***Wendy's SEVEN Famous Cookie Recipes***

(pictured: Mint Cache cookies)

We've got a 7-in-1 bonus for you today!! My friend, Wendy Christensen, is a master cookie-maker! She is so good that a few years ago, she and her daughter started up a business selling them. They have since quit the business, but she was kind enough to share her recipes with everyone. She starts out with one of 2 different cookie dough variations, a regular cookie dough and a chocolaty dough. She then adds any number of different ingredient mixtures to them. They are amazing!

Here is the first dough "base":
Regular cookie dough:
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp.salt
1/2 cup butter**
1/2 cup margarine **She recommends doing 1/2 butter and 1/2 margarine. She also melts them first.
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 tsp. vanilla
In a small bowl, mix flour, soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour until well blended.

***Now for the variations...
For chocolate chip cookies, add 2 cups chocolate chips.
For her "Grant Slammers" (named for her son!), add: 1 milk chocolate Hersheys bar, broken up and 1 pkg graham crackers, broken in to med. sized chunks, not too small. Place balls of dough on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. The last 2 minutes of baking, lightly press 1-2 cups of miniature marshmallows on to top of cookies. These taste like S'mores and are SO yummy!!
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Chocolaty cookie dough:
Same as regular dough recipe, above, but add 1/2-3/4 cup baking cocoa

***For the variations...
For "Decadent Rocky Road Cookies", add: 2 cups chocolate chips and 1-2 cups pecan halves. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 min. The last 2 minutes of baking, lightly press 1-2 cups of miniature marshmallows on top of cookies. Yummy!!
For "Almond Joys", add 2 cups chocolate chips, 1-2 cups coconut, and 1-2 cups almond slivers. Bake at 350 deg for 10-12 minutes. These really DO taste like Almond Joy candy bars!!
For "German Chocolate Delights", add 2 cups chocolate chips. Place ball of dough on cookie sheet. Indent center of dough ball with thumb or end of spoon. Bake at 350 deg for 10-12 min. When cooled, frost centers with 1 container of Coconut Pecan frosting (usually used on german chocolate cakes). Melt 1/2 cup choco chips and drizzle over cookies in crisscrossing motion. These are absolutely delicious!!!
For "Smiley Rileys"(named for her sweet daughter!), add 4 pkgs. Reeses Peanut Butter cups, chopped. Bake at 350 deg for 10-12 min. Pure peanut butter and chocolate bliss!!!
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For Wendy's "Mint Caches", the dough is a little bit different. (She said that the dough has to be a lot denser because it needs to hold it's shape so that the mint does not leak.) Here is her recipe for these delicious treats:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
30 York peppermint patties (I use the off-brand from our local Family Dollar store)

Mix sugar, brown sugar, butter, egg and vanilla until well blended. Add cocoa, flour, soda and salt. Dough should be a firm consistency. Take 1-2 Tbsp. of dough and form around peppermint patty. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min.
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Enjoy experimenting with these fabulous recipes. There is something for everyone! Thanks for sharing, Wendy!!