Friday, December 23, 2011

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
  • 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
  • 8 to 10 drops green food color
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In large bowl, stir cookie mix. butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chips.

Using small cookie scoop or teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.


"Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see." C. S. Lewis 

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Pretzel Treats


Ingredients
  • Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
  • Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
  • M&M's candy


Heat the oven to 170F. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.

Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.





Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.  ~John 15: 4-5

Thursday, December 15, 2011

S'mores Cookies

Ingredients
  • 11 tablespoons unsalted, butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2- 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 3 regular sized Hershey's bars, broken into pieces
  • 1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper. Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, sea salt and cinnamon to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.

Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour.

Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 - 1 1/2 inches apart. Press down slightly with fingertips.

Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey's bar pieces on the top.

Bake for 5- 7 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

*Any chocolate chip recipe may be used for these cookies (the nestle toll house recipe is a personal favorite)

"Live in the sunshine, swim in the sea, drink the wild air." ~Ralf Waldo Emerson