Virtual Cookie Exchange – the winner

Thank you to all of you who participated in our cookie exchange. I found some really yummy recipes to try out in the coming months! Be sure to check out these recipes from the ladies who used our Mr Linky. Here are some handy links for you to use. Go and give them a visit and say hello.

What’s Cooking: Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just us Visnaws: Spritz Cookies

Jenny: Chocolate Frosted Marshmallow Cookies

Laura @ Real Mom Kitchen: Chocolate Chip Crunchewy Cookies (plus links to many more!)

Cynthia: Molasses Spice Cookies

What’s Cooking: Chocolate Almond Biscotti

What’s Cooking: Gingerbread Men or Houses

Frosted Reindeer Cookies (linked by Andrea)

Aubrie @ We Eat: Super-Soft Sugar Cookies

Frieda: Soft Sugar Cookie (plus lots of good tips!)

Jen: Andes Cookies a.k.a. Heaven

We also had two more cookie recipes emailed in, including our only gluten-free submission :-)

Easiest PB Cookies Ever (gluten-free)

(Allison Belnap)

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

1 cup sugar

Mix ingredients, form cookies, bake 10 minutes at 350 and enjoy!

(These do get crumbly if baked too long)

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

(Kim Hanauska)

cookies:
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam (or favorite jam)
glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 to 3 teaspoons water

Heat oven to 350. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter and almond extract. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy (1 to 2 minutes). Reduce speed to low; add flour. Continue beating until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. With thumb, make indentation in center of each cookie (edges may crack slightly). Fill each indentation with about 1/4 teaspoon jam. Bake for 12-14 or until edges are lightly browned. Let stand 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet.
While cookies bake, in a small bowl stir together powdered sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract. Gradually stir in enough water for a thin glaze. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

*Hint - put glaze in a sandwich bag and snip a small hole in the corner, it makes it easy to drizzle.
If cookies are spreading too much, chill dough 1 hour or stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons flour.

I’ll keep all of the recipes and links up on my blog for you all to use as a resource. If anyone has emailed a recipe and would like me to remove it just send me an email to let me know. Really – it’s not a problem and I totally understand!

Now for what you really want to know: who the winner is! Because we had people entering the giveaway from different sources, I typed everyone’s name and cookie on a paper (I double checked to make sure I had EVERYONE!) folded each slip of paper two times, and tossed them all in a bag. We shook the bag and I drew one out.

The winner of the BH&G magazine, criss-cross apron, and OXO cookie scoop is…..

Congratulations to Robyn Campbell! And another big thank you to all of you for participating!

Happy baking!

Virtual Cookie Exchange- Day 8

For the last day of our virtual cookie exchange, I thought I would end right back where I began – with Tassies. Remember this post about the Pecan Tassies?

These were the first cookie that I tried from the BH&G 100 Best Cookies magazine. Well, also found in this same magazine are a variation of these called Fudge Brownie Tassies (follow link & scroll down for recipe).

I’m sorry little pecan tassie. Your big sister just showed up, and she’s pretty popular with just about everyone. Maybe it’s her fancy chocolate-brown party dress. Maybe it’s the perfect little almond hat she wore. No one knows for sure.

You’re both just the right size, one-bite goodness. But if I have to choose between this…

…and this…

I’m going to choose your big sister every time. Don’t worry, pecan tassie. I learned a lot from you. But now I need more from my tassies. Like a hidden nut inside of chewy brownie filling.

And a creamy, buttery frosting to finish it off. Hello gorgeous.

(The recipe on the BH&G website doesn’t include the chocolate butter frosting, so I’ll add it here for you!)

Chocolate Butter Frosting

In a bowl beat 2 Tablespoons softened butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until smooth. Beat in 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder. Gradually add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 1 Tablespoon milk and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Gradually add 1 1/4 cups additional powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in enough additional milk, 1 tsp at a time to make a frosting of piping consistency.

After tassies are cool, pipe or spoon Chocolate Butter Frosting onto tassies. If desired, place additional nuts onto the frosting.

Virtual Cookie Exchange – Day 7!

A few weeks ago I had a hankerin’ for some Blondies. A quick search led me to Kim’s blog: Lovin’ From The Oven

where I found this recipe for Chewy, Chunky Blondies. The recipe is originally found in Dorie Greenspan’s book: Baking, From My Home to Yours. Does anyone else own this gem? Mr Dinner’s on Me gave it to me last year for Christmas and I sing it’s praises every time I use it. Really – nothing I’ve made from the book has failed. These Chewy, Chunky Blondies did not disappoint either. They were exactly what I love about Blondies – plenty of chocolate, a good amount of crunchy nuts, and a nice chewy-gooeyness in the middle.

The recipe calls for chocolate chips AND butterscotch chips so on my next trip to the grocery store I hit the aisle where the baking goodies are (I swear I can hear angels singing when I go down this aisle!). I grabbed the butterscotch chips and spied these too -

The Cinnamon Chips made me curious. My thought was that they’d be killer in some Oatmeal cookies. The Mint Chocolate Chips are destined to be added to this recipe: Fudge Ecstasies. I’ve seen mint chips before, but they’ve always been bright green and were a straight mint flavor – too much for me. I like that these look like regular chocolate chips and have a more subtle mint taste.

Has anyone tried either the Cinnamon Chips or Mint Chocolate chips, and what did you think??

Virtual Cookie Exchange – Day 6

Yes, I know. Day six was yesterday. Just so you know, in my world life comes first, THEN the blog. Yesterday turned out to be more hectic than I planned. But lucky you… you all get two posts today. See? It all works out.

For day 6 of our cookie exchange, I’m sharing with you all of the recipes that have been emailed to me over the past week. They all look so very delicious. (I’m such a sucker for cookies- if you didn’t realize that by now.) These recipes are in no particular order, and if you still have recipes to email it’s not too late! To be eligible for the giveaway, you have until Monday, December 14th at Midnight (MST) to do one of these three things:

1. Email your favorite cookie recipe to dinnersonme(at) gmail (dot) com
2. Add your cookie recipe to your own blog and use Mr linky (scroll down to bottom of post) to link up
3. If your favorite cookie recipe is found elsewhere on the web (Martha Stewart’s site for example) then leave a comment and include the link to the recipe

Thank you to all of you that have emailed, commented and linked so far! Oh, and because food blogs just aren’t as much fun without photos, here’s one for you. The recipe for this one is way back here.

Cream Wafers

(Kim Hanauska)

2 cups flour

1 cup butter (softened)

1/3 cup whipping cream

Granulated sugar

Filling

Mix flour, butter and cream. Cover and refrigerate until firm.

Heat oven to 375.

Roll out dough about 1/8 in thick. Cut into 1” rounds or what ever shape you want.

Roll in sugar, put on a cookie sheet and poke 4 times with a fork.

Bake until set not brown, ~7 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet, cool.

Once cool make cookie sandwiches by putting together with filling.

Filling

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter (softened)

1 tsp vanilla

Few drops of water, if necessary

Food coloring, I use red or green at Christmas time

Mix powder sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Beat in water if necessary, until smooth and spreading consistency. Tint with color and frost.

Seven Layer Bars

(Katie Scott)

1/2 c. margarine, melted
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 c. chopped nuts
1 c. chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 1/3 c. flaked coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Pour melted margarine into bottom of 9x13 inch pan. Layer crumbs, nuts, chocolate and butterscotch chips, and coconut on top of each other. Pour sweetened condensed milk over all. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Gingerbread Cookies

(Robyn Campbell)

½ c. butter 1 tsp. baking soda

¾ c. sugar 1 ½ tsp. ginger

1 egg, beaten 1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. molasses ½ tsp. cloves

2 c. flour

Blend butter and sugar (adding sugar gradually). Blend in egg and molasses. Add dry ingredients. Chill dough one hour. Roll thin and cut into small shapes. Bake at 350° for 6-8 minutes. These are best when cut into small shapes.

Lynne’s Cookies

(Suzie Knowlton)

***Lynne was my roommate in college. I don't know what she called her cookies, but in my cookbook, they are named after her.***

Mix:

3 C flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 C sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Add to dry ingredients and mix well:

1 1/2 C oil

2 1/4 C oatmeal

3 eggs

1/2 C chocolate chips

1/2 C nuts (optional)

1 tsp. vanilla

Form into balls--dip tops in additional sugar, place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Cookies need to sit on cookie sheet a few minutes before removing.

Reese’s Mini Bites

(Suzie Knowlton)

Prepare brownie recipe or mix according to directions. Fill mini muffin tins about 2/3 full--bake 350 for 5 minutes.

Remove from oven, push mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in to each muffin--return to oven for 5-8 additional minutes.

*** It's hard to get these out, so I line my pan with mini paper muffin cups.***

Pretzel Turtles

(Suzie Knowlton)

Place as many pretzels on a parchment lined cookie sheet as you can. Place a Rolo candy on each pretzel. Place in 350 oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and push 1 whole pecan onto each melted Rolo. Allow to sit a few minutes before you remove from pan.

[note from Andy: these are really yummy and it’s the ONLY way I will EVER eat a pretzel :-) ]

Swedish Almond Cake

(Suzie Knowlton)

Beat Well:

1 1/4 C sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. almond extract

2/3 C milk

Add and mix well:

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/4 C flour

Add and mix well:

1 stick melted butter

Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Bake 350 for 50 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar when cool.

Cookie Grandma Cookies

(Kristi Parker)

We call these Cookie Grandma Cookies because Ben's great g-ma (“cookie grandma”) made these all the time. But I've also called them Scotchies or Peanut Butter Krispies.

Ingredients:
1 C Sugar
1 C Corn syrup
1 C Peanut butter
6 cups Rice Krispies
1/2 pkg Butterscotch chips
1/2 pkg Chocolate chips

Put sugar and corn syrup in a 3 quart saucepan and cook over moderate heat until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter.
Add the rice krispies. Stir well and press into greased 9x13 pan.
Melt the butterscotch and chocolate chips together in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring in between. Spread over top of rice krispie mixture.
Cut while still warm as it is too hard to cut after they are refrigerated/cooled.

Cookie Jar Gingersnaps (from The Cookie Lover's Cookbook by Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen)

(Kristi Parker)

2 C all-purpose flour
1 TBS ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 tsp allspice *
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 C white vegetable shortening
1 C sugar
1 egg
1/4 C molasses
Sugar, for rolling
*the allspice is my own addition to the recipe. I like the extra flavor, but it's optional.
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt into a medium bowl.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the shortening for 1 minute, until soft. Gradually add the sugar and cont beating until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and molasses, then stir in the flour mixture just until blended.
3. Pour the sugar into a medium bowl. Using a heaped teaspoon, scoop out the mixture. Using your palms, roll into 3/4 inch balls and roll in the sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4. Bake for abt 10 min until the cookies are slightly rounded and the tops are lightly browned and crackled. Remove cookies to cooking racks.

Texas Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Stephanie Visnaw)

1 cup butter 1 tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar 1 tsp baking soda

1 cup brown sugar 12 oz. Semi-sweet choc. chips

2 eggs 4 oz. Chocolate bar, grated

1 tsp vanilla 1 1/2 cups nuts (opt.)

2 to 2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups oatmeal—blended to powder. OR use infant oatmeal cereal

1/2 tsp salt

Cream together butter & sugars. Add eggs & vanilla. Mix well. Add dry ingredients, mixing well. Stir in chocolate chips, grated chocolate & nuts. Place by rounded spoonful 2” apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 for 8-10 mins. Makes 4 doz.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Stephanie Visnaw)

[note from Stephanie: I hear that these cookies are low on the Weight Watchers point system. They are moist and tasty, too – not to mention a snap to mix up.]

2 spice cake mixes

1 29 oz. Can pumpkin

12 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix cake mix and pumpkin together, stir in chocolate chips. Drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from pan. Cool completely before serving or storing.

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

(Stephane a.k.a. mayasmom23)

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
• 1 (6 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl, set aside. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar on low speed until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, beat until well blended.

Gradually add in the flour mixture and blend well until smooth. Shape into 1 inch balls by rolling a small amount of dough between the palms of your hands. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Using thumb, press down center of ball making an indentation. Drain cherries, reserving the juice. Place a cherry in the center of each cookie.

For frosting: In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat over low heat until chocolate is melted. Add 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon reserved cherry juice and stir.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon frosting over each cherry, spreading to cover cherry. If frosting gets too thick, add a little more cherry juice. Bake in oven at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Makes 48 cookies.

Virtual Cookie Exchange – Day 5!

I thought for today’s post I would tell you a little more about the giveaway. First of all, the giveaway will close on Monday Dec 14th at Midnight (MST) I’ll post the winner Tuesday morning. So you still have time to either email me your favorite recipe or to add a link to our Mr. Linky. (The button above will take you to the post that has all of the details.)

Secondly, I finally have more photos of the apron!

Don’t worry – I haven’t been prancing around my house in your apron. I have my own that I prance around in. I just thought you would like to see what I meant by a criss-cross apron. The apples and pears are my favorite, but just in case you spill a lot (like me), the apron is reversible with red & white polka dots on the other side.

Now for the Better Homes & Gardens 100 Best Cookies magazine. I’ve talked a little about it, but it’s hard to do it justice when you can’t sit and flip through the pages and see all of the pretty photos. Yup – EVERY recipe has a gorgeous, mouth-watering photo to go with it.

See?

There’s also lots of tips and tricks that go along with the recipes. Like this:

Ah – speaking of tips and tricks, you have to go and see what I found over here:

Pam has a whole bunch of tips on making holiday baking easier. Check out this post and this post. She also has links to the recipes for truffles, linzer cookie, brownies, shortbread….mmmmm. Oooh – and more cookies (and links to recipes) here too.

Virtual Cookie Exchange – Day 4!

So today is day four of our cookie exchange. We’re halfway through our week o’ cookies already!

Many of you have emailed me your favorite cookie recipe (thank you!) and I’ll be adding those to a post on Saturday. Just as a reminder – there are three ways to participate (and thus enter the giveaway). You can email me your recipe, use our Mr Linky, or just leave a comment with a link to the recipe. Also, you are more than welcome to send in more than one recipe! Yesterday one reader emailed me her family’s four favorite cookie recipes so her name went into the drawing four times.

Okay. Enough business.

Here’s what you came to see -

After yesterday’s lemony-fresh cookie, I thought something peanut-buttery-rich would be perfect. What? You don’t like peanut butter? First of all, what’s wrong with you? Secondly, what’s wrong with you?

These Peanut Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies are oh so very good and oh so very rich. The cookies are perfect little chewy bites – great on their own. If you want to go all out, mix up some of the Peanut Cream Filling and be sure to have a lot of cold milk on hand. Here’s the link to the recipe. Yep – this recipe is in the magazine too. I told you I was getting my money’s worth! Just as a note, I made the recipe exactly as listed, except I couldn’t bring myself to add the cumin. If anyone tries it, will you email me or comment and let me know how that is? Maybe it would be good. I had a hard time imagining it….

Have a great afternoon everyone. See you tomorrow!

Virtual Cookie Exchange – Day 3

The cookie I’m sharing today is a refreshing Lemon Drop Cookie. I discovered these last December on another blog that I frequent: Oh Fransson! (side note- Elizabeth does some AMAZING work. Check these out.) The cookies are mouth-wateringly good – a little crispy on the outside, a little chewy in the middle and oh-so very lemony. And just look at these beauties!

(photo courtesy of www.ohfransson.com Thanks Elizabeth!)

I mean – COME ON!

Not many years ago I held a firm belief that if a cookie did not involve chocolate in some way, then it just wasn’t worth eating. If that’s your current opinion, then give these cookies a try and they WILL change your mind. Elizabeth has a handy printable version of the recipe over here on her blog. Go visit her, print the recipe and be sure to read the comments on the post. There are some great tips from other readers about different ways of combining the lemon zest with the sugar.

Want more? Here are links to other cookie posts from Elizabeth:

Chocolate Covered Cherries & Praline Cookies

Urban Legend Cookies

Chocolate Crinkles & Spicy Ginger Crinkles

What’s your favorite cookie recipe?

Enter the giveaway by sharing with us. See this post for all of the details!

Virtual Cookie Exchange - Day 2!

Happy December 8th everyone. This is what it looked like yesterday at my house.

A perfect day for baking, don't you think? That’s my littlest guy trying to figure out what all that white stuff is.

Today is day 2 of our virtual cookie exchange!

Before I post my recipe for today, I want to remind everyone to post their recipes and/or links back on the first cookie exchange post (click the button above to go there.) If all the recipes and links are in one place, it will be easier for everyone to go and check out your recipes. There was also a question about adding more than one – that’s great. The more cookie ideas the better, I say. Now on to the good stuff.

Our cookie for today is a bar cookie. The source of the recipe is actually two recipes from (of course) the BH&G 100 Best Cookies magazine. I thought that the Chewy Cherry-Almond Bars sounded really yummy, but alas I had no cherry preserves. I had also marked the Chocolate Revel Bars as a recipe to test. In searching for a suitable substitute for the missing cherry preserves, I realized that I could take the parts of both recipes that I liked best and put them in one tasty cookie bar. Voila. Almond Fudge Bars are born. (scroll to the bottom for the link to a printer-friendly version)

Almond Fudge Bars

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract*

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups regular rolled oats

1 1/2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 14-oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds

1/2 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with foil, extending foil over edges. Grease foil (I sprayed with Pam).

In a large bowl beat butter with a mixer on medium to high speed for about 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and baking powder. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and almond extract until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour and the oats.

Remove 1/2 cup of dough and set aside. Press the remaining dough evenly into the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Set aside (yes, again.)

For the fudge filling: In a medium saucepan combine the 2 Tablespoons of butter, the chocolate chips and the sweetened condensed milk. Cook over low heat until chips are melted, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in chopped almonds and almond extract.

Now grab your 9x13 pan again and spread the fudge filling over the dough. Crumble the remaining 1/2 cup of dough over the top. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top crumbles are a nice light brown color. Cool in pan on a wire rack. When they’re cool, use the edges of the foil to lift bars out of the pan. Place on a flat surface and cut into bars.

**note: If you’re not a huge fan of almond flavor, you might want to reduce this to 1/2 tsp of almond extract.

We’ll see you all back here tomorrow for another yummy cookie recipe. Hm…maybe something lemony??

Virtual Cookie Exchange – day one!

A few weeks back there was talk of doing a cookie exchange with the amazing women in our ward. It was cancelled soon after however, but I really liked the idea. So I decided to do a virtual cookie exchange to help us all find just the right recipes for our Holiday baking extravaganzas. (Am I the only one who does a LOT of baking in December??) Here’s how the cookie exchange will work.

Each day this week, I will feature a new cookie recipe – either one of my own that I’ve tried out (and loved) or one that I’ve found from other yummy blogs. Next week (Monday Dec 14th) we’ll have a cookie-baking related giveaway!

To be eligible for the giveaway, simply participate in our cookie exchange. Here’s how:

Find your favorite cookie recipe. There are three ways you can share it with us (you only have to do ONE!)

1. Is the recipe on your blog? Great – use the Mr.Linky below so we can all go and see! Please link to the specific post. Be sure to add a cookie exchange button to your post. (grab it from my sidebar)

2. Is your favorite cookie recipe located somewhere else on the web? Then comment on this post and add a link to the recipe. Don’t forget to tell us why you like it.

3. Is your favorite recipe on a worn out card stuck in a recipe file somewhere? You can send it in an email to me (dinnersonme(at) gmail (dot) com) and I’ll add it to a post later this week. (I’ll give proper credit to any recipes or photos that are sent.) This would be a good option for those of who who DO have blogs, but wish to keep them private – which I totally understand.

If none of the above options work for you, but you still wish to participate, please email me. I don’t wish to exclude anyone – we’ll find a way to work it out. Also, don’t worry if your favorite cookie is a common one (chocolate chip perhaps?) or a more unusual recipe (gluten-free fortune cookies, maybe?). Share it with us! This is not a contest to show of the most amazing cookie, but a way to share all of our favorites. The giveaway winner will be chosen randomly from the group of people that participate.

Now for what you really want to know! Here’s what’s included in the giveaway:

A criss-cross apron made by yours truly. I have one of my own and I LOVE that the straps cross in back. When I wear my usual apron, the neck strap starts to bug me after about 20 minutes and I just take it off. So I designed this one with straps that cross in the back and then can either tie in back or wrap around and tie in front. It’s also reversible – pears and apples in the front and a nice Christmasy red dot on back.

The giveaway winner will also receive their own copy of this magazine. Remember how I came to purchase my own copy? Well, I’m keeping that one – you get your own (un-ripped) copy. I’ve used mine so much lately that there’s another ripped page, several of the pages are earmarked, and a few recipes have notes scribbled on them.

Also included in the giveaway is one of these: A Good Grips Small Cookie Scoop. As I previously mentioned – I LOVE mine. LOVE.

Just to be clear, the OXO company and the Better Homes and Gardens people have neither given me or paid me for my opinion of their products. They are just that – my opinions of two things that I happen to love, and want to share with one lucky Dinner’s on Me reader!

Now here’s the Mr. Linky!

What’s your favorite cookie recipe?

Menu Week 104

The information for our Virtual Cookie Exchange & giveaway will be posted later today...

First things first though - this week's menu:


Monday - Shepherd's Pie (using up some leftovers)
Tuesday - leftovers
Wednesday - Honey Hoisin Chicken (crockpot)
Thursday - Homemade Veggie Pizza
Friday - eat out
Saturday - Breakfast for Dinner! Whole Wheat Pancakes, Strawberry Smoothies
Sunday - Baked Salmon, Pear & Pecan Salad



Need more menu ideas? Check out Menu Plan Monday over at orgjunkie.com!

Virtual Cookie Exchange

December 7-12

Join me, won't you? Find your favorite cookie recipe and get ready for some yummy Christmas baking and a giveaway from yours truly.


More info to come. Meanwhile, grab a button -

<a href="http://dinnersonme.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img alt="Dinner’s on Me Cookie Exchange 2009?" src=" https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBw0YjdwGodHKHcgdIQm9aEYGTYdL6yPRJKCDP7XiGY4U6oKJr488uBwqtwTMb64iXQ1-ANnxmmJIqfngaENn2OfX_d92nwZw10y-BRDJ2Q-hX3oUDDl8cwRUWXb6Ri_E0My7g00kZzkQ/s1600/ck+exch+lg+logo+150+px.jpg " /></a>

Menu Week 103

Monday - Baked Rigatoni with Roasted Vegetables
Tuesday - Tortilla Soup & Quesadillas
Wednesday - Southwest Wraps
Thursday - Beef Stroganoff, Rice & Buttery Lemon Broccolini
Friday - eat out
Saturday - yet to be decided
Sunday - French Toast & Buttermilk Syrup


Need more menu ideas? Check out Menu Plan Monday over at orgjunkie.com

Thanksgiving Sides

Thanksgiving is upon us!  Are you still deciding which side dishes to serve this year?  Maybe these will help!

 

Cranberry Chutney

(recipe here)

 

 

Sauteed Green Beans and Garlic

(recipe here)

 

 

If you’re having guests that are not big pie eaters, try this for dessert:

Cranberry Upside-Downer

(original post here)

 

 

I found a great new Crescent Roll recipe recently too.  It’s from a great blog that I subscribe to called Little Birdie Secrets.  I think I’ll be trying this roll recipe out tonight – don’t they look yummy?  I’ve never really attempted crescent rolls before.  They have always seemed too fussy of a thing to make.  I love this recipe’s step-by-step instructions though, and I am definitely going to try out that garbage bag trick.  

(photo courtesy of Little Birdie Secrets – used with permission)

 

I also recently added this recipe for Maple-Pecan Sweet Potatoes to my favorites list.  I discovered the recipe in this month’s Cooking Light Magazine.  We tested this recipe last week and it is ah-mazing.  There’s just enough maple syrup to add flavor without being too overpowering, there’s a hint of cinnamon, the lovely crunch of pecans, and of course the ubiquitous marshmallows!  I’m making a small dish of these tonight – I’ll try to remember to take a photo. 

 

Happy feast-planning everyone!

Pecan Tassies

The other day I was waiting in the eternally-long line at JoAnns and (of course) my toddler became impatient and quite loud. I grabbed the nearest colorful item and handed it to him. It happened to be this magazine.

I had no intention of buying it, and I really just thought he would want to look at the fun cover and then would soon become bored with it. Silly me. The first thing he did was to scrunch the cover right up and rip the edge. Great. So then into the cart it went. Twelve minutes later, I was the proud new owner of a cookie magazine.

As I flipped through it that afternoon, I found several (okay, about a dozen) recipes that I want to try. The first one on the list was Pecan Tassies.

When a recipe starts off with cream cheese and butter being whisked smooth, you know it’s got to be good!

To evenly scoop the crust dough into the mini muffin cups, I used my small scoop. It worked perfectly! I love this tool and use it all the time! Mine is the OXO Small Cookie Scoop. I highly recommend it, in fact I’m hoping Santa brings me the Medium & Large Cookie Scoops.

After scooping the dough in to the cups, I smooshed them down with my fingers. Here’s a tip I discovered (that the recipe does not mention): See the rough edges on the crusts below? Well, if you scoop out the dough and roll it into a ball and THEN press it into the mini muffin cup, the edges will be nice and smooth.

I used the same small scoop to fill the cups with the pecan filling.

Easy. Yummy. Made exactly 24 little tassies. They’re gone already.

You can find the recipe here!