Hot Fudge Pudding Cake for the Crock Pot
From Salena Thomas

1 c packed brown sugar
1 c flour
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
2 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 3/4 c booiling water

Mix together 1 c brown sugar, flour, 3 Tbsp cocoa, baking powder and slat.  Stir in milk, butter and vanilla.  Spread over the bottom of slow cooker.  Mix together 3/4 c brown sugar and 1/4 c  c cocoa.  Sprinkle over mixture in slow cooker.  Pour in boiling water.  Do not stir.  Cover and cook on high 2 - 3 hours or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Yummy Cereal Snack

From Kiersten Isom

*warning very addicting!*

¾ c. butter (1 ½ sticks)

1 ½ c. white sugar

1 ½ c. light corn syrup

1 box Corn Chex

1 box Golden Grahams

2 c. sliced almonds

2 c. coconut

Mix cereals, almonds and coconut in large buttered bowl and set aside. Bring butter, corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Pour over cereal mixture. Stir until cooled enough to keep syrup from running off.

This is a holiday favorite at our house. It’s great for parties…guests will keep coming back for more J

Danish Oatmeal Cookies

From Kiersten Isom

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup oatmeal (I didn't want the texture of oatmeal so I put mine in my little blender/chopper thing and it came out like oatmeal flour)

1 cup chopped pecans (I chopped half of the nuts very finely in my blender)

powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl mix the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture. Gently stir in the oatmeal and pecans and lightly mix until combined. 

Roll into small teaspoon sized balls and place on cookie sheet or baking stone. Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool completely before sprinkling with powdered sugar. 

Makes 90 little cookies. 

Oven Smores

From Kiersten Isom

Ritz crackers
Large marshmallows
Regular Hersheys bar

Place one square of chocolate on a ritz cracker and put half a marshmallow, cut side down, on chocolate.  Broil in oven until marshmallow is light golden brown.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

From Roz Brown

3 c Bisquick mix

1 1//2 c sugar

1/2 c flour

3/4 c butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp salt

6 eggs

1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese

Powdered sugar, if desired

Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 10" angel food tube cake pan, 12 cup fluted tube cake pan or 2 loaf pans.  Beat all ingredients except powdered sugar in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl frequently.  Beat on medium speed 4 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Pour into pan.  Bake 55 minutes our until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes; turn pan upside down onto wire rack or heatproof serving plate.  Remove pan;  cool cake completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Banana Cake
From Marci

2 large eggs, allowed to sit at room temp for 30 minutes
2 1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (3 large) mashed ripe bananas
3/4 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 c shortening

Grease 9x13.  In large bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add bananas, buttermilk, shortening, and vanilla.  Beat with mixer on low speed until combined.  Then add eggs, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Pur into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes.  Cool cake layers in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan, cool thoroughly on rack.  Frost with frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 (8oz) pkg softened cream cheese
1/2 c butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
5 3/4 - 6 1/4 c powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in additional powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.

Whole Wheat Sugar Cookies

From Joni Page

1 c sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c soft butter
1/4 c applesauce
2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 c whole wheat flour

Combine all ingredients in given order.  Blend well.  shape into balls and roll in cinnamon sugar.  Bake at 375 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Those Very Special Sugar Cookies

By Roz Brown

*Winner of the Best Tasting Cookie*

This recipe makes about 8 dozen (I don't know how to cut it down so I freeze the dough, eat the cookies, and hence, my beautiful womanly shape!)

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar (and maybe a sprinkle more)
4 eggs, well beaten
2-4 tablespoons milk, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (and a drip more)
5 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

The Cookie
in large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. beat in eggs, 2 tablespoons of the milk and vanilla until smooth.
in large bow, mix flour, baking powder and salt until light and thoroughly combined. Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. If dough seems dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk. Gather dough into a ball and divide into eight parts. Wrap each part in plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. The dough may also be frozen and thawed in the refrigerator.
When read to bake, remove dough from refrigerator one package at a time. Preheat oven to 350F. For rounded sugar cookies, pinch off about a teaspoon worth and press down. For cookie cutter, with floured rolling pin, roll one package of dough at a time to about 1/8 inch thick on a generously floured surface. The trick is to work with cold dough.

The Streusel (topping)
This recipe will top about 3 dozen teaspoon sized sugar cookies
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (and a dash more)
for additional flavor 1/4 teaspoon allspice
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and press about 3/4 teaspoon onto each cookie. I sprinkled just an added touch more of cinnamon onto each cookie before putting into oven.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until edges are crisp and browned. Cool on baking sheet 3 minutes then to wire rack.

Short on time or don't want to make up 8 dozen cookies? I'm sure any sugar cookie recipe will do, and I've even made them using the Pillsbury cookie dough roll.

Reindeer Poop

By Stacey Lehn

*Most Unique Cookie Award*

Melted chocolate flavored candy melts

spooned on top of almond slices.  Bag and
present with poem:

I came wide awake when I heard Santa call,
"Dash away, Dash away, Dash away all".
Grabbing my robe, I ran out to the lawn,
But reindeer and Santa were already gone.
So with my shovel I started to scoop,
look what I found..
.....gourmet REINDEER POOP!

Frosted Lemon Butter Cookies

By Tina Stevens

1 c butter

1/2 c powdered sugar
2/3 c cornstarch
1 c flour

Cream butter and sugar. Stir in cornstarch and flour. Drop by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 15 minutes. Cool. Combine frosting ingredients. Spread on cooled cookies. Yield: 2 1/2 dozen.

Frosting:
1/4 c butter
2 T lemon Juice
2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies

By Salena Thomas

1 c sugar

1/2 c brown sugar
1 c butter flavored Crisco
2 eggs
12 - 24 oz chips of choice
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 c flour
1 c chopped nuts of choice (opt)

Cream Crisco and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and flavoring.  Add dry ingredients and blend thoroughly.  Mix in chips and nuts.  Shape into walnut shaped balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Flatten slightly with palm of hand.  Bake at 350 for 9 - 10 minutes or until slightly golden.  Let stand on cookie sheets for several minutes before removing to cooling rack.  Makes 3 dozen.
To make extra special dip half the cookie into melted chip of flavor.  I dipped these in melted peanut butter chips and drizzled melted chocolate over the top.

Rolled Baklava

By Eleni Franklin

1 lb fillo

1 1/2 c melted butter
4 c chopped nuts (1 1/2 lb un-chopped) walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc
4 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp vanilla

Remove 3 fillo at a time and place on a flat surface.  Brush each generously with melted butter, arranging one fillo on top of the other.  Combine nuts, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.  Sprinkle a few tablespoons of nut mixture evenly over 2/3 of the top buttered fillo.  Starting with the filled edge, roll loosely in a jelly-roll fashion to make a long roll.  Place in greased baking pan.  Continue filling pans with nut rolls using 3 well-buttered fillo for each roll.  (6 rolls per batch, 9 - 10 slices per roll).  *Cut each roll in 1 1/2 inch diagonal slices, leaving the rolls intact.  Brush tops with melted butter.   Bake 325 for 25 - 30 minutes until golden.  Cool.  Pour warm syrup over rolls in pan.  Let stand 1 hour.

Syrup:
3 c sugar
1 1/2 c water
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 c honey
Combine sugar, water, and lemon juice.  Boil 10 minutes.  Slowly add honey and simmer 5 minutes.

Chocolate-Cherry Squares

By Shirley Pauole

1 c flour

1/3 c butter
1/2 c light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 c chopped nuts
Filling (recipe below)
red candied cherries, halved

Heat oven to 350.  In a large mixer bowl combine flour, butter and brown sugar.  Blend on low speed to form fine crumbs (abt 2 - 3 minutes).  Stir in nuts.  Reserve 3/4 c crumb mixture for topping;  pat remaining crumbs into ungreased square pan.  Bake 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c cocoa
1/4 c milk
1 egg
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 c red, chopped candy cherries

In a small mixer bowl combine cream cheese and sugar.  Beat until fluffy.  Add cocoa, milk, egg and flavoring; beat until smooth.  Fold in cherries.  Spread filling over warm crust.  Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture and garnish with cherry halves.  Return to oven; bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool; cut into squares.  Store covered in fridge.  Makes about 3 dozen squares.

Peanut Clusters

By Minerva Gural

Semi Sweet Chocolate

Salted Peanuts

Melt chocolate for one minute in microwave.  Stir and microwave in 15 second intervals stirring until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Mix in peanuts.  Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow to set.

Susan's Sugar Cookies

By Susan Young

3/4 c butter, softened (no subs!)

3/4 c shortening
2 c sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
5 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt

Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Blend in flour, baking powder and salt.  Cover and refrigerate at least 6 hours (or overnight).
Heat oven to 400.  Roll dough 1/8" thick on lightly floured board.  Cut into desired shapes.  Sprinkle with colored sugar (non if youplan to frost the cookies).  Place on ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 6 - 8 minutes until edges are very lighly brown.  Makes 8 dozen 3" cookies.

Cake Mix Cookies

By Jocelyn Denyer

1 box cake mix (any flavor)

2 eggs
1/3 c oil

Mix together ingredients.  Scoop by about 1" balls onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

Variations:
Chocolate mint:  Using chocolate cake mix, once the cookies have colled for 5 minutes, top with Hershey's Mint Truffle Kiss.
Lemon Crinckles:  Using lemon cake mix, roll cookie ballinto granulated or powdered sugar before placing on a cookie sheet to bake.

Add ins:  chocolate chips, nuts, crasins, etc...

Chocolate Mint Truffle Cookies

By Joni Page

*Prettiest Cookie Award*

1/4 c butter

1 c semisweet chocolate chips, divided

1 egg

1/3 c sugar

1/3 c packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp mint extract

1 c flour

1/3 c cocoa

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp salt

1 pkg (4.6 oz) Andes mints, chopped and divided

2 tsp shortening, divided

1/2 c white or vanilla chips

In a small microwaveable bowl melt butter and 1/2 c chocolate chips until melted and smooth.  Cool slightly.  Stir in egg, sugar, and extracts.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Stir into chocolate mixture.  Stir in 3/4 c chopped Andes mints.  Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes or until tops appear slightly dry.  Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

In a small microwaveable bowl melt 1 tsp shortening, remaining chocolate chips and andes mints.  Stir until smooth.

In another small bowl melt 1 tsp shortening and vanilla chips until smooth.

Dip half of the cookies in melted chocolate mixture;  dip remaining cookies in melted vanilla chips.  Immediately sprinkle with toppings of chopped nuts, crushed candy canes, sprinkles, etc.  Let stand until set.

Pumpkin Bars

By Becky Sanchez

4 eggs
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 1/4 c. sugar
16-ounce can pumpkin
2 c. flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
Beat eggs, butter, and sugar. Mix in pumpkin, then flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda. Pour into 17X11 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 butter, softened
2 t. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add powdered sugar a little at a time until frosting reaches desired sweetness. (I didn't use the whole 2 cups)

Pumpkin Balls

By Becky Sanchez

You can use store bought pumpkin cake mix and cream cheese frosting for these,

but I'm also including the recipes I used.

Prepare pumpkin cake and allow to cool. Put chunks of cake in food processor and process until crumbly. Dump into bowl and mix with cream cheese frosting until you can easily roll mixture into balls. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Cover and freeze or refrigerate until firm.

Melt small amount of white chocolate chips in microwave 30 seconds at a time until smooth. Pick up pumpkin balls with a toothpick and dip in melted chocolate until covered. Allow to excess to drip off, then place on wax paper until hardened. You can sprinkle with toppings before chocolate hardens if you want.

The original recipe I saw was for pumpkin pops. They were the same as this, but the balls were put on lollipop sticks.

Gingersnap Cookies with Pumpkin Dip

By Joni Page

3/4 c shortening

1 c sugar

1/4 c molasses

1 egg
2 c flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger

Beat shortening, sugar, molasses, and egg until fluffy.  Add dry ingredients.  Roll into balls and dip in sugar.  Bake at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Dip:
8oz cream cheese, softened
2 c powdered sugar
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp ginger

Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Gradually add pumpkin and mix until smooth.  Stir in spices until well blended.  Chill.  Scoop gingersnaps inot theis yummy dip.  Store in the fridge.