Almond Sugar Cookie Bars

My cute neighbor made these delicious cookies for me.  I took one bite and knew that I was not going to be sharing them with my family.  I hid these delectable morsels and ate every single on.  Once they were gone I knew that I had to have more.  Thank goodness that she was willing to give me her recipe.  They are as good as any sugar cookie but so, so much easier to make.  You can thank me for this recipe later. :)

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1 Cup butter softened
1 8ounce package of cream cheese softened
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp baking powder
3 1/4 Cups flour

Cream sugar, butter, and cream cheese.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add vanilla and almond.  Mix.  Add the remaining ingredients.  Press dough into cookie sheet sprayed with Pam.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until very light brown.  Cool to frost.

Frosting

3 Cups
1/4 Cup milk
1/2 Cup butter, softened
1 Tablespoon almond extract
Dash of salt

mix butter, milk, and almond extract.  Add powdered sugar till spreading consistency is right.  Frost cooled cookies.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookies

My hubby loves pumpkin cookies. If I send him to the grocery store he almost always comes home with a box of pumpkin cookies. I really have never been a fan.  I thought it might be a good idea to learn how to make these since he loves them so much.  I have been making them for a few years now and he LOVES them.  Funny thing though, when I made this batch he walked in and said "I think I am over Pumpkin Cookies."  I thought to myself  "you've got to be kidding me, I learned to make these for you."  I really had nothing to worry about.  He changed his mind the second he ate one, and then two...

3 Cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup canola oil
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
3 Cups sugar
1 tsp salt
5 cups flour
1 pkg chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients together and drop onto a cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes.  This makes about 5 dozen. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cookies

Back when I was 16 I took Home Ec.  I loved when we were in the kitchen mainly because you might get paired up with some cute boy.  The food was so bad either.  I found an old recipe that I held onto.  I hadn't made them in years.  I had to tweak some of the ingredients and add a few but I think it turned out pretty good. 

3/4 cup butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 cups peanut butter chips

In a large mixing bowl mix together butter, sugars, vanilla, peanut butter until creamy.  add beaten egg.  Mix.  In a smaller bowl add all the dry ingredients together.  Stir lightly.  Add to the mix.  Once you have completely mixed it add in the peanut butter chips.  Scoop onto a ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  Let cool on pan completely.  Yields about 4 1/2 dozen.  Enjoy!

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

This is an old post but I just had to share again this close to Valentines. There is nothing better than sugar cookies on Valentines to tell the ones you love that you love them. About 4 years ago we got a cute arrangement of cookies from one of our friends. I had to re-create it because it is pretty fantastic. I loved making this.  It didn't turn out as cute as hers but it will have to do.  It tastes FABULOUS though:)

These cookies bring back so many fond memories from my childhood. I remember my mom making them on Valentines and secretly placing them on my pillow. I remember on Christmas my cousins and me all gathered around the kitchen table taking a peek at the green and red cookies that temped us all so. The taste is like no other cookie I have ever had. They tickle my palate. Yummy does not do them justice.

Sugar cookies and Frosting.

1 lb butter
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 t. lemon extract
6 cups flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt

Cream sugar and butter. Add eggs and beat. Add flour and other dry ingredients. Chill and thinly roll out on a sugared surface or put on wax paper and roll to 1/4 inch. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Easy breezy Oreo Cookies

My sister found this recipe. She had a friend make it for her and she fell in love. She then gave the recipe to my mom and me. My mom made them for me and YUMMY! I love these cookies and could they be any easier to make. I think NOT! I suggest you run out to the store and have some Devil's food cake on hand for the next time you need to make some delicious cookies.


1 box Devil's Food Cake
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs

In a large mixing bowl add cake mix, oil, and 1 egg. Mix well then add second egg and mix well. The consistency resembles a tootsie roll. Roll in a small ball, place on a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes. Cool then Frost with Vanilla Frosting. Enjoy!

Layered Cookie Bars

I haven't made these a lot but I do love them. I got this recipe 5 years ago off of the internet. The first time I made these was for my daughters baby blessing. We had a ton of people coming so I basically made every treat I could find. This one was actually one of my favorites. Plus it is so EASY! Who doesn't like easy? I have tweaked it just a titch. It calls for Vanilla Wafers, which I never have on hand so I did graham crackers, and there isn't any butterscotch chips in the original. Other than that it is the same. I really HATE nuts in treats but I like them in this. If you are like me you can omit them if you want.


3/4 cup butter
1 3/4 cups graham crackers
6 T Cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips chunks
1 cup butterscotch chips
3/4 cup HEATH or Score bar
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Heat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in 13x9x2-inch baking pan in oven. Combine crumbs, cocoa and sugar; sprinkle over butter.

Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly on top of crumb mixture. Top with chocolate chips and toffee bits, then nuts; press down firmly.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Chill, if desired. Cut into bars. Store covered at room temperature. About 18-24 bars. Enjoy!

Smitty's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

My mom made a cookbook a few years back that she gave us all for Christmas. It really is one of my favorite cookbooks of all time. I dare say it is my favorite. There is a standing joke in my family about the title of this cookie. I made these cookies all the time. I introduced my family to this recipe. Which in my world means the recipe gets your name in it. My brother Smitty made these cookies a couple of times. I do have to say that he rocks this cookie. The funny part to me though it that when my mom put it in her amazing cookbook she named them "Smitty's Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies." I was a little irritated in a playful way of course. As I looked through the whole cookbook I realized my name did not get to grace a single title. Best part though, one of my good friends got her name in the cookbook. WHATEVER! You know I love you, Mom. I just think this is now a funny story. It is certainly one that I had to put on this blog.

Back to the cookie. These cookies are YUMMY! I love to give these to my neighbors because I know everyone will love them. So try these out because they are scrumdiddleumptious.

Cream together:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix together:
2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups oatmeal (Measure and then put small amounts in a blender and blend until it is powder)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Mix the dry ingredients with the creamed mixture and add:
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped up sympathy candy-bar (optional)

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet. Make golf ball size cookies. Place 2 inches apart and bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Makes about 50 cookies. Recipe is very easy to double.
1 cup chopped nuts (optional) Enjoy!

No-Bake Cookies

I don't think these were ever made in my home growing up, but I do remember when they were on the menu for school lunch and I would get so excited. They were called Haystacks in school. I loved them. I would always try to find a way to get more than one. Who knew these cookies were so easy to make. Even in elementary I could have made these just fine.

When I got married Jeron would talk about these cookies that his sisters would make all the time called No-Bake cookies. I thought that it would be some weird cookie if you didn't bake them. Little did I know he was talking about my childhood favorite school treat. It wasn't until our neighbors brought us a plate of cookies a couple of years ago that we put two and two together. Jeron said "these are no bake cookies," at the same time I was saying these are "Haystacks". We had a good laugh about it. Dorks, I know. We were just both so excited that we now could make our old yummy favorite.


2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick oats

In a medium sauce pan combine sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk. Bring to a boil. Let it boil for at least one minute. In a mixing bowl add salt, peanut butter, and quick oats. Add vanilla to the cocoa sauce once you remove it from the heat. Add the cocoa sauce to the oats mixture. stir together.

On a sheet of wax paper drop a heaping tablespoon of the cookies onto the paper. It makes about 20-25 cookies. Let them cool. Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle

Even the word Snickerdoodle makes me smile. I love these little morsels of heaven. Sinckerdoodles have always reminded me of my mom. Maybe it is because she perfected the recipe. I have been to bakery after bakery and no one can touch my moms Snickerdoodles. They just seem to be perfect. I don't think there is anything you can improve upon with these. Whether you eat them plain or dip them in milk, you can sum them up in one work, scrumptious.

1 cup shortening (1/2 butter, 1/2 shortening)
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs

Cream together

add:
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tarter
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix together

2 T sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Step 1: Roll the dough into a golf ball sized ball. Then roll the ball in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on the cookie sheet.
Step 2: Firmly but gently press a fork into the center of the ball with a fork
Step 3: Rotate 45 degrees and press the fork down again.
Step 4: You are done. It should have a cool criss cross pattern.

Bake at 400 degrees on un-greased cookie sheet for 7-9 mins depending on the oven. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

TIP: If you like them crispy cook them 1 min longer, if you want them tender cook them for the 7 min. You can still push the dough down a little.

TIP 2: These cookies taste just as fabulous if you use butter and no shortening. The shortening helps with the pretty factor. When you make these cookies for people then use the shortening so they look wonderful. They seem to flatten when you use only butter.

Frosting

It took me a while to get the frosting just the way that I like it. A cookie is not a cookie with the yummy frosting that goes on them. I do not like to buy frosting with the exception of my delicious rainbow chip frosting. I have added and taken things out over the years to where now I feel it is just perfect.

1/2 c soft butter
1 t. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
4 T. whipping cream or whole milk
pinch of salt

Stir the ingredients with a fork until most of the powdered sugar is mixed in. Then use an electric hand mixer until it is smooth and forms peeks. If it is to runny add a little powdered sugar. If it is to stiff add a little more whipping cream.

To change this up a bit

add:

1/2 tsp. lemon extract
or
1/2 tsp. almond extract
or
3-4 T cocoa powder

You can use this frosting on sugar cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls and so much more.