Andes Creme de Menthe Chunk Cookies

Chocolate and mint are one of my favorite combinations. My mom made these for our annual Christmas Eve Party this year and they were light and refreshing. She found the recipe on the back of a bag of Andes Creme de Menthe baking pieces.


Ingredients
1/2 cup salted butter - softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 package Andes creme de menthe baking chips
2 2/3 sifted all purpose flour

Directions
Mix butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until well blended.
Stir in baking chips and then flour.
Chill for about one hour in the refrigerator.
Form 1 ounce balls and flatten with a fork.
Raise the oven rack one level above the middle.
Bake on non-stick baking pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes.
Cool on pans for 2 minutes before removing.
Makes around 4 dozen cookies.

Coconut Cornflake Macaroons

I love anything coconut, so I was thrilled when my mom found a new macaroon recipe in the St. Petersburg Times. These cookies were delicious and hard to put down. If you like regular macaroons but haven't been able to get the recipe just right....these are the ones to try next!

Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed mile
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups coconut
2 cups cornflakes

Directions:
1. Combine milk and vanilla. Stir well.
2. Add coconut and cornflakes. Mix well until combined and milk is distributed throughout mixture.
3. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Cherry Chocolate Cookies

I made these cookies last year and by request....they made another appearance this year as well. I found the recipe on All Recipes.com. The cookies are very sweet and chocolaty with a touch of cherry flavor. When the recipe calls for walnut size balls of dough, keep them small. The chocolate topping was a little tricky to keep neat. I thought it would spread in the over, but it didn't. I would recommend covering the entire cherry with the chocolate sauce before putting them in the oven. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
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 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until smooth. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press center of each ball with thumb.
Drain cherries and reserve juice. Place a cherry in indentation of each cookie ball.
In a saucepan, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)
Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Man Dip #2

I decided to try the buffalo chicken dip aka "man dip" in the oven, instead of the crock pot this time. I liked this recipe much better than the first one I posted. Perfect for any super bowl party!

Ingrediants:
1/3 cup of blue cheese dressing
1/3 cup of buffalo wing sauce
3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken meat
1/2 cup of mozzarella or cheddar cheese
8oz package of cream cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spread cream cheese into the bottom of an 8x8 casserole dish.
3. Mix blue cheese, wing sauce, and chicken in a medium size bowl.
4. Pour mixture over cream cheese and spread evenly.
5. Top with mozzarella cheese.
6. Cook for 20 minutes.

**Serve with celery, tostodo chips, or crackers.

Turkey Chili

I love using my crock pot, and I love meals with not too many ingredients. This turkey chili is simple to make but we love it and make almost once a week in the winter. Derek doesn't like onions and I don't like kidney beans, which is why they aren't included in the recipe.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
28 oz can of diced tomatoes
27 oz can of pinto beans
8z can of tomato sauce
1.25lb ground turkey
packet of McCormick Chili seasoning
cup of shredded cheddar cheese
tsp salt and pepper to season meat

Directions:
1. Cook and season the turkey meat in a skillet.
2. Add the beans, tomatoes, and tomato sauce to the crock pot and stir.
3. Add the cooked chili to the crock pot.
4. Mix in the chili seasoning.
5. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

**Serve with sprinkled cheddar cheese on top and cornbread!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

WARNING...The following recipe makes 12 1/2 dozen cookies. If you are not interested in spending hours in the kitchen....cut down the recipe. Other than that, this was a delightful cookie. I found the recipe in my new The Best Loved Cookies and Bars Taste of Home magazine. I omitted the raisins and used mini chocolate chips instead of regular ones. I found that 11 minutes was the perfect time in my oven. Enjoy!

Ingredients
2 cups butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups quick-cooking oats
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
2-1/2 cups raisins
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in water and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, salt, cinnamon and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. (Transfer to a larger bowl if necessary.) Stir in the raisins, chocolate chips, walnuts and coconut.
Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: about 12-1/2 dozen.

Minty and Delicious!

Mint Thins!!

I made these cookies last year and couldn't wait to make them again this year. They seem easy to make and for the most part, they are.  They are just messy, so prepare to get your hands covered in chocolate! 

 In order to get the chocolate to a perfect consistency I used a fondu pot, which kept the chocolate nice and warm.  It also made it much easier for me to dip the crackers.  

These cookies taste just like Thin Mint cookies!

Enjoy.  

Recipe Adapted from Kraft Foods 

Ingredients: 

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, slightly cooled
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
1 sleeve RITZ Crackers (36 crackers)
1 cup of peppermint baking bits

Make It!

MIX chocolate and extract.

DIP crackers in chocolate, turning to completely coat each cracker. Carefully scrape off excess chocolate. Place crackers in single layer on waxed paper-covered baking sheets; sprinkle with baking bits, I pressed them down a bit so they wouldn't fall off.

REFRIGERATE 30 min. or until chocolate is firm.

Kris Kringle Cookies

If you're looking for a BIG batch of cookies to make, you've found the perfect recipe! For me,  I wanted to try a cookie recipe that was different, beyond he typical chocolate chip cookie.  This one has white chocolate, pecans and cranberries…it screams Christmas! 

I made the cookies as directed and refrigerated the dough for an hour. 10 minutes was the perfect baking time, and then I moved them to a cooling rack. The cookies were a little thin, but I enjoyed the taste of the cranberries. If I made these again I would use chocolate chips instead of white chocolate for a twist.

Recipe Courtesy of Kraft Foods 

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2-1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 pkg. (6 squares each) BAKER'S White Chocolate, chopped
2 cups PLANTERS Chopped Pecans, toasted
2 cups dried cranberries
Make It!
HEAT oven to 375ºF.

BEAT butter and sugars in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in chocolate, nuts and cranberries.

DROP rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 1-1/2 inches apart, onto baking sheets.

BAKE 9 to 11 min. or until lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets 3 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Apple Pie Dip

First, sorry for the blurry picture (I will post a new one when I make it again). So, I was determined to find some new recipes for my holiday parties. I came across this one on Kraftfoods.com and it caught my eye. I prepared the dip a few hours before the party and made a few additions. I added a few more spices (cinnamon & pumpkin pie) to the top of the dip before I put it in the oven. I also served it with Stacy's Cinnamon & Sugar pita chips. Overall, a simple and delicious recipe.

1 tub (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 apple, chopped, divided
1/4 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped PLANTERS Pecan Pieces
WHEAT THINS Original Crackers

Make It!
HEAT oven to 375°F.

MIX reduced-fat cream cheese, sugar and spice in medium bowl until well blended. Stir in half of the apples.

SPREAD into pie plate or small casserole dish. Top with remaining apples, Cheddar and nuts.

BAKE 10 to 12 min. or until heated through. Serve with crackers.