Butterscotch Chip Cookie Cake

Happy Friday! :)

Do you have someone who loves cookies? Then you NEED to make them this Butterscotch Chip Cookie Cake from Bake Your Day.

Kenn likes butterscotch, and I enjoy spoiling him every now and then. :) I had been meaning to make this for him, but just got around to doing so about a week or so ago. He liked it so much that he bragged about it on Facebook. :D

It's SO easy, people! AND I love the fact that you can do just about anything with it - I suspect it will be getting chocolate chips and pecans at a future date. :) It IS very rich, so cut the pieces small. You could throw this together tonight, so the family ( :D ) has something to snack on all weekend!

OK, friend I am outta here! Have a wonderful weekend! Be BLESSED!

"How the Grinch Crinkled Christmas" Cookies

Happy Friday! I know I'm a little late. I've not done much today, even though I had the BEST intentions... :D I did watch the latest episode of SHERLOCK. Wow, *everything* about it was brilliant. I do wish they'd give us a few more episodes per season! :D

ANYWAY. This recipe's been hanging around since the beginning of December for me to share with you. These are what *I* refer to as simply Grinch Cookies, from Delicious Meliscious.

I, personally, was quite ambivalent about this recipe. A couple of people told me they really liked them, however, so I'm not sure if they'll hang about next year or not. :) I do like the color of them - they add quite a nice bit of contrast to a cookie platter.

Perhaps if I could figure out a better cake mix flavor. (I'm not really big on cake mixes lately; I'll use one in a pinch, but would prefer not to!) I love French vanilla flavoring in beverages, but it bores me in anything else. :D

I think, when it comes to this cookie, you'll have to try it yourself and see. :) You tell me: is it a YES, PLEASE! or a NO, THANK YOU! ??? :D

OK, I'm outta here to go do nothing once more. :D Have a WONDERFUL weekend! Be BLESSED - and welcome (tomorrow) to FEBRUARY!

Spumoni Biscotti

Happy FREEZING Wednesday!!! Brrrr, is it cold!!! That air coming in the front door is enough to make me gasp. LOL!!!

Today's recipe is for Spumoni Biscotti from Recipe Gold Mine.

I won't make you wait. This was a definite YES, PLEASE! from everyone who ate them. :)

My sister and my mom, both, were pretty vocal about how much they enjoyed these. The cherries, even though you pat them dry, make this biscotti moister than most. So if you really enjoy that crunch, you won't QUITE get it with these, but they are good.

Spumoni is the classic Italian combination of pistachios and cherries. And that makes this cookie fit under the "Christmas cookie" classification. But I have the stuff to make another batch, whenever Mom feels like she needs a special treat. ;)

I drizzled white chocolate over the tops of these, to decorate them up a bit. Mom feels better about eating them if there's no topping on them. And these honestly didn't need the added flavor. Although I'm not saying white chocolate ever HURTS the taste of a cookie... :D

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL day! Stay warm, and be BLESSED!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti

Welcome to Friday! :) Are you back in the groove of things? I'm not quite sure I am... :D

So, I wanted to share this recipe for Chocolate-Hazelnut Biscotti from epicurious.com today! :)

My mom, especially, LOVES biscotti. I usually try to purchase some for her for Christmas, but I made these for our open house - and left some undipped in the white chocolate for her. I think it makes her feel less guilty about eating them. :D

Honestly? This is an easy recipe. I think I need to make my cookie logs a bit thinner, but the biscotti is about the size of a commercial one, and fits into a snack baggie. :) This one bakes up quite nicely, and the classic flavor of chocolate and hazelnuts is a winner.

I'd love to know if you try these! They're definitely a keeper in my book! :)

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Gingersnaps

Happy Wednesday! :D Are you having a good week? Can you believe it's almost the end of yet another month?!?! <sigh> :D

Today's recipe for you is Gingersnaps from Better Homes & Gardens. This is one I use for my open house; I've been told they're the best gingersnaps several people have ever had. I like hearing that. :D

I use butter, not margarine. And don't skimp on the spices! If yours are too old, GET NEW ONES for this recipe. Spices DO go, and it's much better to have fresher ones.

Also, I have been known to use all KINDS of colored sugars on these - the large granules, please! For me they're just not gingersnaps unless it's large-granule sugar. :D

This DOES make a very large batch. If you don't need lots of cookies, perhaps half the recipe. Or freeze half the dough. Or make the whole batch and freeze some of the cookies - they stack and freeze really well! Just make sure they're completely cooled before you stack them on top of each other, or they'll stick. :)

OK, I'm outta here. :) Enjoy your day - may it be REALLY blessed!

Gingerbread

Happy Friday! I hope you've had a great week!

Here's another one of those recipes you really want to have on-hand; it's a Martha Stewart recipe for gingerbread.

These are the gingerbread men I made for the open house; I had a bit of a time with the icing being too runny, but it was mostly being glue for the mini M&Ms. :D

Don't omit the pepper in the recipe. I thought about it, but left this one as-is (except for the currants for the eyes!); it's a really GOOD gingerbread, not too crunchy but not super-soft, either. It rolls beautifully.

I really need to get a gingerbread GIRL cookie cutter....

This is one of two cookie recipes I'm going to use with my nieces and nephews - they want to decorate cookies, so that will be one of our craft projects. :)

Of course you don't have to go all out with these; just making a basic shape with no icing would be fine. I won't say it's BORING, but.... :D

OK, I'm outta here! It's another BUSY weekend! I hope YOU get a chance to rest, and try something new! :) Be BLESSED!

Cheryl's Chocolate Chip Blonde Brownies

Good Friday Morning! I hope you've had a great week, and are looking forward to your weekend. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Michael and Haley, our groom and bride tomorrow. :)

Anyway. Today's another share that I learned to only make around Christmas, because I absolutely LOVE these. They're fantastic, soft and chewy. They're from BettyCrocker.com, and are called Cheryl's Chocolate Chip Blonde Brownies.

Well, I'll admit it: part of my reasoning for posting these is so I have the link to the recipe while we're in Oregon. :D They're SO simple to make, but would be wonderful to have on-hand for weekend guests.... :D

I don't tweak these at all. I accidentally added too much brown sugar one time, and don't recommend doing that if you can help it. :D These kind of taste like chocolate chip cookies, but a little different, and a lot easier. :D

I can't think of anything else to tell you about them, except you won't regret making them! :D

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!!! Be BLESSED - and try something new!

Lemon Lover's Cookies

It's WEDNESDAY! :D Are you having a good week?

Today's review is for another Taste of Home recipe, this time for Lemon Lover's Cookies.

Yes, they're very, very lemony. And if that were all that was required of a good cookie recipe, then I'd give this one a different review! :D I'm saying NO, THANK YOU to these cookies.

Why? Because they broke if you looked at them the wrong way! They shattered coming off the cookie sheet; they crumpled when you moved them - and heaven forbid you should try to pick one up to frost it!

No, the taste was good, but it wasn't worth the frustration and waste. I broke about a fifth of the number of cookies I made. Yes, it was that bad! (Can you tell I was frustrated? I made these for my cookie exchange on the 21st of last month, and it's still irking me. LOL!)

OK, I'm outta here! Have a WONDERFUL day, and let me know if you're trying something new! Be BLESSED!

Coconut Clouds

Have you missed me?!?! :D I know, I disappeared - but MY GOODNESS, taking care of a little one made me pretty brain-dead. But I'm home, and eager to share with you!

Today's recipe is for Coconut Clouds - another Taste of Home recipe.

This was the first time I decided to try these cookies, for the open house.

It will not be the last. :D They got a definite YES, PLEASE! from many people, including my sister, Debbi. :D (My youngest nephew, N., thought they should make all the good things in the photo I last posted. After all, they had all the ingredients, right? :D How fortuitous that Grandma and Grandpa were coming to visit in a few days! :D )

This is my dad. He and Mom are wonderful to help me with any project I care to beg - er, ASK! - for help with. :D Here he is, frosting the Coconut Clouds for me. :D

I did not change a THING with this cookie. The cookie itself is delightfully cake-y, and very nice alone. However, the coconut frosting and the toasted coconut on top definitely make this cookie something special. It is COMPLETELY coconut-tasting. If you don't like coconut as a flavor all alone, don't make this cookie. If you do, you MUST make it. :D

OK, I'm outta here. Kenn and I are going to spend the rest of the day together; I was gone a LONG time. It will be nice to be with him, then our church family later tonight. And tomorrow is our cookie exchange! I'm trying three all-new recipes, so be on the lookout! :)

Are you ready for Christmas?

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Happy Monday Morning! I'm on my way to Texas this morning; stay tuned for updates on how the open house went. (I'm setting this up to show up, so you can have some entertainment while I'm traveling. :D )

Today's TNT recipe is for Peanut Butter Blossoms, from my Hershey's Cookbook. But again, Hershey's has put their recipes online, too! :D

I don't think I ever tweak this one! It's wonderful. And putting chocolate with peanut butter made Kenn start eating PB cookies. ;D

OK, I'm gone. Literally. HA! (I crack myself up!) Have a WONDERFUL day! Be BLESSED!!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifles

Welcome to Monday! Are you ready for this week? It's the last of November. Wow. Where DID this year go?!?!

Today's review is the last recipe from the Hostess Appreciation Luncheon - and it's dessert, of course. :D It's Simple Pumpkin Cheesecake Trifles from My Baking Addiction.

OK, these are a YES, PLEASE! but I WILL tweak them a bit. :D I didn't do a thing differently from the recipe, I swear! :D

I loved the Biscoff cookies for this; they weren't overpowering or too sweet, and kept their crunch - which was a great texture contrast to the creaminess of the rest of it.

I will add more cream cheese next time; I love the flavor of cream cheese, and as one hostess said, "If you hadn't told me there was cream cheese in here, I never would have guessed!" If you like the cheese part of the cheesecake flavor to be less, then do this straight-up. :D

I served these in little juice glasses. It was really the perfect size to wrap up a big meal; cool, creamy, and not too big a portion made it a pretty perfect little treat. :)

OK, I'm outta here! Sooooo busy around here! I really hope you're planning on coming to the open house if you're local.... :D

Have a wonderful day! Be BLESSED!

Cherry Cheesecake Cookies

It's FRIDAY! Do you have big plans? Going to try something you found online for a get-together this weekend? Fill me in! Tonight - if our car's fixed! - we're going to our friends' house for dinner; I don't know what she wants me to bring yet. That will help me decide: do I take a TNT dish (tried-n-true), or try something new? :D

ANYWAY. Today's recipe comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. Not gonna make you wait: it's a definite YES, PLEASE!!!!

I didn't tweak a THING on these cookies. :D I've been looking for a cookie recipe that I had when I was in college; this is the closest thing I've found to it. However! The depression in the middle of the cookie leaves the bottom too thin, in my opinion. I think the next time I make them, it will be more of a thumbprint cookie - and I'll only try to fit one or two cherries in. Not only will that help with them trying to fold in half when you pick one up, it will help with using the dough and the cherries up at the same time. :D I had extra dough after using the two cans, so I opened a can of mixed berry filling and used about a third of it, as well.

I made these for the Fourth of July, so I had red, somewhat-white, and blue on the plate. They were tender, sweet, and a perfect dessert. And they freeze well! :)

Let me know if you try these. I think you'll enjoy them!

Have a wonderful weekend! Be BLESSED!