Priesthood Power

Okay, I hate to post on top of Shalee's yummy cookies, so make sure you scroll down and check them out, they look delicious! And, I feel like I'm taking over the blog these days, sorry everybody! I just had to share my little Priesthood goodies. We teach in the Nursery and this week's lesson was on the Priesthood. I like to send the kids home with something tangible from our lesson. So this week we talked about article of faith #5, and the priesthood and types of things Priesthood holders do. I randomly found this "hand" cookie cutter at Joann's earlier in the week and thought it just might work for something. I was originally going for a "key" cookie cutter (for Priesthood keys), but found hands instead. So, I made "hand" sugar cookies, and put them in a cute little baggie with the Fifth Article of Faith and a picture of the priesthood tied to it. It was fun, and went great with the lesson, plus the kids loved them.

Just a thought.... a hand cookie cutter could be a great church thing.... helping hands, laying on of hands, service, etc. I'm glad I spent the 0.99 cents on it!!

Oatmeal Krispie Cookies

These are the best cookies ever. My neighbor just made some for us and I had to beg the recipe. I haven't made them myself yet for just one reason..... I'm scared I will eat the ENTIRE batch. Seriously, these are now my favorite cookies. Hope you enjoy them!!!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup reduced fat spread, like Olivio or I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 T. Vanilla

4 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

4 c. flour

4 cups old-fashioned oats

4 cups Rice Krispies

About ¾ cup Heath Toffee bits

About 1 cup butterscotch chips (sorry, I never measure these things)

 Directions:

Cream butter, spread, eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add soda, powder and flour and blend. Stir in oatmeal, krispies, toffee and butterscotch. Mix until blended. Roll into balls and place on greased cookies sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.

 

Shortbread Cookies

While at Rob's parents' house a couple days ago, his mom and I made some yummy Christmas cookies. One of her favorites are these Nut Shortbread Cookies. I'd never had them before, but I love them! And, of course, they're super easy.

1 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c nuts, finely chopped

Mix all ingredients, then chill for at least 1/2 hour. Roll to 1/2 inch thick. Cut, bake at 300 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Toffee

I got this recipe from a friend here in MN.  It is delish, and I think it makes a wonderful holiday treat!!  Oh, it is really easy too.  And sorry, it doesn't freeze..... hahaha.  

Line 15x1 pan (jelly roll pan) with foil and grease with butter (or spray with Pam).

Place down one layer of saltines and set aside (you might need to break some of the saltines so they fit).

In a sauce pan, combine 1 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar.

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until it starts to caramelize.

Pour over saltines and spread around.

Bake for 7-9 minutes @ 350° F.

Pour 1 bag (2 cups) chocolate chips over the hot caramel.  Let melt and spread all over.

Sprinkle toffee chips on top.

Let cool for about 2 hours (or as long as you can stand it!)

Break apart and ENJOY!

Peanut Butter Treats

I know the theme is berries this week, but last week was kids party snacks, and I'm running late...so I'm still going with that theme for this post.

I made these last night and am now addicted. I even woke up in the middle of the night craving them and polished them off at about 3am.

Peanut Butter Candies

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a small mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar until blended. Beat in cracker crumbs. Shape into 1-1/2-in. balls. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. In a microwave, melt chocolate chips; stir until smooth. Carefully spoon a small amount of chocolate mixture over each candy. Freeze for at least 15 minutes.

Yield: about 1 dozen.
Nutrition Facts
• One serving: (1 each)
• Calories: 110
• Fat: 7 g
• Saturated Fat: 3 g
• Cholesterol: 8 mg
• Sodium: 69 mg
• Carbohydrate: 11 g
• Fiber: 1 g
• Protein: 2 g

Melt Aways...with almond extract

Okay so I know we did cookies last week, but I had a hard time coming up with anything else. And these are the best and seriously melt in your mouth. I make these every christmas.

1 c corn starch
1c powder sugar
2 c room temperature butter (must be butter)
1 Tbs Almond extract
2 c flour
candied cherries

Cream butter, sugar, almond, and corn starch. Add flour and beat together. Shape into small balls, Place 1/4 candied cherry on top of each cookie. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 mintues.

Sour Cream Drop Cookies

These are so yummy!

Cream:
2 c. sugar
1 c. shortening, butter, or margarine (you can do 1/2 shortening, 1/2 margarine)
until fluffy

Add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 c sour cream
stir

Add:
4 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp baking powder

Spoon onto cookie sheet. Bake 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

My most favorite dessert ever is chocolate chip cookies! And this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever found! My mom made these all the time when I was little and I would get sick from stealing too many spoonfuls of cookie dough! YUM!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c shortening (I use butter flavored)
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 c flour (make sure the flour is not packed! I usually stir it up to loosen it and then scoop it out with a measuring cup. If you use too much flour the cookies won't be as moist, and if you don't use enough they'll be flat)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 oz. chocolate chips (I always use milk chocolate!)

Cream together shortening, both sugars and vanilla. Then stir in eggs. In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, and salt. Combine with first ingredients and add chocolate chips.
Drop 1 inch balls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Lemon Bars

1/2 c. butter
1 1/3 c. flour
1/4 c. powdered sugar

- Mix and pat into a 9x13 pan - bake at 350 degrees for 12 min.

4 eggs
2 c. sugar
4 T. flour
4 T. lemon juice
1 t. lemon rind (I don't add this unless I have it)
1 t. baking powder

Mix and pour over crust right out of oven. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

I like this recipe because these cookies actually have a lot of flavor. Sometimes, when I make sugar cookies, the icing is the only thing with any taste, but not with these! These are really easy to handle if you let them sit in the fridge for a while.

1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
½ tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups flour

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg yolk. When smooth, add flour until well combined. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerated 8 hours or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake 7-10 minutes or until just barely golden. You don’t want the edges browned or they will be crispy, not soft.
5. Leave cookies on sheets for a minute, then transfer to cooling racks. Cool completely before frosting. Keep covered.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

My Favorite Sugar Cookies

Sorry I have a sick baby I haven't posted in a while. These are the best sugar cookies, they are soft and just so yummy especially with the cream cheese frosting. I cut them out into heart shapes and decorate them for valentines. I give them away as special Valentines treats to neighbors and friends. I don't know if I'll be able to this year but it has been a tradition from before I was even married.

1 cup shortening
2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
4 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Mix with dry ingredients. Chill 2 hours. Roll 1/4" thick. Heat oven to 400 degrees baking for 8 minutes.

Classic Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 stick (8 tbsp.) butter or margarine, at room temperature
3 ¾ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together cream cheese and butter. Add sugar gradually on low speed until incorporated. Add vanilla and increase speed to medium to blend and fluff, about 1 minute. Makes 3 cups, enough to frost 2 or 3 layer cake.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These are a simple take on chocolate chip cookies. I like the oats and peanut butter mix.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Beat together: 2 eggs
½ cup softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add: 1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 ½ cups flour
Mix together and add ½ cup peanut butter, ½ cup chocolate chips, and ½ cup walnuts. Form into balls and bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes or till lightly browned. Remove and cool.

Chicken Satay Noodles and No Bake Cookies

I was planning on posting this No Bake Cookie recipe all week. But then yesterday we tried out a Rachael Ray recipe that also had peanut butter in it and it was actually pretty good and not too hard. So I figured I could put up the cookie one and the link to the Rachael Ray recipe.
So for Cold Chicken Satay Noodles click below:

Cold Chicken Satay Noodles Recipe

I left out the scallions and the cilantro and it was great! And I just noticed on the recipe that the last 2 steps are in the wrong order. You're supposed to add the tamari, garlic, etc. before the oil and noodles, etc.

And now... this is one of my favorite cookie recipes! They are so good and way too easy to make! And the recipe says the peanut butter is optional but I can't imagine them being as good if you leave it out.

No Bake Cookies
2 C sugar
1/4 C cocoa
1/2 C butter
1/2 C milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
3 C oats
1/2 C peanut butter (optional)

Mix sugar, cocoa, butter and milk in large saucepan. Bring to boil. Remove from heat. Let cool for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Drop spoonful sized balls onto waxed paper. Let cool maybe 30 min before ready to eat.
Hint: When bringing to a boil, let top get all bubbly. Add oatmeal last. If runny, add more oatmeal, no more than a cup extra.

Peanut Butter Bars

I slacked off on the last ingredient post, so I wanted to be the first one this week! I LOVE peanut butter, as much as I love cheese! These bars, or cookies are great, easy, and really yummy with chocolate frosting or with ice cream.

Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/2 t. soda
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. flour
1 c. oatmeal

Directions:
Mix butter and sugars together; add peanut butter and egg, then vanilla. Mix all dry ingredients and pat dough smoothly into a greased 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Frost with chocolate frosting.

Jam Thumbpints

I make these cookies every year for a cookie exchange party and they're a big hit.

Ingredients:

3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbsp water
7 ounces sweetened coconut

1. Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and blend. Add flour and salt and mix. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.
2. Roll dough into 1 inch balls and dip in egg wash, then coconut. Make a small impression in each ball. Place balls on greased cookie sheet. Fill impressions with a small amount of jam.
3. Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or till lightly browned and done inside.
4. Cool on racks.

Makes 4 dozen

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

I really like pumpkin cookies and pumpkin bread. So, I think these cookies are a great, kid-friendly Thanksgiving dessert. Especially with vanilla ice cream! These are also nice because they don't use eggs (I often go to make cookies and don't have enough eggs)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups white sugar
1 cup shortening
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream the sugar, shortening, pumpkin and vanilla together. Mix until light and well combined.
3. Mix the flour, baking soda and ground cinnamon. Stir the flour mixture into the creamed mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Drop by teaspoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes or until set. Let cookies cool on a rack.

Fun Turkeys

MIke and I are the Nursery Leaders in our ward. We are in charge of the Sr. Nursery too. These are the snacks I made for Nursery tomorrow. The kids will love them. Its fudge striped shortbread cookies, mini reeses pieces, candy corn, graham crackers and chocolate frosting to glue it together. You may think it looks like a lot and it is, there are 15 turkeys, we actually have 18 names on the roll (for sr. nursery alone). We generally have between 10 and 12 show up, but just in case there's more I'm prepared.

Fudgy Bonbons

Ok I already posted a recipe for the week but I made these for an activity today and got a few requests to put up the recipe. So here it is.

Fudgy Bonbons-
12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
2 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
60 Hershey hugs or kisses

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saucepan combine chocolate chips and butter. Stir over very low heat until chips are melted and smooth. Add milk. Mix well. Combine flour, chocolate mixture, and vanilla. Cover hugs/kisses completely with the dough. Place one inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Back at 350 degrees for 7-10 min. Best when served right out of the oven.
You can also melt some white baking bar with shortening and drizzle it over the cookies to add a pretty touch.

* You can experiment with the inside candy. I think hugs are the best but I experimented with carmel kisses today and they were good but a lot of the carmel seeped out while they were in the oven. Bridget gave me a good idea though and next time I'm going to try them with Reese's peanut butter cup miniatures!

Quick and Easy!

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

2 packages (18-1/4 oz each) devil's food cake mix
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs

FILLING:
1 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

In mixing bowl, combine the cake mixes, oil and eggs; mix well. Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Do not flatten. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool for 5 minutes before removing to wire racks (cookies will flatten as they cool). In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until smooth. Spread on the bottom of half of the cookies; top with remaining cookies. Store in the refrigerator. They also freeze well!

These cookies are so good! I normally cut the recipe in half and don't even make the filling. I then break them over ice cream, add some caramel and it is the best dessert ever!

Graham Gems

This is one of my most favorite desserts! I've never met anyone who didn't love them. And they're pretty easy too. They do stick to the pan though so make sure you really grease and flour it!

Graham Gems
18 graham cracker squares (9 of the full rectangles) or 1 1/2 C crumbs
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
6oz pkg chocolate chips
nuts (optional)

Crush crackers into crumbs. Add milk, vanilla and chocolate chips and stir together. Bake in greased and floured 9" square pan for 30 min at 325 degrees. Cute while hot. Chill before eating.