Thursday, December 24, 2009

STAINED GLASS WINDOW COOKIES


* 2/3 cup butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 eggs
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup milk
* 40 fruit flavored hard candies


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with foil.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and eggs.
3. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; add to egg mixture alternately with milk.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.
5. Keeping the colors separate, place candy in plastic bags and crush with a hammer. Use a spoon to sprinkle the crushed candy into the hollowed-out centers of the cookies, filling to the edges. Try to keep the candy within the centers. Any candy specks that fall on the cookie will color the cookie.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until candy is just melted. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, until candy is hard. Carefully lift cookies off baking sheet with spatula.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

PRETZEL KISSES

1 bag pretzels
1 pkg. M&Ms
1 pkg. Hershey Kisses

Place pretzels on baking stone or sheet. Place a Kiss on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 minutes (just watch for the Kisses to melt). Remove from oven and promptly place a couple of M&Ms on each pretzel, pressing into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool before serving. At room temperature, this takes SEVERAL hours. I would recommend making these the day before you plan on eating/delivering. Or you can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

PEPPERMINT CRUMBLE COOKIES


3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
bag of crumbled peppermint pieces

Melt butter, brown sugar, and water in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then add the chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted. Cool for 10 minutes. Put this in a mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together and chill for about 45 minutes.

Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. When cookies come out of oven, sprinkle peppermint crumbles on top of the cookie and do not spread. The pieces will get soft at first, but then keep their shape and re-solidify when cool.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Ranch Cheeseburgers

1 packet (1 ounce) Hidden Valley® The Original Ranch® Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
1 pound ground beef (or turkey)
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns


Combine Ranch mix, beef and cheese. Shape into patties; cook thoroughly, until meat is no longer pink in the center. Toast buns before serving, if desired.