Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

A recipe similar to this one has been in my "to be baked" file for a long time. I decided to try out a homemade Funfetti mix rather than buying one from the store, and I like the results! I was surprised how fast it all came together.

Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sprinkles

2 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, canola oil, and vanilla. Mix until combined. Fold in sprinkles.

Roll cookies into balls, bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then remove and let cool.

Put cream cheese in a small bowl and beat with an electric mixer. Add powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add milk while beating until desired consistency is reached.

Spread frosting between cookies and enjoy.

Cranberry Apricot Cookies

These are my new favorite cookies--there's so many good things in them that I don't know how anyone could resist. They don't seem to keep well though, so I suggest you freeze those that you don't plan to eat in the first 24 hours or so.

Cranberry Apricot Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

3/4 to 1 cup dried apricots, diced

1/4 to 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup white chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add egg.

Stir in flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Mix until well-combined.

Fold in apricots, cranberries, and white chocolate chips.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, drop by Tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until slightly golden on the edges. The middle may still be a little gooey--but it seems to set just fine. Cool on cookie sheet for 1-2 minutes, then move to a cooling rack.

Homemade Milanos

It's Girl Scout Cookie booth time! Hurray! This post actually doesn't have anything to do with Girl Scouts--but I wanted to put in a plug for their cookie booths which are appearing this weekend. These yummy cookies are a homemade version of Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies. You can pick any flavor you like--orange is my favorite. The cookie base is a great shortbread recipe too.

Homemade Milanos

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips

1/4 tsp orange, peppermint, or other extract

Cream butter and sugar. Add flour and salt. Stir until well-combined. Stir in vanilla.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Roll dough into a log. Cut into 1/2" slices.

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place cookie slices on top of parchment paper.

Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes or until edges brown slightly.

Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.

Melt chocolate chips (in saucepan or microwave). Stir in flavoring extract.

Sandwich cookies with melted chocolate in between them.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

Wow! These cookies are the most chocolate-y thing I've ever eaten. They have the texture of slightly undercooked gooey brownies. If you want them a bit less "dark"--use milk chocolate chips.

Chocolate Truffle Cookies

4 (1 oz) squares unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

6 Tbsp butter

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup flour

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine unsweetened baking chocolate, 1 cup chocolate chips, and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Beat together eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla.

Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Stir until well-combined.

Fold in additional 1 cup of chocolate chips.

Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll chilled dough into 1" balls and place on baking sheet. Cook for 10-11 minutes. Allow to cool on pan for five minutes, then move cookies to a wire rack.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are a homemade version of the Girl Scout's Do-si-do cookies. They're a yummy filled peanut butter cookie. This recipe is just the right size too--it makes about 15 sandwich cookies.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup flour

1 cup oatmeal

3 Tbsp butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 cup powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk

Cream together butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Mix well.

Add baking soda, salt, baking powder, and flour. Stir. Fold in oatmeal.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet. Flatten balls with a fork. I suggest only cooking 9 at a time because these cookies spread quite a bit (they are meant to be thin).

Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes or until edges lightly brown. Let cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute, then move cookies to a cooling rack.

In a small bowl, cream together remaining butter and peanut butter. Add powdered sugar and stir until no lumps remain. Add in milk and stir until smooth.

Spread frosting inbetween two cookies and make sandwiches with them. Serve with a glass of milk!

Cranberry Bars

These cranberry bars would make a welcome addition to any Thanksgiving dessert table or Christmas gift. I love the bright red color and the shortbread crust.

Cranberry Bars

3/4 cup butter, cut into cubes

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

3 cups fresh cranberries

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup raspberry jam

Zest of 1 lemon

Powdered sugar

Butter a 9" square pan so that it is well-greased. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine butter, flour, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor. Pulse to blend until clumps start to form. If you don't have a food processor, use a pastry blender or cut it together with knives. Press mixture into the bottom of greased pan. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until crust is very lightly golden brown on the edges.

While crust is cooking, combine cranberries, water, and 2/3 cup sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until all cranberries have burst.

In a separate bowl, combine jam and lemon zest. Pour cranberry mixture through a sieve (to remove skins) into this bowl. Stir to combine. Pour over hot crust and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until mixture begins to "set." Cranberries will set more as they cool.

When cool, cut into squares. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top, if desired, immediately before serving.

Fresh Cranberry Cookies

Fresh cranberries are one of my favorite things about this time of year. They have just the right amount of crunch and zing! The cranberries make these cookies very moist. The glaze is optional.

Fresh Cranberry Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp freshly grated orange zest

2 Tbsp orange juice

1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 3/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups fresh cranberries

Glaze

Powdered sugar

Orange juice

Cream together butter and sugars. Stir in egg, orange zest, orange juice, and vanilla until well-combined. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir well. Chop cranberries and then fold them into the mixture. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-11 minutes or until edges start to lightly brown.

For glaze, combine powdered sugar with orange juice until desired consistency is reached. Spoon over cookies. Yield: About 3 dozen.

Sugar Drops

It seems like everyone has different specifications for the "perfect" sugar cookie. This recipe fits my definition of perfect--soft, dense, and a little chewy. Mmmm!

Sugar Drops

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/4 cups flour

Place butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat for one minute. Add oil and stir until well-incorporated. Add sugars. Mix. Add egg. Mix. Add vanilla and lemon zest . Mix. While mixing, add remaining dry ingredients slowly. Stir just until combined.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours.

Preheat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use your hands to tightly pack the dough into a large scoop. Dough will be crumbly. Place drops of dough onto baking sheets at least 2" apart from each other. Sprinkle lightly with sugar.

Bake for 16 minutes (12 minutes for smaller cookies). Let cool slightly and then enjoy!

Last Minute Cookies

I took dinner to someone last week--and realized at the last minute that I'd forgotten to plan dessert. Eek! That's where this recipe came in handy. It's a good quick cookie recipe for those last minute projects.

Last Minute Cookies

1 German Chocolate Cake Mix

1/2 cup oats

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup chocolate chips

2 1/2 Tbsp flour

Combine all ingredients. Roll into balls and bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let stand on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing.

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

The dough for these cookies is very sticky but it's worth dealing with! They're nice large chewy cookies. My rating: 4 out of 5.

Peanut Butter Banana Cookies

2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

In a medium bowl, combine the bananas, peanut butter, and sugars.

Add baking powder and salt. Stir.

Add flour in 3/4 cup increments, stirring after each addition.

Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Flatten the top of each cookie with a rubber spatula.

Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes. Makes 14 cookies.

Orange Butter Cookies

These are huge, dense, buttery cookies. They remind me of something that would come from a small-town bakery. My rating: 4 out of 5.

Orange Butter Cookies

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 2/3 cups cake flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 Tbsp orange zest (3-4 oranges)

1 egg + 2 egg yolks

3 Tbsp orange juice

2 cups powdered sugar

In a small bowl, mix together flours, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, cream sugar, butter, and orange zest until fluffy (at least two minutes). Add eggs and mix until everything is well-combined.

Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Mix only until everything is combined.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or grease it). Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out cookies. Roll the dough into a ball and then press it down with your three middle fingers. Place five per cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 13-15 minutes.

Combine orange juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Stir with a fork until smooth. Spoon over cooled cookies.

Yield: 14 cookies.

Macadamia Honey Bars

Although these bar cookies are a bit bland in the appearance department, they have a nice honey flavor that complements the macadamia nuts very well. If I make them again I think I will double the crust so it is thicker. My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Macadamia Honey Bars

1 1/3 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sugar, divided

1 cup butter, divided

1 egg

6 oz macadamia nuts

1/4 cup honey

2/3 cup heavy cream

Combine flour, salt, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium bowl. Cut 1/2 cup butter into mixture until crumbly.

Beat the egg in a small bowl and then add to mixture. Continue cutting the mixture until well-combined.

Grease a 9x13 pan. Press dough evenly into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until very lightly browned.

Chop macadamia nuts into small pieces but don't pulverize them. Spread them in a single layer on a pan and bake for 6 minutes.

Place remaining 1/2 cup butter into a medium saucepan on medium heat. Once butter has melted, add 3/4 cup sugar, honey, and cream.

Stir occasionally until mixture reaches the medium-ball stage (240 degrees). I prefer not to use a candy thermometer. Keep a bowl of cold water near the stove and occasionally drop a small spoonful of the topping into the water. Use your fingers to squish the topping and see how hard it is. When it is done, you should be able to form a ball that can be squished but isn't overly soft.

Stir macadamia nuts into topping and pour over crust.

Bake at 350 for an additional 5 minutes.

Allow to cool at room temperature for 2 hours.

Raisin-Filled Cookies

A few days ago I read an article about the bakery at ZCMI and how it had wonderful raisin-filled cookies. My family loved eating there! I always had a thick slice of bread with cheese on top. I figure you can make that on your own without a recipe, but here's one for raisin-filled cookies in honor of the ZCMI bakery. My rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Raisin-Filled Cookies

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup water
1 cup raisins
3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp lemon juice

Combine sugar and shortening. Beat for 3 minutes, until well creamed. Beat egg in a separate dish and then add to the sugar mixture. Add vanilla. Stir well. Add cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Stir well. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Put water into small saucepan and bring to a boil. Chop raisins into smaller pieces. There isn't a precise way--just rock a big knife back and forth a few times to break them up. Add raisins, sugar, flour, and lemon juice to boiling water. Stir with a whisk to incorporate flour. Cook until mixture thickens, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours.

Roll out cookie dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles (the top of a cup works well). Spoon about 1/2 Tbsp raisin mixture onto half of the cookie rounds. Top with other cookie rounds and then press the edges with your fingers or a fork to seal.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.