Anonymous wrote:Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies are very easy and foolproof.

This. Or the recipe for Oatmeal Rasin cookies on the Quaker oatmeal box.

I find Mexican Wedding cookies to be very easy to make. Hardest thing is just finely chopping the nuts.

http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe104.mexican-wedding-cakes.html

Any kind of bark. No baking required.

These make the best chocolate chip cookies ever.

1 box yellow cake mix (not butter-yellow)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
Bag of chocolate chips

375, 10ish minutes. They are fluffy and chewy and just perfect. Cannot mess them up.

Anonymous wrote:Chocolate pretzel rods.

Buy the pretzel rods, some chocolate chips and whatever kind of sprinkles you like. Tip the whole bag of chocolate chips into a bowl and add a couple spoons of butter. Melt in the microwave.

Spread the sprinkles on a plate. Dip a pretzel in the chocolate (leave a "handle"); roll in sprinkles, and leave it on a plate covered in wax paper or plastic wrap. When you are done, rest the whole plate in the fridge for a couple of hours.

I am a great baker and I always have trouble with anything that involves using melted chocolate.

Some easy ones I do are snickerdoodles, chocolate chip, peanutbutter with a hershey kiss in the center. I find that drop cookie recipes are the best.

Whenever I bake cookies, I use my electric mixer (I think most people do now, but when I was growing up, no one did). After combining all of my wet ingredients, I then add the salt, baking soda or baking powder or anything else that requires only a small amount. I mix that well before adding the flour.

One other thing is to make sure your baking soda and/or baking power are not out of date.

A couple of tips I have found helpful to make cookies more “plump” and less crusty around the edges:
1. If the recipe calls for butter, use half the amount of butter and the other half Crisco
2. Bake cookies on parchment paper

These two tips have made my homemade cookies a whole lot prettier and more presentable!

Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies are very easy and foolproof.

No bake cookies. Cookies with flour are tricky for non bakers because it's easy to add too much or not enough which can make them not come out right. Google no bake cookies. They're easy and good.

Pretzel roll pecan. Easiest ever, quick and so good!

http://www.hersheys.com/rolo/recipes.aspx?id=

use any cookie recipe just leave out the shifting and separating wet from dry.

I have never shifted or done the dry ingredients in separate bowls. Everything into the kitchenaid and I get compliments all the time. Might they be better if I followed directions to a T? Maybe but they are always yummy and if you have the ingredients on hand we are talking 10 min tops for making the dough .

We love these http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mrs-siggs-snickerdoodles/. Go without or use a little lemon juice in place of the cream of tartar if you don't have any

Oh and present the rum balls in holiday muffin cups so it's easy to exchange.

Why not rum balls?
If you use very good ingredients, you could come up with something people will be pleased to get in the exchange! You don't need to bake.

Here's one from emeril, but maybe others have a recipe that they have tried and is foolproof? (I only eat them)
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/rum-balls-recipe3.html

Chocolate pretzel rods.

Buy the pretzel rods, some chocolate chips and whatever kind of sprinkles you like. Tip the whole bag of chocolate chips into a bowl and add a couple spoons of butter. Melt in the microwave.

Spread the sprinkles on a plate. Dip a pretzel in the chocolate (leave a "handle"); roll in sprinkles, and leave it on a plate covered in wax paper or plastic wrap. When you are done, rest the whole plate in the fridge for a couple of hours.

Oatmeal cookies. The recipe on the underside of the cover. Add dried cranberries and/or chocolate chips.

Help! Cookie exchange coming up, every year, try a recipe that isn't too involved, and it's never great. Me, my oven, who knows!

Any foolproof recipes out there.. maybe non-cook?

thanks!