No-Bake Chocolate and Peanut Butter Oatmeal Bars

With a candy-bar-inspired top and a crumbly cookie base, each of these rich squares packs a double dose of that perfect pairing: chocolate and peanut butter.

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray 9 ounces chocolate wafers (about 40 wafers), finely ground (2 cups) 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt 5 ounces (1 stick plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1 cup chunky peanut butter 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter 10 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted 1 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, melted

Directions
1. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the 2 long sides. Combine wafers, oats, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add chunky peanut butter and 3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, whisking until well combined. Add peanut butter mixture to wafer mixture, stirring until combined. Transfer to baking dish, and use the bottom of a measuring cup or an offset spatula to firmly press mixture into an even layer. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Pour melted semisweet chocolate over chilled mixture and, using an offset spatula, spread into a thin layer that covers the entire surface. Refrigerate until hardened, at least 15 minutes. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter in a small saucepan until runny. Drizzle peanut butter over chilled chocolate. Drizzle melted milk chocolate over peanut butter. Refrigerate until hardened, about 15 minutes. Use parchment to lift out chilled block of bars. Run a sharp knife under hot water, dry well, and cut into 24 squares, wiping knife between cuts. Let bars stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. (Sliced bars can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.)

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Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 cups (about 12 ounces) semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup packed light-brown sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups raisins

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together oats, flour, wheat germ, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugars in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add oat mixture; mix until just combined. Mix in raisins. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake until golden and just set, about 14 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks using a spatula; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.

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Pecan Sandies
Ingredients

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in vanilla and salt. With mixer on low, gradually add flour, beating just until combined. Fold in pecans. Roll dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, and place on two baking sheets, 2 inches apart. With the dampened bottom of a glass, lightly flatten each ball.

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Bake until cookies are golden brown, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool.

Cook's Note
For best results, line cookie sheets with parchment prior to baking.

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled) 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons coarse salt 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions
1. 2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy, 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-low and beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Mix in flour mixture just until incorporated; fold in chocolate chips and chunks. Using a 1/4-cup ice-cream scoop or a large spoon, drop dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (you should have 24) and refrigerate 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Arrange 6 unbaked cookies, 3 inches apart, on each of two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until edges are light golden brown, 17 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Bake remaining dough using new parchment.

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No Bake Graham Cracker Crumb Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

In a sauce pan, combine the following over a low to medium heat stirring until you have melted the ingredients. 1/4 cup of peanut butter 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips 2 tablespoons of butter 2 tablespoons of sugar Once you melt the ingredients, remove from heat. Stir in the one cup of fine graham cracker crumbs. Spread the cookie mixture into an 8 by 8-inch square pan. Chill until the hardened. Once the mixture has hardened, cut into 36 squares. Once you cut the squares, remove from the pan and place on a plate or platter for serving.