cookies Archives - Stephanie Recipes

Butter Pecan Cookies with Brown Butter and Toasted Pecans

Why Butter Pecan Cookies Never Leave My Baking Rotation

Butter pecan cookies have followed me through different seasons of my life, and every time I make them, something familiar settles in. From the very first test batch, I knew they were not just another cookie recipe. Instead, they felt like a quiet classic that earns its place over time. First, there is the smell, warm butter slowly turning nutty, then the deeper aroma of toasted pecans filling the kitchen. That combination alone already tells you what kind of cookie this will be.

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Baking

Nutella Stuffed Cookies

Nutella Stuffed Cookies and the First Time I Made Them Late at Night

A quiet kitchen and a jar waiting to be opened

The first time I made Nutella Stuffed Cookies, it was far later than I normally bake. The house was quiet in that soft, almost humming way it gets after everyone has gone to bed. I remember standing in the kitchen barefoot, light coming only from the stove hood, staring at a jar of Nutella on the counter. It felt indulgent before I even started.

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Appetizers & Snacks

Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies and the reason I keep baking them

Peanut Butter Cookies have followed me through every phase of my cooking life. I baked them before I owned proper measuring cups, before I understood oven temperatures, and long before I learned patience in the kitchen. They were there when I needed something simple, something grounding, and something that did not ask too much of me. Even now, with shelves full of cookbooks and years of experience behind me, I still return to this recipe more than any other.

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Baking

Raspberry Sugar Cookies

Raspberry Sugar Cookies and the Day I Finally Slowed Down

The first time I made Raspberry Sugar Cookies, I did not plan on baking at all. It was one of those afternoons where the day felt slightly off, nothing dramatic, just unsettled. I opened the pantry looking for tea and noticed a bag of freeze-dried raspberries tucked behind flour and sugar. I had bought them weeks earlier with no clear intention. That moment felt like an invitation rather than a decision. Baking these cookies became a way to slow my thoughts and give my hands something steady to do.

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Baking

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip Cookies

The first time I made red velvet chocolate chip cookies, I was chasing a feeling more than a recipe. I wanted something familiar but playful, something that felt indulgent without being heavy. Red velvet always held a strange pull for me. It was never about the color alone, but about that faint cocoa aroma mixed with vanilla and butter that hits the air when the oven warms up. I remember standing in my kitchen, windows cracked open, listening to the soft clink of a mixing bowl while the scent slowly filled the room.

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Baking

Strawberry Kiss Cookies Recipe

The first time I baked these strawberry kiss cookies, I remember how the color alone changed my mood. The dough turned a soft, cheerful pink almost instantly, and it felt like the kitchen itself brightened. I have baked countless cookies over the years, but these always stop me for a moment. There is something playful about them, yet they still feel classic and familiar. As they bake, the scent is gently sweet with a hint of berry, not overpowering, just enough to make you pause whatever else you are doing. I often find myself leaning against the counter, waiting, already imagining that first bite.

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Baking

Soft and Spiced Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies

I still remember the first winter afternoon when I decided to work on these Soft and Spiced Gingerbread Crinkle Cookies. Outside, the light was already fading by late afternoon, and the kitchen felt quiet except for the hum of the oven warming up. I had been craving something deeply spiced, something that made the house smell like ginger and molasses before the cookies even hit the oven rack. This recipe grew out of that craving, shaped by years of tweaking gingerbread doughs that were either too dry or too sweet. I wanted a cookie that stayed tender for days, cracked beautifully, and tasted like the holidays I grew up with, where molasses was always sticky on the measuring spoon and powdered sugar ended up everywhere.

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Appetizers & Snacks

Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodle Cookies and Why They Always Matter

Snickerdoodle cookies have followed me through every stage of my kitchen life. I baked them as a teenager on quiet afternoons, measuring flour carefully and sneaking cinnamon sugar with my fingers. Later, they became the cookie I made when time felt short but I still wanted something meaningful from the oven. The scent of butter and cinnamon fills a room fast, and that alone feels like a reward.

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Appetizers & Snacks

Peanut Butter Paw Print Cookies

Peanut Butter Paw Print Cookies have become a regular in my baking rotation because they deliver so much satisfaction with very little effort. The dough comes together quickly, which makes it ideal for spontaneous baking sessions. I often make them when I want something sweet but do not want to spend hours in the kitchen. The simplicity leaves room to focus on the little details that make them special.

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Baking

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies That Feel Like Home

Some recipes stay with you long after the last crumb disappears. These Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies belong firmly in that category for me. I first made a version of them on a rainy afternoon when I needed something comforting yet playful. Chocolate felt necessary, peanut butter felt nonnegotiable, and the swirl came from a moment of curiosity rather than planning. From the first batch, I knew this recipe would return again and again.

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