Maybe the Easiest Cookies Ever

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Easy.  Frugal.  Versatile.  Freezer friendly.  Delicious.

What a cookie!  And they are made with sweetened condensed milk–Yum!

Made at their simplest, they are a buttery vanilla treat.  But being the blank slate that they are, the recipe lends itself to customization.

Thumbprint cookies filled with jam, Nutella, or chocolate chips is one way to go.  Or you can stir chopped nuts, chocolate, seasonal sprinkles, or other goodies in to the dough before baking.

I usually make them in their naked form, with only the addition of almond extract to dress them up.  The scoop I use leaves me with cookies that look like tiny scoops of ice cream.  And that’s the recipe I’ll give you below.  But you can flatten the balls, too, if you like a more traditional cookie shape.

Easy Cookies

I have changed the recipe from the original in a few ways.   Most noticeably, I substitute coconut oil for half of the butter that was called for.  I made it with all butter the first time, and my family found them too buttery.  (I never thought that description was possible, by the way, but I’m standing by it).  Making them with half coconut oil and half butter still yields a rich, buttery cookie.

The other changes I made are to add a pinch of salt and some extracts for flavor.  And since the original calls for self-rising flour, which I never have on hand, I tweaked the recipe for that as well.

These cookies are ideal for sitting down with a cup of tea or coffee and putting your feet up, or inviting a friend over to chat.

The Gift of Homemaking

I want to take a minute, before I give you the recipe, to tell you about the blog where I first discovered these easy cookies.  It’s called Down to Earth and it’s one of my absolute favorites!  I just love the simple, comfortable, genuine feel I get when I visit.  Read what Rhonda wrote way back in 2009 that had me totally hooked on her blog:

Don’t let them fool you, there is joy to be found at home. If you listen to the people who don’t know that, you’ll be thinking that being at home, and the chores to be done there, are demeaning, demanding and disgusting. If you read magazines, they’ll tell you all about how to do this and that, they’ll give you lists of “the best 10 holidays …” and tell you 20 different ways to serve a chicken leg, but they never write about the satisfaction of homemaking, or the joy to be found by making your home a safe and cozy haven for all who live there.   (source)

If I can pass even the tiniest bit of that kind of wisdom on to anyone, I will consider myself a success.  Making our homes a haven, a safe and pleasant place…it’s a gift, not a burden.  And, as Rhonda says, something that we can take great satisfaction in.  My husband and I were just talking the other day about how thrilled we are that our boys invite their friends over frequently to hang out.  We have been intentional in saying “yes” to those invites, and try to be intentional in making our home welcoming and comfortable.

I learned to make soap from Rhonda.  You can read about it here.  (It’s so much easier than you think!) And of course, these delicious cookies too.

Make These Cookies

These easy cookies are a staple at my house, and on road trips and lunch boxes…they travel wonderfully!  The recipe makes such a large batch, that I usually make half and freeze the rest of the dough for another day.

You really must try them!

Here’s the recipe:

You can find the original recipe here.

Looking for more easy cookie recipes?  Here are some of my favorites: