I think I have posted most of these before, but recently I wished I had them all in one place to link to and decided to gather them together when I had time. So here they are:

Pudding Chip Cookies

I can’t remember whether I discovered these on a pudding mix package or had them at a friend’s house, but I love the flavor the pudding adds to it.

2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 pkg. (4 serving size) instant vanilla pudding
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine butter, sugars, pudding mix, and vanilla; beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs. Mix flour with baking soda. and gradually add flour mixture. Stir in chips. Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes (mine usually take 10-12 minutes). I used to add chocolate chunks or miniature Hershey’s kisses just for something different, but I haven’t been able to find those lately.

Double Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I kind of adapted this when I was trying to find a recipe that came close to the peanut butter cookies at the Great American Cookie Company place at the mall. This is basically a peanut butter cookie recipe I found in a magazine, but it’s not mashed down with a fork and it has peanut butter chips added. Because I love chocolate and peanut butter together, I also added chocolate chips

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. light brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. or more semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup or more peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 375. Mix flour and baking soda. Beat margarine and peanut butter in a large bowl until creamy. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla until well-blended. On low speed or by hand gradually add flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Add chips and mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until browned. Cool on cookie sheet 1 minute before removing to cool completely.

Choco-Peanut Butter Dreams

I first saw these in a magazine, probably in an ad for one of the ingredients. From the first try I loved them. I often make them in the fall.

1 1/2 cups brown sugar — firmly packed
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned) — uncooked
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 teaspoons vegetable shortening
1/3 cup chopped peanuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350. Beat together brown sugar, peanut butter and butter, until light and fluffy. Blend in water, egg and vanilla; add combined dry ingredients; mix well. Shape dough into 1″ balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; flatten to 1/4″ thickenss with bottom of glass dipped in sugar. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove to wire rack, cook completely.

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate pieces and vegetable shortening; stir until mixture is melted and smooth. Top each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon melted chocolate; sprinkle with chopped nuts (if desired). Cool until set.

Store in an airtight container. Makes 6 dozen.

I generally do these as drop cookies and skip the rolling into balls and flattening step, but the rolling and flattening would probably make them look more uniform, if that is important to you. I like them without the peanuts on top. I also don’t use 4 T. of shortening–more like 1 1/2. Sometimes I leave it out all together.

Quick Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

These are a pared-down version of the originals but taste every bit as good. My daughter-in-law got this recipe in one of her classes. They’re great for a quick treat, and for those with gluten sensitivities, they’re flourless. We don’t always have Hershey’s kisses on hand so I sometimes just mix chocolate chips in the dough.

1 c. peanut butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg
Hershey’s Kisses

Thoroughly mix together peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Drop by teaspoonful or roll into 1 inch balls onto ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10-11 minutes, until slightly browned. Immediately place an unwrapped Hershey’s Kiss in the center of each cookie and press down. Let sit on pan for a minute or two, then remove from pan. Let cool before storing. Makes 24-26.

Congo Bars

I don’t know why they’re called that, and in trying to find a recipe to link to, I found all kinds of variations! But this one is pretty simple plus makes more than the usual 9 x 13 pan. Great for when you need to take cookies somewhere but want to leave some home for the family as well.

1/2 cup margarine
2 3/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 cups flour
1 to 2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt margarine and combine with brown sugar.Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Spread mixture into a greased 11 x 15″ pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 20-25minutes. Makes 2 dozen, depending on how you cut them. Chopped nuts can be added if desired.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

I am just going to share Annette’s photo and link to her recipe since there is where I found these. I love snickerdoodles but don’t like all the forming into balls and rolling them in sugar and cinnamon. When I saw them as bar cookies on Annette’s blog, I knew I had to try them, and now they’re a family favorite, plus I like to take them to church fellowships and meals that I make for others.

Gingerbread Teddy Bears

I got this recipe way back in college when the Home Economics Department at my college was having a Christmas Open House. I don’t make them every year because all of that ball-rolling is a little tedious, especially if you’re doubling the recipe. But they’re fun to make (especially if you have helpers) and they taste great. I wasn’t a great fan of gingerbread cookies before these, but I like that these are soft and chewy rather than hard and crisp.

1 c. butter or margarine
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2/3 c. dark corn syrup, light corn syrup, or molasses
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Miniature semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Decorator icing (optional)

In a saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat til butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Pour into a large mixing bowl and cool 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine flour, cinnamon, ginger, soda, and cloves. Add egg and vanilla to butter mixture and mix well. Add the flour mixture and beat til well mixed. Divide the dough in half; cover and chill at least two hours or overnight.

To make each teddy bear, shape dough into about a 1-inch ball for the body, one 3/4-inch ball for the head, and six 1/2-inch balls for the arms, legs, and ears. On ungreased cookie sheet, place the 1-inch ball and flatten slightly. Place 3/4-inch ball next to (touching) the “body” for the head. then do the same for the arms and legs. Place two 1/2-inch balls above the head for ears. If desired you can pinch off just a teeny bit of dough for a nose, or use miniature chocolate chip. Use miniature chocolate chips for the eyes and either a navel on the belly or 3 “buttons”. Bake at 350^ for 8-10 minutes or until done. Carefully remove and cool.

If desired, pipe on smile, bow tie or vest or other decorations with decorator icing (1/2 c. sifted powder sugar and approximately 2 tsp. milk, blended to piping consistency, tinted with 1-2 drops food coloring). Makes 20-23.

I do make a few others here and there, but these I make most often. Usually I end up with less than the recipe says it will make,  I think because I tend to make them bigger than intended, but I put what the original recipes said they’d yield.

Enjoy! Let me know if you make any of these and what you think.

(Updated to add: Now that we have gluten-free family members, I’ve made most of these with King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour with good success.)