Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Note: Because there is enough sugar in the dough to sweeten things, be sure to use unsweetened applesauce. Applesauce made from nothing but apples can be found at most supermarkets and health food stores.

Special equipment: baking sheets, whisk, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves makes 24 cookies, active time 10 minutes, total time 1 hour 25 minutes plus cooling

• 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (see note)
• 2/3 cup peeled apple pieces, cut into 1/8 inch pieces, from about 1 Granny Smith apple
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together oats, flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, and sugar until smooth. Whisk in egg and vanilla, followed by applesauce. Stir in dry ingredients. Add apple bits and walnuts and stir to combine. Cover dough with plastic wrap (I do this in the bowl as it's very wet) and let rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.
   
3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon to drop rounded tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are golden at the edges, about 15 minutes.
   
4. Let cookies cool completely on pan—they are slightly sticky but will dry out as they cool. Store in an airtight container, layering with wax paper.

Wild Hickory Nut Shortbread Cookies

Crisp short bread cookies made with wild foraged hickory nuts.

Note: Pecans can be used in place of the wild hickory nuts.

Ingredients

serves makes about 3 dozen cookies, active time 30 minutes, total time 2 1/2 hours

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon zest from 1 orange (optional)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (about 10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) sifted confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup roughly and finely chopped wild hickory nuts (see note above)

Procedures

1. Cream butter in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment at medium-low speed. Alternatively, beat with a wooden spoon in a bowl until creamy and aerated. Add the orange zest and salt. Next add sugar and flour, stirring until just combined. Finally, stir in the nuts. The dough should hold together but still be dry. Form the cookie dough into 2- by 12-inch log and wrap tightly in plastic wrap or parchment paper. Refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
   
2. When ready to bake, adjust oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 325ºF and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Slice the cookie dough into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange on cookie sheets leaving 1-inch between cookies. Bake until the edges are light golden brown, rotating the pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through, 10 to 12 minutes total. Let cool slightly and serve. Fully cooled cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Decorated Halloween Cream Cheese Roll-Out Cookies

These roll out cookies can really be made for any occasion, but a pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter, some chocolate chips, and some orange sanding sugar makes quick work of turning them into a spooky treat.
Note: With an icing as easy as this, it's best to use your own eyes. Start with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water mixed with 2 cups confectioners sugar until smooth. Not thin enough? Add a little more water, one teaspoon at a time. The icing should be easy to spread onto the cookies but not run off.

Special equipment: stand mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper, 2-inch pumpkin shaped cookie cutter or cookie cutter of your choice

Ingredients

serves makes 3 dozen 2-inch cookies, active time 30 minutes (or more depending on how fancy you get with your decorations) , total time 1 hour 20 minutes

• For Cookies
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
•  
• For decorating
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons water (see note)
• Orange sanding sugar
• Bittersweet chocolate chips (optional)

Procedures

1. Make cookies: In a large bowl, stir together melted butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add egg yolk and vanilla and stir to combine. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until dough is formed. Divide dough in two, cover in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
   
2. Adjust oven rack to middle positions and preheat to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one ball of dough until 1/8-inch thick. Cut out pumpkin shapes using your cookie cutter and use a spatula to transfer to prepared baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough. If you want to use the chocolate chips, press into tops of cut-out cookies to make halloween shapes or sayings. Bake cookies until golden at the edges, 9-12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
4. To decorate: Place sanding sugar in a small shallow bowl. In a medium bowl, mix together confectioners sugar and water until you have a smooth icing that is easy to spread. Use a knife to spread one cookie with icing, then dip cookie in sanding sugar to coat. Transfer back to wire rack and repeat with remaining cookies. Let stand for 20 minutes or until the icing has hardened before transporting.

Gluten-Free M&M's Soft Sugar Cookies

These soft sugar cookies are lightly flavored with lemon. If you don't like lemon with chocolate, omit the lemon extract.
At the time of this writing, some bags of M&M's carry a "may contain wheat" warning, especially flavored varieties. If you aren't comfortable using M&M's, other chocolate candies work well.

Ingredients

serves Makes about 3 dozen cookies, active time 40 minutes, total time 2 hours

• 2 cups (8 ounces) white rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) sweet rice flour
• 1/3 cup (1.3 ounces) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup solid shortening
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk (or dairy-free milk replacement)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• About two cups of plain chocolate M&M's

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 325 deg;F. Food Processor Directions: In bowl of an 11 cup or larger food processor, combine white rice flour, granulated sugar, sweet rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Run food processor for 30 seconds to combine.
   Stop food processor and add shortening. Run mixer until shortening is incorporated; dough will begin to hold together, about 30 seconds. Add eggs, milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Run mixer until a thick dough forms, about 30 seconds.
   
2. By Hand Directions: In large bowl, whisk together white rice flour, granulated sugar, sweet rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Add shortening. Cut into flour mixer with a pastry cutter or your hands (use a “snapping motion” with your fingers) until no large pieces of shortening remain. If you squeeze the mixture, it should hold together.
   Add eggs, milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Stir with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough forms.
   
3. Drop dough, about two tablespoons each, onto parchment lined baking sheet, two inches apart. Press about six M&M's to each cookie. Bake until set, edges should be lightly brown, about 12 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool on the pan for three minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Sandwich Cookies

Fluffy, light pumpkin spice cookies sandwiched over gooey dulce de leche.

Notes: The dough is somewhat unlikely on these cookies. It includes cream cheese instead of the more commonly used butter, and yields a fluffy, light cookie which becomes absolutely captivating when combined with a grounding mixture of pumpkin and spice in the batter.
They're just fine on their own, but they're twice as nice when sandwiched with rich, smooth dulce de leche. A store-bought variety is fine, but do yourself a favor and buy the fancy stuff—you know, the stuff that's a few dollars more and has a cooler label. It makes a difference.
To roll out the cookies, I used whole wheat flour, for no particular reason other than it was at hand. It was a great decision: it imparted a nice, slightly nutty flavor to the cookies. Strongly suggested!

Special equipment: cookie cutters, parchment paper, cookie sheet

Ingredients

serves makes about 12 sandwiches, active time 30 minutes, total time 1 hour, 20 minutes

• For the Cookies
• 2 1/4 cups (about 7.86 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon (about 0.13 ounces) baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon (about 0.075 ounces) baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (about 0.08 ounces) cinnamon
• 7 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup (about 7 ounces) brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 ounces pumpkin puree
•  
• For the Filling
• 1 jar (14 to 17 ounces) dulce de leche
• Sea salt, if desired

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
   
3. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg until incorporated. Stir in the vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture and mix well. Add the pumpkin and stir until combined. Add the rest of the flour, beating until moistened into a soft dough.
   
4. You're going to look at this dough and think "no way is that a rollin' dough". But bear with me. Once it's floured it actually rolls out pretty easily. Without flour, though, it's a sticky mess. That having been said: On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Using a floured cutter, cut the cookies and place 2-inches apart on your prepared baking sheet.
   
5. Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. After about 5 minutes, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
   
6. Once cooled, pair up similarly sized cookies. Turn one upside down. Spoon a generous dollop of dulce de leche on the flat side. Sandwich with another cookie, flat side facing the top of the dulce de leche. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Store leftovers loosely covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Oaty Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are packed to the brim with oats, spices, pumpkin, molasses, and chocolate chips, making them an awesome oatmeal-chocolate chip- pumpkin spice cookie hybrid. These taste even better the next day, so if you can, plan ahead and give them a night to rest.

Note: For this recipe, choose a thicker rolled oat such as Bob's Red Mill . Do not substitute quick cooking or steel cut oats.

Special equipment: baking sheet, whisk, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies, active time 15 minutes, total time 2 hours 30 minutes

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/4 cups old fashioned rolled oats (see note)
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups bittersweet chocolate chips

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
   
2. In a small bowl, whisk together molasses, egg, and vanilla; set aside.
   
3. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, light brown sugar, sugar, and melted butter until basically smooth. Add molasses mixture and whisk until well combined. Stir in dry ingredients. Dough will be very wet—cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest in fridge for at least 2 hours.
   
4. Adjust oven racks to upper and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon (I prefer to use a spring-loaded 1 1/2-tablespoon cookie scoop) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until just dry on top and darkened at the edges, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Repeat with remaining dough.

Pumpkin Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Special equipment: ice cream maker

Ingredients

serves Serves 8, active time 1 hour, total time 2 hours, plus an overnight chill

• 1 cup pumpkin purée
• 5 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice mix
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon bourbon
• 2 cups crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 12 to 14 cookies)

Procedures

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together pumpkin, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and spices until thoroughly combined. Slowly whisk in cream and milk until mixture is smooth.
   
2. Cook mixture while whisking frequently over medium-low heat. The custard will be ready when it thickly coats the back of a spoon and you can leave a clean line by swiping your finger across it. Stir in vanilla and bourbon, strain into an airtight container, and chill 8 hours or up to overnight.
   
3. Once the mixture has chilled, churn according to manufacturer's instructions. When the churning has finished, transfer mixture to a large bowl and using a spatula quickly fold in the cookie pieces. Transfer immediately to a large airtight container (you'll have a generous quart worth of ice cream) and freeze until firm, about 2 to 3 hours.

Spiced Sweet Potato Cookies

Special equipment

stand mixer, baking sheet, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves makes 2 dozen cookies, active time 15 minutes, total time 2 hours

• 1 1/2 cups plus 4 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
• 1/2 cup mashed sweet potato (see note)

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.
   
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and light brown sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, and molasses, and beat to combine. Add sweet potato puree and beat until well incorporated. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and mix until it just comes together. Wrap dough in plastic wrap (it will be soft) and chill in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
   
3. Adjust oven rack to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
4. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until browned and darkened at the edges, about 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Cooled cookies can be kept in a airtight container for up to 3 days.

Butterscotch Cookies

Special equipment

electric stand mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves Makes about 2 dozen cookies, active time 30 minutes, total time 3 hours

• (9 1/8 ounces) rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups (6 3/4 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 11 ounces butterscotch chips
• Fleur de sel

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl whisk together oatmeal, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
   
2. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer beat butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract. Beat in egg until thoroughly combined. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in butterscotch chips.
   
3. Cover bowl with the dough with plastic wrap. Chill dough in refrigerator at least two hours and up to overnight.
   
4. Move oven rack to the center position and preheat oven to 375° F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a ball and dip it into a shallow bowl of Fleur de sel or Kosher salt, so the coarse salt sits atop the ball. Place on cookie sheet, salty side up, leaving a couple of inches of space between the dough balls. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until the edges of the cookies are golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

serves makes 14 to 16 cookies, active time 10 minutes, total time 25 minutes

• 14 tablespoons (7 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 3/4 cup (12 1/4 ounces) packed light brown sugar, divided
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups (10 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Procedures

1. Adjust two oven racks to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
   
2. Stir butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl until combined. Stir in egg and vanilla until combined. Add flour, baking powder, and baking soda to bowl and stir until combined.
   
3. Scoop 1/4 cup sized balls of dough onto baking sheets (7 to 8 per pan). Add remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar to now empty (unwashed) bowl. Roll each dough ball into sugar, return to pan, and press to about 1 inch thick.
   
4. Bake until tops have puffed and cracked, and edges are golden, 9 to 11 minutes, rotating pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let cool on pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Cherry Ginger Cookies

Special equipment

stand mixer, baking sheets, parchment paper

Ingredients

serves makes about 30 cookies

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
• 2/3 cup chopped candied ginger (see note)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened dried cherries

Procedures

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
   
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg. Add vanilla and molasses and beat until incorporated. Add dry ingredients to the bowl and beat until just combined. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in candied ginger and cherries. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
   
3. Adjust oven rack to upper and lower-middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Drop dough by the rounded tablespoon (I like to use a 2 1/2 ounce cookie scoop) onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until darkened and color and just drying on top, about 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Cinnamon Wedding Cookies

Special equipment

food processor, stand mixer, parchment paper, baking sheets

Ingredients

serves Makes 1 dozen cookies, active time 20 minutes, total time 1 hour 40 minutes

• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Procedures

1. Place toasted almonds in bowl of food processor and pulse until coarsely ground, about 10 pulses. Set aside.
   
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar until blended. Beat in vanilla. Add flour and salt and beat until just combined, then beat in ground almonds. Cover dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.
   
3. Adjust oven rack to upper and lower middle positions and preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 1 cup confectioners sugar and cinnamon. Take dough from fridge and roll into walnut-sized balls, then place on baking sheet. Bake cookies until golden on top, 15-18 minutes. When cool enough to touch, roll balls in confectioners sugar mix, then place on cooling racks. When cooled completely, roll again in sugar to coat.