Sweet Brownie Queen: Overflowing the Cookie Jar

What would Christmastime be without baking tons of cookies???

I have made several and still have a bunch of cookies I want to make before Christmas. Right now there are three kinds of cookies on our counter, so I need to make some that freeze well and/or give them away. Or just eat cookies non-stop for the next few weeks. ;)

I made the Hershey's recipe for Peanut Butter Blossoms* and they are good. I will try some other recipes as this one seemed a little dry at first. I baked the last batch for a shorter time and that seemed to help. They look right though!

Due to my apparent obsession with chocolate and peppermint, I was looking for a chocolate chip peppermint cookie to try out. I decided if I couldn't find one, I would just make up my own and may go that route next time. I ended up making Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies based on this recipe*. It calls for peppermint junior mints which I did not use. Instead, I used dark and milk chocolate chips. The cookies were good, but I am still looking for a favorite recipe in this category.

I make corn pudding from a Taste of Home magazine and below it is a recipe for Chippy Peanut Butter Cookies that I always see, but had never made. I after several years of looking at it, I finally made Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies based on this Taste of Home Recipe*. I used plain chocolate chips rather than the peanut butter swirl chips it calls for. These cookies are wonderful!!!! I was super pleased with them and will definitely make these again!

Of course I had to make Sugar Cookies! I made Christmas Trees for Little C's school party. I used my favorite recipe that my mom and I have been using for years. I decorated them by brushing warmed corn syrup on the baked cookie and then adding the sprinkles. I had never tried this, but it gives much better coverage and richer color for the sugar than adding before baking.

I also made 2 different M&M cookies; but I think I will save those for another post. I have 4 or 5 recipes that I have looked at and I may try them all to see which I like best.