Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

SUBMITTED BY: Nancy PHOTO BY: chibi chef

"These cookies have a sweet peanut butter cup center."
SERVINGS & SCALING Original recipe yield: 40 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
4. Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
5. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Crackle Top Molasses Cookies

SUBMITTED BY: Laurie

"These cookies taste like gingersnaps."
SERVINGS & SCALING Original recipe yield: 4 dozen

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/3 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl mix oil and 1 cup of sugar. Add egg, beat well. Stir in molasses, 2 cups flour, baking soda and spices. If necessary, add more flour to make a firm dough.
3. Shape dough into 1 1/4 inch balls. Roll in 1/3 cup sugar. Place 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until tops crack. Remove from baking sheet and cool on rack.

Gingerbread Houses Advice

As Hansel and Gretel discovered, a gingerbread house is irresistible. It makes an impressive holiday centerpiece and is an enchanting activity for kids of all ages.

With our tested recipes, easy-to-follow template and decorating suggestions, it’s not so difficult--just gather your supplies, get creative and have some fun!

Nibble, nibble little mouse...Who is nibbling at my house?

Planning and Building

Here are supplies you'll need:

• The pattern
• Gingerbread dough: double the recipe
• Rolling pin
• Cookie sheets
• Aluminum foil
• Plywood base or heavy cardboard, doubled to support the house
• Royal icing, recipe doubled
• Pastry bags and decorating tips
• Butter knife, palette knife or flat sandwich spreader
• A damp cloth for quick clean-ups
• Glue gun (optional)
  
  

Helpful tips:

• Allow a weekend to complete the house
• Have all supplies ready
• Read all instructions before you begin: you will need to double the gingerbread recipe to have enough dough
• Allow the gingerbread to cool thoroughly before assembling
• Make icing ahead of time
• Keep icing covered with a clean damp cloth (touching icing) and plastic wrap at all times to prevent it from drying out
• Adjust the consistency of the icing by adding more egg whites if the icing is too dry or more powdered sugar if it is too wet. It should be thick and stiff.
• Prepare the base for your house by covering plywood or heavy cardboard with several layers of foil
• Use canned goods from the pantry to stabilize the walls during assembly; remove them before adding the roof
  

The house that Jack built

• Visualize the "yard." Will you have a walkway? Trees? A fence? Set the house at an angle for a pleasing presentation.
• When assembling, apply a generous amount of icing to one side of the joint and press an un-iced side to the edge and hold until set. (See step-by-step articles for more photos.)
• Apply icing-glue to the bottom of your pieces for more stability; adhere them to the foil/plywood base.
• Allow 30 minutes for the front, side walls and back of house to dry and firmly set before adding the roof.
• You’ll need an extra pair of hands when adding and securing the roof.
  Allow house to dry completely before decorating: a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight.
  

Problems?

• Don't worry; you'll be able to fill gaps and cover errors later with more icing and decorations.
• A fool-proof assembly method, if you're not going to eat the gingerbread, is to use a glue gun. Use icing to finish the look.
• Icing can be kept at room temperature overnight. Be sure it is well-covered with a damp cloth and plastic wrap.

Decorating

This is the fun part! The decorations you choose are limited only by your imagination.

You’ll need:

• Royal icing
• Pastry bags and tips
• Cookie sheets
• Assorted candy (see step-by-step Gingerbread House articles)
• Butter knife or flat sandwich spreader
• Tweezers
• Knife
• Super glue (for adult use only; do not use if you will be eating the gingerbread house or candy)

Helpful tips

• Have a plan for decorating. Think about how you want your house to look and what candy should go where.
• Have candy and decorating supplies ready.
• Save time and make accessory items ahead of time: snowmen, trees, carts, candles and

  

  fences can be made while you’re waiting for the house to dry.
• Apply candy decorations by putting a small dab of icing to the underside of the candy and hold it in place until set.
• Use extra dough scraps for decorative cut-outs.
• Keep the tip of your pastry bag covered with a damp cloth in between decorating to prevent hardening.
• Use tweezers to adhere small items to the house.
• You may need super glue to adhere top-heavy items, like lamp posts.

  Storage

  Help your house survive the nibbles of your children!

  • Moisture is a decorated cookie’s worst enemy: display the house in a cool dry place.
  • Cover at night to seal out moisture and dust; lightly drape a clean trash bag over the house and base.
  • Gingerbread houses can last up to a year, if you choose not to eat them. Spray with a clear lacquer for maximum protection.
  • Cover with a plastic bag and store in a box with some Styrofoam “peanuts” to protect house from damage.

Tips for your cooking.

Rolling and Cutting

You will find cookie dough much easier to work with after it's been refrigerated for at least half an hour. Keep cookie cutters from sticking to the dough by misting them very lightly with cooking spray. If you're cutting out delicate or large shapes, save them from falling apart by rolling out the dough on parchment paper, lifting off the scraps, then sliding the paper directly onto a baking sheet.

Frosting

One popular frosting for sugar cookies is a simple glaze of confectioners' sugar and either milk or fruit juice. By adjusting the ratio of liquid to sugar, you can make this glaze as thick or as thin as you'd like. Royal icing is another option: it dries to a hard, crunchy finish and also holds up well in the mail. Buttercream frosting is soft and thick; tasty, but not good if you plan to stack the cookies. Instead of frosting, you can also dip half or all of a cookie in chocolate and then in chopped nuts or crushed candy canes.

Other Decorating Ideas

Instead of frosting, you can decorate the cookies before you bake them! Sprinkle on coarse colored sugar, nuts, colored sprinkles, silver dragees or other small candies. Alternatively, make colorful designs on the unbaked cookies by painting them with a mixture of egg yolks beaten together with food coloring. The finished cookie will be bright and glossy.

Mailing

When making cut-out cookies for mailing, choose fairly sturdy shapes without too many small protrusions. Pack decorated, dry cookies in a flat, sturdy container with a tight-fitting lid. Lay down a selection of cookie shapes in a single layer, fitting them together as closely as possible. Now pile more cookies into the container, stacking same-shape cookies on top of each other. When the container is full, put wadded-up pieces of wax paper or unbuttered popcorn into any empty spaces, then seal the lid. Wrap the container in bubble wrap, then pack it into a box that is further padded with foam peanuts. The cookies should arrive fresh and beautiful and full of home-baked love.

Butternut Kisses - for Christmas

Butternut Kisses
SUBMITTED BY: Cindy Carnes
"This cookie recipe is made every year for the holidays; my family can't have Christmas without them."
Original recipe yield:
2 1/2 dozen

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ground walnuts
• 60 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
3. Add the flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in ground nuts.
4. Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until set. Press kiss in center of each cookie. Cool on wire rack.

   NUTRITION INFORMATION

   Servings Per Recipe: 30

   Amount Per Serving

   Calories: 191

5. Total Fat: 11.2g
6. Cholesterol: 33mg
7. Sodium: 115mg
8. Total Carbs: 20.7g
9. Dietary Fiber: 0.8g
10. Protein: 2.6g

Christmas Chocoberry Torte

Chocoberry Torte
SUBMITTED BY: Marc Boyer

"The flavors of strawberries and chocolate mingle together in this lovely dessert. This is an easy to make sweet torte. You may increase the amount of fruit to your liking. Raspberries or blueberries are awesome additions to this delicious torte."

Original recipe yield:
8 to 10 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8 inch cake pans; set aside.
2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla; beat with a spoon or wire whisk until batter is smooth. Divide evenly into prepared pans.
3. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and place on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.
4. Remove from pans and cool completely. Place one layer on serving plate; spoon 1 cup non-dairy whipped topping onto cake layer; top with second layer and remaining whipped topping. Before serving, arrange sliced sweetened fruit, well drained, on top of torte. Serve.

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Servings Per Recipe: 9

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 284

• Total Fat: 10.9g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 275mg
• Total Carbs: 44.7g
• Dietary Fiber: 1.8g
• Protein: 2.9g

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Mary Christmas =) - Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake

I want to start this blog with something to do with this season.
So let's do "Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake".

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup chopped pecans
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter, softened
* 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup pumpkin butter
* 1 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crust

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine pecans and 1/4 cup brown sugar; cut in butter or margarine with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.
2. Beat cream cheese at high speed of an electric mixer until smooth. Add 1/3 cup brown sugar; beat well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in pumpkin butter. Pour mixture into crust.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 40 minutes.
4. Sprinkle pecan mixture over pie. Bake for 5 additional minutes, or until butter or margarine and sugar melt. Cool on a wire rack. Cover, and chill for at least 4 hours.

This Pumpkin Butter is an excellent hostess present, and is a wonderful spread for toast and muffins. It can also be used to make a spectacular holiday dessert, Pumpkin Pecan Cheesecake.