Cookie Time

Time for the second cookie recipe for the holidays. These easy to make shortbread bars are very tasty and are great with a cup of hot tea! Hope you enjoy.

Strawberry and Nut Shortbread

1 1/4 cups plus 2 tbs flour, divided
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup strawberry jam**
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Combine 1-1/4 cups flour and sugar in medium bowl. With a pastry blender or two knives, cut butter into dry ingredients until mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Press into bottom of lightly greased 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Remove from oven; spread strawberry jam over shortbread. In medium bowl beat eggs, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Combine 2 Tbs flour, salt and soda, add to egg mixture and blend. Stir in nuts. Spoon over jam, spreading lightly to corners of pan.
Bake at 350F for 20 minutes more or until top is set. Cool in pan, cut into bars.

**You can substitute any flavor jam, peach is especially tasty.

Cookies For the Holidays

Now is the time to start thinking about what kind of cookies you'd like to make for the upcoming holiday season. I thought I would help you out with a posting of a cookie recipe every week until Christmas. This is an easy to make recipe but with great flavor. Hope you enjoy recipe #1.

Melt-away Nutmeg Cookies

1 cup butter, softened (do not use a substitution)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup ground almonds (about 3 ounces), toasted
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Gradually add flour; mix well. Stir in almonds. Shape into 1-inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 300 degrees F for 18-20 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Combine confectioners sugar and nutmeg. Gently roll cooled cookies in sugar mixture.

Yields about 5 dozen.

Apples & Cranberries

Time for another tasty muffin recipe. These can be made ahead of the holiday season and frozen. Be sure to wrap completely cooled muffins tightly in plastic wrap or tin foil before storing in the freezer.

Apple-Cranberry Spice Muffins

This fall favorite has a smooth, cakelike texture that nicely complements the chewiness of the fruit. A great way to start the day or as a snack.

1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup sour cream
1 large Granny Smith apple (or other tart variety), peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries


Heat the oven to 400° F. Grease the bottoms only of 12 standard muffin cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg,
cloves, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and sour cream until well blended. Add the egg mixture, apples, walnuts (if you're using them), and dried cranberries to the dry ingredients. Stir just until the batter is blended, then divide it among the muffin cups.

Bake the muffins for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 to 10 minutes before removing them.

Makes 1 dozen.

This recipe comes to you courtesy of FamilyFun.go.com

Easy Pumpkin Bread

At the request of a dear friend of mine, I'm posting an easy to make recipe for Pumpkin Bread. This moist and delicious bread is great for breakfast or snack. Hope you enjoy.

Pumpkin Bread

3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg (not too much, this is a strong spice)
1-1/2 c. oil
2 c. sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 c. canned pumpkin

Sift together three times, flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg (this will insure that all of the spices are throughout the mix and there are no lumps). In a separate bowl, combine oil and sugar and mix well. Add the flour mixture into oil mixture, mix well. Add eggs and pumpkin, mix well. Pour into 2 greased 9"x5" loaf pans. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees. Makes 2 loaves.

Quick Sweet Bread Recipe

Here's a recipe that's not only quick but delicious too. Great to freeze and serve as a quick breakfast.

Quick Honey Sweet Bread

2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1/2 c. oil
1-1/2 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. honey

Mix all ingredients together; spoon into a greased and floured 9"x5" loaf pan**. Let stand for 20 minutes; bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Makes one loaf.

**You can also make muffins with this recipe by using 12 paper muffin liners in a muffin tin. Fill each paper cup 2/3 full and let sit for 20 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until toothpick test comes out clean.

Cracker Cookies?!

I found this wonderful recipe on a box of crackers this past week and thought it might be one that you would want to try. It's so easy and ever so delicious.




PREMIUM® Macadamia Macaroons

Makes: About 3 dozen cookies

1 pkg. (7 oz.) BAKER'S ANGEL FLAKE Coconut
1 cup PLANTERS Macadamias, chopped
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
30 PREMIUM Saltine Crackers, finely crushed
3 egg whites
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Spread coconut and macadamias into 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake 10 min. or until lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Cool.

COMBINE milk and vanilla in large bowl. Add coconut mixture and cracker crumbs; mix well. Beat egg whites in small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add to coconut mixture; stir gently until well blended. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of dough, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased baking sheets.

BAKE 12 to 14 min. or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks; cool completely. Melt chocolate as directed on pkg.; drizzle over cookies. Place in wax paper-lined shallow pan. Refrigerate until chocolate is set.

Thanks to Kraft for this wonderful and easy recipe.