Snickers Cookies

Back in my middle school days, I had a teacher that would bring us a treat for our birthday.  We would greatly anticipate the special day when that cellophane wrapped cookie on a stick would arrive all decked out in ribbons!  Our teacher would bake a whole Snickers bar covered in a yummy peanut butter cookie on a popcicle stick.  It would make you wish your birthday happened every week!

Snickers Cookies
(I've adapted the recipe to use Snickers miniatures in regular sized cookies.)

1 c unsalted butter
1 1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 c white sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars. Beat in eggs.

2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter. Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour. (Chilling is somewhat optional.  It helps the dough not be as sticky, but if you can't wait to get baking, try baking them without chilling them.)

3. Using a medium scoop, take about 1 1/2 tbs of dough and flatten in your hand.  Place one unwrapped Snickers miniature in the middle of the dough.  Wrap the dough around the candy and make sure it is sealed all the way around.  Place on a baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for about 9 minutes or until cookies are no longer doughy and begin to slightly brown. Do not over-bake.  Immediately move to a cooling rack.  Enjoy warm or up to days later if stored in an airtight container.

Peppermint Biscotti

Wondering what you are going to do with all those leftover candy canes? Here's the solution! A friend of mine requested this recipe, so it was already typed up. I just had to copy / paste, and it was posted to the blog! Enjoy!

Peppermint Biscotti

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp peppermint extract
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup crushed peppermint candies

Drizzle:
2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbs shortening
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in the peppermint candy. (NOTE: I only used 1/2 - 3/4 cup.) Gradually add to the creamed mixture, beating until blended (dough will be stiff).

2. Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12" x 2-1/2" log. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 1/2" slices. (Cut a thin 1/2" for a yeild closer to stated. Slices pictured only yeilded about 2 dozen.) Place cut side down on ungreased baking shets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over biscotti; sprinkle with candy. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container.

Yeild: about 3 1/2 dozen.

Recipe from Taste of Home

Thankgiving Cookies

This would be a great little "project" to do with your kids over the holiday. I just received this in an email today and think we will try to do it with the kids on Thanksgiving Day.


Click here to get recipe. I am going to try using orange Starburst candies cut in quarters instead of mini Chiclets since they will be hard to find.

Amish Sugar Cookies

Without exaggerating, these are by far the best cookies in the world! Okay, maybe not THE best, but at least one of the best. These cookies are unbelievably moist (even after freezing them without icing) and have a wonderful flavor probably because of the Brown Butter Icing -- mmmm! (I recently left a couple out overnight. Placed them in a resealable bag for a few hours and they were moist again! Unbelievable.)

I lothe making cookies (except no-bake cookies cuz they are easy-peasy), but if I do make cookies these are some that I'll actually put forth the effort to make. I will give you fair warning . . . a whole batch makes almost 7 dozen! That's good and bad. If you make a whole batch, you'll have PLENTY of cookies, but if you make a whole batch, you'll eat PLENTY of cookies! I've only made a whole batch twice. I usually only make a half batch which I will give you the breakdown for at the end.

Amish Sugar Cookies

2 c margarine
4 c brown sugar
6 large eggs
2 Tbs vanilla
1 c milk
1 tsp salt
8 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp baking powder

1. Using a LARGE bowl, cream sugar and margarine thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk.

2. Drop cookie dough on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees about 10 minutes. *I use a medium cookie scoop which is approximately 1 1/2 Tbs. and makes nice size cookies. [Key to good cookie: needs to be slightly brown all over.]

Yield: approximately 7 dozen large cookies

Brown Butter Icing

Melt 1/2 c butter in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until butter stops bubbling and is nut brown in color. Do not scorch! Combine with 2 c powdered sugar and 2 to 4 Tbs boiling water; beat until smooth and of good spreading consistancy. Makes enough to frost 5 dozen cookies. (I usually make 1 1/2 recipes for full recipe of cookies.)


Half recipe: Amish Sugar Cookies

1 c margarine
2 c brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
1/2 c milk
1/2 tsp salt
4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Follow same directions above for full recipe. Yield: 3 1/2 dozen large cookies

Note: I recently learned that if you use butter instead of margarine in a recipe, the cookie will spread out more while cooking.

Recipe given to me by Cheryl Dunlap.

Peanut Blossom Cookies

Not that we need more recipes like this, but I had some chocolate kisses left over from Easter that I wanted to use up. I made my mother's recipe for Peanut Blossom Cookies. Thought you might enjoy it.

Peanut Blossom Cookies

Cream
* 1/2 c margarine
* 1/2 c peanut butter

Gradually add
* 1/2 c sugar
* 1/2 c brown sugar

Beat into mixture
* 1 egg
* 1 tsp vanilla

Mix
* 1 3/4 c sifted flour
* 1 tsp baking soda
* 1/2 tsp salt (opt)

Gradually blend into dry ingredients thoroughly. Shape into round balls and roll in granulated sugar.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes at 375 degrees; remove from oven. Place a chocolate kiss in the center until cookie cracks. Bake for 2 minutes longer.

Let cool slightly and move to cookie rack.

Yield about 2 dozen.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

This week's post is both a recipe and a "craft" idea . . . this year for Thanksgiving, I made sugar cookies and decorated them with our guests' names and used them as place cards. I saw a similar idea with stars decorated for Christmas. I'm definitely going to try to do this for Christmas too!

The recipe I've included is a great recipe, but it isn't for the faint of heart. If you're too rushed for time or have a lot going on, use your own sugar cookie recipe and still use the idea for the place cards.

Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

2/3 c Butter-flavored Crisco
3/4 c sugar
1 Tsp plus 1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

1. Combine Crisco, sugar, milk & vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg.

2. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix into creamed mixture at low speed until well blended. Cover & refrigerate several hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out dough half at a time to about 1/4" thickness on a floured surface. (Try to roll the out the least amount possible.) Cut out with cookie cutter. Place 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugars or leave plain and frost when cooled.

4. Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Remove immediately to wire racks. (There is a fine line. They need to be baked until done but taken out just before they get lightly brown. I let them sit a minute before putting them on the wire rack. I also alternate cookie sheets so one has time to cool in between.)

Icing: 2 c powdered sugar and 3 Tsp milk.

I included this picture of the Butter-flavored Crisco, so you would know what to look for when you go to the store. I am pretty sure it comes in a 3 pack.