My favorite cookie!

Peanut Butter Star Cookies

1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed

Mix together. Then add:

1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Chill dough for an hour. Roll the dough into 1" balls. Roll the balls into sugar and then place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven. Place a chocolate star in the center of each cookie and return to the oven for one minute. Let sit for a few minutes before moving the cookies with a spatula to a cooling rack.

Cookie Exchange- A real life one,this time...

It is nice to have such a variety of cookies without all that work! This afternoon I attended my first cookie exchange. How fun! Whomever thought up this little party idea is just brilliant. Awhile ago I talked about the virtual cookie exchanges, see those ramblings HERE.

Going to a real cookie exchange was a lot of fun and you get to actually taste the cookies!! If you want to throw together a last minute cookie exchange party then pick up some ideas at Creative Homemaking, about.entertaining.com, and Cookie Exchange has some great photos and tons of ideas!) ,

I thought I'd share a cookie I had never tasted or even heard of before: Orange Creamsicle Cookies, from the kitchen of my next door neighbor, sweet and friendly Judy.

Orange Creamsicle Cookies

1 pouch (1 lb. 1.5 oz.) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
4 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 tsp. orange extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 drops red food coloring
5 drops yellow food coloring
1 bag (12 oz.) white vanilla baking chips (2 cups)
1 Tbsp. water

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, stir all ingredients, except baking chips, until soft dough forms. Stir in baking chips.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough with 1 1/2 Tbsp. size cookie scoop or by rounded teaspoons about 2" apart.
3. Bake 10 minutes or just until dough is set. (Do NOT overbake) Cool for 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cookie racks. Cool completely. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

Making cookies with Mrs. Claus

My mother-in-law bought this Mrs. Claus for our family several years ago. It sits in our kitchen each Christmas season and oversees all the holiday baking. What Christmas season would be complete without making some cookies to share with the neighbors?

Tonight we made Ranger Cookies. I tasted these for the first time a few months ago and they are super moist, yet they have a crunch to them. The recipe went straight into my favorite recipe booklet...

Ranger Cookies

1/2 c. margarine or butter
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 c. Rice Krispies cereal
1 1/3 c. flaked coconut

Beat margarine with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add about half of the flour, sugars, egg, vanilla, and baking soda. Beat until thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Stir in cereal and coconut. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7-8 minutes.

Andes Mint Cookies

Have you all been invited to a Christmas cookie exchange yet? Perhaps you didn't get an invitation and you would like to be invited to a virtual cookie exchange? There are a few of those out there. Check out: Little Birdie Secrets, Our Plain and Simple Life, Designer Digitals, Frugal Creativity, or check out the Blog Catalog. Your thighs will love the virtual cookies and you can probably find a few recipes that will be worth the occasional real indulgence!

I know some families spend a day this month baking tasty treats to put on plates for friends and family. I usually don't do that... but thought I'd join in a virtual cookie exchange just for the fun of it!

I found the recipe for these Andes Mint Cookies on Becky Higgins' blog about a year ago. I HEART Andes Mints so I thought I'd give them a try and they have been a big hit with the crowds each and every time I do. Oh, and just so you know, I never have any extra mints left so don't sneak any... but, don't worry they are still delicious melted on top of a gooey cookie fresh from the oven!


Andes Mint Cookies
(makes approximately 4 dozen)

3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 Tablespoons water
2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 package)
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 boxes Andes Mints, unwrapped

Heat the butter, brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until completely melted. Cool for 10 minutes. Pour chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl and add eggs. Stir well and then add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together and chill in fridge for 45 minutes. Roll into balls (like 1 to 1- 1/2" big). Place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and immediately place a mint on top of each cookie. Allow to melt for 2 minutes and with a knife swirl the chocolate around to create a pretty green/brown swirly pattern. Allow to cool. (Chocolate will harden after cooling) But, I always eat one while the chocolate is melted. :-)

Just so you know: These cookies freeze very well. I usually bake half the recipe and freeze the other half. Once the cookie balls are on the cookie sheet I place the cookie sheet in the freezer and let the cookies harden up for 20 minutes. Then I remove them from the cookie sheet and put them in a labeled ziplock bag. (This process keeps them from sticking together) Freeze the cookie balls and when you are ready to bake them take the desired amount out and put on a cookie sheet. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes and then bake as instructed above.

Pumpkin-Pecan Cookies with Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting

Nothing says fall like pumpkin-flavored goodies. Here is a new recipe I tried last night from Better Homes and Garden Magazine. My kids exclaimed that they are their new favorite cookie. Super delicious!

The cookies were simple to mix up and bake. I used a cookie scoop to put the dough on the cookie sheets and one recipe gave me 57 cookies!! I found that 9 minutes was the perfect baking time on them for my oven. The frosting is very yummy but, a bit different consistency than I've worked with before. It was hard to spread onto the cookies towards the last half of the cookies, so work quickly! I should have added another drop of two of hot water to see if that helped but, it worked out. Every cookie had frosting and looked good. I wonder if a drop of maple extract would be a good alternative for the vanilla. Doesn't that sound tempting?

Pumpkin-Pecan Cookies with Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting

2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, softened
1 egg
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degreesF. In a medium mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and allspice. Set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Beat in the sugar. Add the egg; beat well. Stir pumpkin and flour mixture into egg mixture with a wooden spoon. Stir in the chopped pecans.

3. Drop the dough by a rounded teaspoon about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

4 Bake cookies in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned (mine were done at 9 minutes). Transfer the cookies to wire racks; cool. Frost the cooled cookies with Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting. Makes about 40 cookies.

Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting
6 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a medium saucepan heat butter and brown sugar over medium heat until butter is melted. Remove mixture from heat. Stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough hot water (2-3 teaspoons) to make a smooth, spreadable frosting. Frost the cooled cookies immediately after preparing the frosting. If frosting becomes grainy, add a few more drops of hot wate and stir until smooth.

To store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw, then frost cookies.