Snickerdoodles

We found this yummy recipe for snickerdoodles.

Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

COOKIES

• 1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/3 cup (267g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar*
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. Make the topping: toss 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Make the cookies: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Get it nice and smooth, then add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed. Set aside.
4. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 3 different parts. The dough is quite thick and you may have to stir the rest by hand.
5. Take 1.5 - 2 Tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Roll the dough balls into the reserved cinnamon-sugar topping. Sprinkle extra cinnamon-sugar on top if desired. Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes. The cookies will be very puffy and soft. When they are still very warm, lightly press down on them with the back of a spoon or fork to help flatten them out. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies remain soft & fresh for 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
6. Freezing instructions: Cookies freeze well, up to 3 months. Or you can freeze the cookie dough balls. Roll the dough into balls and then freeze for up to 2 months. You can freeze with cinnamon sugar coating or without, your call. You can bake the frozen cookie dough balls in their frozen state for 1-2 minutes longer than what the recipe states.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

First I just want to say YUM!!! these are so good!!!

Ingredients

• 2 Eggs
• ½ Cup. Vegetable Oil
• ½ Cup Sugar
• ½ Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 tsp. Vanilla
• 1½ C. Zucchini
• 1½ C. Flour
• ½ C. Cocoa
• ½ tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 tsp. Baking Powder
• ½ tsp. Salt
• 1 Bag of Mini Chocolate Chips

Instructions

1. Combine Eggs, Oil, Sugars, Vanilla in a bowl and mix well
2. Slowly add in Raw Zucchini and stir
3. Combine Dry Ingredients in a Large Measuring Cup
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
5. Add in Chocolate Chips
6. Spoon into Muffin Pans
7. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes

Little Bit O' Honey Candy

Ingredients:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup powdered milk

Directions:
In microwave safe bowl melt honey and peanut butter for 45 seconds. Then stir in powdered milk. Let cool then mix or knead until smooth. Pour onto wax paper. cover with wax paper (so you have wax paper on top and bottom. Use rolling pin to roll out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Refrigerate to help harden. Use pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut into pieces.  If this taffy like candy lasts long enough you can wrap the pieces in wax paper.:)

I love this quick and easy recipe when I need something sweet.
I used parchment paper instead of wax paper.

Elsa Ice Candy

Elsa birthday cake for Cora

Making this is very similar to making suckers. Just leave out the molds.
Directions:
3/4 cup Corn Syrup
2 cups Sugar
1/2 cup water
Bring to  boil. Stir constantly until mixture reaches 300 degrees. Add food coloring and pour into a greased cookie sheet that has an edge. Place in fridge until hardened. Then break into pieces. 

It was easy.

This is what it looked like before we broke it into pieces.

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from my co-worker, but my mother in-law makes them too. So easy and yummy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 box Spice Cake Mix

1 15 oz can Pumpkin

1/2 cup Mini Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all three ingredients together. Spoon onto baking pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes (depending on how small or large you make your cookies).
Makes about 24 cookies

(I have heard that you can make muffins using this recipe too).

chicken manicotti

• Chicken Manicotti with White Sauce 6oz cream cheese, softened

  1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

  1 tsp garlic powder

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1/4 teaspoon pepper

  4 cups cubed cooked chicken

  1 medium onion, finely chopped

  14 manicotti shells, cooked and drained In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in the sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in chicken. In a small skillet, cook onion in butter until tender; add to chicken mixture. Stuff into manicotti shells.

  SAUCE:

  6 tablespoons butter

  6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  1/4 teaspoon salt

  3-1/2 cups 2% milk

  3 cups (12 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack

  8 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese

• In a large saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour and salt until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 2-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese and 1/2 the Parmesan cheese just until melted. Spread about 1/2 cup cheese sauce in each of two greased 11-in. x 7-in. dishes. Top with stuffed shells and remaining sauce.  Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle 4 table spoons of Parmesan cheese. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Yield: 7 servings. 

Original recipe from taste of home magazine January 2007. I left veggies out because we would rather have them on the side and I added garlic powder. I also add a little extra cheese on top. This is also good with the large shell noodles that can be stuffed.