Yummy Recipes to Share

Easy Cinnamon Rolls
2/3 cup warm milk
2 eggs
3 cup bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp butter
2 tsp active dry yeast

I set my bread machine on the dough setting and add all the ingredients. When it's completed the cycle, I turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a large rectangle. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up long ways. Slice into 1/2 inch slices and lay in a baking pan sprayed with no-stick spray. Cover with a dishcloth and let rise until doubled. bake at 375 until golden brown.

these are best when warm from the oven!

Crunchy Butter Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1cup brown sugar

Cream these together. Add:

1 egg

1 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla

Mix until well blended. In separate bowl combine:

3 1/2 cup flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

Gradually add to creamed mixture. Then add:

1 cup oats

1 cup crispy rice cereal

1 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets. Press tops lightly with a fork.

Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees

Waiting... Waiting...

It's sooooo quiet around here! The 3 older kids began school today and the little one is down for a nap. Quiet is not always a bad thing, it can be good, in fact.

I just never enjoy the first day of school. I miss them.

We have a little tradition around here on the first day. The kids get to come home to fresh baked cookies and we sit around eating cookies and discuss the happenings of school.

So I went to bake some cookies this afternoon, and NO chocolate chips. uh oh!!

I flipped through a new cookie cookbook and found these. But, uh oh, Lindsey just ate the last apple from the fruit bowl. Thank God for the apple trees outside that are putting on ripe fruit! I ran out to the nearest apple tree and picked a couple for this recipe... And they are YUMMY!

Apple- Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup diced,peeled apples

1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, baking powder, spices and salt.

In another bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs.

Blend in the dry ingredients. Fold in apples, oatmeal and nuts.

Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets. Bake 12 -15 minutes until golden brown.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Now I'm just waiting for my kiddos to get home!! (Hopefully there will be some cookies left over for them.... ha ha!)

"Let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

--- James 1: 4

Holiday Sweets

I've been baking like crazy today!! I hadn't planned on taking a bunch of goodies to my Mom's for Christmas but my little sister (love ya, Jordan!) specifically requested that I bring "treats".

So here is the line-up:

Sugar & Spice Biscotti

Gingerbread Boys

White Chocolate Peppermint Bark

Chocolate Pretzel Bark

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread

Fudge

I'll share a couple of the recipes.

SUGAR & SPICE BISCOTTI (picture above)

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

For topping: 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

Combine sugar and oil. Stir in eggs and vanilla; set aside. Combine dry ingredients. Gradually add into wet mixture; mix well.

Line baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with no-stick spray. Spoon dough onto prepared baking sheet. Form into a 10" x 3" log.

Combine sugar and cinnamon for topping and sprinkle over the dough log.

Bake at 350 for about 30-35 minutes until the center is firm. Cool for 15 minutes. Cut crosswise into 1/2" slices. Place cut side down on baking sheets. Bake at 325 for about 15 minutes until brown around the edges and dry; flip over halfway through baking time to brown evenly.

Let cool. At this point I melted some white baking chips and added a couple drops of peppermint extract to it. Then drizzled over the cooled biscotti.

CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN BREAD

2 1/4 cup flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp EACH of salt, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup oil

1 cup dried cranberries (optional)

3/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Combine eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients until moistened. Fold in cranberries and chocolate chips.

Transfer to 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour until a knife comes out clean when inserted. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans.

Sugar Cookies

I'm always on the search for a great sugar cookie recipe... I don't really like the ones with cream of tartar... it leaves a funny aftertaste. I found this recipe in a cookbook that I bought recently. I hope you like these as much as we do...


3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1/2 cup milk

Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder and nutmeg together. Set aside.
With a mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
Add the egg and mix well.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk until a soft dough forms.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.. Cut into whatever shapes you want.
Place on lightly sprayed cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes until the edges begin to get golden brown.
Decorate with frosting and sprinkles.
Have fun!!!!

Snowball Treats

These are alot of fun to make with the kids.

WARNING: Messy, but it's a fun kind of messy!

Although I made these by myself today to surprise the kids with when they get home from school. (Maybe that's my excuse for not having as big of a mess?)

I use chocolate in ours but if you want to keep them completely white, use white baking chips instead. We just prefer chocolate flavor... I guess ours are muddy snowballs?

4 oz cream cheese, soft

2 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cup chocolate chips, or white baking chips

2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups mini marshmallows

coconut

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Add the melted chocolate, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Fold in marshmallows; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to handle. Make into small balls and roll in coconut (this is the messy part). You have to push the coconut into the balls a little to make it stay. Store in the frig or even in the freezer. They are, after all, snowballs!

Hope you like them.... Yum!!

Baking Day

I got in the baking mood today and tried a couple new recipes. They both turned out really good so I'll share them with you.

CHOCOLATE MINT COOKIES

3/4 cup butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp water

1 package semisweet chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

bag of Andes mints

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter, sugar, and water. Add chocolate chips and stir until mostly melted. Pour into a large mixing bowl and let cool for 10-12 minutes. Mix on high speed, beat in eggs. Reduce speed and add dry ingredients. Mix until well blended. Chill for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray baking sheets with no-stick spray. Roll dough into teaspoon size balls. (I made mine a little larger). Place on cookie sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, no longer. Immediately place half of an Andes mint on each hot cookie. Allow the mint to soften then swirl with a butter knife.

I had bought these peppermint Andes mints, so I used them instead of the usual green mints. They turned out very yummy! Very festive looking!

HERB CHEESE BREAD

1 1/3 cup warm water

2 tbsp butter,softened

1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp sugar

1 tsp Italian seasoning

3 cups bread flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 package active dry yeast

2/3 cup shredded swiss cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan

In a bread machine, place the first 8 ingredients. Select the dough setting. Just before the final kneading cycle, add the cheeses. I had to add a little bit of water to the dough too.

When the dough cycle is complete, turn out onto lightly floured surface and knead a couple of times. Place in a large greased loaf pan. Or 2 small loaf pans. ( I actually use a small roaster because with 6 people in the family, we need a large loaf!) Allow to rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees.

To be honest, I'm not sure how long I baked it for. I just kept an eye on it and when it had browned nicely I removed it from the oven. I always rub butter over the top of my bread when it's hot to make a nice shiny, golden appearance.

Loaded Zucchini Cookies

If you are trying to use up the abundance of zucchini coming from the garden right now, then here is a recipe to try.

I tweeked the original a bit. I rarely bake anything exactly as the recipe is.

There is nothing better than filling your home with the smell of some fresh baked cookies. YUM!!


LOADED ZUCCHINI COOKIES
1/2 cup butter, soft
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour (can use half whole wheat flour)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flaked coconut
6 oz chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (I use pecans, chopped)
1 cup shredded zucchini
Optional: raisins
Cream the butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and oatmeal; mix until smooth. Add coconut, chocolate chips, nuts, and zucchini. Mix well. Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Until brown around the edges.
ENJOY!!