Mint Capped Brownie Cookie Cups

Made by Ruth Gough

These taste as good as they look!

36 Hershey Kisses Brand Mint Truffles

2/3 cup butter softened

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 T water

1 t vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup flour 

1/2 cup dutch process cocoa

1/2 t salt

1/4 t baking soda

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 36 small muffin cups with mini muffin liners. Remove wrappers from chocolates. Cream butter, sugar, water, and vanilla. Add eggs and beat until combined. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating on low just until combined. Shape dough into one inch balls and place in prepared uffin tins. 

Bake 11-13 minuted until cookie surface is set. Cookies will appear soft and moist. Do not over bake. Cool about 5 minutes on wire rack. Press kisses into the surface of each cookie cup. Cool completely on a wire rack. Sprinkle each cookie with powdered sugar. Yield- 3 dozen cookies. 

Oreo Truffles

By Jamie Lott & Leah Tobey

Anyone who is an Oreo lover will want to make these!

Trevor devoured them.

8 oz. cream cheese

1 pound Oreos
1 pound milk or dark chocolate
1/2 pound white chocolate

Grind Oreos to find powder in food processor. With a mixer, blend cookie powder and cream cheese until thoroughly mixed (there should be no white traces of cream cheese). Roll into small or large balls and place on wax-lined cookie sheet. Chill 45 minutes.

Line two cookie sheets with wax paper. In double-boiler, melt milk or dark chocolate. Dip balls and coat thoroughly. With slotted spoon or fork, lift balls out of chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off. Place on wax-paper-lined cookie sheet.

In separate double boiler, melt white chocolate. Using a fork, drizzle white chocolate over balls. Let cool.
Store in airtight container, in refrigerator.

Caramel Puffcorn

Made by Leah Tobey

I couldn't stop nibbling on these at our cookie exchange.

These are a must for anyone who loves caramel corn but hates the hulls!

This is carefree munching at it's finest!

1 (8 ounce) bag puff corn (hull-less, like Cheetos without the cheese)
1 cup butter (do not substitute)
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Place puff corn in a large roaster pan.
2.  In 2 quart sauce pan bring the butter, sugar & corn syrup to bring to boil, then cook for 2 minutes.
3.  Add the baking soda - this will cause the caramel mixture to foam up.
4. Stir well and remove from heat.
5. Pour over puff corn in roaster and bake in 250* oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, spread out onto wax paper to cool.

EXCELLENT fresh from the oven!

Pumpkin Pie Cookies

Made by Jennie (me),

original recipe from my friend Charmaine Figgins.

this recipe is pretty much the same as this one here, 

The main difference is the impact that the cinnamon chips has.  AMAZING!
(I've stocked up on the cinnamon chips sold at my Kroger/Fry's store)

1 box Spice Cake Mix

1 can pumpkin puree (14oz) not pumpkin pie

1 bag Hershey's cinnamon chips (I've only found these sold seasonally at Christmas)

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Empty dry cake mix into a bowl. Add canned pumpkin puree. That's it! Do NOT add the other ingredients on the box to make a cake. Mix well with a mixer. With a spoon/spatula, stir in cinnamon chips and pecans. Using a ice cream/cookie scooper, drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 18 minutes at 350 F.

Chocolate Snowballs

Made by Jennie (me)

Recipe from Hershey's.

These are delicious and different from any other cookie I've had before.

I've found a new favorite cookie!!

1 cup butter

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 2/3 cup flour

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 bag Hershey's Kisses

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy.  Stir together flour and cocoa; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended.  Add pecans; beat until well blended.  Refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.

Heat oven to 375 F.  Remove wrappers from chocolates.  Mold scant tablespoon of dough around each chocolate, covering completely.  Shape into balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until set.  Cool about 1 minute; remove from pan to wire rack.  Cool completely.  Roll in powdered sugar.  Roll in powdered sugar again just before serving, if desired.

The shortcut version:

1	pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2	cup butter or margarine, melted
1	egg
1/4	cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1/4	cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2	cup finely chopped almonds
1	teaspoon almond extract
60	Hershey's® Kisses® Brand milkchocolates, unwrapped
3/4	cup powdered sugar Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg, flour, cocoa, almonds and extract until soft dough forms. Shape dough into sixty 3/4-inch balls; wrap each around 1 milk chocolate candy. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Roll cookies in powered sugar. Cool completely, about 15 minutes. Re-roll cookies in powdered sugar. Store tightly covered.

Watermelon Lime Popsicles

These are tasty and clean eating friendly!

They're also a great way to using up the rest of the watermelon before it goes bad!

Cubed Seedless Watermelon (I use 1/2 of a watermelon)

1-2 limes squeezed (or a generous squeeze of the bottled kind)

Honey to taste (I use about 1 TBS)

Mix in the blender and freeze in popsicle molds!  Any leftovers makes a delicious chilled drink!

Hummus

This recipe is from the show Zoom.  About 3 years ago, Brynlee used to watch this show on PBS.  She saw the children making this recipe wanted to make it too.  I printed it out, put it in my folder and didn't make it until last month.  Why did I wait so long?!!  It's a weekly staple in my house now as a great and healthy dip for vegetables or pita chips!

Here's what you will need to make it:

• 1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tahini (a.k.a. sesame seed butter/paste)
• pita bread, cut veggies, or chips
• blender
• garlic press
• spatula
• bowl

Here's what you have to do:

1. People in Middle Eastern countries, like Lebanon, have been making hummus for thousands of years. There are lots of ways to make hummus, but chickpeas are always the main ingredient. (Hummus is the Arabic word for chickpea.)

2. Ask a grown-up for help before you begin. You will be using a blender for this recipe.

3. Wash your hands.

4. Drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, then dump them into the blender.

5. Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

6. Peel 1 clove of garlic and crush it in a garlic press. (If you don't have a garlic press, chop it finely with a knife.)

7. Add the crushed garlic to the blender.

8. Add 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and 2 tablespoons of tahini. Tahini is ground sesame seeds (kind of like peanut butter) and can be found near the peanut butter in some grocery stores. Other stores may have it in the international section.

9. Put the lid on the blender and puree at low speed for 5-10 seconds until smooth.

10. Wait for the blender to stop completely. Then mix the hummus with a rubber spatula so that all the ingredients get blended.

11. Put the lid back on and puree for another 10 seconds.

12. Wait for the blender to stop completely. Then pour the hummus into a bowl.

13. You can serve hummus with vegetables, pita bread, tortilla chips or whatever tastes good.

14. Sahtayn! In Arabic it means "Two healths" - your health and my health.