Easy Lemon Cookies

I needed a quick treat to make for visiting teaching this month, and I saw this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs, Boy Cheese Sandwich.  It took me about 30 minutes, including clean up, to have a tasty treat ready to go.

1 lemon cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350.  With a mixer, combine cake mix, eggs, and oil (dough will be stiff).  Roll tablespoon-sized balls in powdered sugar, then place on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheets (I fit 12 on a sheet, as the dough didn't spread much).  Bake for 6-8 minutes (I did 8), or until just starting to crack.  Let cool for 2 minutes on sheets, then cool completely on racks.  Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

My Nan's Banana Bread

There are already lots of yummy banana bread recipes on here, but I thought I would add this one anyway.  This is my Nan's, and whenever I make it, the whole house smells wonderful and I think of her (and how I miss her).  The ingredients are standard and simple, and I always have everything on hand--especially overripe bananas.  I also usually double this recipe to make two  9x5 loaves, since the first one always seems to mysteriously disappear before it's even cooled.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 very ripe bananas
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup nuts (optional--I leave them out)

Grease 9x5 loaf pan.  Cream together shortening and sugar.  Add in eggs, vanilla, and bananas, and mix until fairly smooth.  Add in flour, baking soda, and salt, and mix until thoroughly combined.  Stir in nuts (if using).  Bake at 350 for about 1 hour (start checking around 55 minutes), or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Since my loaf pans are dark and nonstick, I lowered my oven to 330 and baked them for about 57 minutes.

Almond Poppyseed Bread

Cake...bread, you could consider this recipe to be either one! I ended up delivering mini-loaves to some neighbors as Christmas gifts this year and got some rave reviews. This is another recipe from Our Best Bites (told you I was obsessed) and you can find their directions complete with pictures here. Delicious!

bread:

1 1/8 cups canola oil
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tsp. poppy seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine oil, sugar, eggs and flavorings and beat for 2 minutes. Add baking powder and salt and mix in. Alternate adding flour and milk (I like to go in this order - 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup milk). Add poppyseeds and mix until just combined. Pour into greased pans (2 large or 5 mini-loaf pans) and bake for 35-40 minutes for mini pans or 1 hour for large pans. I prefer the taste of the bread when made into mini-loaves...not sure why, but I do. When done baking, let cool in pans on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.

Glaze:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond flavoring
1/2 tsp. butter flavoring
1/4 cup orange juice

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl. Spoon over the tops of the loaves as they are cooling on the rack. Be liberal with your glazing because the glaze is delicious! It makes a sort of crusty top that is just delicious.

Flavorful Sugar Cookies

The kids were determined to make sugar cookies for Santa...like ask-me-every-day-25-times-until-I-finally-cave-and-make-them determined. The catch is...I'm not in LOVE with my sugar cookie recipe and it makes a gazillion cookies. So, when they finally convinced me, I went to my new favorite resource - Our Best Bites - and found this amazing sugar cookie recipe! It did not dissapoint. I also tried a "soft cookie" recipe with sour cream, and while they were delicious too, this one was definitely my favorite. They are ultra flavorful even without frosting, hold their shape so well, and with the trick from the recipe, SO EASY to cut into shapes! I may even be willing to do sugar cookies more than once a year! Plus, it doesn't make a gazillion cookies...just a normal size batch.

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. almond extract (or other flavor, like vanilla or peppermint or whatever your heart desires - I used 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract)
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Cream the butter and sugar (make sure it is light and fluffy before you stop whipping!). Add in egg and extract and mix. Add baking powder and salt. Mix. Add flour gradually until completely mixed.

Chill dough for about an hour... OR make your life so so so much easier by doing this:

Place a ball of dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll the dough flat. This way you won't have to add more flour, and you won't have to attempt to roll cold dough. :) Chill for about 20-30 minutes on a flat surface in your fridge, then peel off the top layer of parchment paper and start cutting out your shapes. Ummm...yeah, I love this part. No floury mess all over my counters, no trying to smash a cold ball of dough, just out of the fridge and onto the table for the kids to get shaping! Awesome!

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. I like mine more on the soft side, so I think I was closer to 8 minutes, but if you like them buttery crisp, then go closer to 12.

Of course, I topped these with my favorite buttercream frosting and sugar sprinkles.

Homemade White Bread

Yesterday I reeeeeally wanted some hot bread and jam, but I really prefer white bread to wheat bread and every single recipe I have is for wheat bread. While I could have settled for a wheat loaf, I don't keep wheat flour on hand, and I don't have a wheat grinder, so I googled white bread recipes. I am so happy that I did, because I found a total gem! The recipe makes 3 (giant) loaves. They came out of the oven yesterday afternoon at 1:00 pm, and by 1:20, we were down to 2 loaves. As of right now, we have part of one loaf left. The best part is...the bread is soft and delicious after it cools as well. Of course bread is good right out of the oven, but not all bread is delicious after it cools! I did modify a few of the original instructions, so this is my take on it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

3 cups warm water
3 Tbsp. dry active yeast
3 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1/2 cup white sugar
8 cups bread flour (I did not use bread flour. I buy Lehi Roller Mills Turkey Brand flour from costco and it is amazing for all kinds of baking...seriously the flour makes a huge difference. Next time you buy flour, give this brand a try and you will never go back!)

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in the mixing bowl and let sit for 5-10 minutes until softened. Add salt, oil, sugar and 4 cups flour. Mix. Let sponge (the gooey pre-dough that you have) rise until doubled in size (I let mine sit for about 10 minutes). Gradually add the additional 4 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until smooth after each addition. Move dough from mixer bowl into a greased bowl and roll dough ball around to coat all sides in butter (or cooking spray if that is what you sprayed your bowl with). Rise until doubled in size. I like to turn my oven on broil for 1-2 minutes (until it is just warm, not hot) and then turn it off and place a small glass bowl of hot water on the bottom rack and my bowl of dough on a middle rack. It seems to speed up the rising time without negatively affecting the dough. Punch down dough and let rest a few minutes. Divide dough into 3 equal parts (I don't think 3 was enough because my loaves were gargantuan. I will probably do 4-6 smaller loaves next time). Shape into loaves and place into 8 1/2x4" greased bread pans - I just shaped them into loaves and placed them side by side on a jelly roll pan. Let rise until almost doubled. Brush loaf tops with butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (mine only took 35 min). You may want to place a piece of aluminum foil over the tops of the loaves for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so they don't get over browned. Brush butter over tops of warm loaves when they come out. ENJOY!

Lion House Rolls

I love rolls! I feel like I am always trying new roll recipes just wondering if anything will be better than the recipe I normally use. I used the Lion House Cookbook roll recipe for our Thanksgiving Feast rolls and WOW! I could stop trying new roll recipes forever. The rolls were fluffy and yummy and even amazing the next day...and the next day. And with cranberry sauce, and tiny bit of mayo and leftover turkey...lunch was a little bit of heaven! They do take a long time (not active prep, but rising time), but it is worth it!

2 Tbsp. dry yeast
2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter (soft or melted)
2 1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
1 egg
5 to 6 cups flour

In the large bowl of an electric mixer add yeast and water. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add sugar, butter, salt, milk, egg and 2 cups flour and beat until very smooth. Add 2 more cups flour, one at a time and beat until smooth. Add 1 more cup of flour 1/2 cup at a time and beat until well mixed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until smooth and satiny (I usually let the mixer do this and just turn it onto the board to create a ball). Scrape bowl clean and grease it with shortening. Return dough to bowl and grease the dough lightly with shortening. Let rise in a warm (not hot) place until about triple in size. (This can take 1 1/2-3 hours depending on how warm your kitchen is. They recommend placing the bowl in a cool oven with a pan of hot water on a lower rack and it seriouslly works like magic).

When trippled in size, turn dough onto a lightly floured board (I do this in segments so I don't have to work with all the dough at once) and let sit for 10 minutes. Then roll it out into whatever shapes you want. (to make them actually look like lionhouse rolls, I roll the dough into one long rectangle and then use a pizza cutter to cut it the short way into rectangles. Then I roll semi-tightly from one end to the other so that the center bulges out a little more than the outside. You can do any shape you want though). Place shaped rolls on greased baking sheets, brush the tops with melted butter and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours. Bake at 400 degrees  for 15-20 minutes (12-13 was long enough in my oven) or until lightly browned on top. Makes about 3 dozen rolls.

Easy French Bread

My cousin gave me this recipe and it is kind of amazing! The bread is not as fluffy/light as french bread like you buy at the store, but it is really quick and easy for bread and tastes delicious! It makes 2 giant loaves so sometimes I make both and freeze one, or give one to my mom for her family to devour, or I'll just half the recipe and that works fine too. I use this recipe a lot with the appetizer recipes for dips and such that recommend using french bread for dipping.

3 c. warm water (about 110-120 degrees - I just use mine straight from the tap)
1 1/2 Tbsp. active dry yeast (not instant)
1/2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 cup melted butter
8-9 cups flour
1 egg white, beaten

In a 4 cup pyrex (or any bowl you want...just not your mixer bowl because you will need that in a minute) combine warm water, yeast, and 1/2 tsp. sugar. Let sit until hot and bubbly (about 10 minutes).

In your mixer bowl, combine 2 Tbsp. sugar, salt, and butter. When the yeast mixture is ready pour it into the butter mixture and combine with beater attachment. Change to dough hook (if using a kitchen aid mixer) and add 4 cups of flour. Mix until smooth.

Add 3 more cups of flour in 1/2 cup increments, mixing until smooth after adding each 1/2 cup.

Add 1-2 more cups of flour (I usually only add 1) in 1/4 cup increments, mixing until smooth after adding each 1/4 cup.

Mix for 5-10 minutes on speed 2 (if using a kitchen aid).

Let rise in a greased bowl for 30 minutes or until doubled in size. Break dough into 2 equal loaves and shape into long french bread loaves and place side by side on a greased jelly roll pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and let the loaves rise until the oven is ready. Cut 3 diagonal slits across the top of each loaf and paint the beaten egg white on top of each loaf. You won't use the whole egg white, and be careful not to get the egg white on the pan or it will burn.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

This is one of my favorite treats to make! I found the recipe while looking for a petit fours recipe for Chloe's birthday party earlier this year and, while the petit fours are too much work for a day to day treat, the pound cake is utterly fabulous! You can find directions and pictures here. But here is the synopsis in case the link ever goes away.

3.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Using a mixer, cream butter, cream cheese and sugar for about 6 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and milk until combined. Add baking powder and flour until completely combined. Pour into two greased and floured 9 X 5 loaf pans.

(You can also stir in 2-cups diced berries or fruit lightly coated with flour if desired. I have done this with strawberries and it is so so so good).

Bake for about 60 minutes or until done.

You can top with cream cheese frosting, drizzled icing or just slice it up and eat it plain. Delicious!

Jen's Favorite Buttercream Frosting

I LOVE frosting! In fact, yesterday Morgan (4) said..."I think we should make cupcakes because then I can lick the frosting right off the top," and I laughed out loud because I knew EXACTLY where he learned that from! ;) Anyway, I have tried a lot of recipes for buttercream frosting and I have never been head over heels in love with one, so finally I decided to break the mold and experiment instead of following recipes that were never just right.

Seth doesn't like frosting - at all - it is almost like a Jack Sprat thing - I eat his frosting he eats my cake, but when I made this frosting, he loved it! Yesterday I took cupcakes with this frosting to a baby blessing and I had a couple of requests for the recipe, so without further ado, I give you my favorite buttercream frosting recipe - and it is easy! There are a lot of extra instructions I am adding in because I learned a lot about frosting success while experimenting so I am sharing with you...I will list the un-noted recipe below the noted one if you want it easier to read!(One note: because this is modified I usually eyeball it and don't measure precisely, so if it doesn't taste just right to you, don't be afraid to make adjustments!)

1 cup butter (room temperature - if you don't store your butter at room temperature, you can put it in the microwave in a small bowl on defrost for 10-20 seconds and it will soften without melting)
1/2 - 2/3 cup crisco shortening (I don't measure this I just add 2 large heaping spoonfuls)
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract (not immitation vanilla - the pure stuff makes a difference - if you want white frosting, get the clear vanilla extract - McCormicks and Watkins make good ones)
2 tsp. almond extract (optional, but it really neutralizes the taste of the powdered sugar...sometimes I substitute other flavors here, but I always add at least 1/2 tsp. of almond extract)
4 cups confectioners sugar

4 Tbsp. cream or milk (you can use either or both, but I have found that I like the taste best when I use 3Tbsp cream and 1 Tbsp milk)
1/2 tsp. glycerin (optional - this thickens up your frosting to counteract the liquid food coloring or flavors without more powdered sugar)

I usually mix this in my kitchenaid with the whipping attachment, but if you are using a handmixer, I recommend using your whipping attachment. Cream butter and crisco until smooth. Add vanilla and almond extract and whip. Gradually mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time - scraping sides as needed. Add milk. Whip for 2-3 minutes. Adjust ingredients to taste. Add glycerin if needed.

Adjustable ingredients:
To thicken a lot without more butter taste add more crisco.
If it is too powdery add more milk or cream.
If it is the right consistency but tastes too much like powdered sugar add more vanilla or almond extract.
If it tastes just right, but isn't thick enough add more glycerin.



Recipe without notes:
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 - 2/3 cup crisco shortening
2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract
4 cups confectioners sugar
4 Tbsp cream or milk
1/2 tsp. glycerin (optional)

Cream butter and crisco until smooth. Add vanilla and almond extract and whip. Gradually mix in powdered sugar 1 cup at a time - scraping sides as needed. Add milk. Whip for 2-3 minutes. Add glycerin.

Pumpkin Cake

We were in charge of throwing a Thanksgiving for our ward (for more than 150 people) last Thursday. We served this Pumpkin Cake and these Pumpkin Cookies and people are still calling me to request the recipes every.single.day. In fact, one of the 18 year old boys in the ward asked Seth to have me make the cookies for a post-Thanksgiving-Morning-Football treat...now that is saying something! We cut it into squares and topped it with whipping cream for the party, but you can also top it with cream cheese frosting (listed below).

1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin puree
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix all ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes in a jelly roll pan/1" deep cookie sheet.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese frosting
5 Tbsp. softened butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cup powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. milk

Neiman-Marcus Cookies

I got this recipe from a chain email that was going around forever ago and had never tried it, but this week I was feeling a little adventurous and wanting something sweet so I decided to give it a go. New favorite go-to-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe. So, so good! It makes a gazillion cookies (ok, I exaggerate, but it does make 112), so I made a 1/4 batch and it was perfect!

5 cups oatmeal
2 cups butter
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 (8 oz) Hershey's bar, grated (I don't like hershey's so I used an IKEA chocolate bar)
3 cups chopped nuts

Measure oatmeal and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and vanilla and mix together. Add flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips, Hershey's bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes at 375 degrees.

Orange-Raspberry Cream Cupcakes

I made these for a bridal shower this past weekend, and they turned out great!

*Cake:
1 Duncan Hines orange supreme cake mix
Ingredients called for on package

**Cream Filling:
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pint fresh raspberries

***Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. orange zest
juice of 1 orange
2 lbs. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line nonstick muffin tins with paper cups.
2. Mix cake batter according to package directions, but follow the high altitude directions (usually a little extra flour and water).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together filling ingredients. For a smoother filling, add raspberries before mixing everything together with an electric mixer. For bigger raspberry chunks, whip filling together before stirring in raspberries by hand. I like to go half and half--put half the pint in and blend with mixer, then stir in other half by hand.
4. Fill muffin cups half full with cake mixture.
5. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of cream filling on top of each muffin cup.
6. Tap muffin tins on counter so everything settles in--they should be about 3/4 full.
7. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean except for a few very tiny, moist crumbs.
8. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then loosen edges to remove cupcakes from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack.
9. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients except powdered sugar in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer. Then gradually add powdered sugar until it is stiff yet still spreadable (about 2 lbs.).
10. Frost and decorate as desired. I like to use a pastry bag because it looks clean and really is a lot faster.
11. Store cupcakes in the fridge--it makes the cream cheese filling taste better and is there anything yummier than cold cake? I think not.

*I adapted this recipe from one of my mom's for "black bottom cupcakes". The original recipe used a devil's food cake mix, but I've done this with white cake, yellow cake, lemon cake, spice cake, carrot cake, etc.

**The original recipe just calls for the sugar, salt, cream cheese, and egg, plus chocolate chips. But I've added cinnamon, mint extract and green food coloring, orange extract and orange food coloring, etc. You can change this up a million ways.

***This orange frosting is really just a dressed-up version of vanilla buttercream, which is my favorite frosting ever. Just omit the orange zest and juice for plain vanilla, or add mint, cocoa powder, various extracts, or food coloring to customize it.

15 minute Pizza Dough

I found this delightful recipe on littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com and it is wonderful. It is so fast and with the help of a stand mixer requires almost no effort on your part! Now that is my kind of cooking! And, as an added bonus, you can feel like a gourmet chef by getting creative with your toppings. There are some wonderful suggestions from the post where I found this and I will share some of my favorite pizza toppings below.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp rapid Rise or breadmaker yeast
1 cup hot water (120-130 degrees on a candy thermometer - mine was this hot out of the tap)
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Mix dry ingredients (including yeast) together. Add water and oil. Mix for 5 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes. - I wanted to get the authentic pizza bottom texture, so I sprayed my cookie sheet with PAM and covered it with cornmeal) Press dough on pizza pan (or cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan). Bake at 500 degrees for 3 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. Return to oven and bake an additional 8-10 minutes.

Chicken Artichoke Pesto Pizza

Pesto Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Grilled chicken sliced
Mushrooms
Artichoke hearts
Olives
Sun Dried Tomatoes

Quick and Easy BBQ Pizza

BBQ Sauce (we love Sweet Baby Rays)
Mozzarella Cheese
Carmelized Red Onions (directions below)
Canadian Bacon Slices
Bacon Crumbles

To carmelize onions saute 1/2 - 1 thinly sliced red onion in 2 Tbsp olive oil and 2 tsp. sugar until limp and slightly browned.

If you have other yummy gourmet pizza toppings, post them in the comments!

Jamaican Banana Bread

This recipe is from Cooking Light and it is so yummy!

Bread:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) 1/3-less-fat-cream-cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 Tbsp. dark rum OR 1/4 tsp. imitation rum extract and 2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
2 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar; beating well. Add egg; beat well.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring well.

Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (through vanilla), stirring well.

Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternatively with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in pecans and coconut.

Pour batter into an 8x4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool slightly on a wire rack.


Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. dark rum OR 1/8 tsp. imitation rum extract and 2 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, toasted
2 Tbsp. flaked sweetened coconut

In a saucepan combine brown sugar and butter, lime juice, and rum. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spoon over loaf.

Dale's Root Beer Cookies

This recipe came from one of Seth's neighbors and came with rave reviews...I made it tonight with the kids, but I had to substitute some ingredients and got some measurements wrong (that's cooking with kids for you) so I don't know what they should really taste like, but they were pretty good. Bet they are really yummy when you get everything right.

Cookies:
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk*
2 tsp. root beer extract
2 1/2 - 2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs; mix well. Add extract. Add dry ingredients and buttermilk. Mix well. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes. When cool, frost with root beer frosting.

*Buttermilk substitute: 1 1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice plus milk to make 1/2 cup. Allow to sit 5 minutes before adding to recipe.


Root Beer Frosting

3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. root beer extract
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. hot water

Mix well. The key is to wait until cookies are cool before frosting.

You could also try this recipe with other flavors: cherry, orange, mint, etc.

Homemade Granola

I saw this recipe a couple of months ago on one of the many many craft blogs that I read and now I can't remember which one so I can give them credit, but it is so easy and so yummy...not to mention WAAAY cheaper than store-bought granola. There is so much you can do with it too...eat it as cereal, add some m&ms, nuts and craisins to make trail mix, or add it to yogurt and fruit for a yummy parfait. I plan to try some variations on the recipe to change things up...maybe add coconut, cashews and dried mango for a tropical version or almonds and dried raspberries and blueberries for a version that just sounds really yummy!

Enjoy!

7 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup wheat germ (I used wheat bran instead - found it at Sunflower Market in the bulk section)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup cinnamon
1 cup oil
1 cup honey (I ran out of honey mid-recipe and made it with just 1/4 cup last time and it was still yummy, just not as many clusters)
1/4 water
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients and spread on a greased cookie sheet (I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup). Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir and bake another 15 minutes. Scrape the bottom of cookie sheet as soon as it is doneto prevent sticking (not neccesary if using parchment paper).

Added bonus: your house will smell all cinnamony and delicious!!! :)

Andes Mint Cookies

Ok, I know it's not the Christmas season anymore, but these are tasty enough to make any time of the year!

3/4 c butter
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 T water
12 oz. bag chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 lb. Andes Mints

Melt together butter, brown sugar and water in a saucepan. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Let stand 10 minutes to cool.

In a mixing bowl, add in remaining ingredients except mints. Chill dough at least 1 hour ( I just stick my KitchenAid bowl right in the fridge).

Roll into balls (or use a little scoop for uniformity) and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and place 1 unwrapped mint on top of each cookie. Let sit for a couple of minutes, then swirl melted mint on top of cookie (I use a fork and it works great).

Buttercream Frosting

This frosting recipe is so easy and so yummy! Thanks to my cousin, Dusti, for sharing your favorite frosting recipe and your secret adjustments! Enjoy!

1 Cup Butter
4 Cups Powdered Sugar
1 generous Teaspoon Vanilla
3-4 Tablespoons Whipping Cream

Mix all until blended and smooth.

Pumpkin Pie

This year I got adventurous and made my very first pie - ever! It turned out great and I was so proud that I could make a pie without any help! (You seasoned pie-makers are laughing at me, I know, but think back to your first pie....nostalgia!) The crust was good but not great - anyone have a great one that I should try? I bet you do, so post away!

Pie Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons milk

Filling:
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
7 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
6 1/2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground clove
Pinch salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt and mix to combine. Add the butter and continue mixing until the mixture holds together when you clump it, and there are pecan-sized lumps of butter still visible. Meanwhile, whisk together the yolks and milk in small bowl. Add the yolk mixture to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, wrap well and store in the refrigerator for several hours. (The dough will keep for several days in the fridge and several weeks in the freezer.)

On a lightly floured work surface, roll half of the dough into a 11 to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Line the pan with the dough and crimp the edges. Chill the pie shell for about 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans. Bake the shell until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and beans.

Lower the oven to 325 degrees F. In a medium saucepan, mix together the pumpkin and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced and thick, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream, milks, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, salt, eggs, and yolk. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake until set, about 45 to 55 minutes.

Cool and serve with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

One of our friends posted this recipe on my personal blog in response to my recipe request and I am popping it up here for all to enjoy! Thanks goes to Angie for sharing!

This is more desert-ish but they are so easy and so good that you could eat them for breakfast, desert, snack, whatever!

5 eggs
1 1/3 cup oil
1 can pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 package instant vanilla pudding
12 - 18 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin tin. Crack eggs into a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except chocolate chips and mix until creamy. Add chocolate chips and stir in.

Pour batter in greased muffin tin. Bake at 350 for 25-30 mins or until golden brown on top.