Today’s entry is Eyeball Cookies!

Ingredients

5 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped, divided

20 to 25 vanilla wafers

Paste food coloring

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Red liquid food coloring

Directions

In a microwave, melt 4 ounces of white chocolate; stir until smooth. Dip vanilla wafers in melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on a waxed paper-lined baking sheet. Chill until set.

Melt remaining white chocolate; stir until smooth. Tint as desired. Spread a small amount onto the center of each cookie; place a chocolate chip in the center.

For bloodshot eyes, use a toothpick dipped in red food coloring to draw lines from circles to outer edges of wafers. Chill until set. Store in an airtight container.

ENJOY!

Today’s entry is Caramel Apple Bites!

Ingredients

FILLING:

1/3 cup finely chopped unpeeled apple

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

DOUGH:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

TOPPING:

1 package (14 ounces) caramels

2/3 cup evaporated milk

Green toothpicks:

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine filling ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened; set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and salt. Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.

Shape dough into 1-in. balls. Flatten and place 1/4 teaspoon filling in center of each. Fold dough over filling and reshape into balls. Place 1 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a small saucepan over low heat, heat caramels and evaporated milk until caramels are melted; stir until smooth. Insert a toothpick into each cookie and dip into caramel until completely coated; allow excess to drip off. Dip bottoms into nuts. Place on wire racks to set.

ENJOY!

Today’s Halloween entry is Spider Cookies!

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

24 Reese’s mini peanut butter cups

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1 teaspoon shortening

48 candy eyes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Cream peanut butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in egg.

Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with the bottom of a glass. Bake until tops are slightly cracked, 15-17 minutes. Cool for 3 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Immediately press 1 mini peanut butter cup into center of each cookie. Let stand until set.

In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Transfer melted chocolate mixture to a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Use mixture to adhere candy eyes to peanut butter cups with melted chocolate mixture. Pipe 8 lines alongside each peanut butter cup to resemble spider legs. Let stand until set.

ENJOY!

In honor of Halloween, this month’s recipes have a Fall/Halloween theme! First off…Autumn Leaves!

Ingredients

2 cups butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Red, green, orange and yellow paste food coloring

1-1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar

5 to 7 teaspoons warm water

1 tablespoon meringue powder

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

Divide dough into 4 portions; tint 1 red, 1 green, 1 orange and 1 yellow. Shape each into a disk and wrap. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. leaf-shaped cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake 14-17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, water, meringue powder and almond extract; beat on low speed just until blended. Pipe or drizzle on cookies as desired. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Our next Back-to-School treat is Peanut Butter Banana Cookies!

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup mashed banana

1/3 cup sugar for rolling

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line your baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix softened butter and brown sugar together well for 2 minutes.

Add in the peanut butter, egg, vanilla, salt, baking soda, and banana. Mix well for 1-2 minutes.

Slowly add the flour and combine well, do not over mix.

Using a cookie scooper – scoop batter and roll dough into a ball, roll each cookie ball in the sugar, and place on a lined cookie sheet. Batter should make 24 cookies.

Use a fork to flatten the cookies, bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until a light golden brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 3-4 minutes. 

ENJOY!

The second offering in our Back-to School desserts is Mint Chocolate Cookies. These promise to taste like a version of Girl Scout Thin Mints.  I’ll let you know when I try them!

ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

³⁄₄ cup packed light brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

¹⁄₂ cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 ²⁄₃ cups mint chocolate chips

directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and salt in a large bowl until creamy.

Add eggs; beat well.

Stir together flour, cocoa and baking soda.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture beating until well blended.

Add chocolate chips to batter.

Drop by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Enjoy!

Since this is Back-to-School month, I’ll be sharing cookies and lunchbox treats recipes! The first is Toffee Crunch Cookies!

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 (10-ounce) bag toffee candy bits

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup sweetened flake coconut

1 cup chopped almonds (I’m going to try walnuts or pecans)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat the eggs slightly; then add to the butter mixture and mix well. Sift flour, salt and baking soda; then add slowly to the moist ingredients and mix thoroughly. Mix in the toffee bits, oatmeal, coconut and nuts.

Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

ENJOY!

The last entry in our No-Bake Goodies series is Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies.

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, cubed

1/2 cup 2% milk

3 tablespoons baking cocoa

Dash salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups old-fashioned oats

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine the first 5 ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook and stir 3 minutes.

Remove from heat; stir in peanut butter and vanilla until blended. Stir in oats. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until set. Store in airtight containers.

ENJOY!

Today’s entry in the No-Bake Goodies Month is Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars.

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter, melted*

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sheet graham crackers)*

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter, divided

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Line an 8-inch or 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

Mix the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and confectioners’ sugar together in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 cup of peanut butter, then press evenly into prepared baking pan.

Melt remaining 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter with the chocolate chips in the microwave or on the stove. Stir until smooth. Spread over peanut butter layer.

Chill in the refrigerator until completely firm, at least 2 hours. Allow to sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve chilled. Setting them out for a few hours at room temperature for serving is OK.

Cover leftover bars tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

ENJOY!