Strawberry Lemonade Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 3/4 cup whole berries)
1 cup lemon juice
2-3 teaspoons lemon zest
1-1/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350^F.  Butter a 9x13" pan.

Combine the first 4 ingredients and mix until crumbly.  Press into the prepared pan and bake for 17 minutes or until the crust starts to turn golden around the edges.

Meanwhile, combine the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and eggs and beat until smooth.  Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt.  Pour over the hot crust and return to the oven for 23-26 minutes or until set.

Let cool completely in pan on rack before cutting into bars to serve.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

My opinion:  Too much lemon juice!  It took closer to 45 minutes to bake this and it was very tart! So tart that you completely lose the strawberry flavor.  I would reduce the lemon juice to 1/2 - 3/4 cup and (maybe) add a bit more strawberry puree.  And I'd strain the puree to get rid of the little strawberry seeds, because they don't look very appetizing in the finished product.  Just sayin'....

Recipe found on Pinterest.

Grinch Cookies

I found this recipe on Pinterest and could not resist making them!  They were so cute....plump little crinkled green cookies glistening with powdered sugar with a red candy heart in the center!  Any Grinch fan would love these!

Grinch Cookies

1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 drop green food coloring
Confectioner's sugar for dusting/sprinkling
Heart Shaped decorating candies/sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350^F.

Cream together the cake mix, oil, eggs and food coloring until it's completely mixed and forms a ball of dough in the bowl of the mixer.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Drop by tablespoons into the confectioner's sugar and roll into balls.  Place on parchment lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart and press a heart into the center of each ball.  Bake for 8 minutes or until just set.  (Mine took closer to 10 minutes!)  Let cool on the cookie sheet for at least 2 minutes before attempting to transfer them to a wire rack.  They are very soft and will fall apart if you try to do this before they are cool enough!  Trust me, I mangled several before I realized what I was doing. They oozed between the wires and fell apart.  :-(

So...mine did not look like the pleasingly plump little morsels on Pinterest....mine spread and were much flatter and all the confectioner's sugar completely dissolved into the cookies.  I was a little disappointed, but they were still tolerably cute.  And they tasted pretty good, though they do not keep well at all.  They dry out really quick, but since they only make a couple dozen cookies, that shouldn't be a problem for anyone who has kids!

If I were to make them again, I would use a scant 1/2 cup of melted butter instead of the oil and use the Non-Melting Confectioner's Sugar from King Arthur Flour.

Ginger Molasses Spice Cookies

I saw these cookies on the Today show a few days ago and thought I'd give the a try.  They are awesome!  I already had all the ingredients in my pantry and the dough was quick and simple to mix up.  I did use salted butter though, and reduced the salt from 1/2 to1/4 teaspoon.  The cookies are soft and chewy and taste wonderful!  And the whole house smells like Christmas!

Ginger Molasses Spice Cookies

• 12 tbsp butter, melted

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup full flavor molasses

• 1 egg

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp ground cloves

• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• Sugar Crystals, if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with aluminum foil. Lightly spray foil-lined baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together melted butter, sugar and molasses. Add egg and mix until well blended.  Add the dry ingredients (flour, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, salt and baking soda)to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Dough will be wet. (I was a little worried at this point.  The dough looked like it would run into a big flat pancake, but I'm happy to report that they came out fine!)

Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to place 2 tbsp-sized drops of dough onto prepared sheets.  Leave at least 2 inches between drops of dough as it will spread as the cookies bake.  Sprinkle each cookie with sugar crystals if desired. I did...they look very pretty!

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are slightly darkened.  Mine took 10 minutes and I ended up with 25 deliciously spicy cookies!  Yum!

M&M Party Cookies

1 cup Crisco
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups M&M's plain chocolate candies

Blend together crisco and sugars in a large bowl.  Beat in eggs and vanilla.  Sift remaining dry ingredients together, add to sugar mixture, blending well.  Stir in 1/2 cup candies.  Drop from teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheets; decorate tops with remaining candies.  Bake at 375^ for 10 minutes or until golden-brown.  Remove cookies with spatula to wire racks to cool completely.

Delicious and so colorful!

Orange Oatmeal Cookies

½ cup butter

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 ½ tsp grated orange peel
¼ cup orange juice
1 cup flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups regular or quick cooking rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350^.

 

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg, orange peel and juice. Gradually beat in flour, soda, baking powder, salt and nutmeg until mixed. Stir in oats.

 

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls about 2 ½ inches apart on greased cookie sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

 

Makes 2 to 2 ½ dozen cookies

 

 

These were tasty (I liked the orange flavor), but they were very dense and cakey.  John loved them, but I probably will never make 'em again. 

White Chocolate Gingerbread Blondies

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
10-oz white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350^F.  Coat a 15x10" rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.  Line the bottom with parchment cut to fit, and coat the parchment with the spray.

Beat the butter, brown aand granulated sugars with a mixer on medium-high in a large bowl until pale and fluffy.  Add eggs and yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla and molasses.  Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour, soda salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves until just combined.  Stir in white chocolate.

Spread batter into prepared pan.  Bake until the edges are golden, about 35-40 minutes.  Let cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into 2-inch squares.

Nice flavor, but kinda greasy...not my favorites.  John loves them!

From marthastewart.com

Sugar Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1 1/4 cups granualted sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt (you may need a bit more salt if you use unsalted butter)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Wilton's sparkling white sugar crystals
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 365^F.  Grease cookie sheets.

Beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add vanilla, lemon extract and egg and beat until well combined.  Stir in the baking powder, soda, salt and flour until well combined. 

Combine the granulated sugar, sugar crystals and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Roll 1 tablespoon dough into a ball and then roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until coated.  Place on cookie sheets about 2-inches apart and flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass to about 1/4-inch thick.  Bake for 10-12 minutes. 

These are delicious!  They taste like the sugar cookies from my childhood.  Nice and chewy in the middle and crunchy around the edges.  Yum!

Adapted from the Sugar Cookie recipe at King Arthur Flour.

Berry Shortbread Bars

21 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
3 cups + 3 Tbsp all purpose flour (note: I had to use closer to 4 cups)
1/2 recipe Blue Cranberry Sauce (see recipe)
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 325^F. With a wooden spoon, mix the 3/4 cup sugar into the melted butter and whisk in the egg yolks. Stir in the flour to make a very stiff dough. (I had to use 1 whole cup more than the original recipe called for to make a stiff dough!)

Remove two cups of this dough and pat evenly into a foil lined 9 x 13 pan. (The foil should hang over the ends of the pan to make it easy to remove after it's baked) Prick the dough all over with a fork and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or put in freezer for 7 minutes). Set the rest of the dough aside.

Bake the 9 x 13" chilled pan of dough, on the middle rack of your oven, for 20 minutes at 325. After 20 minutes, the dough will still be very pale in color and will not have any golden color on the edges.

Remove it from the oven and spread the cooled Blue Cranberry Sauce evenly over it. Increase oven to 350^F.

Add the 1/4 cup of flour to the remaining dough and stir gently until the mixture is crumbly but don't overdo it. You want some "lumps" but no bigger than about 1 inch. Sprinkle evenly over the cranberry sauce and return the pan to the oven for 20-35 minutes. (Mine needed closer to 35-40 minutes to attain the light golden brown color you want.

Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack. Lift the cookies out of the pan using the foil ends and cut into bars.

These things are REALLY tasty! Adapted from coleensrecipes.blogspot.com

Brown Sugar Shortbread

Brown Sugar Shortbread

1 cup flour
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
Cinnamon, if desired

Preheat the oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, combine the flour, butter and sugar. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired. Bake until golden around the edges, 18 to 20 minutes.

Let the shortbread cool slightly in the pan, then cut into 16 squares and transfer to a rack to cool completely.

These were OK, but not nearly as good as my old recipe. Though these are ridiculously easy and fast!

Adapted from

Almond Toffee Bars

Almond Toffee Bars

• 1/2  cup  butter or margarine
• 1-1/2  cups  quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2  cup  graham cracker crumbs
• 1  cup  semisweet chocolate pieces (6 ounces)
• 1  cup  almond toffee pieces
• 1  cup  sliced or chopped almonds
• 1  14-ounce can  sweetened condensed milk

1. Heat oven to 325 degree F. Melt butter or margarine in a 13x9x2-inch baking pan in the oven (about 6 minutes). Remove pan from oven. Sprinkle oats and crumbs evenly over melted butter or margarine; press lightly onto bottom of pan using the back of a large metal spoon. Sprinkle the chocolate pieces, toffee pieces, and almonds evenly over crumb mixture. Drizzle all with sweetened condensed milk.

2. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are bubbly and center is just lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately run a narrow metal spatula or table knife around edges of pan to loosen the cookie. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack; cut into bars. Makes 48 bars.

Pretty good.

Recipe from www.bhg.com

Mounds Bars

Mounds Bars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups flaked coconut
1 (12 ounce) package milk chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter or margarine. Mix and pat into the bottom of one 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the coconut over the crust and then pour the sweetened condensed milk over the coconut. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 15 minutes.

Spread the melted chocolate chips over the top. Let cool and cut into squares.

My chocolate chips did not melt smoothly (and when I tried to re-melt them it just made it worse) so this was darn near impossible to spread over the coconut. These have the dubious honor of being the ugliest cookies I've ever made! They tasted pretty good, but frankly, not worth the hassle of melting the chocolate.

From allrecipes.com

Fudge Puddles

Fudge Puddles

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

Cream butter, peanut butter and white and brown sugars. Mix in egg and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir the flour mixture into creamed mixture. Shape the dough into 48 balls, 1 inch each. Place each ball in one compartment of a mini muffin tin.

For filling, put chocolate chips in a double boiler over simmering water. Stir in milk and vanilla, mix well.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and immediately make wells in the center of each using a melon baller. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then carefully remove to wire racks. Using 2 teaspoons fill each shell with the chocolate mixture. Top with mini red and green chocolate morsels, if desired.

From allrecipes.com

Lemon Butter Snowbars

Lemon Butter Snowbars

Crust:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened

Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Confectioner' sugar for sprinkling

Heat oven to 350^. For crust, combine all crust ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until mixture is crumbly, 2-3 minutes. Press on bottom of ungreased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

For filling, in small mixer bowl, combine sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and lemon juice. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed, 1-2 minutes. Pour over hot crust. Continue baking for 18-20 minutes, or until
filling is set. Sprinkle with powdered sugar; cool completely. Cut into bars.

This is one of my favorite bar cookie.

Spicy Oatmeal Cookies

Spicy Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, butter flavored shortening, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, dates and cranberries. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 12 to 13 minutes until light and golden. Do not overbake. Let them cool for 2 minutes before removing from cookie sheets to cool completely. Store in airtight container.

These have a great mildly spicy flavor but they aren't as chewy as I prefer my oatmeal cookies. But they are a great tasting cookie!

Adapted from Beth's Spicy Oatmeal Cookies at allrecipes.com

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

1 (18.25 ounce) box red velvet cake mix
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Enough milk to make frosting spreadable

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Mix together cake mix, eggs, oil, and bourbon in a large bowl. Roll the dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops start to crack, about 8 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Combine the butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and enough milk to make a spreadable frosting. Use frosting to sandwich the cookies together in pairs.

These were Jennifer's favorites of all our cookies this year!

Christmas Butter Cookies

Christmas Butter Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour


Powdered Sugar Icing

3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tbsp water or milk
Decorative sprinkles and/or edible glitter
Food coloring

In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, salt and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in the flour until dough comes together.

Preheat oven to 350^F. Divide dough in half and, on a lightly floured surface roll half the dough to 1/4-inch thick. Cut into whatever shapes you wish with cookie cutters. Repeat with remaining dough, rerolling as needed.

Arrange cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 12-14 minites or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute, transfer to wire racks and cool completely.

For the Powdered Sugar Icing, in a large bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, vanilla and enough water or milk to make an icing that will just hold a line when piped. Tint whatever colors you wish and frost and decorate cookies as desired.

This cookie dough was very easy to work with, tastes good and my daughter and I had a great time decorating them! OK...she did most of the decorating! I mostly watched and offered praise and encouragement!

Orange Brownies

Orange Brownies

1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
2 tsp orange extract
2 tsp orange zest, divided
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tbsp orange juice

Preheat oven to 350^F. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat butter, eggs, orange extract and 1 tsp zest at medium speed until well blended. Mix in the sugar, flour and salt until combined. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and set in center. Remove from oven and pierce brownies with a fork.
In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, orange juice and remaining 1 tsp zest; stir until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies. Cool and cut into squares.

From Paula Deen's Best Desserts magazine. These are SO GOOD! My personal favorite of all the cookies we've baked this year.

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup molasses
Extra sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 350^F. Sift together the flour, ginger, soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Stir in the orange juice and molasses. Gradually stir in the sifted flour mixture until well combined.

Shape dough into walnut sized balls and roll them in sugar. This dough is very soft, so I found it easier to just drop about a tablespoonfull of the dough into the sugar and the roll it.

Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookied to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

These are delicious, soft and chewy. John says he'd like me to make these often and not just at Christmas. They're nicely shaped and quite flat and I think they'd be really cute with some holly leaves & berries piped on them with icing, but I have a cold and don't feel much like messing with that today. Maybe next year.

Adapted from recipe of the same name at allrecipes.com

Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar (or Splenda!)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

Preheat the oven to 376^ F. Cream together the butter, Splenda/sugar and brown sugar. Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix in oats. Spray cookie sheets with Pam. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each ball with a fork dipped in sugar (the sugar is not necessary for the success of these cookies, not do you really need to flatten them. In fact, if you want softer cookies, do NOT flatten them). Bake 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Good cookies!