It's 3:00 and I'm getting a little craving for something sweet. Mmmmm how about classic blondies? This recipe is simple and delicious. The perfect treat to satisfy my craving.

Blondies
*Adapted from How to Cook Everything

8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Butter an 8×8 pan
2. Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
3. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (ie I used milk chocolate chips and white chocolate chips).
4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle. I always err on the side of caution with baking times — nobody ever complained about a gooey-middled cookie. Cool on rack before cutting them. Printable recipe
   

Wow that's a mouthful! These cookies will be too. They are so good...something about having coconut in a cookie makes me so happy. I found this recipe in the Dallas Morning News when we lived in Dallas. Now that I'm in Idaho, I thought I'd give these cookies a try.


Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies
*Laura Bush

3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs baking soda
1 Tbs ground cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups (3 cubes) butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened flake coconut
2 cups chopped pecans (8 oz)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl. Set aside.
In large bowl beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute.
Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans. For each cookie drop 1/4 cup dough (everything's bigger in Texas) onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart. Bake for 17-29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. remove cookies from rack to cool.

For smaller cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Printable recipe

This is my go-to chocolate chip cookie recipe. I ALWAYS flash freeze a double batch so I can throw them in the oven anytime. This cookie recipe is one of the first recipes I tried as a married woman so many years ago. It has been one of my trusted recipes in my recipe box. In fact if I had to choose one cookie to eat for the rest of my life, this is the one I'd choose. I'm happy to share it with you because I know it will bring you great joy as well. I originally found the recipe here.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
*My all time favorite

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
1 egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (optional)
1 pkg 12 oz. chocolate chips (2 cups)

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix sugars, butter and egg in large bowl.
Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff.) Stir in nuts and
chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased
cookie sheet.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet.
Printable recipe