Choco-Kissed Cookies

I found this recipe in Family Circle magazine. We like to make these cookies at Christmas time.

Makes: 4 dozen cookies  Prep: 20 minutes  Chill: 15 minutes  Bake: at 375 degrees for 11 minutes

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/4 cup for rolling
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
48 foil-wrapped dark or milk chocolate candies (such as Hershey's Kisses), unwrapped

1- In medium-sized bowl, beat butter, peanut butter, light brown sugar, 3/4 granulated sugar and vanilla in bowl until smooth and creamy, 3 minutes.  Beat in eggs.
2- In small bowl, mix flour, cocoa, and salt.  On low speed, beat into butter mixture.  Refrigerate 15 minutes.
3- Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Roll dough into balls, 1 tablespoon each.  Roll each ball in the 1/4 cup sugar.  Transfer to un-greased baking sheet, space 1 inch apart.
4- Bake in 375 degree oven until set, 10 minutes.  Press an unwrapped chocolate candy in center of each cookie.  Return to oven; bake 1 minute to set.
5- Let cool slightly on sheet on rack.  Remove cookies to rack; let cool completely.  Store cookies in airtight container up to 2 weeks (chocolate centers will firm up overnight).

No Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Combine:
1/3 lb. graham crackers, crumbed
1/2 lb. softened butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 lb. powdered sugar (3 cups unsifted)

Press mixture into a 9x13 pan.

Melt:
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Spread over top of peanut butter mixture.  Cool in refrigerator.  May bring closer to room temp. to cut.

Favorite Brownies

This recipe is pretty new to me.  My mom brought them over one night in December and they quickly became my favorite.  They are delicious, have great presentation and are super easy to throw together.  From now on, they will be my go-to brownie.  Love them!

5 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cocoa

Topping suggestions:  2 kinds of chocolate chips or baking chips, toffee bits, m&m's, nuts, sprinkles, use your imagination.   I used 1 cup semi-sweet, 1 cup white baking chips and 1/2 cup toffee bits and it was great.

Mix all ingredients together until moistened.  Pour into 9x13 pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips and toffee bits.  Bake at 350F for 30-35 min.

Jenn Weber's Pie Crust

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup veg. oil
1/4 cup cold water

Mix flour and salt.  Add vegetable oil and cold water and mix until combined.  Divide dough in half.  Roll out each half in between two pieces of waxed paper.  Bake at 375F or according to directions for your pie.

Chocolate Chip Toffee Scones

Much to my surprise, I really enjoy baking and eating scones.  The real traditional kind of scones.  I grew up eating Utah's version of a scone which is basically a yeast bread dough deep fried and served with honey butter.  Those are great too, but there is just something a little more refined about a real scone and there are so many ways to make them.  I got this recipe from Leigh Anne at myhomebasedmom.com  These scones even won Robert over.  Fresh from the oven they are pretty hard to stop eating.  :)

Chocolate Chip Toffee Scones

3 1/4 C flour

1/2 C sugar

1 Tbsp plus 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 C semisweet, milk or dark chocolate chips – I used milk

1/2 C walnuts, toasted and then chopped into small pieces – I  left these out

1 C Toffee bits or chop up a Heath or Skor bar

2 C chilled heavy whipping cream

Topping:

2 Tbsp butter, melted

granulated or coarse white sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly butter two heavy large baking sheets.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; mix well.  Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and toffee bits.

In a large, chilled mixing bowl (chill bowl and beaters in freezer for 15 minutes or in fridge for an hour), whip the cream until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold whipped cream into dry ingredients; combine well.  It will be sticky.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead gently until a soft dough forms; about 2 minutes.  Form dough into 2 balls.  Pat each ball out into a circle.  Place each on a cookie sheet and cut pie like into 8 wedges.  Pull each wedge out a little bit to create about 1 inch space between each wedge. 

For topping:  Brush scones with melted butter.  Sprinkle each scone with a bit of granulated or coarse white sugar.  Bake until golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.  Store in airtight container at room temperature.

I didn't make the Devonshire Cream to go with the scones.  Maybe someday....

Devonshire Cream

3 oz. cream cheese

2 Tbsp powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/3 C whipping cream

With hand mixer beat together well, it will thicken a bit and get fluffy. Chill one hour (I didn’t and it was fine) Serve with jam or lemon curd with your scones

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I got this recipe from Leigh Anne at myhomebasedmom.com  It's super yummy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

1/4 lb. butter (1 stick or cube), melted and cooled

1 C sugar

1/2 C flour

2 eggs, well beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 C walnuts or pecans, I left these out

1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

9″ unbaked pie shell

Mix all ingredients and pour into pie shell.  Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees.  It will still be nice and gooey.  Serve warm or at warm temperature.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is Robert's most favorite cookie right now.  They are pretty addictive!

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup packed brown
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in the peanut butter, vanilla and egg until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the batter just until moistened. Mix in the oats and chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Drop by tablespoonfuls on to lightly greased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until the edges start to brown. Cool on cookie sheets for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Aunt Val's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups butter or margarine
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend until fluffy.  Add:
6 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt, heap a little
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda, heap a little
1 pkg. instant french vanilla pudding
1 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips
Bake at 350 for 12 minutes.  Slam cookie sheet on counter when you pull them out.  Makes 5 dozen.

Rice Krispie Treats

3 T butter or margarine
1 (10 oz.) pkg. regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini-marshmallows
6 cups Rice Krispies

Cook margarine and marshmallows on low until melted, stir constantly.  Remove from heat and add Rice Krispies.  Stir until completely covered.  Press into 9x13 greased pan with spatula or waxed paper.

Baby Cakes

These are a Valentine's Day treat for me.  Maybe it's the kiss on top or the fact that I found this recipe in a February issue of Seventeen magazine years ago.

6 chocolate sandwich cookies
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1/8 tsp almond extract

Topping:
3/4 cup sour cream
12 chocolate kisses

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 12 section muffin pan with paper liners.  Separate cookies into 12 halves.  Remove cream filling and place one cookie half flat side up in each liner.  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time beating well after each one.  Beat in sour cream and almond extract.  Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each paper liner.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes.  (Leave oven on.)  To make topping, stir sour cream to thin.  Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream on each cake.  Return cakes to oven and immediately turn off.  After 10 minutes, place chocolate kisses on each cake.  Keep in open oven 30 minutes, then chill.

Scotcharoos

2 cups sugar
2 cups light Karo syrup
2 cups peanut butter
9-11 cups Rice Krispies
1 pkg. milk chocolate chips
1 pkg. butterscotch chips

Melt sugar, Karo syrup and peanut butter together in a large pan.  Add Rice Krispies and stir until coated well.  Press into a 9x13 pan.  Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips.  Spread over Rice Krispies.

Holiday Wreaths

I have fond memories of making these with my mom at Christmastime when I was young.

Melt in large sauce pan:

30-34 large marshmallows
1 cube margarine
Stir until blended.  Add:

1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
green food coloring to desired color

Remove from heat.  Add:

41/2 cups cornflakes and blend.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.  Shape into wreaths and dot with red cinnamon candies.

No-Bake Club Cracker Cookies

I love to make these in the summertime.

54 club crackers
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup milk
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup peanuts, crushed

Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with 27 of the crackers.  Melt butter in small pan.  Add milk, brown sugar, sugar and graham cracker crumbs in that order.  Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes.  Pour over crackers.  Top with second layer of 27 crackers.  Melt chocolate chips and peanut butter together.  Spread over crackers.  Sprinkle with crushed peanuts.  Chill 3 hours.  Cut into bars.  Store in refrigerator.  Makes 32.

Huckleberry Cheesecake

From the kitchen of:  Rex and Vicki Davis

For crust:
1 pkg. graham crackers
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Mix ingredients together and press in pie plate.  Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

For cheesecake:
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream
Cream cheese and sugar together.  Whip cream and fold into cream cheese and sugar mixture.  Pour into crust.

For huckleberry topping:
Raspberry Danish dessert topping
Follow directions for pie glaze on the back of the box.

You may double this recipe and serve it in a 9x13 pan (you don't need to double the topping).  It actually works out better that way!