"Piece of Cake" Pumpkin Cookies

The Friend (a magazine for children published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), called these "Autumn Surprise" cookies, but I have renamed them "Piece of Cake" because they are, quite literally a piece of cake.

Ingredients:

• 1 box spice cake mix
• 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
• 1 bag chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper. Mix cake mix, pumpkin, and chocolate chips until blended. Spoon onto to cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Homemade Oreos

From "Announcing Carie"

2 Devils Food Cake mixes

1 1/4 C Butter

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Directions: Mix well. Roll into cherry sized balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Cream Cheese Filling

(1) 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/4 C butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 C Powdered Sugar.

Mix well and spread between cooled cookies

Columbus Cookies

This recipe came to me from my friend Krista. It is my new all-time FAVORITE chocolate chip cookie recipe. The basic recipe (everything minus the chips) is delicious and works with any type of baking chip, candy, or nut you want to add. (HINT: Don't over mix the dough, and use a light jelly roll pan or pizza stone instead of an airbake cookie sheet)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. softened butter (unsalted)
  
• 1/2 c. butter flavored shortening
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
  
• 1-2 tsp. vanilla
  
• cinnamon (a few good dashes worth should do it)
• 2 1/4 c. white flour (up to about 3/4 c. of whole grain wheat flour can be substituted without changing the flavor too much)
  
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• chocolate chips (Krista prefers milk chocolate; M&Ms and butterscotch chips taste great too!)
  

Directions:

Cream butter, shortening, and sugars just until blended. Mix in eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Either mix together flour, salt, and soda separately and then add to wet mixture, OR mix in salt and soda first and then add flour. Mix in chips. (Remember: don't over mix!)

Drop by the spoonful on a greased light jelly roll pan and bake at 350-375F until tops begin to golden (about 8-10 minutes).

Whole Grain Pumpkin Cookies

~from a church recipe exchange~

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1/2 sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix all ingredients well. Drop onto cookie sheet by spoon. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Becca's Variation: add chocolate chips (yummy!)

(Healthier) No-Bake Cookie Bars

By Becca

I made this recipe (using the variation where I mix butterscotch chips into the batter) for the missionaries when they came over for dinner and they absolutely loved them!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Smart Balance buttery spread
• 1/3 cup Smart Balance Creamy Peanut Butter
• ½ cup milk
• 1 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking (or 1¾ cup of sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 cups oats
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Combine peanut butter, oats, and vanilla in large mixing boil. Set aside. In a saucepan, combine butter, milk, sugar, and cocoa powder; bring to boil and simmer for 1 minute. Add hot mixture to the mixing bowl; mix well. Spread into a 9X9 or 8X8 casserole dish. Pour chocolate chips over the top. Chocolate will melt slowly; if desired, spread melted chocolate with a spatula to form a chocolate layer on top of the cookies, or leave as is. Set aside to cool.

Variation: use butterscotch chips as well as dark chocolate chips as an added dimension of flavor. Mix the chips into the cookie batter to have them melt into the cookies, or add on top with the dark chocolate to keep flavor more distinct.