Stained Glass Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
30-40 hard candies (such as Life Savers), preferably in several flavors/colors

Directions:

1- Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat.

2- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses and vanilla extract, mixing until incorporated. Add egg and mix until light and smooth, about 1 minute on medium speed.

3- Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into wet mixture. Use electric mixer to blend just until flour is incorporated. Divide dough in half and flatten into two disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour and up to 2 days.

4- Remove any wrappers on candies and separate them by color into plastic bags. Using a mallet to crush candies.

5- Place one disk between two large sheets of waxed paper and roll to 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Using a smaller cookie cutter or a knife, cut shapes into centers of cookies, reserving these center bits to add into extra dough.

6- 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.

7- If cookies will be hung as ornaments or decorations, poke a small hole in the top of each cookie before baking.

8- Bake 9 to 10 minutes. The candy should be melted and bubbling and the cookies just barely beginning to brown. Remove baking sheets from oven and place on wire racks to cool. Allow cookies to cool on pans at least 10 minutes; otherwise, the candy centers may separate from
the dough. When cookies are completely cooled, remove and store in an airtight container. String with ribbon if you want to hang as an ornament.

Makes 2 to 4 dozen cookies, depending on how large you make them.


Thank to Shelley Munro!

Dani's Snappy Ginger Cookies

Ingredients:

1.5 cups butter or margarine (not light)

2 cups white sugar

½ cup molasses

2 eggs

4.5 cups white flour

4 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 to 3 tsp ginger

1 to 1.5 tsp cloves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Whisk all the dry ingredients together, set aside. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in molasses and eggs. Mix in the dry ingredients. Try forming some into a stiff ball ---you may need to add a little bit more flour.

Form into small balls and roll in white sugar. Do not flatten. Bake about 8 minutes or until done. (See if the bottoms are brown.)

Thanks to Dani Harper!

Nookie Cookie

My pal Ellie Marvel <http://elliemarvel. com/> gave me this recipe. She swears it's great and considering it involves things like Snickers or other fun bites of chocolate, I might actually try it myself. Or I would if I weren't on Weight Watchers. She calls them Nookie Cookies, but she
writes erotic romance, so it figures she would.

You will need:

1-2 tubes of chocolate chip or peanut butter cookie dough
1 bag of fun size Snickers or Milky Way bars

Shape spoonfuls of cookie dough around each candy bar, cutting candy bars into smaller pieces if necessary. Place lumps of future deliciousness on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 12-16
minutes. Nookie cookies will flatten as they bake--with a surprise inside!

Feel free to experiment with types of dough and cookie. Best eaten warm.
Still delicious when cool.

Thanks to Marie-Nicole!

Frosted Banana Cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup shortening
¾ cup brown sugar
1 egg
½ tsp vanilla flavoring
½ tsp banana flavoring
2 ripe mashed bananas
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cup flour

Icing:
6 tbsp brown sugar
4 tbsp cream (half and half)
4 tbsp butter
Powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla flavoring

Directions:

1) In mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, banana flavoring and bananas and beat well. Sift and add dry ingredients.

2) Drop by tsps onto greased cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes at 350.

Icing: On stove top in small saucepan bring to boil sugar, cream and butter. Remove from heat and add enough powdered sugar to make icing a nice consistency to drizzle over cookies. Stir in
½ tsp vanilla.

Thanks to Billie Jo!

Berry Chocolate Torte

Ingredients:

1 package (18 ¼ oz) devil food cake mix
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
2 pints of fresh berries


Directions:

1) Prepare and bake the cake according to package directions, using two 9-in round pans. Cool for 10 mins before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

2) In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Split each cake into two horizontal layers. Place on bottom layer on a serving plate; top
with a fouth of the cream cheese mixture.

3) Arrange 1 cup berries over filling; repeat layers three times. Refrig until serving.

Thanks to Billie Jo!

Chewy Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cups flaked coconut
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
4 egg whites
¼ tsp almond extract


Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease and flour cookie sheet.

2) In medium bowl, combine coconut, sugar, flour and ¼ tspsalt. Stir in egg whites and almond extract. Drop egg white mixture by rounded tsps 2 in. apart onto sheet.

3) Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden.

Thanks to Billie Jo!

Shrewsbury Cookies

Ingredients:

4 oz butter
4 oz sugar
1 medium egg
8 oz of Flour
5 tsp. grated lemon rind

Directions:

Cream the butter and sugar, and then add egg. Stir in flour and lemon rind to form a dough ball. Knead and roll out to ¼" thickness. Cut out cookies with a 2" cutter and place on a greased baking tray. Bake in the oven on center rack for 15-20 minutes at 350° F until very
lightly brown. Sprinkle with slivered almonds or leave plain. Place on a wire rack to cool.

Thanks to Maz!