Mmm..Decadent Cookies!

Okay, we've covered healthy, low-cal choices, but everyone needs a splurge now and then! Here are my favorite cookie recipes this holiday season.

Easy Coconut Oaties:

This delicious cookie recipe takes just one bowl to mix and is chock-full of coconut flavor. You can also experiment with other pudding mixes to change it up a little, like lemon, vanilla or chocolate.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup solid shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 tsp imitation coconut extract
1 cup quick-cook oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 package of instant coconut creme pudding pie mix
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together sugar and shortening. Add egg and extract, then gradually beat in remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined. Batter may be slightly crumbly at this stage. Using hands, roll dough into balls (about 1 inch in diameter). Place balls on greased cookie sheet or pizza stone. You can flatten them a bit with a fork if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes* or until cookies are browned around the edges. Makes about 2 dozen coconut oaties.

*If using pizza stone, add about two minutes to baking time.

Easier Sugar Cookies:

I like to use the slice-and-bake refrigerated sugar cookie dough (you can find Nestle, Pillsbury and even store brands these days) and then add my own embellishments.

Some really successful batches:

• Roll entire sugar cookie dough "loaf" in colored sprinkles.
• Use a cinnamon-sugar grinder to lightly dust cookies with cinnamon before baking.
• Press slivered almonds into dough before baking.
• Press dough with thumb before baking and, a few minutes before cookies are browned, sprinkle colored sugar/nonpareils or sprinkles into the thumpbrint "well".

Somewhat successful:

Use thicker slices so that cookie doesn't brown too fast, then use thumbprint method to add hershey's kiss in center of cookie before baking. This makes a DELICIOUS cookie as long as you have provided a thick enough base for the kiss.

Not-quite successful, but tasty:

Maraschino cherries. I know, this is madness, but I tried it. Again, you have to make the cookie base thick enough, and I would drain the cherry before I added it to the middle of the sugar cookie, as I had one fall right through! But the other cookies tasted great. :)

Easiest Chocolate-chip cookies:

I buy the big bucket o'cookie dough for these. I know, I know, but I have made them from scratch and put them side-by-side with the pre-made dough and found the kids couldn't tell the difference.

Pillsbury also has a version with miniature Hershey's Kisses instead of chocolate chips that the Rhino LOVES.