holiday Sugar cookies

Cream together:
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 TBL spoon milk or heavy cream
1 tsp. vanilla


Add:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake 8- 10 minutes

Your dough should not be sticky. Add a little extra flour so that your dough is workable. If you are using cookie cutters, roll out dough to whatever thickness you would like your cookies to be. Roll out dough on floured surface and flour your rolling pin. Choose a cookie cutter or a glass and cut out shapes.

If you are not going to frost these cookies you could sprinkle a little sugar on the tops before baking.

Bake on greased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. You do not want your cookies to show brown on top. They will be over baked. You will just barely begin to see the bottoms of the cookie turn brown. Another way to test if cookies are done is to lightly finger test. Touch cookie if it springs back it is ready to pull. If your cookie leaves an imprint leave in oven for an extra minute or two.

Remove cookies from baking sheet and let cool on wire rack.

Cool and then frost with cream cheese frosting

Bill prefers his sugar cookies thin and crispy. The rest of the family likes our cookies soft and thick.

Mini Cream Cheese Cakes

Cream Cheese filling

I.
2- 8oz. softened cream cheese
3 egss
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

II.
vanilla wafers
cupcake fills

III.
pie filling

Put ingredients from step I. into blender and blend.
Put vanilla wafers into cupcake fills in tins
Fill 1/2 full with cream cheese mixture

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until set.
Let cool and top with pie filling.

Lemon Bars

Lemon Bars
preheat oven to 350 degrees
I.
2 sticks melted butter
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Mix together and pat into a 9x12 greased pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes

II.
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
5 TBL flour
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tsp Baking powder
Beat eggs together. Fold in rest of ingredients.
Pour into crust and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown

Hello Dolly Bars

I. 2 Sticks of buttter
2 cup crushed graham cracker
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups nut meats
2 15-oz can of sweetened condensed milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1.Melt butter in 9x13 pan.

2.Sprinkle ingredients in order listed.

3.Pour condensed milk over all ingredients

4. Do not mix.

5. Bake in oven for 30 minutes

6. Cool at least one hour before cutting

Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2tsp. baking soda
2cups softened butter
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups semi sweet choc. chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

1. preheat oven 350 degrees (175 degrees celsius)
sift together flour and baking soda and set aside.

2. In large bowl cream together, butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.

3. Beat in instant pudding mix until blended and stir in eggs and vanilla.

4. Blend in flour mixture, stir in choc. chips

5. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased sheets

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, edges should be golden brown

Chocolate Covered PeanutButter balls

I have loved these ever since I was a child! I only make them during the holiday season.

Peanut Butter Balls

2 cups peanut butter (crunchy)
1 1/2cup peanut butter if you use smooth)
1 box powder sugar = 1lb box
2tsp vanilla

work with hand and shape into balls. If you like you can add 1/2 cup rice crispy cereal.

Melt 2 pkg. choc. chips and 1/2 bar parafane wax found in the canning section.

Once your peanut butter balls are rolled dip into melted chocolate and remove with fork, drip and place onto wax paper. Refridgerate when done.

Easy Holiday Cookies

Easy Holiday Cookies

These easy to decorate kid friendly holiday cookies were a big hit with my 3 year old granddaughter. You just start with the basic ingredients: 8 oz white chocolate candy coating
1 tsp vegetable shortening
36 butter cookies (shaped like a flower with a hole in the middle)
assorted sugar crystals and sprinkles for decorating

Prepare a cookie sheet by lining with a sheet of waxed paper.

Melt the white chocolate candy coating and the veg shortening by placing them in a bowl in the microwave and microwaving on 50% power at 30 second intervals, stirring between cooking cycles, until candy is melted and smooth.

Then dip the cookies, front side down, in the melted chocolate and place on the prepared cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with green sugar crystals (to give the effect of a wreath) and then decorate as desired with cinnamon hots, licorice strings (tied like a bow), or other sprinkles or decorations of choice. Allow to set until firm before storing.

As you can see, the only limitations are the boundaries of your imagination! :^)

Overnight Monkey Bread

Easy to make and nice to have for a company or holiday breakfast.

Overnight Monkey Bread

20 frozen dough rolls

1 (4 serving) box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup brown sugar

cinnamon to taste

1/4 cup chopped nuts (such as pecans)

1/2 cup butter, melted

white frosting* (optional)

Cut frozen rolls in half and place 1/2 of them (10 whole) in a well greased bundt pan. In a small bowl mix together the pudding, brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Sprinkle 1/2 this mixture over the rolls in the pan. Add the remaining rolls to the pan and sprinkle with the remaining brown sugar mixture. Drizzle melted butter over the top. Let stand on counter overnight, covered with a lint free towel.

In the morning, heat oven to 350 F. Bake 25 - 35 minutes until brown and no longer doughy in center. Turn out onto rack to cool. Serve while still warm. If desired drizzle with white frosting glaze.

*To make a quick white frosting glaze simply heat canned white frosting in a small saucepan over a low heat until it thins enough to drizzle over the monkey bread, or use it for dipping.

Viennese Kiss Cookies

These are a shortbread cookie with a candy kiss tucked in the top.

Viennese Kiss Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into 1 inch squares

1/4 cup sugar

3 Tbls sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

24 chocolate kisses

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease 24 section (or 2 12 cup)minature muffin tin. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, butter and sugar. Beat*, beginning at slow speed and then gradually increasing to medium speed as flour is combined with butter, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat* at low speed until soft dough forms.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls (or use a one inch scoop). Place 1 ball in each prepared muffin cup. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately** press kiss into center of each cookie. Let cool for 1 minute before removing from pans. Cool completely on wire rack before storing.

*I use the paddle attachment for my Kitchen Aid to incorporate the butter and flour, then switch to the dough hook after adding the sour cream and vanilla.

**Be sure to unwrap your candy kisses while the cookies are baking. You won't have time to unwrap each one when the cookies come out of the oven.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

A nice alternative to holiday Pumpkin Pie, this is the Cheesecake Factory recipe for Pumpkin cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

5 Tbls butter, melted

1 Cup sugar, plus 1 Tbls sugar (divided)

3 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350 F. Make the crust by combining the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and 1 Tbls sugar in a medium bowl. Stir to just coat all of the crumbs with the butter, then press the crumbs onto the bottom and about 2/3 of the way up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Seal the bottom and sides of the pan with tin foil. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and vanilla. Mix with electric mixer on med speed until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Continue beating until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling into the pan.

Place the pan in a water bath.* Bake 60 -70 minutes, or until edges are firm but the center of the cake still has a light "jiggle". Remove from oven and allow to set in water bath on a cooling rack for 1 hour. Remove pan from water bath and allow to cool completely before covering. Once cake is completely cooled, cover and store in the refrigerator at least 12 hours before serving.

*To make a water bath, place the spring form pan in a baking dish, such as a lasagna pan, and place on rack in oven. Pour hot water into the baking dish outside the springform pan until in comes up about 1/2 way to the top. Using a water bath helps distribute the heat evenly and prevents the cheesecake from cracking on top.

Maple Turkey Breast w/cranberries

Instead of brining a whole turkey as I usually do, this Thanksgiving I cooked a large turkey breast and used this glaze to finish it off. With Make Ahead Gravy (recipe published previously) for the side dishes this was a hit with the whole family.

Maple Turkey Breast with Cranberries

5-6 lb turkey breast

2/3 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup orange juice

2/3 cup maple syrup

2 Tbls butter

Bake turkey breast on rack in covered roaster pan at 325 F for 2 - 2 1/2 hours or until tender and juices run clear. Turn breast side down and wrap in tin foil, allow to cool completely before slicing.

When turkey breast is cool, bone and slice into serving size pieces. *Place slices in a 9X13 baking dish. Heat oven to 350 F. Place the cranberries, orange juice, maple syrup and butter in a 2 qt saucepan and bring to a boil. Slowly pour the mixture over the turkey slices. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes or until juices bubble and turkey slices are heated through.

*Variation: To make this a one pan meal you can add canned sweet potatoes to the pan before pouring the maple syrup mixture over the meat.