snowball cookies...

1 cup butter, room temp

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

powdered sugar (for rolling cookies in)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cream butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Add flour and salt and stir to combine. Fold in chopped nuts.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Placed on greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 min. Remove from oven and roll in powdered sugar while still warm. Roll in sugar again when cool.

I believe the real name for these is wedding cookies. I've never had or seen these at a wedding. We call them snowball cookies. That is what they look like, after all...

Again, a very easy recipe. You do have to plan ahead a little and take your butter out of the fridge early in the day (as with any cookie recipe...this step really does make a HUGE difference.)

Santa will love them!!! So will you.

peppermint bon bon cookies...

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup butter (room temp)

1/2 cup shortening

1 egg (room temp)

1 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

red food coloring

1/2 cup crushed candy canes

1/2 cup granulated sugar

Combine crushed candy canes and granutlated sugar in a small bowl and set aside.

Cream powdered sugar, butter, shortening, egg and extracts. Add flour and salt. Mix until combined. Divide dough in half of the dough (making it as pink or as red as you like). Use a Tablespoon to measure out dough and roll into bon bons. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 8-9 min.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with candy canes while hot. Let cool completely.

Twelve days and counting...

If you are looking for a new cookie this year, look no further. These little morsels are full of peppermint goodness and can be popped right in your mouth...what's not to love?!?

These are a must every Christmas at our house. These are one of the cookies we leave for Santa because they are his (and Mrs. C's favorite!!) They come together quickly which is always a bonus...especially at this time of year, and they are yum-my.

pan cookie bars...

1/2 cup butter

1/2 brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour

1 cup oats

1 cup chocolate chips

Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg and peanut butter and mix well. Stir in soda, salt, flour and oatmeal. Press into a 9x13 in baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Bake 20-25 min or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with icing.

Cool completely. Cut into squared and serve.

These were a different twist on the usual pan bars. They were so quick and easy to throw together and they disappeared quickly!

Put on your June Cleaver pearls and whip these up for a great after school snack (after the vacuuming is done, of course!)

apple cider donut holes...

2 red apples (I used Honeycrisp)

2 1/2 cups apple cider

3 1/2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

3 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1 2/3 cups sugar

3 Tbsp shortening

1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup buttermilk

1 tsp vanilla

Core and chop apples (do not peel). Combine with 1 1/2 cups cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat; cover and cook until softened, about 8 min. Uncover and continue cooking until the apples are tender and the cider is almost completely reduced, about 5 min. Puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth. Measure the sauce; you should have 1 cup. (Boil to reduce further, if necessary) Let cool.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, salt and nutmeg in a medium bowl.

Beat 2/3 cup sugar and the shortening in another bowl with a mixer on medium speed until sandy. Beat in the egg and yolk, then gradually mix in the applesauce, scraping the bowl. Beat in half of the flour mixture, then the buttermilk and vanilla, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix to a sticky dough; do not overmix.

Scrape the dough onto a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper (I used my silpat on a baking sheet and covered with plastic wrap) and pat into a 7x11 inch rectangle, about 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Mix remaining cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.

Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until a deep fry thermometer registers 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Cut the chilled dough with a 1 inch cutter (or just cut into small pieces and roll into balls)

Slip 3-4 doughnuts at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown, adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer to the paper towels to drain.

Roll in cinnamon sugar. Serve warm or at room temp.

I debated for a long time (a good month) whether or not to make these. I had never made donuts before, and was intimidated. Plus, I was turned off by the thought of grease splattering all over my kitchen.

I have to say...I am so glad I made them!!!

It seems like a bit of a process, but really is very easy. The biggest trick was to keep the dough very cold. I even stuck it in my freezer for a few min in between frying. As for the splattering oil...it didn't happen. Bummer. That means I'll just have to make them again. And again. And again.

At least again next Halloween!

Recipe from the Food Network magazine (Sept- Oct issue)

apple cider donut holes...

**recipe to come**

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

candy corn pizza...

1 pre made pizza crust

pizza sauce

grated cheddar cheese

grated mozzarella cheese

Bake according to crust instructions.

This is a Halloween dinner favorite at our house! For the non pizza lovers (is there really such a thing??) you can omit the sauce and just make cheese bread.

My kids love that it is a change from the norm.

best, big, fat, chewey chocolate chip cookies...

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for no longer than 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

*If you don't have unsalted butter, just use salted butter, but use MILK chocolate chips instead.

I have a "thing" for cookies. I recently just discovered this. After giving it some thought, I realized that if I am going to indulge in a treat...it is definitely going to be a cookie. Preferably a chocolate chip cookie. When my cute friend, Ali gave me this recipe it was love at first read. Something about the "drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time..." just spoke to me. Big time. These are delicious. I've made them several times...I should know! Try them.