Bake smarter with a do-it-all cookie recipe

#MiddleburyCT #CookieRecipee

What if I told you there’s a cookie recipe so versatile, you’d never need another? Meet my go-to dough. Whether you crave classic chocolate chip, peanut butter or double dark chocolate, this one recipe has you covered. With just a few tweaks and add-ins, you can create unique cookies for every occasion – or just a quiet night at home being a dough-mestic diva with a glass of milk.

This dough can be made in quantity, divided into portions, and frozen plain (or with add-ins) for up to 3 months. To bake, thaw in the fridge overnight and add your mix-ins before baking. Refrigerate dough for up to 5 days or freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months.

The All-In-One Cookie Dough

Yield: 6 dozen
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

One dough, endless possibilities – bake smarter with this versatile cookie recipe! (www.JasonCoblentz.com photo)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, cream the butter and both sugars together. Add the baking soda and salt, then beat on high for about 3 minutes until fluffy. Mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla, until smooth. On low speed, gradually add the flour, about 1/2 cup at a time, until just combined. The dough will be soft. At this point, stir in your chosen mix-ins by hand and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour (minimum) to firm up and blend flavors.

At the time of baking: Preheat your oven to 375 F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto a cookie sheet, spacing them about 3 inches apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Let cookies cool on the sheet for 2 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

Diva Tip: The base recipe makes about 5 1/2 cups of cookie dough. You should be able to get 88 small cookies (1 tablespoon-size scoops), 44 medium cookies (2 tablespoon-size scoops), 29 large cookies (3 tablespoon-size scoops) or 22 XL cookies (1/4 cup-size scoops).

The Cookie Collection to Mix, Match, Munch!
To a batch of cookie dough add:
Best Chocolate Chip: Add one (12-ounce) bag of milk chocolate chips, (1 1/2 cups). For extra indulgence, go for 2 cups. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans.
Maple Pecan: Add 1 cup chopped pecans and 1/2 teaspoon maple extract. Roll cookies in demerara sugar and press pecan halves (optional) into cookies before baking.
Peanut Butter Cookies: Add 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1 cup chopped roasted peanuts (salted or unsalted, your choice). Press cookies with a fork to make the obligatory crosshatch pattern.
Double Dark Chocolate Delights: Add 1/3 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder and 1 (12-ounce) bag (1 1/2 cups) dark chocolate chips.

For 30 more recipe variations, visit divasonadime.com/the-all-in-one-cookie-dough-30-variations.

Make Your Cookie, Your Way
For a fun, interactive twist on holiday baking, try scooping the plain dough into 1/4 cup portions and letting each guest or family member create their own big cookie! Set up a cookie decorating station with a variety of mix-ins; chocolate chips, sprinkles, dried fruit or even candy bits, and let everyone craft their perfect cookie. After they’ve added their desired mix-ins, simply bake the cookies for 10 to 13 minutes, depending on size.

It’s a fun, hands-on activity that’s perfect for sleepovers, family gatherings or any event where everyone wants to get creative and enjoy a homemade treat.

Lifestyle expert Patti Diamond is the penny-pinching, party-planning, recipe developer and content creator of the website Divas On A Dime – Where Frugal, Meets Fabulous! Visit Patti at www.divasonadime.com and join the conversation on Facebook at DivasOnADimeDotCom. Email Patti at divapatti@divasonadime.com

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