Applesause Squares

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease one 8×8 inch baking pan.
2. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat well.
3. Blend in cinnamon, flour, baking soda and salt; add raisins, nuts and applesauce. Mix well.
4. Place batter into the prepared baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Peanut Butter Cookies for Diabetics

• 1 Cup of Peanut Butter (creamy or chunky)
• 1 Cup of Splenda
• 1 Large Egg
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

(This recipe does not contain any flour)

Grease or spray baking sheets. Mix peanut butter and sugar with mixer until well combined.  Beat egg into peanut butter mixture and then add baking soda. With level teaspoons of dough, roll and place about 1 inch apart on baking sheets. Flatten with fork so they are about 1-1/2 inches in diameter.

Bake cookies in the middle of the oven until puffed and pale golden brown for approximately 10 minutes. 

Makes approximately 2 dozen cookies.

Lemon Cookie Bars

• 1 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Cup Butter
• 4 Large Eggs
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1/3 Cup Lemon Juice From Concentrate
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 2 Tbsp. Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine the 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and butter. Pat into the bottom of a pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until it turns lightly brown.
In a second large mixing bowl beat the eggs, granulated sugar and lemon juice with a wire whip until well blended.
Stir in the 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 tsp. of baking powder and pour over top of the baked crust. Return to the oven and bake an additional 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. of powdered sugar.

Royal Scone Smackdown

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup cream, or milk and water in equal parts

1. Mix and sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.
2. Work in butter with tips of fingers; add eggs well beaten (reserving a small amount of unbeaten egg white) and cream.
3. Toss on a floured board, pat and roll to three-fourths inch in thickness.
4. Cut in squares, brush with reserved white, sprinkle with sugar, and bake in a hot oven (around 425 degrees) 15 minutes.

Love Bites

ingredients

 

• 1 cup butter-flavor shortening
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon coffee-flavor liqueur or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
• 48 milk chocolate kisses with stripes or almonds

directions

 

1. Beat shortening in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until mixture is combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, liqueur, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. If necessary, cover and chill dough in the refrigerator about 1 hour or until easy to handle.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease cookie sheets; set aside. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar and coffee crystals. Roll dough balls in sugar mixture. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
3. Bake in preheated oven about 10 minutes or until tops are cracked and sides are set; do not let edges brown. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. If desired, while chocolate is still warm, swirl it gently using your finger or with a knife. Transfer cookies to wire racks and cool completely. Makes 48 cookies.
4. To store: Place cookies in layers separated by pieces of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw cookies, if frozen, before serving.

Guinness Brownies

• 4 eggs
• 3/4 Cup sugar
• 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate (chopped so it melts better)
• 4 oz. white chocolate (chopped so it melts better)
• 6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3/4 Cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 Cup baking cocoa
• 1 1/4 Cups Guinness stout
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375° 

 Butter an 8-inch-square pan. Mix eggs and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the bittersweet chocolate, white chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and beat into the egg mixture. Slowly add the flour and cocoa together and beat into the chocolate mixture. Whisk in the Guinness. Pour into the baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. To serve the brownies dust with powdered sugar.

Big Valentine Cookie

• 1 package (16 or 18 ounces) refrigerated cookie dough (any variety, such as Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chunk, Chocolate Chip & White Fudge, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip, Reduced Fat Chocolate Chip, or Sugar Cookie Dough)
• Decorator icing (optional)
• Valentine candies (optional)
• Melted chocolate (optional)

1. SHAPE an entire package of cookie dough into heart shape on greased baking sheet. (Note: Be sure dough is well-chilled before shaping.)
2. BAKE according to package directions, adding 3 to 4 minutes to the baking time on the package. Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute; carefully loosen cookie with spatula. Cool on baking sheet completely.
3. DECORATE with candies, icing and melted chocolate.

Candy Cane Twists

• 1 package (18-ounce) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, room temperature
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon red food coloring

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut the roll of cookie dough in half. Put the halves in separate large mixing bowls. In 1 bowl, thoroughly mix 1/4 cup of the flour and the peppermint extract into cookie dough. In the second bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour and enough food coloring to make a red dough. Mix well with gloved hands until the color is well blended.

Divide the white and red dough into 24 pieces each, (for a total of 48 pieces). Roll each piece into a rope 8 inches long and about 1/4-inch in diameter.

To shape candy canes, arrange 1 rope of each color side by side on parchment lined cookie sheets. Gently twist together and shape into a candy cane. Repeat with the remaining pieces, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are very lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest, about 5 minutes, before transferring the cookies to racks. Gently remove them from the cookie sheets with a long metal spatula and cool on cooling racks

Rocky Road Goodies

1 (12-ounce) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 (14-ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

3/4 Cup of crushed mint candy cane
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line baking sheets with wax paper.
2. Combine morsels and sweetened condensed milk in large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH (100%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10 to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in marshmallows, nuts, candy cane and vanilla extract.
3. Drop by heaping tablespoon in mounds onto prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm.

Makes 24 clusters

Creepy Witches’ Fingers

• 1 cup Butter, softened
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1 Egg
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 2/3 cups Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 3/4 cup Almonds, whole blanched
• 1 Tube Red Decorator Gel

1. In bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla.
2. Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
4. Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remainder refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful of dough into finger shape for each cookie.
5. Press almond firmly into 1 end for nail.
6. Squeeze in center to create knuckle shape.
7. Using paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle.
8. Place on lightly greased baking sheets; bake in 325F (160C) oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden.
9. Let cool for 3 minutes.
10. Lift up almond, squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place, so gel oozes out from underneath. You can also make slashes in the finger and fill them with “blood.”
11. Remove from baking sheets and let cool on racks. Repeat with remaining dough.

Makes 5 dozen cookies.