Scottish Shortbread

I just love Scottish Shortbread cookies and I found this recipe that I made with my kids when they came down for the summer from Chicago. Everyone loved this recipe, so I thought I'd share it.

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 15 min. Bake: 20 min./batch

Ingredients

2 cups butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add 3-3/4 cups flour and mix well. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead for 5 minutes, adding enough remaining flour to form a soft dough.

2. Roll to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut into 3-in. x 1-in. strips. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. (parchment paper optional) Prick with fork. Bake at 325° for 20-25 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Yield: about 4 dozen.

Outrageous Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is another recipe I took from Susy, because I know that several people have asked for it.  It is a recipe she got from our Aunt Julette.

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (or Susy suggests using 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup Crisco)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 package chocolate chips (6 oz)

Beat sugar, butter, peanut butter, vanilla and egg in medium bowl until creamy and blended.  Mix in flour, oats, baking soda and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes, and let rest for 3 minutes on sheet before removing to cooling rack.  Enjoy!

S'more Cookie Bar

It has been a while since I have contributed here, so I figure I'd post a tasty treat I ran across a while back.

S'more Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (approximately 7 full graham crackers)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 super-sized (5 oz.) dark chocolate bars (e.g. Hershey’s)
1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme/fluff (not melted marshmallows)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture and mix at a low speed until combined. Divide dough in half and press half of dough into an even layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. Place chocolate bars over dough. Two 5 oz. Hershey’s bars should fit perfectly side by side, but break the chocolate (if necessary) to get it to fit in a single layer no more than 1/4 inch thick. Spread marshmallow fluff evenly over the chocolate layer.

Place remaining dough in a single layer on top of the fluff. This is most easily done by putting the second half of the dough in a gallon size freezer bag. Use your palms to flatten it out, and then use scissors to cut down both long sides of the bag, so it will open up book-style. Open it up carefully, and the dough will stick on one side of the bag. Then place the bag, dough side down, on the other three layers. From there peel the bag up ad spread the dough where it is uneven.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before cutting into bars

Makes 16 cookie bars.

Resurrection Cookies

This recipe came in my MOPS magazine this month and I thought it was so cute! I was hoping to do this with our kids over Easter and then I remembered that we'll be in NC for easter! So maybe a bunch of us can do this together. :)

Need:
1 c. pecans (or 1 c. mini chocolate chips)
1 tsp. vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 c. sugar
red food coloring
ziploc bag, wooden spoon, tape, scriptures

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Place pecans in bag and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested, the roman soldiers beat him. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar (or dip finger in to taste) before putting it into a mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life so that we could live again. Read Mormon 9:13 (this was originally John 10:10-11 but I felt the other scripture explained it better.)
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Then have them put in a drop of red food coloring. Explain that this represents the bitterness of our sins that Jesus took upon himself and the blood that he sweat as he atoned for our sins. Read Luke 22:42, 44. (I changed this one too. It didn't have the red food coloring, and the salt was to represent the salty tears shed by jesus' followers and the bitterness of our own sin. reading Luke 23:27)
Add sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus atoned for us and died for us because He loves us. He knows us and wants us to know Him. Read Moses 1:39 and John 3:16-17.
Beat egg white mixture with a mixer on high speed for 12-15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that much work is needed to repent and become like Jesus and gain the gift of eternal life that He provided for us. Read Alma 34:37-38. (since they didn't use the red food coloring they said to explain that the color white represents the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus reading Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.)
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet covered with wax paper. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven off. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matt 27:65-66.
Go to bed! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers felt despair when the tomb was sealed, too. Read John 16:20-22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cooke. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. He is risen! Read Matthew 28:1-9.

I thought this was a great way to have fun talking to kids about the real reason for Easter! I changed some of it because I wanted to include the atonement with the resurrection, but if you don't you could leave it the original way. Happy Easter!

Red Velvet Cake Cookies

I made these for Sarah's bridal shower and they were delicious! And I've been thinking that if you left out the red food coloring and added a little more chocolate to the batter, you could make the frosting for German Chocolate cake and then have German Chocolate cake cookies with this recipe too. Maybe I'll try it and let you know how it goes... But anyway here's the recipe.

For the Cookies:
1 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 oz milk chocolate, chopped
12 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp red food coloring
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

For the Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, at room temp
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temp
2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1 vanilla bean, halved and seeds scraped (I didn't have a vanilla bean so I just added 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract.)

Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 375. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. combine the semisweet and milk chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 50% power until melted, about 2 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Whisk the melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vinegar, vanilla extract and food coloring in a bowl until combined. In another bowl, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in four equal batches, whisking each batch completely before adding the next. Stir in the melted chocolate. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls of batter (I used my small ice cream scoop) onto the prepared baking sheets and smooth the tops with a damp finger. Bake until the cookies spring back when lightly pressed, 8-10 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to racks to cool completely.

Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Beat in the confectioners sugar and vanilla seeds (or vanilla extract). Sandwich a heaping tablespoonful of filling between 2 cookies, repeat with the remaining cookies and filling. (And when this says heaping - it means heaping. I found the cookies tasted best with quite a bit more filling than I expected.) Refrigerate 30 minutes before serving. (I didn't actually do this last step - who wants to spend 30 minutes with cookies in the fridge when you could be eating them?? Not me!)

And as a side note I do admit that this recipe seems kind of complicated with too many ingredients and steps - I also admit that I probably wouldn't have made them because of all the ingredients and steps, except they were for a shower for someone who loves red velvet cake. But they are actually pretty simple to make and very yummy. So worth it. Enjoy!

7 Layer Bars

Since Mom so wonderfully posted the black skillet cookies, I'll post the 7 layer bar recipe. A few people have asked me for it over the years, so just in case you need it...
Layer in a 9x13 pan:
1 stick melted butter
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. coconut
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips (8 oz)
1/2 c. butterscotch chips (4 oz)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 c. chopped pecans

Cook in 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Cool. Cut. Rejoice!

BLACK SKILLET COOKIES

This recipe gets its name because its usually made in a cast iron (black) skillet.



1/2 cup margarine
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chopped dates
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups crispy rice cereal
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut

In a large skillet, over low heat, melt butter, stir in sugar, dates, and eggs. Cook slowly and stir until thick. About 10 minutes. After mixture thickens, remove from heat and stir in nuts, vanilla and cereal. Spread coconut out on waxed paper. Scoop teaspoonsful of the mixture, shape into balls and roll in coconut to coat. Place in the refrigerator to set.

Heather's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a modified Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. It will make big, chewy cookies every time!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted (melt it on low in a small pot on the stove)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg and 1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp Milk (beat eggs and milk together and then add to mixture)
2 cups (12-oz. pkg) chocolate chips

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy. Add egg mixture and beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by small ice-cream scoops onto very lightly greased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.