BAKE | GIANT REESE'S PIECES COOKIES

I've had this bag of Reese's pieces for a while now. And I finally found a home for them in these giant Reese's pieces cookies! We mixed these up on Wednesday along with these giant pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, and I put them in the fridge until I baked them all on Saturday. These were a big hit at our church bake sale since we were the only ones who baked anything peanut buttery. Also, Reese's pieces are naturally fall colors. What could be more perfect? 

xoxo, allison & traci

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large egg + 2 egg yolk
• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (15 oz) bag of Reese's Pieces

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda, cornstarch and salt. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together. Whisk in the eggs, then the egg yolks. Mix in the vanilla. 
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in Reese's Pieces. Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.
4. Take the dough out of the refrigerator and allow to slightly soften at room temperature for 10 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. 
6. Using a cookie scoop, roll 2 and 1/2 scoops into balls. Put 6 balls of dough onto each cookie sheet and smoosh down slightly with your palm. To make them look extra pretty, press a few more Reese's pieces on top of the dough balls. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes until edges are brown. (The cookies will look very soft and underbaked, but they will continue to bake on the cookie sheet.) Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Cookies stay soft and fresh for 7 whole days at room temperature. Rolled cookie dough may be frozen up to three months.

BAKE | GIANT CHEWY PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

I know, I know, I'm a little late to the pumpkin party. But better late then never right? I thought I'd try a new recipe this year because my favorite recipe is soft and cakey and when you stack them up they tend to all stick together. This recipe is chewy and perfect for stacking together, bagging them up, and selling them at a church bake sale - which is exactly what we did this past Sunday. Traci and I mixed up the dough on Wednesday and I put them in the fridge until I baked them all on Saturday. Next time, I'll probably add a little more pumpkin spice, but other than that, they were just what I wanted. They were a huge hit at church - one of the first items to sell out! If you haven't made your way to the pumpkin party yet, it's not too late to join!
XO Allison & Traci.

Recipe Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction
Makes 24 giant cookies (4-5 inches in diameter)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 cup (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pumpkin puree 
• 4 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice 
• 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together. Whisk in the vanilla and pumpkin until smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, toss together the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and pumpkin spice. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix together. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover the dough and chill for 30 minutes, or up to 3 days. Chilling is mandatory.
3. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
4. Use cookie scooper to make heaping scoops of dough. Combine 2 scoops and roll the dough into ball. Flatten the dough balls to 1/2 inch thickness (as pictured above) because the cookies only spread a little in the oven. Bake the cookies for 12-13 minutes. Remove from the oven and press a few more chocolate chips onto the tops, to make the pretty.  
5. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the cookie sheets before transferring to a wire rack.  Cookies stay soft, moist, and chewy stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.