G-Force Cookies

These cookies will not only be fun to eat but they are fun to make with your kids.

G-Force Cookies

This team of delicious peanut-butter cookies is inspired by "G-Force," the Walt Disney Pictures
film starring a spy squadron of specially trained guinea pigs. Your mission: try not to eat them all in one sitting!

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Peanut halves
Mini chocolate chips

Step 1
Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fluffy. Sift
together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then stir them into the wet mixture, just to blend. Cover
and chill until firm, about 1 hour.

Step 2
Heat the oven to 350°. Form level tablespoons of dough into cylinders, pinching the ends a bit to
make rough guinea pig body shapes. Use a knife to chop the peanut halves in half, then add
peanut-piece ears and mini chocolate chip eyes to each cookie. Place the guinea pig cookies 2
inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until firm, about 8 minutes. Makes about 28
cookies.

Thanks to Disney's Family Fun magazine for this all inspiring recipe.

Easy Does It Sandwich Cookies

Looking for an easy sandwich cookie recipe, then you've come to the right place. These little cookies are great tasting and the kids will love helping you assemble them. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 package chocolate fudge cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg
• 1 can (16 ounces) ready made frosting or marshmallow cream
  

Directions

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and egg (dough will be stiff). Shape into 1-in. balls.
• Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks.
• Spread a heaping teaspoonful of frosting over the bottom of half of the cookies, top with remaining cookies.
• Yield: about 2 dozen.

Yummy Pretzel Bars

With the holidays rolling around quickly, I'm gathering my favorite cookie and cookie bar recipes to share with my friends during my annual Cookie Exchange. I thought I'd start off with an easy to prepare cookie bar recipe that the whole family can enjoy.

Pretzel Bars

1-1/2 cups crushed pretzels
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (6 ounces) chocolate chips*
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut (optional)**

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, combine the crushed pretzels and butter; mix well and press into the bottom of the baking dish. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the pretzel mixture then sprinkle evenly with the chips, pecans, and coconut. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes then chill for 30 minutes before cutting into bars.

Makes 20 to 24 bars.

*Peanut butter chips are a tasty alternative to the chocolate chips.
**My family is not crazy about coconut so I don't put any on for the batch for home.

After School Treat

Tired of trying to get your kids to have healthier snacks after school. Try baking these PB&J muffins and you won't have to force them to eat healthier anymore.

PB&J Muffins Made Healthy

1 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar or equivalent amount of splenda sweetener
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup creamy low sodium peanut butter
1 large egg
3/4 cup low fat milk
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup strawberry, raspberry, or grape jelly (sugar free or low sugar)

1/ Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12 muffin tin with muffin papers. In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, mix the peanut butter with the egg. Add the milk, a little at a time, then mix in the butter. Pour the wet batter into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir gently to combine. The batter will be stiff.
2/ Put a heaping tablespoon of batter in the bottom of each muffin cup. Use a finger to make an
indentation in the center and put a teaspoon of jelly in the hole. Cover with another heaping
tablespoon of batter or enough to fill each cup about 2/3 full. Spread the batter gently until no jelly is visible. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the muffins onto a wire rack to cool for at least 10
minutes. Careful: the jelly centers can be hot. Makes 12 muffins.

Hope you enjoy!