Peanut Butter Bars

Ginger Snap Cookies

INGREDIENTS

¾ C. butter, softened

1 C. sugar
¼ C. molasses
1 beaten egg
2 ½ C. flour

½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. ginger (ground, dry)

DIRECTIONS

Beat butter and sugar together. Add the molasses and beat some more. Add beaten eggs. Add dry ingredients to form the dough. Roll into balls, and then roll in sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Do not over bake. Makes 3 dozen. We usually double the recipe.

CREDIT

Anne Forsnes

Copycat Swig Sugar Cookies

*PLEASE READ MY NOTES AT THE BOTTOM BEFORE BEGINNING*

COOKIE INGREDIENTS

1 C. Butter (room temperature)

3/4 C. Vegetable Oil
1  1/4 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Powdered Sugar
2 T. Water
2 Eggs
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tarter
1 tsp. Salt
5  1/2 C. Flour


FROSTING INGREDIENTS

1/2 C. Room Temperature Butter

3/4 C. Sour Cream
Approximately one 2 lb. package of powdered sugar (I never use the whole thing, but love having extra on hand just in case I add too much milk!)
1 tsp. Salt
1/4 C. Milk
Food Coloring


DIRECTIONS

1. Cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugars, water, and eggs.

2. Combine dry ingredients and slowly add to butter mixture.

3. Mix until everything is combined. Your dough should be a little crumbly and not sticky at all.

4. Roll a golf ball sized ball of dough and place it on your cookie sheet.

5. Firmly press a glass into the center of your dough ball. You want your dough to spill out over the sides of the glass.

6. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. They should just barely be browning on the bottom. Move cookies to a cooling rack. Once they are cool you can frost them.


FROSTING DIRECTIONS

1. Start by creaming together butter, sour cream, and salt

2. Slowly add powdered sugar. When it gets so thick it’s not frosting, you can add a splash of milk. Alternate this process until your frosting is the desired consistency.

3. Add a drop (or two or three) of food coloring (your choice of color) and whip on high for 1 minute.

Store cookies in a sealed container in the fridge.

ADAPTED FROM

http://vintagerevivals.com/2013/03/swig-sugar-cookie-recipe-literally-best

NOTES:

1. I heat up water in the microwave to be very hot, then use that water for the 2 Tablespoons of water it calls for. This helps the butter (even though at room temperature) to break down and not be lumpy. I also heat the milk in the frosting directions for 20 seconds in the microwave. This is done for the same reason I heat the water for the dough.

No Bake Cookies

* Ingredients*

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter (1 cube)

3 cups quick oats

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup peanut butter

* Directions *

Combine sugar, cocoa, milk, and butter in sauce pan. Bring to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat and add remaining ingredients. Plop into cookies sized blobs on cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Put in fridge to set up and chill for approximately 30 minutes.

* Credit *

Kira Fuller 

Banana Bread Bars

* Ingredients *

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

* Frosting *

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

 Directions *

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas and vanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

* Credit *

http://www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com/

Perfect Drop Cookies



* Ingredients *

1 cup raisins
1 cup water
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup shortening
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

* Directions *

Bring raisins and water to a boil. Add baking soda, then take off burner to cool. In a bowl, mix sugars, shortening, eggs, and vanilla. Add raisins. Mix in flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

* Frosting *

1/4 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
4 T milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Brown butter in a saucepan, remove from heat. Slowly add the powdered sugar stirring as you go. Add milk and vanilla, mix until smooth. Frost on slightly cooled cookies.

Homemade Caramels

* Ingredients *

2 cups (1 pint) Heavy Whipping Cream (Not Old Style)
1 cup white sugar
3/4 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)

* Directions *

Melt butter, sugar, Karo syrup, and Heavy Whipping Cream in a large saucepan on low heat stirring constantly until the sugar is all melted down. Turn stove on high and bring to a boil, reduce heat and use candy thermometer to make sure the heat of the caramel lowers to 209 degrees F (stirring constantly with wooden spoon) until they are a light caramel color. I then use the 'drop method' of dripping a teaspoonful of the caramel in a very cold cup of water and if it stays in caramel form while swirling the water with my finger then they are done. If the caramel mixture mixes in with the water and makes it a milky color then they aren't ready yet. Continue cooking and after a few minutes retry the drop method.

When the caramel passes the drop method test, remove from heat, stir for a minute or two to partially cool it down, then pour into a buttered glass Pyrex pan (13x9 inch). Let cool completely. Using a butter knife, cut the caramel into 1 inch squares. Wrap individually in wax paper and twist the ends like a Tootsie Roll.

* Disclaimer *

These are highly addictive! Use caution when bringing them to family gatherings, to neighbors, and to friends; you may be asked to make them every year for Thanksgiving and mostly Christmas!

* Credit *

Marsha

No Bake Cheesecake

* Ingredients (Crust) *

1/3 cup  butter, melted
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar

* Directions (Crust) *

Melt butter, mix crumbs and sugar into butter. Press into the bottom of a round cake pan.

* Ingredients (Cheesecake) *

2 small blocks cream cheese
1 can sweetened-condensed milk (do not use fat-free or light versions)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup lemon juice
Optional: 1 can pie filling (cherries, blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, etc.)

* Directions (Cheesecake) *

Using an electric mixer or Kitchen-Aid, mix cream cheese, condensed milk, vanilla, and lemon juice. Pour into prepared graham cracker crust. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours or 15 minutes in the freezer. Spread fruit on top and put back into refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

* Ingredients *

1 spice cake mix
1 egg white
1 small can pumpkin
1 cup chocolate chips

* Directions *

Mix first three ingredients together, add chocolate chips. Place spoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

* Variation *

I have substituted butterscotch chips in place of the chocolate chips and they turned out delicious!

6 Layer Cookie Bars

* Photo from diamondnuts.com

* Ingredients *

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter (Do not substitute margarine, shortening, etc.)
2 cups graham crackers smashed (14 crackers)
1 cup baker's angel flake coconut
6 oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
14 oz. sweetened-condensed milk (do not use 'fat-free' or 'light')

* Directions *

Melt butter slowly in a 9" x 13" pan (I use a glass Pyrex baking dish for this). Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter and pat down. Layer with coconut and both kinds of chips. Dribble condensed milk over all ingredients. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.