Cowboy Cookies

There’s something about a warm, chewy cookie that just hits the spot. These Cowboy Cookies have been my favorite since childhood, and they’re packed with the perfect mix of oatmeal and chocolate chips. If you’re looking for a tried-and-true cookie recipe that melts in your mouth and never lasts long in the cookie jar, this is it!

Trail Mix Cookies

Today marks the first day back to school for my kiddos so I decided to make an after school treat that plays ode to summer and is fun to help celebrate the new school year: Trail Mix Cookies.

Classic No Bake Cookies

*This post is sponsored by Christmas Cookies Week.  

All views and opinions shared are my own.*,

If you are a chocolate and peanut butter fan and looking for a quick sweet, then look no further than the Classic No Bake Cookie.  My family loves these cookies all year long and they are always a must for Christmas Cookie Trays every December.

Holiday Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

*This post is sponsored by Christmas Cookies Week and sponsors 
Sprinkle Pop and YumGoogle.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

Christmas isn't complete without making the iconic cut-out sugar cookie.  You won't need another recipe after trying these simple and soft cookies, perfect for decorating.

Delicious Cookies: A Family Classic

*This post is sponsored by Christmas Cookies Week and sponsor Silpat.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

Delicious Cookies are not only delicious, they are a buttery shortbread cookie with a little extra added crunch that brings back memories for my husband's family, perfect to add to your Christmas Cookie platter or to make just because.

22 Family Favorites for Your Christmas Cookie Tray

With Christmas just a week away it is time to make sure I have enough goodies to fill Christmas plates for our neighbors and Christmas Cookie Trays for all of our family gatherings.  Thankfully, with over 130 recipes shared on the #Celebrate365 Cookie Exchange I have no short of inspiration of how to fill the trays.  Here are 22 recipes that were linked up that have been family favorites for generations!

Gram's Classic Thumbprint Cookies, Savory Moments

Almond Roca, Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats

Grandma's Peanut Butter Cookies, Vickie's Kitchen and Garden

Grandma's Gingersnap Cookies, The Tip Garden

Grandma Joan's Gooey Wonders, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Fudge Dipped Crescent Cookies, Cooking with Carlee

Almond Thumbprint Cookies with Butterscotch Frosting, Living on Cloud Nine

Chocolate Crinkles, Oak Hill Homestead

Marlene's Sour Cream Cookies, Cooking with Carleee

Peanut Butter Balls, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies, Savory Moments

Cut-Out Butter Cookies, Canning and Cooking at Home

White Chocolate Dipped Snickerdoodles, Living on Cloud Nine

Homemade Caramels, Flint & Co.

Muddy Snowballs, Family Around the Table

Old-Fashioned Hermit Bar Cookies, Happily Homegrown

Sour Cream Cookies, Big Rigs 'n Lil' Cookies

Easy No-Bake Cathedral Cookies, 2 Cookin' Mamas

Rum Logs, Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

Tender Italian Sugar Cookies, Jolene's Recipe Journal

Butterball Cookies, My Fearless Kitchen

Cherry Chews, Red Cottage Chronicles

I love how many of these recipes have been handed down from generation to generation through the years.  What is your family's favorite Christmas Cookie?  Remember to Comment for a Cause.

Peppermint Sandies #ChristmasCookies

*This post has been sponsored by Christmas Cookies contributor,

Nielsen-Massey Flavors.  All views and opinions shared are my own.*

I can't believe it is already Friday of Christmas Cookies Week!  I hope you have been following #ChristmasCookies on social media to see all of the delicious cookie recipes from over 30 bloggers.  When I first found out that Nielsen-Massey was sponsoring Christmas Cookies Week I was excited to try their different vanillas and extract flavors and was drawn to their Peppermint Extract.  Afterall, how much more festive can you get than peppermint!

These buttery, crispy, Peppermint Sandies have just the right balance of flavor and are the perfect refrigerated cookie to add to your Christmas Cookie platter.

Peppermint Sandies

1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 cup Shortening

2 eggs

1/2 tsp Nielsen-Massey Peppermint Extract

3 cups Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Peppermint Baking Chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, butter and shortening.  Add eggs and peppermint extract and combine till light and fluffy.  Mix in flour and baking soda well.  Stir in peppermint baking chips.

Divide cookie dough in half.  Shape each half into 2 inch diameter log.  Wrap in plastic wrap.  Chill 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.

Cut logs into slices. Bake cookies at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are light golden brown.  Cool completely before storing.

Now it is your turn to make these cookies by winning the Nielsen-Massey Flavor Extracts Package!  Be sure to enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What Nielsen-Massey flavor extract would you like to try?  Be sure to Comment for a Cause and check out the rest of today's Christmas Cookies Week recipes:

• Almond Spice Christmas Wreath Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Black Forest Brownies by Palatable Pastime
• Chewy M&M Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box
• Chocolate Orange Blossoms by Family Around the Table
• Chocolate Marshmallow Meltaways by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Gingerbread Madeleines by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Greek Baklava by House of Nash Eats
• Honningkagehjerter by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Lemon Ginger Crinkle Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Lemon Pizzelle Della Sondra by Girl Abroad
• Grandmas Lily’s Thumbprints by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Mocha Biscotti by Books n’ Cooks
• No Bake Christmas Tree Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
• No-Bake Eggless Chocolate Salami by All That’s Jas
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies by Simple and Savory
• Peppermint Meltaway Cookies by Making Miracles
• Peppermint Sandies by Corn, Beans, Pigs and Kids
• Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies by Soulfully Made
• The Old Fashioned Cookie by Making the Most of Naptime
• White Chocolate Oatmeal Raisin Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet

Rum Logs #ChristmasCookies

♫ It's the most, wonderful time, of the year🎝 

otherwise known as Christmas Cookies Week!  

All this week I'm joining with other bloggers 

to share 130 Christmas Cookie recipes.

I love making Christmas Cookies throughout the month of December and I love sharing Christmas Cookies at family gatherings, with neighbors, and with friends.  Besides Christmas Cookies being delicious, festive, sweet treats, they are also a favorite family tradition of mine.  Every year the first Christmas Cookies I make are Peanut Butter Balls.  I love making these with my mom and sisters after Black Friday shopping.  Another cookie I love making with my family are my Great Grandma Mae's Rum Logs.  Not only do these cookies make me smile because they were one of my Great Grandma's recipes, a woman who I loved and cherished very much (in fact our oldest daughter's middle name is Mae in honor of her).  But these cookies are also one of my Mom's favorites and always makes me think of her.  For the longest time I felt like she was the only one that could make them right, but after a little tinkering with the recipe, I feel like I can make a pretty good batch of Rum Logs and now you can too!

Rum Logs are a light and slightly sweet cookie that are a perfect addition to any Christmas Cookie Platter.  I love how they are soft and will melt in your mouth, especially if you pair them with a glass of egg nog.  Plus, the kids love decorating them with sprinkles!

Miss L and Miss R had a lot of fun decorating
the Rum Logs with sprinkles

Rum Logs

1 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 tsp Rum extract flavoring
1 tsp Nutmeg, ground
3 cups Flour

Cream butter and sugar together.  Then mix in egg, milk, vanilla, rum, nutmeg and flour.  The dough will be stiff.  Roll dough into 2 inch long "logs".  You can place them fairly close together on the cookie sheet as they won't raise much.  Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies appear dry and bottoms are just golden.  Do not let the bottoms of the cookies brown.

Then to make the glaze for the top of the Rum Logs whisk together:

1 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp Rum extract flavoring
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp Milk

Dip the top of each cookie in the glaze and decorate with colored sugar or nutmeg.

I hope you try a batch of these festive cookies soon!  And I hope you check out all of these other great cookies shared today as part of Christmas Cookie Week:

• Alfajores (dulce de leche sandwich cookies) by Caroline’s Cooking
• Candy Cane Tassies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies by The Bitter Side of Sweet
• Crystallized Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Dutch Speculaas Cookies by Palatable Pastime
• Easy Sugar Cookies by Bear & Bug Eats
• Empire Cookies by Red Cottage Chronicles
• Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cookies by Making Miracles
• Gingerbread Men Cookies by The Freshman Cook
• Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Cookies by Books n Cooks
• Holiday Sugar Sprinkle Butter Cookies by Family Around the Table
• Italian Rainbow Cookies by Everyday Eileen
• Loaded Festive Chocolate Chip Cookies by Daily Dish Recipes
• Makrut Macaroons by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Mocha filled Sandwich Cookies by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Oatmeal Raisin Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Pecan Caramel Turtle Bars by Tip Garden
• Pepparkakor (Swedish Ginger Cookies) by The Redhead Baker
• Peppermint Candy Canes by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Peppermint Crinkle Cookies by Strawberry Blondie Kitchen
• Peppermint Macarons by House of Nash Eats
• Peppermint Mocha Shortbread Cookies by Cooking with Carlee
• Peppermint Shortbreads by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pistachio Wedding Cookies by Soulfully Made
• Raspberry Filled Coconut Snowflakes by Making The Most of Naptime
• Raspberry Thumbprint cookies by Simple And Savory
• Rum Logs by Corn, Beans Pigs and Kids
• Vanilla Bean Pizzelles by Love and Confections
• White Chocolate Dipped Ginger Cookies by Kate’s Recipe Box

What Christmas Cookie sparks your interest?  Do you have any Christmas Cookie traditions?  Be sure to Comment for a Cause!

#Celebrate365 Cookie Exchange Blog Party

Peanut Butter Balls.  No Bake Cookies.  Sugar Cookies.  Gooey Wonders.  Peanut Butter Blossoms.  I really could go on and on, but I think you get the picture... It's Christmas Cookie Week!  And to get things started I am partnering with my Celebrate 365 co-hosts (Carlee from Cooking with Carlee, Jan from Tip Garden, and Nicole from Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom) to host a Cookie Exchange Link-Up Party.

All bloggers are welcomed and encouraged to link up their favorite Christmas Cookie recipes.  I can't wait to see what everyone shares, as I love making a few different cookies each week in December leading up to Christmas, that way I have well rounded Christmas Cookie platters with lots of favorites and variety.  

Also, be sure to stay tuned for Christmas Cookie Week by following #ChristmasCookies on social media.  I'm excited to be sharing a family favorite recipe tomorrow as part of the week long festivities, and a new recipe I created that is full of holiday flavor on Thursday!  Be sure to follow along and check out the 130 recipes!

What is your favorite Christmas Cookie?  Be sure to link-up the recipe and Comment for a Cause!

An InLinkz Link-up

Dad's Favorite Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Father's Day is in one week and to celebrate I am partnering with my Celebrate 365 friends to throw a Father's Day Favorites Blog Party.

When I think of my Dad's favorite, the first thing that comes to mind is Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.  Ever have a food that is always tied to a memory?  Well, whenever I make these cookies I always think of my Dad.  Both my Dad and I have a love of farming and the combination of peanut butter and chocolate 😊 My Dad is the one that gave me the interest and love of farming, and who makes me proud to be carrying on our family's farming tradition.  So it only seems appropriate then that these cookies are a staple for us out in the field and have become a family favorite for anytime of the year.

I hope you enjoy my Dad's Favorite and I can't wait to see all of your Father's Day Favorites.  Feel free to link up as many recipe, gift and activity posts as you would like, and be sure to check out my fellow Celebrate 365 friend's pages to check out their Father's Day Favorites:

• Carlee of Cooking with Carlee
• Jan of The Tip Garden and 
• Nicole of Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom

Dad's Favorite Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

3 3/4 cup flour

2 1/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 - 12oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, butter and peanut butter.  Add sugars and cream together.  Then add eggs, mixing well after each one.  Stir in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Mix in chocolate chips.

Bake cookies at 375°F for 10 minutes.  Take them out of the oven just before they look done to get a soft cookie.  Let rest on cookie sheet one to two minutes before letting cool on cookie sheets.

So what are your Dad's favorites or your favorite things to eat and do for Father's Day?  Be sure to link up to our blog party and always remember to Comment for a Cause!

An InLinkz Link-up

Festive Egg Nog Cookies with Rum Frosting

* This post has been compensated through the AE Dairy Blog Ambassador program.  All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Those that know me, know that I'm quite the eggnogaholic this time of year.  I mean, I even Instagram and Tweet about it. 😉 To be specific, I like just a simple glass of AE Dairy's Classic Egg Nog in a festive glass or even straight from the carton.  Nothing added or spiked, just straight.  I mean why mess with a good thing.

A little #AEdairy #EggNog + my #Cyclones = Perfect Thursday Night ☺💛❤🌙 Go Cyclones! #cyclONEnation

A photo posted by Val Plagge (@plaggeval) on Dec 1, 2016 at 6:06pm PST

So, since I am such a big fan of Egg Nog it was mandatory that I develop an Egg Nog Cookie recipe.  This easy Egg Nog cookie brings out the natural flavors of the egg nog into a light and pillowy cookie.

I also decided that this recipe needed something to top it off, so I added a Rum Frosting that you can dip the top of the cookie into, drizzle on top, or I have even piped it into the cookie as a fun surprise for the middle of the cookie.  The Rum Frosting reminds me of my Mom because one of her favorite cookies has a similar frosting. 😊

Egg Nog Cookies with Rum Frosting

Cookie:
2 cups Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Sugar
1/2 tsp ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Butter
1 cup AE Dairy Egg Nog

Frosting:
1 Tbsp Butter
1/4 tsp Rum extract
1/4 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Powdered Sugar
1-2 Tbsp AE Dairy Egg Nog

Stir the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together.  To the dry ingredients, mix in butter with a hand mixer til it forms small crumbles.  Then add the Egg Nog and mix til it forms into one large dough ball.

You can roll out the dough or take scoops of the dough.  Make sure you roll out or flatten your cookies because they will rise (and become pillowy soft 😉) in the oven.  Bake the cookies at 375ᐤ F for 10 minutes.  Recipe yields 2 dozen cookies.

While the cookies are baking, make your Rum Frosting.  With your hand mixer mix the butter, rum and vanilla.  Then mix in the powdered sugar til it forms crumbles.  Add 1 tablespoon of Egg Nog at a time until you reach the consistency desired.  I like to dip the top of the cookies into the frosting.  You can also drizzle the frosting or use a piping bag to fill the frosting in the inside of the cookie.

With the frosting, I recommend keeping these cookies in cold storage.

Doesn't this look like the perfect combination for Santa!

These cookies are a winner for all the egg nog fans in your life, and will make those that think they aren't fans reconsider. 😉 Do you love Egg Nog?  Remember to Comment for a Cause!  And since last month I only had a couple blog posts, I'm continuing this month's Comments for a Cause dollars to go to Iowa Cookie Crumbs.  And what better post to comment on and help support their efforts then a Christmas Cookie post!  Be sure to check out my other Christmas Cookie recipes too:

• Homemade Chocolate Mint Oreos
• Peanut Butter Balls
• Grandma Joan's Gooey Wonders
• 16 Iowa Christmas Cookie Exchange

Homemade Chocolate Mint Oreos

* This post has been compensated through the AE Dairy Blog Ambassador program.  All views and opinions shared are my own. *

Last week on Twitter I shared that "It's the most, wonderful time, of the year" because Anderson Erickson Dairy's Egg Nog is at the grocery store.  

🎵 It's the most, wonderful time, of the year 🎵 @AEDairy Egg Nog is here! #AEdairy #IA365 pic.twitter.com/0Du6GFJ3RT

— Val Plagge (@PlaggeVal) October 12, 2016

All of AE Dairy's versions of Egg Nog are released at the end of October (I know this because my birthday is at the end of the month and I'm such a big Egg Nog fan that I've received cartons as birthday gifts...) and their other seasonal milks, which debuted last year, hit the store shelves earlier this month.  Seeing these "holiday" milks in the grocery store makes me excited for the approaching holiday season and in the mood for baking!

Once I saw AE Dairy's After Dinner Mint chocolate milk hit the shelf, I was inspired to create a tractor friendly treat with it.  I love to bake, and especially for the holidays, but with my days spent harvesting corn and soybeans, I had to figure out something that was quick, delicious and easy enough to eat while traveling down the field at 3 mph.  My first thought was a cookie.  Cookies are always a hit during the fall (and for Christmas) because they're easy to eat.  But how could I use this chocolate milk, that has a mild mint undertone, in a cookie?  Ding, Ding, Ding - frosting!  Well no one wants a frosted cookie while driving a tractor or combine... but what if the frosting was sandwiched between two cookies???  Aha!  Homemade Chocolate Mint Oreos.

Homemade Chocolate Mint Oreos

Cookie:
2 boxes of Chocolate Cake Mix
4 eggs
2/3 cups vegetable oil

Frosting:
1/4 cup Butter
1/4 cup Shortening
1/4 tsp Peppermint extract
2 cups Powdered Sugar
2-3 Tbsp AE Dairy's After Dinner Mint Reduced Fat Chocolate Milk

Start by making your cookie batter.  Mix the cake mixes, eggs and oil with a spatula till all ingredients are fully incorporated.  This will be a thick batter, so don't give up on it - it will come together, I promise!

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 9-10 minutes.  After you take them out of the oven press them down to flatten them.  Let them rest a couple minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

While the cookies are baking you can make your frosting.  Blend the butter and shortening together with a hand mixer.  Add peppermint.  Then add the powdered sugar.  Finally, add AE Dairy After Dinner Mint chocolate milk to the mix a tablespoon at a time until it is fluffy.

Once the cookies are cool, spread a nice helping of frosting between two cookies.  Recipe yields 2 dozen sandwich cookies.  These pair delicious with a glass of AE Dairy's After Dinner Mint Chocolate Milk too ;)

Have you tried AE Dairy's After Dinner Mint Chocolate Milk before?  I'm not even a huge fan of chocolate and mint, but this milk has the proportion of chocolate and mint just right that everyone can enjoy a glass.  This milk would also be great milk to warm up for hot chocolate!  Remember to Comment for a Cause!