Hoot Owl Cookies

I love holidays and I love traditions with my kids. Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. There are so many opportunities to be together doing fun fall things together...apple orchards, pumpkin patches, nature walks...and of course, fall baking. These cookies have been made in Kandi's kitchen since I was a little girl. They are adorable and the kids start asking about them as soon as October hits. 

Hoot Owl Cookies

1 3/4 cup flour (If dough is a sticky, add a little more)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp water (optional...check the consistency. It should be dough, not crumbly...but also not too sticky)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/4 tsp soda
m&ms and cashews

Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla well. Melt chocolate in a separate bowl. Set aside to let cool. Add dry ingredients gradually to egg mixture. Beat well. Add water if needed. Put 2/3 dough on a flour board and mix in chocolate. Roll into a log (looks like a large tootsie roll...) Roll out white dough and fold around chocolate dough. Chill 1/2-1 hour in tinfoil. Slice. Press two slices together slightly to make the eyes. Pinch ears. Add m&ms and cashews. Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. 

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

I personally love these because they remind me of a dear friend and the first time I tasted them she made them for me...But others love these because who wouldn't love peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch?? They are a big hit wherever we go. And by the way, they are NO BAKE! How easy is that?

Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats

Mindy Livingstone

Boil: 

2 cups sugar

2 cups karo syrup

Add: 

2 cups peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla

Mix with 11-12 cups Rice Krispies. Spread onto a large cookie sheet.

Top with: 

1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup butterscotch chips, melted together.

Meltaway Cookies

Just as the name suggests, these cookies literally melt in your mouth. Add a light food color to the frosting for the perfect bridal or baby shower goodie or add bold colors for holidays...These would be perfect for a St. Patty's Day treat! (Oh, and did I mention they are super easy to make??)

Meltaway Cookies

Jolynn Sorenson

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup cornstarch (measure like flour)

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup flour

Beat and form into 1 tsp balls (quarter size.) Bake at 325 for 11 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cool and frost.

Frosting:

3 oz cream cheese

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

food coloring if desired

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's the 100th Birthday of the OREO cookie and we are CELEBRATING!!!

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe Courtesy Picky Palate

2 sticks softened butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 cup sugar (Note: I omitted this cup of sugar and they turned out fabulous!)

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp pure vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

10 oz bag chocolate chips

1 package Oreo cookies (I like Double Stuf)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add flour, salt and baking soda. Add chocolate chips and mix until just combined.

2. Using a cookie scoop, take one scoop of cookie dough and place on bottom or Oreo. Take another scoop and place on top of Oreo. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until Oreo Cookie is enclosed with dough. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk and enjoy!

Best. Sugar. Cookies. EVER!

With Valentine's Day approaching, many of you are bound to making sugar cookies. Although there are many recipes out there, this one is the BEST! These cookies are SOFT, just the right thickness and get rave reviews everywhere we go! Kandi has this one mastered! Give it a try and let us know what you think!

(picture taken after decorating our Christmas cookies)

Cookie Jar Sugar Cookies

(Yields approx. 2 doz)

2/3 cup shortening

3/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 Tbsp milk

2 cups four

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Cream shortening, sugar and vanilla. Add egg--beat until creamy. Add milk and beat again until fluffy. Add all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Divide dough in half; chill 1 hour (or more)

Roll dough and cut out cookies. Note: The key to a great sugar cookie is not rolling the dough too thin...about 3/4 inch. To easily cut them out, lay a piece of saran wrap on the cupboard, place ball of dough on wrap and cover with an additional piece of saran wrap. Roll out dough. Remove top layer of wrap, use cookie cutter to cut out shape and then pick up the bottom layer of wrap to help get the shape out. This keeps the dough from getting too sticky in your hands.

Bake on a greased cookie sheet (or I prefer parchment paper) at 375 for 6-8 minutes. You will know if they are done when the very edge is the SLIGHTEST light brown. Do not overcook! That is the other biggie in making it the perfect cookie. Cool slightly. Remove from pan. Cool on cooling rack, frost (with HOMEMADE frosting) and decorate.

Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cube softened margarine

pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

food coloring

Add little bits of milk or canned milk. Whip or stir.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Sinful...'Nuff said.

Peanut Butter Brownies

Jessica Dedrickson

Mix together:

1/2 cup (1 cube) butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter (I used reduced fat)

Then add:

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup four

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup oats

Mix together well. Put in greased 9X13 pan and sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips. (I used semi-sweet.) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Done when inserted knife comes out clean.

Icing:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp peanut butter

2 Tbsp milk

Mix together and swirl over hot brownies.

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Chocolate Drop Cookies

Cream: 1/2 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

Add and mix well:

2 squares melted baking chocolate

1/2 tsp vanilla

Blend in:

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 cup buttermilk

Drop on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350. Frost when cool.

Frosting:

1/4 cup softened butter

1 1/3 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa

1/4 cup canned milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Beat at high speed until thick.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tastes like fall...And brings back memories. This recipe was submitted by one of my cute 4th grade students for a Mother's Day Cookbook that we published in 2005. I've made these cookies every fall since then and absolutely love them!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Submitted by Alexis Teasdale)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1/2 large can Libby's Canned Pumpkin (NOT Pumpkin Pie...about 1 1/2 cups)*

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups flour

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

12 oz chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

*I personally think Libby's is the BEST brand of pumpkin out there and I do think it makes a different in your baking. Also, you can buy just PUMPKIN or PUMPKIN PIE, make sure it is the PUMPKIN. They are different!

Oatmeal Brownies

I have never claimed to be a photographer, and I don't think the picture does this yummy treat justice. (It actually looks really cool in the pan before it is cut, but I didn't get a picture of it this time.) However, I will claim to know when a dessert is yummy, and this one is!

Oatmeal Brownies

1 cup (2 cubes) margarine - softened

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick oats

2 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add them to butter and sugar mixture.

Spread 2/3 oatmeal mixture on bottom of greased 10x15x1 inch pan (pan size is important!) Spread filling over top. Dab the rest of the oatmeal mixture on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Filling

1- 12 oz. package chocolate chips---melt and then add:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is not your typical chocolate chip cookie...In fact, it's kind of like comparing apples and oranges in my opinion. These have a totally different texture ( a little more cake-like...) and are delish! This is one of our favorite "take-on-a-roadtrip" treats. And since you can make them ahead, you won't have to be worrying about getting them made right as you are trying to pack up the car. Just layer them in a tupperware (with wax paper in between layers), put them in the freezer and then grab them on your way out the door. (That is if they last in the freezer long enough...I tend to snitch every time I walk through the kitchen...)

Applesauce Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dora Larsen

Cream:

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

Add:

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups applesauce that has 2 tsp soda added to it

5 cups flour

Drop onto greased cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes at 350.

Cinnamon Cookies (Snickerdoodles)

For whatever reason, I became the cinnamon cookie (or snickerdoodle) baker in my family at a fairly young age...Still to this day, my brothers ask me to make these for them when we are together. They are soft...which I think sets them apart from other cinnamon cookie recipes...

Cinnamon Cookies

Cream:

1/2 cup shortening

1 cube butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

Add:

2 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

Roll dough into balls the size of a golf ball. Roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 for 8 minutes.

Kandi's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is the inspiration behind the name of the blog. Seriously, not good when the recipe CAN make approximately 4 dozen cookies, but due to the snitching of the dough that is involved, we usually end up with a little more than 3 dozen or so...oops! Can snitching cookie dough be counted as a family tradition? I think so.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:Hungry now? Well, have at it...make your own and start snitching!

Cream:
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs*
1 tsp. vanilla

Add:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Blend well. Stir in 6 oz. pkg. chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

*Note: If you are pregnant or concerned about raw eggs, you can make this recipe with egg beaters and snitch the dough without any worries!