Boot Tracks Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. In medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. In large bowl, beat butter and both sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla until blended. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture until blended. Stir in baking chips, peanut butter cup candies and pretzels.
• Onto cookie sheets, drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart. Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Steps:

• To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar just before serving.
• Patti Anderson, a professional quilter, had never entered a cooking contest before she took our challenge. This quick, no-fuss, chewy chocolate cookie is made on your waffle iron. No need to haul out the big mixer, you can mix the batter with a small hand mixer or even by hand. Kids love these!
• Preheat a nonstick (not Belgian) waffle iron.
• Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, oil and espresso powder (if using). Beat until thoroughly combined.
• Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the preheated ungreased waffle iron. (To avoid burnt fingers, use two spoons, one to scoop and one to scrape dough onto the waffle iron.) Close and cook until the cookies are puffed and cooked through, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Waffle irons vary, so watch closely and don't let the cookies get too dark. Transfer to a wire rack to cool until just warm. Dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar while still slightly warm (see Variations). Variations: Instead of confectioners' sugar, drizzle cooled cookies with melted bittersweet and/or white chocolate. Or make a peppermint drizzle: Mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 4 teaspoons water and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; add natural green food coloring, if desired.
• Recipe Nutrition:
• Per cookie: 63 calories; 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat, 1 g mono unsaturated fat); 18 mg cholesterol; 7 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 22 mg sodium; 18 mg potassium
• 1/2 Carbohydrate Servings
• Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1/2 fat

Steps:

• Preheat a regular (not Belgian) waffle iron.
• Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder (if using) and oil. Beat until thoroughly combined.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto a preheated ungreased waffle iron. (To avoid burnt fingers, use two spoons, one to scoop and one to scrape dough onto the waffle iron.) Bake until the cookies are baked through, but not browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Waffle irons vary, so watch closely.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool until just warm. Dust cookies with confectioners' sugar while still slightly warm. (See Topping Variations.).
• Topping Variations: Omit confectioners' sugar. Drizzle cooled cookies with melted bittersweet and/or white chocolate. Or, make a peppermint drizzle: Mix 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 4 teaspoons water and 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract; add natural green food coloring, if desired.
• To Make Ahead: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar just before serving.