Dear Clinique lady, please don’t tell me that the foundation I’ve been buying for ten years may have been discontinued, especially after saying that you’ve never heard of it. This disturbs me greatly.

Dear hair, you’re getting long again and I’m thrilled about that, but I have no idea what to do with you any more. I’m consulting the Internets. They say apparently these things are a lifesaver. Dear Amazon…

Dear gluten-free baking, you are a tricky one. Cookies without flour? Miracle. I don’t understand them. But I did eat them.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Simply Gluten-Free

Makes about 24 cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup granulated sugar plus more for rolling the cookies in
1 large egg – lightly beaten with a fork
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

In a large bowl mix the peanut butter with 1 cup sugar. Stir until well blended. Add the egg, baking powder and vanilla. Stir well. Pour some additional sugar in a small bowl. Take a tablespoon of dough and gently roll into a ball. Roll the dough ball in the sugar and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Take a dinner fork, stick it in the sugar and gently press down each dough ball to flatten, then turn the fork and gently press again, making the traditional hatch markings of a peanut butter cookie.

Bake for 10 minutes or until just set. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Gently transfer the cookies to a rack to finish cooling.

2.  I started a new work gig last week and it’s unbelievably cool. But I’m still a little confused about what day it is. It’s a good thing (it’s fine, it’s totally fine).

3.  Blog posts are just not coming to the crazy brain. I’ve had some baking fails…which pretty much led me to this cake mix. And cream cheese frosting. Because cream cheese frosting can do no wrong (it’s fine, it’s totally fine). Amen.

Carrot Cake Sandwich Cookies with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from Duncan Hines

Makes about 2 dozen sandwich cookies

1 box Duncan Hines Classic Carrot Cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup hot water
1 cup oatmeal
citrus cream cheese frosting, below

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine hot water and pouch of carrots and raisins (included in the box). Let carrots and raisins hydrate for at least five minutes before draining and pressing out excess water.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and cake mix until well combined. Mix in eggs, carrot/raisin mixture, and oatmeal.

Scoop dough by teaspoons onto baking sheets, pressing down on dough slightly with the back of a spoon (the cookies won’t spread very much). Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set and lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely before frosting.

Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-oz package cream cheese (reduced-fat is okay but not fat-free), softened
zest of one orange or tangerine
1 teaspoon orange juice
about 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, then add zest and juice. Beat in powdered sugar a cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Pipe or spread about a tablespoon of frosting onto half of your cookies, topping with the rest of the cookies.

This is a sponsored post. The Foodbuzz Tastemakers program provided cake mix for my use, but my opinions (and the resulting calories) are definitely my own.

I know it’s January. I know people are all preoccupied with resolutions and the almighty diet — I don’t know if there’s a word I hate more. I don’t want to talk about it. There is still room in your life for cookies! And if there’s not, you may need to make some adjustments. Here’s a resolution for you: make more cookies.

Let’s dream some cookie dreams for this year, shall we?

Salted Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
Barely adapted from Food Network Canada via Apple A Day

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough onto the baking sheet, rolling gently between your hands to shape. Sprinkle with kosher salt according to your taste — at least a few grains on each cookie. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until barely golden around the edges (the tops won’t be brown, but don’t bake more than 10 minutes).

Cool sheet on a wire rack for 5 minutes before removing cookies to cool completely. Store in an airtight container with a piece of bread to keep the cookies soft.

P.S. I’m buying my pie crusts this year.

P.P.S. My dogs have been asleep since about 20 minutes after they woke up this morning. Sometimes I want their life.

These cookies were supposed to be vegan…until I used cow milk. They’re still delicious! There’s chili powder in there. It’ll wake up your mouth and open your eyes.

I keep forgetting about the spice factor until taking a bite. Hello! Let’s start the week on a chocolatey note, shall we?

Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles
Barely adapted from Post Punk Kitchen

Makes two dozen cookies

For the topping:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the cookies:
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the topping ingredients together on a flat plate. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to vigorously mix together oil,  sugar, syrup, and milk. Mix in vanilla extract.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Once all ingredients are added mix until you’ve got a pliable dough.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Pat into the sugar topping to flatten into roughly 2 inch discs. Transfer to baking sheet, sugar side up, at least 2 inches apart (they do spread). This should be easy as the the bottom of the cookies should just stick to your fingers so you can just flip them over onto the baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, they should be a bit spread and crackly on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

I’m all about saving some fat and calories where I can, when it doesn’t make a big difference in my food. But usually I don’t touch low-fat or reduced-calorie cookies…it’s a cookie for crying out loud! But I made these a few days before leaving for our vacation in Mexico. I wanted to look awesome on the beach, and I also wanted to eat cookies. I’ll just be straight with you.

These are certainly not the prettiest cookies I’ve ever made, but they’re kind of a miracle. I don’t understand how they’re so tasty, but they are! The only trouble with low-fat cookies is that I want to eat them all.

Low-fat Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies
Adapted from SkinnyTaste

Makes 20-24 cookies

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 egg white
2 tablespoons pumpkin butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with silicone mats or parchment paper, or lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice; stir to blend. In another bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, pumpkin butter and vanilla together until light and fluffy.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets. Bake 8 – 10 minutes, until set. Remove from the oven, and let them stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.

I’m not pretending this is glamorous; this is real life, people. This is a Saturday night, dark and rainy, popped in the oven and barely photographed before devouring. This is cozy in pajamas and fleece blankets, with puppies sleeping on the couch and your favorite show on tv. Scoop that ice cream and most definitely eat your pizookie while it’s still hot from the oven! It should be warm and gooey in the middle, and taste heavenly. Don’t blame me if you end up making it the next night for dessert too…I may have done that.

Pizookies (Deep Dish Cookies)
White on Rice Couple

Okay, so I made a half-batch of this dough, filled four-inch ramekins with dough about 1/2″ deep, and then rolled the leftover dough into balls by tablespoons and froze it for later. I would definitely recommend this method! You’ll have some leftovers but not too many. And you’ll be prepared when the next pizookie emergency strikes.

3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt (I used kosher salt)
3 cups all-purpose, unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
12 ounces dark chocolate chunks or chips

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Beat together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract, and sea salt.

Sift together the flour and baking soda. Stir into batter, then add chocolate chunks and stir until well mixed.

Fill ramekins 1/2″ deep with raw cookie dough. Place ramekins on sheet pan and put in middle rack of oven. Bake 12-18 min., or until top starts to turn golden brown.  (remember you want them slightly undercooked, but not too doughy.)

Remove from oven and place each ramekin on a napkin (this allows you to hold the hot dish as you eat your dessert delight). Top with a couple scoops of ice cream.  Grab a spoon and enjoy.

I found this recipe on Pinterest and made it the next day. Chocolate and pretzels in a cookie? Sold. Done. I wish I had some right now. I’m not sure I won’t be throwing pretzels into my chocolate chip cookies from now on.

Yes, I’m still sprinkling kosher salt on my desserts. What can I say? It’s good on everything.

Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies
Barely adapted from Sugar Cooking

Makes about 24 cookies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter or margarine, at room temperature
1/2 cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup broken up pretzel pieces
Kosher or coarse salt, for sprinkling

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). On low speed, slowly add the beaten egg and vanilla extract. Beat to combine, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the flour mixture and beat just until there are no more streaks of flour. Stir in the chocolate chips and preztels. Cover and refrigerate for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out well rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough and sprinkle with salt. Leave about 2 inches between each ball. Bake for 10 minutes. If you prefer crispier cookies, increase the baking time by 1-2 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing.

I bought some protein powder about a month ago in hopes of supplementing my plant-based diet, where protein is often a challenge. But honestly, protein powder scares me. In the past I’ve never been a fan and honestly didn’t know where to begin, so I consulted Mama Pea. Homegirl knows her protein powder.

These little “cookies” make a tasty snack packed with fruit and protein. They aren’t a dessert, but they are a super-tasty way to fuel or recover from a workout, and are a great way to use that scary protein powder. Not bad, right?

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies
Barely adapted from Peas and Thank You 

Makes 16-20 cookies

1 cup old fashioned oats
1 1/2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup natural peanut butter*
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 scoops (each scoop approx. 21 grams) of protein powder of your choice
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
scant 1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1/4 – 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, depending on the size of your bananas

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until combined (adjust amount of milk based on the consistency of your dough – start with 1/4 cup and if it looks too dry, add a little more).

Scoop batter by heaping tablespoonful onto a cookie sheet, and bake for 9-12 minutes, until cookies are firm. Cool completely and store in an airtight container (cookies will keep 4-5 days).

*I made Kath’s homemade peanut butter a few weeks ago, and used it here. If you’re a peanut butter lover like me and have a food processor, get on this!

My laptop charger broke the other day. If you wiggle the cord around just right, it might charge (probably not). You may need to weight it down or hold your mouth just right. Broken charger just when you’re ready to sell a laptop = the bad kind of evil. Peanut butter Snickers cookies = the good kind of evil.

Peanut Butter Snickers Cookies
Two Peas and Their Pod

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups chopped Snickers Peanut Butter Squared candy bars
3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the milk and the vanilla extract and mix again.

Add the flour mixture and beat until flour disappears.Stir in the chopped Snickers and chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoons onto the prepared baking sheets. Gently flatten each cookie ball with the palm of your hand. Bake for 10-11 minutes, or until cookies are slightly brown on the edges.

Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes, then remove to a rack to cool completely.

I nearly always bake from scratch but there is just something about a cake mix cookie that really hits the spot sometimes. They’re always moist and chewy with the perfect amount of crunch around the edges. And since the food scientists at Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines have done most of the dirty work for you, one bowl, a whisk, and a spatula is really all you need. Cake mix cookies are a perfect weeknight treat.

I jazzed these up a little with some lemon extract, but you could certainly leave that out. I also threw in some coconut because it was the end of the bag of coconut that needed to be used – you know how that goes. But feel free to go plain-Jane with these; they’ll still be delicious (and no one will suspect they came from a box).

Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

Makes about 20 cookies

2 eggs
1 boxed lemon cake mix (I used Betty Crocker)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil a large baking sheet and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs slightly with a whisk. Add cake mix, oil, extract and coconut, and stir with a sturdy spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Scoop out dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, and roll each “cookie” gently between your hands until rounded before placing on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until barely set and golden around the edges. Let cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

High-Altitude Notes: Bake at 375°F for 10-13 minutes.