Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine,softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1-3/4 cups (11-oz. pkg) HERSHEY'S butterscotch chips

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Beat butter , granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips; mix well.
3. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Praline Syrup

• 2 cups corn syrup
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar 
• 1 cups pecan pieces
• 1/2 t. vanilla

Prepare canner, jars, and lids. In a stainless steel saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar, and water. Heat over medium head stirring till dissolved. Increase heat and bring to a boil for one minute. Reduce heat and stir in pecans and vanilla. Boil gently, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. 

Ladle hot syrup into hot jars, leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rim, add lid and rings and process in water bath for 10 minutes at a full boil. Remove jars and cool on dishtowel overnight.

Alternative involving NO corn syrup:  Canning Homemade

SOURCE:  Canning Homemade

Peanut Butter Drop Cookies

• 1/4 C. butter or margarine
• 1/4 C. milk
• 1 C. granulated sugar 
• 1/4 C peanut butter
• 1/2 t vanilla 
• 1 1/2 C. quick cooking oatmeal

Mix butter, sugar, and milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, vanilla, and oatmeal. drop by teaspoonful's onto waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator until firm.

From: Where's Mom Now That I Need Her?

Carob Chip Bars

 

Carob Chip Bars (AKA Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars)

•  1 cup butter melted
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (ground tiny)
• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups carob chips

In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan.  Microwave carob chips and the 2 tablespoons peanut butter together, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.


Chocolate Chip Variation:  Use chocolate chips in place of carob chips, melting the chocolate chips and 4 tablespoons of peanut butter together in a metal bowl over simmering water or in the microwave.


Adapted from:  http://mybakerlady.com/2012/01/16/reeses-peanut-butter-bars/

Snickerdoodle Bread

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 package Hershey's Cinnamon Chips
• 3 TB sugar
• 3 tsp. cinnamon

1. Cream butter, sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy. Add eggs and mix well.
2. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix well.
3. Mix flour and baking powder in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and mix until all combined.
4. Add cinnamon chips and stir into batter. Set aside.
5. Spoon batter into 4 mini loaf (2 regular) pans until about 2/3 full.
6. Mix 3 T. sugar and 3 t. cinnamon in a bowl and sprinkle over the batter in each loaf pan.
7. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Let cool before removing from pan.

Adapted from: http://lilluna.com/snickerdoodle-bread/

Cranberry Butter Bars

Cranberry Butter Bars (Cranberry Christmas Cake)

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
12 oz fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until slightly thickened and light in color, about 5-7 minutes. The mixture should almost double in size. The eggs work as your leavening agent in this recipe, so do not skip this step. This mixture should form a ribbon when you lift the beaters out of the bowl. Add the butter and vanilla; mix two more minutes. Stir in the flour until just combined. Add the cranberries and stir to mix throughout.

Spread in a buttered 9x13 pan. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until very lightly browned and a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. (I baked mine for 43 minutes.) Let cool completely before cutting into small slices. I cut mine into fairly small pieces, about 1"x2", so that they could be easily eaten at a party. Enjoy!

Oatmeal Mini Pieces Cookies

2/3 cup shortening (or a combo of unmelted butter and shortening)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1/2 t vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 T milk
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/3 cups (10 oz package) Reese's Mini Pieces Candy

Heat oven to 350.  Lightly grease cookie sheet or use parchment paper.

Beat shortening and sugars in large bowl until fluffy.  Add in egg and vanilla.  Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; add alternately with milk to sugar mixture.  Stir in oats and candy pieces.  Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool on wire racks.

(found on back of Reese's mini pieces bag)

Egg Nog Bread

• 1 (16-oz.) package pound cake mix 
• 1 1/4 cups eggnog
• 2 large eggs 
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°. Beat all ingredients together at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Increase speed to medium, and beat 2 minutes. Pour into a lightly greased 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.

Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 5 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Found at: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/eggnog-pound-cake-10000001940931/

Cinnamon Rolls

1/2 cup warm water
1 T rounded yeast

1 1/4 cups milk, scalded
4 T butter
3 T sugar
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten
4-5 cups flour

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 t cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins, optional

Dissolve yeast in water in a small bowl.  Melt butter in scalded milk.  Cool.  Add eggs, sugar, salt and dissolved yeast.  Mix in flour and let rise 20 minutes.  Roll out and shape into rectangle.  Spread melted butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins equally over the dough.  Roll dough and slice into one inch pieces.

Bake 10-12 minutes at 400 degrees.

Creamy Raspberry Jello

1 large box raspberry Jello
1 1/2 cup boiling water
1 bag mini marshmallows
1 package frozen raspberries
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 T sugar

Use large mixing bowl to dissolve the Jello in the boiling water. Stir until completely dissolved.

Whip the whipping cream together with the sugar until stiff-ish.

When the Jello has cooled somewhat, stir in the frozen raspberries and the marshmallows. Fold in the whipped cream until all the way combined.

Place in refrigerator for at least four hours before serving.

Classic Spritz Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 T milk
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 F. Thoroughly cream butter and sugar, . Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill.

Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Remove cookies from sheet; cool on rack.

(Wilton's Cookie Press recipe)

Watergate Salad

1 can crushed pineapple (20 oz) undrained
1 box pistachio pudding (4 serving size)
1 cup marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped pecans (do not use more, it's not as good)
1 tub cool whip (8 oz)

Mix all ingredients together. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Root Beer Cookies and Frosting

1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. root beer extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water (optional–only use if dough is too dry)

Cream butter and dark brown sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the root beer extract. Whisk dry ingredients together. Add a little at a time to the creamed mixture.

Chill for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease several baking sheets, or line them with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Roll into small balls (about 1″ diameter). Place them on the pan, leaving a bit of space between the cookies. Gently press the tops of the dough. (If you leave out the water, sometimes the cookies don’t spread very much.) Bake for 6-8 minutes, rotating cookie sheet halfway through. Let cool on wire rack.


Frosting Recipe:

1 cup butter
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. root beer extract
a few tablespoons hot water

Beat butter on high with an electric mixer until it is fluffy. Add a little powdered sugar and the root beer extract. Beat until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar alternately with a little hot water until a nice spreading consistency has been reached.
Frost the cooled cookies and let stand for a few minutes to let the frosting set up.

(Recipe found on Makes and Takes and was made by Cafe Johnsonia)

Peanut Butter Fudge

3 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1 small can (5 oz) evaporated milk (2/3 cup)
1 bag (10 oz) bag peanut butter chips
1 jar (7 oz) marshmallow creme
1 t vanilla

Line 9 inch square pan with foil, set aside. Place sugar, butter and evaporated milk in large pot. Bring to a full rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 4 minutes or 234 degrees (F) on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

Add peanut butter chips and marshmallow, stirring until completely melted. Add vanilla and mix well.

Pour into foil lined pan and let set at room temperature for about 4 hours, or until completely cooled. Store covered at room temperature.

Makes 3 lb. or 40 servings, about two squares each.

Southern Apple Crumble

Filling:

4 large apples, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 t ground cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces

Topping:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) oatmeal cookie mix (Betty Crocker)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional

Heat oven to 300. Spray bottom and sides of 8 inch square dish with cooking spray. In large bowl toss filling ingredients. Spread mixture in greased pan.

Mix topping ingredients, except nuts, in same bowl, stirring until crumbly. Sprinkle over filling. Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle nuts over the top and return to oven, baking 15-20 minutes more, or until topping in golden brown.

Deep Dish Cobbler

1 box yellow cake mix (butter recipe is great)
1 cup quick oats
1 1/4 cups pecans
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 cans berries (drained) or other fruit, enough to cover pan

Preheat oven to 350. Mix cake mix, oats, nuts and butter together in bowl. Put about 1/2 of the mixture in a well-greased cake pan and flatten, until it covers the bottom. Place fruit on top and then sprinkle rest of topping over fruit.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Lemon Creme Bars

1/2 cup cold butter
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) oatmeal cookie mix
1 egg
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
1/4 cup lemon juice

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.

In large bowl, cut butter into cookie mix, using fork or pastry blender. Stir in egg until mixture is crumbly. Press half of cookie mixture into bottom of pan; bake 15 minutes.
In small bowl, stir condensed milk, lemon peel and lemon juice until thick. Spread over baked crust. Crumble remaining cookie mixture over top. Bake about 25 minutes longer or until light golden brown. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until set. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 5 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Caramel Pecan Brownies

1 package caramels (14 oz)
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided
1 package yellow cake mix (butter flavored or caramel will do)
3/4 cup butter, melted
2 t. vanilla extract
3/4 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350. Unwrap caramels, and place in a medium saucepan. Add 1/3 cup evaporated milk; cook over low hear until caramels melt, stirring often. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk, the cake mix, butter, vanilla and cinnamon; stir until just blended. Spread half of the dough into a lightly greased 9" square pan. Chill remaining dough. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Pour caramel mixture over brownie layer in pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Divide remaining half of dough into 9 portions. Pat each portion into a 3" circle. Place circles over nuts in pan, overlapping slightly. (Dough will spread during baking.)

Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill thoroughly before cutting.

Sugar Cookie Frosting

1 cup butter softened, not melted
1/2 cup evaporated milk
2 t. vanilla
5-6 cups powdered sugar

Mix well. Can be colored, if desired.

Pineapple Upside-down Cake

1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (8 oz) pineapple slices
2 T chopped pecans, if desired
Maraschino cherries, one for each pineapple center
1 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk or water or juice from pineapple
3 T vegetable oil
1 t vanilla
1 egg

Heat oven to 350. In 9" round pan, melt butter in oven (be careful not to let get too brown). Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer over sugar mixture. Sprinkle with pecans. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.

In large bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed for 3 mintues, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place serving plate upside down over pan and turn plate and pan over together. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake. Remove pan and let cool.


Alternatives:
Use bananas instead of pineapple and walnuts instead of pecans.