls.

Mashed them down with a glass.

Added ears.

Candy sprinkle eyes.

Candy corn beak (don't forget to read the whole recipe before you start baking).

I used mini chocolate chips, and I had to use tweezers to put them on the cookies because they kept melting and sticking to my fingers.

About to go into the oven (again, read, read, read).

And this is what happens when you don't read all of the directions first.

Trying again without candy corn beaks.

Cute owl cookies.

They turned out cute, but they don't taste any better than regular peanut butter cookies. I also had trouble with the chocolate chip eyes falling off when moving them.

I also made these for a Halloween Party on Friday. More candy corn cookies and skeleton sugar cookies.

Week 2. Oatmeal Animal Crackers, plus bonus

http://www.tasteofhome.com/

Recipes/Oatmeal-Animal-Crackers

I wasn't very impressed with these bears. They were really hard, even for animal crackers, and way too sweet. Maybe I did something wrong.

Well, to make up for it, my mom and I made these while my son and I were visiting my parents for the weekend:

Week 1. Candy Corn Cookies

You can find the recipe here: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Candy-Corn-Cookies

It calls for gel food coloring, but I used regular liquid food coloring. I want to try these again and see if I can make them look prettier. Next time I will let them cool before trying to move them, because the all cracked.

Only 51 weeks to go!