Creamsicle Cookies

 

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup butter 

1 cup sugar

1 (3 oz.) pkg orange Jello powder

3 eggs

½ tsp. orange extract

1½ cups white chocolate chips

sugar

 

Preheat oven to 375°.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl and set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together for about 2 minutes with an electric mixer.

Add Jello and continue to mix for 1-2 minutes. 

Add extract and eggs (one at a time) and mix well.

Add in flour mixture. Mix just until thoroughly combined. 

If rolling into ball, scoop the dough out by tablespoons and roll into smooth balls. Place on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten each dough ball with the bottom of a measuring cup dipped in sugar. 

Bake cookies at 375° for 8-9 minutes. 

Tastes best cooled. 

*note – you can play around with Jello flavors, extract and chips to create different cookies.

Adapted from the recipe found here.

Greek Pasta Salad

 

8 oz. pasta (your choice)

1 medium cucumber, chopped

½ medium red onion, minced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 (15-oz.) can black olives, drained

1 cup grape tomatoes, rinsed

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

pepperoni, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 recipe Greek Salad dressing

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When boiling, add the pasta and cook al dente. Drain, rinse with cool water, and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, onion, bell pepper, olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese and any other ingredients you’re including. Add the cooked pasta and about 1 cup of the Greek salad dressing and toss to distribute evenly, add more dressing if needed. Chill for at least 4 hours before serving. 

Greek Salad Dressing

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ cup white vinegar

2 tsp. sugar

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. seasoning salt

½ tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. black pepper

4 cloves garlic

1 cup oil

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

¾ tsp. Greek or Italian seasoning

¼ tsp. dry oregano

 In the jar of a blender, combine all the ingredients through the garlic. Blend until smooth. While the blender is running, add the oil in a steady stream. Turn off the blender and add the feta and pulse the blender a few times (more if you want a creamier consistency). Whisk in the herbs. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. 

These recipes can be found here and here.

Butterscotch, Toffee, Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

3 cups flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1½ tsp. baking powder

1 cup butter 

½ cup sugar

1½ cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup milk chocolate chips

¾ cup butterscotch chips

¾ cup toffee bits

1 cup ch macadamia nuts (opt)

 

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a large baking sheet. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sea salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract. Beat for an additional 2 minutes.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. I add ½ cup at a time. Mix until flour is just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, toffee bits, and nuts.

Drop about 2 Tbsp. (or smaller) of dough onto prepared baking sheet, placing the cookies 2-inches apart. Bake for 12 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

This recipe was adapted from here.

Pecan Pie Surprise Bars

 

1 box yellow cake mix 

½ cup butter

1 egg

1 cup pecans chopped

 

Filling

2/3 cup reserved cake mix

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 1/2 cup dark corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

 

Topping

1 cup pecans chopped

 

Grease bottom and sides of a 13 x 9 inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350°. Reserve 2/3 cup of dry cake mix for filling.

In a large mixing bowl combine remaining dry cake mix, butter and 1 egg.

Fold in 1 cup chopped pecans. Mixture will be tacky.

Wet fingers and press into prepared pan. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes.

Filling

Using an electric mixer combine all filling ingredients together on medium speed for 1 – 2 minutes. Pour filling over partially baked crust.

Sprinkle with pecans. Bake 30 – 25 minutes until filling is set. Cool and cut into bars.

This recipe can be found here.

Cinnamon Chip Almond Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

 

2¾ cups flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 cup butter 
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped almonds
1 cup cinnamon chips 
2 Tbsp. sugar + 1½ tsp. cinnamon
Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. milk

 Preheat oven to 350°.  Line 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan with foil and spray with vegetable oil.

 Whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Set aside.

 Toast almonds and set aside.

Cream together butter and sugar in large mixing bowl until fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, and mix until combined. Gradually add in flour mixture. Stir in the almonds and cinnamon chips.

Spread two-thirds of the cookie dough in prepared pan. Then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Add the rest of the dough in dollops on top of the cinnamon sugar.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until set and slightly golden brown. Cool about 10 minutes in pan on wire rack.

Glaze:

While bars are cooling, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Drizzle glaze over still warm bars. Cool completely in pan.

This recipe can be found here.

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

 

1 cup butter, softened
2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
¾ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease light colored baking sheets with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Whip in vanilla, eggs, lemon zest, and juice. Scrape sides and mix again. Stir in all dry ingredients slowly until just combined, excluding the powdered sugar. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again briefly. Pour powdered sugar onto a large plate. Roll a heaping tsp. of dough into a ball and roll in powdered sugar. Place on baking sheet and repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until bottoms begin to barely brown and cookies look matte {not melty or shiny}. Remove from oven and cool cookies about 3 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

*If using a non-stick darker baking tray, reduce baking time by about 2 minutes.

This recipe can be found here.