How to Make Five Varieties of Cookies from One Recipe

I like to give away home baked cookies to clients, co-workers, friends and family during the holiday season. Here is a basic chocolate chip cookie recipe where I make add various ingredients to create several different types of cookie.

My Basic Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (you can use yours, of course)

Ingredients:

4 Cubes Butter (or margarine)

1 ½ Cups Sugar

1 ½ Cups Brown Sugar (firmly packed)

4 Eggs

5 Cups Flour

1 ½ Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Salt

1-2 Pkg. Semi sweet chocolate morsels (bittersweet or milk chocolate)

M & Ms (Non peanut, I prefer to use the red & green ones at Christmas time)

Steps:

1. Cream butter, then add sugars gradually

2. Add all eggs, continuing to mix well.

3. Add all dry ingredients

4. Read variations below before adding chocolate chips, M & M's and/or nuts

4. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts, if desired

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Drop by teaspoon onto cookie sheet and bake 10-12 min. at 375F.

M & M Cookies

Add M & M's and bake as listed above.

Chocolate Chip Brownies

Place dough with chocolate chips into a greased 9" x 9" square baking pan and bake 22-25 min. at 375F. Cut and remove from pan immediately.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Take about one-third to one-fourth of the dough and put into smaller mixing bowl. Beat in appx. 2 T of cocoa powder. (Add more powder for a richer chocolate cookie)

Bake as noted above under Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Add crushed hard peppermint candies to the dough with the chocolate chips. Bake as noted above.

Tip: Since I make some of each with nuts and some without nuts, I end up with several more varieties.