Ho Ho Ho (Part II)

As previously mentioned, our family cookie swap is coming up this weekend and since I had the day off, I baked my Mom's contribution -- Toasted Smore Bars.

They're beyond delicious... gooey, chocolately, and perfect!

I got this recipe from the same magazine as listed in the Eggnog cookie post ("Holiday Cookies" by Cuisine at Home" and to be honest, I was slightly hesitant about putting Reese's peanut butter cups onto a smore bar. But I'm so glad I did! It adds a really great touch... however, I did make a batch up without the PB cups because of of the ladies involved in the swap doesn't care for peanut butter. In that case, I up-ed the chocolate chips to 2 C and upped the marshmallow to 2 C as well.

Enjoy!

Crispy Toasted Smore Bars


For the crust...
1 stick unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C all purpose flour
pinch of salt

For the toppings...
12 peanut butter cups, quartered
1 1/2 C mini marshmallows
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees; coat a 9x13 baking pan with nonstick spray.
Cream butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. The mixture will look curdled - it's ok :)
Stir in graham cracker crumbs, flour, and salt. Reserve 2/3 C of this mixture to use as a topping.
Lightly spray your fingers with nonstick spray and then press the remaining graham cracker crumbs into the prepared pan (the layer will be thin). Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden around the edges.
After the crust is baked, top the hot crust with peanut butter cups, marshmallows, and chocolate chips; press lightly to adhere. Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture in clumps over the top and press lightly.
Bake 18-20 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed and just beginning to turn golden.

Ho Ho Ho (part I)

So every year Mr. Tana-Licious' family does a big cookie swap... this year there are 10 lovely ladies involved which means 10 dozen cookies to share & I get to bring 10 dozen different ones. Not so shabby :)

I picked up a magazine at Lowe's last week titled "Holiday Cookies" by Cuisine at Home because the front cover had this adorable little cookie on it with holly decoration! I flipped open the magazine and found them... Eggnog Tea Cookies with Butter Rum Icing. I was instantly sold!!

So I took on the challenge of baking all 10 dozen this am and just finished the decorating. I'm really pleased with how they turned out... and I was shocked that there recipe does not call for actual eggnog! Just lots of nutmeg and then the rum in the glaze. Needless to say, one bite proved that they are very eggnog-y and very yummy!

My next baking endeavor will be Smores Bars from this same book... That's going to be my Mom's contribution to the cookie swap and as the resident baker of the house, I'm more than willing to help out!

Enjoy :)

Eggnog Tea Cookies with Butter Rum Icing




Cookies
2 C all purpose flour
2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3/4 C granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Stir flour, nutmeg, and salt together in a bowl; set aside.
Cream the 2 sticks of butter with the granulated sugar until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla; beat until just incorporated.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until blended.
Cover and chill dough for at least one hour (up to 24 hours).
Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls (use a cookie scoop or a tablespoon) and arrange onto a parchment lined baking sheet, 2 inches apart.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch and light brown on the edges. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.



Icing
2 C powdered sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/4 tsp. rum extract or light rum

Blend powdered sugar, 2 tbsp. of butter, and rum together using a mixer.
Frost cooled cookies then decorate however you'd like.
Allow icing to harden before packaging.

I love a good quickie...

... a peanut butter quickie that is!! ;)

This recipe was shared with me by my future mother-in-law... she says it was her go-to cookie when the kids would come home and tell her they needed a couple dozen cookies for a bake sale the next day.

Simple and delicious... And quick!!

Enjoy :)


Peanut Butter Quickies



1 egg
1 C sugar
1 C peanut butter

Combine all ingredients throughly. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Let cool completly on wire rack and then devour them!

Note: I scoop the dough with a cookie scoop and then roll them into balls. I then use a fork to make the traditional peanut butter cookie marks (I moisten the fork slightly and press into granulated sugar before I press the dough).

24 down, 12 left.

So I stumbled across a recipe for apple cookies on allrecipes.com and thought "I could do something like that, but better!). Here's my "better"!

However, while whipping up my own concoction of Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, and oatmeal... I decided to bake them at 375 for 11-12 minutes as the inspiration recipe stated. Well, needless to say, the title of this entry is what happened... I ended up with only 12 cookies because I burnt the first 24 I put in at 375.

Soooo, I kicked the oven down to 350 and put them in for 8 minutes and they came out perfectly! These cookies are spicy and sweet all at the same time... Enjoy :)

Oatmeal Apple Cookies with Cinnamon Glaze


Cookies…
1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 granny smith apples - peeled, cored and grated (squeeze excess juice out)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup rolle oats

Beat butter and brown sugar together.
Beat in egg and blend thoroughly.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
Stir half the dry ingredients into creamed mixture. Stir in apples and then stir in remaining half of dry ingredients and milk. Mix well.
Drop from tablespoon 1 1/2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove cookies to racks.

Glaze…
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla and enough milk to make glaze of spreading consistency. Beat until smooth. Drizzle on warm cookies.

Macarooooooooooooons

I have just one word for this cookie... heavenly.

I stumbled upon coconut cream filled Hersheys kisses the day before Easter in my local grocery store and on the back of the package was this recipe for macaroons with a chocolaty center... Not just a chocolaty center, a coconut cream chocolate center! after you bake off the macaroons, you push one of the kisses into the macaroon and it oozes into the cookie and makes this pool of chocolate & coconut cream goodness!

You could easily do this cookie w/ just a regular Hershey's kiss but really, why not go for that extra kick of coconut! These cookies were gone within 10 minutes of them being put on the table! Yum!

Macaroon Kiss Cookies



1/3 c. butter, softened
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tsp. almond extract
2 tsp. orange juice
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
5 c. (14 oz.) flaked coconut
54 Hershey Kisses (9 oz. pkg.), unwrapped

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, almond
extract, and orange juice; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in 3 cups of the coconut. Cover tightly and chill 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in remaining coconut. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; immediately press unwrapped kiss in top of each cookie.