CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES and ALMOND APRICOT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

I always like to have some kind of homemade treat on hand, and cookies are some of the quickest, easiest and tastiest to whip up.
The lemon juice in the chocolate chip cookie recipe helps to activate the baking soda, producing a softer, chewier cookie, and the combination of almond and apricot in the thumbprint cookies is just plain delicious.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350F.
Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place rolled oats in blender or food processor and process until finely ground. Combine ground oats, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
In another bowl, cream butter, sugars, vanilla and lemon juice together using an electric mixer. Add eggs and beat until fluffy.
Stir the flour mixture into egg mixture, blending well. Add chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix well. Using 1/4 cup of dough for each cookie, scoop round balls with an ice cream scoop and place 2 1/2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets (I used tablespoonfuls and baked for 10 minutes).
Bake until cookies are lightly browned, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in a sealed container to keep them soft and chewy.
Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Easy to Bake, Easy to Make
promo.mygreatrecipes.com/easy-to-bake-easy-to-make/

ALMOND APRICOT THUMBPRINT COOKIES

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup smooth almond butter
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1/2 cup apricot jam


Heat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat almond butter on medium until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat until just combined.
Place granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and gently roll in sugar to coat. Place on two parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are puffed, 8 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and with the bottom of a round 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in center of each cookie. Bake until set, 5 to 7 minutes. Let cookies cool on wire racks, 20 minutes. Stir jam and spoon 1/2 teaspoon into each indentation.
Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from Everyday Food
www.marthastewart.com › Food