The emotional trigger that a smell can stir up is one of the most powerful triggers that there is. If you live anywhere in the United States, chances are that the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking conjures up some kind of emotional memory for you. Smells are part of how we remember, part of how we define our memories, our stories, our lives.

For me, the smells of baking were part of my childhood, part of the fabric of how I define my childhood and part of the fabric of how I define my life to this day. The smell of a favorite baked treat can still bring a smile of remembrance to my face. What kitchen smells define your childhood memories? What smells do you want your children to define as their childhood memories? Here a couple of great variations on that old favorite, chocolate chip cookies. I hope you use these baking recipes to make wonderful memories with your children.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Mix together until creamy. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture. Add in the chocolate chips and peanuts. Drop the dough by teaspoons onto baking sheets. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set but the centers are soft. After removing the cookies from the oven, leave them on the baking sheets for 4 minutes before removing them.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 3/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter and regular sugar. Add in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Slowly add the flour mixture. Add the oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes for soft cookies and 12 to 13 for crispy ones.

Jill Borash loves to share her passion for baking and story telling at her website, YourBakingStory.com. If you’re looking for a tasty [http://www.yourbakingstory.com ]baking recipe or just a good story, stop by and browse awhile. Happy Baking!

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Ingredients:

1 cup/250ml peanut butter flavoured chips; 2 large eggs; 2-1/4 cups or 562ml all purpose flour; 1 tsp baking soda; 1 cup or 250ml butter or margarine, softened; 3/4 tsp salt; 3/4 cup or 187ml granulated sugar; 3/4 cup packed brown sugar; 1 package or 337g mini baking semi-sweet chocolate candies; 1 tsp vanilla.

Method:

Preheat oven to 375F or 190C.   Place flour, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl and mix well.  Beat butter, granulated and brown sugars in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down side of bowl once.  Beat in eggs and vanilla, scraping down side.

Add flour mixture.  Beat at low speed until well blended, scraping down side. Stir in candies and chips with mixing spoon.  Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough about 3inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.  Let cookies stand on cookie sheets for 2 minutes.  Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks, and cool completely.

Store tightly at room temperature of freeze up to 3 months.

Ingredients

120g plain flour
120g self-raising flour
150g butter
1 egg beaten
2 tbsp (or more) cold water
A little salt

Pineapple jam:

2 cups grated pineapple
330g granulated sugar
4 cloves

Method to prepare the pastry:

Sift flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Rub in butter lightly with fingertips till it becomes crumbly. Make a well in the center of the mixture. Pour in the beaten egg and water and bind the ingredients together. Do not knead too much. Sprinkle a little flour over the pastry boards and roll out the pastry thinly. Cut pastry with a fluted cutter. Put a little pineapple jam in the center of each piece.

Method to prepare pineapple jam:

Put grated pineapple and sugar and cloves into a saucepan and bring to the boil over slow fire. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Boil ntil the jam is thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Bake at 350F or 175C for 25 minutes.

This is one of the crispiest cookies ever! So easy to do, so delicious and I promise, will make your guests happy during Christmas.

Ingredients

115g butter or margarine
225g castor sugar
175g plain flour
115g rice crispies cereal
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional, if you want crunchier cookies
Method

Using electric mixer, cream the butter or margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Sift over the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt and fold in.

Add the cereal and chocolate chips, stir to mix thoroughly.

Drop spoonfuls of the dough, about 1-2 inch apart on the lightly greased baking sheets.

Preheat oven to 180C. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.

I named this cookie such, after deciding on the butterfly shaped cookie cutter.  You can make your cookie anything you want it to be , in any shape of your choice. 

Ingredients

400g self raising flour
250g chocolate rice
250g butter
200g sugar
60g eggs
60g cocoa powder
2g salt
½ tsp vanilla essence
Pinch of baking powder
Method

Sift the flour together with baking powder.

Beat butter and sugar till light and creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla essence, cocoa powder and flour.  Mix well till it becomes a dough.

Roll out on pastry board.   Use a cookie cutter with butterfly shape and press into the dough. Arrange the cookies on baking tray.

Brush the top of the cookies with egg and then sprinkle with chocolate rice.

Preheat oven. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes.