Combine butter, brown sugar, and water in a quart measuring cup suitable for the microwave. Microwave on High power 2 minutes. Stir, add chocolate chips, and stir again until chocolate chips are melted. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, unwrap and halve each candy; set aside.

Beat eggs in mixer bowl. Add cooled chocolate mixture. Sift together flour, soda, and salt; add to mixing bowl. Beat on low speed until ingredients are just blended. Chill dough 1 1/2 hours. Roll into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake at 350 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until cookies are done. Remove from oven and immediately place half a mint on each cookie. Let stand 2 minutes or until candy will spread. Spread chocolate over cookie. Remove cookie to a cooling rack. Makes 60-70 cookies.

Mississippi Mud Cookies

Prep: 25 min Bake: 12 min per batch Yield: about 3 dozen

Ingredients:
1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp miniature marshmallows

Directions:
Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and ½ cup milk chocolate morsels.
Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press 3 marshmallows into each portion of dough.
Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.

Tip: Dough containing sticky ingredients, such as marshmallows and toffee bits, are best baked on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Rolo Chocolate Cookies

1 c. sugar
1 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1 c. margarine or butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 c. chopped pecans
48 Rolo Caramels, unwrapped
1 tbsp. sugar

1. In large bowl, combine 1 c. sugar, brown sugar, and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well.
2. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In small bowl, combine flour, cocoa and baking soday; mix well. Add to sugar mixture; blend well. Stir in 1/2 c. pecans. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 min. for easier handling.
3. Heat oven tyo 375 degrees. For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tbsp. dough, add Rolo and roll around till completely covered. In small bowl, combind remaining 1/2 c. pecans with 1 tbsp. sugar. Press once side of each ball into pecan mixture. Place nut side up on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until set and slightly cracked. cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheet. Let cool another 15 minutes before eating.

4 dozen cookies

and I’m happy to say I’ve benefited from two of these recipes posted by people making cookies for us for the holidays…the molassess cookies from melissa and alison’s peanut butter squares. both were AWESOME.

Peanut Butter Squares

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup chunky peanut butter
Graham cracker crumbs, finely Crushed (1 section of regular grahams, not honey grahams)
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 (12ounce) package chocolate chips

Mix all but chocolate and 2 Tbs butter together. Pat peanut butter mixture into a 9×13″ pan. Melt chocolate bits and 2 Tbs butter and spread over mixture in pan. Put in refrigerator to cool, cut after they are cool.

If you double the recipe you can make them in a big cookie sheet. (They also freeze really well)

Palmer’s Cookies
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 can Eagle Brand milk
1/2 stick butter
1 cup plain flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (opt)

Melt choc chips, Eagle Brand milk, and butter in a double boiler. In a mixing bowl combine melted mixture with flour, vanilla, and pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes. Do not overbake.
Enjoy!