Buttery Almond Roca Sugar Cookies It's Christmas In Every Bite

I have a love affair once a year with a pretty pink can of Almond Roca and all its creamy toffee buttery crunch wrapped in those little gold wrappers.  I get all giggly just thinking about them.  I get one can in December and I do not share it except to make these cookies.  The rest of the can is mine, mine MINE!  If you've watched Little Nemo the seagull scene comes to mind with them screeching those words.  Years ago I took a butter sugar cookie recipe and mixed it with my Almond Roca and it was love at first bite.  

What You Need

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter softened at room temperature

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup chopped up Almond Roca or other toffee candy

In a glass bowl put some sugar in for coating cookies 

Lets Make Them!

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in a large bowl, beat on medium speed, scraping bowl often until nice and creamy
• Reduce speed to low, add flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Beat until well mixed.
• Stir in toffee bits
• Shape your dough with rounded tablespoon fulls into 1 1/4 balls and roll in sugar
• Place your cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet
• Flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass into about 2 1/4 inch circles if the glass sticks just dip it in the sugar
• Bake 10-12 minutes or just until edges are a light brown.  Sprinkle with sugar while cookies are warm.  Let cool completely before moving them off cookie sheets.
• WARNING do not over bake these cookies or you'll have round bricks on your hands lol...

You might be wondering why I only treat myself to my beloved candy once a year.  Well, I'd probably  weigh a ton otherwise.  It's the only candy I can eat and not get sick of so I get one big can a year hahaha.  You can find it in any grocery store just look for the pink can.

Until next time, see  you in the kitchen,

Sinfully Peanut Buttery Chocolate Bars

I figured since November is peanut butter lovers month I had to break this recipe out because I can tell you right now they are the most sinfully peanut buttery lovers dream.  They will literally make you want to hit the gym afterwards but oh so worth every sinful bite!  Makes my 46 year old slowed down metabolism long for younger days hahahaha.  I love peanut butter and yep, I am one of those who can just eat it out of the jar with a spoon.  With that said lets get you started on making them.

What You Need

1 cup of melted butter
2 cups of golden graham crackers made into crumbs
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 level cup of your favorite creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups of semisweet chocolate chips (use your favorite chocolate we are a Hershey family)
Additional 4 tablespoons of peanut butter set aside
A 9x13 glass pan



Lets Make Them!

• Mix together in a medium size mixing bowl your cracker crumbs, butter, powdered sugar and the 1 cup of peanut butter until blended nice and creamy
• Pour your crumbs into your ungreased pan and press them evenly on the bottom
• In a metal bowl over simmer water, temper/melt the chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons of peanut butter, stirring occasionally until nice and smooth.  See below for example in tempering chocolate.

•  Pour your chocolate mixture over your cracker crumb crust and spread evenly and place in your fridge uncovered for about an hour before cutting into squares.  You don't want to cover the top of your mixture because you do not want any water condensation hitting your chocolate or it will turn grainy. Water and chocolate do not mix!

Until next time, see you in the kitchen

Cameron's Classic Peanut Butter Cookies An After School Favorite

 Makes 2 dozen cookies

I think every kid growing up had at least one cookie that was their all time favorite and these are my son Cameron's.   What I've never been able to get through to him was they were mine and my Dad's favorites first.  About the only thing my Mom ever baked were cookies and she was good at it and yet, she hardly ever ate them.  That was mostly my Dad's job, very much like Mr. V.  It is still up for debate and I go back and forth as to who really is the biggest cookie monster, my Dad or Mr. V.  I think I'll call it a tie.

I swear what makes these special besides that they taste so good is getting that old fashioned criss-cross pattern on the top and we liked ours a bit on the crunchy side.  Once a week I baked a batch of these peanut butter cookies for my son and we'd sit at the table together with our cookies and milk.  I am not a big cookie eater but I tell you what, I can do some damage with these hahahaha.  My son is now 21 and he doesn't come home a lot so when I really am missing him to the point of no return, I just bake these, call him and he's here lol....

What You Need

1 1/4 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (we're partial to Jiff)
1/4 cup crisco shortening
1/4 cup unsalted butter softened at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed golden brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup of roasted peanuts

Lets Make Them!

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
• In bowl combine your butter, shortening, peanut butter, sugar, brown sugar and the egg
• In another bowl, sift your flour, then mix in baking powder, baking soda and salt, combine well
• Mix your dry ingredients into your peanut butter mixture then add peanuts and fold
• Put dough in fridge to chill for about 30 minutes
• Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place on baking sheet 3 to a row (1 dozen per sheet)
• Flatten cookie with a fork making a criss-cross pattern.  If dough starts to stick just dip the prongs of your fork in a small amount of flour or use a baking spray like Bakers Joy.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are a golden brown

A very simple and classic recipe that keeps on going in my family.  I've made other peanut butter cookies in different styles but these are our all time favorite and I'm sure when my son has kids he will have to pass the crown down but for now,  they are still Cameron's :-)

Until next time, see you in the kitchen,

Old Fashioned Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal No Bake Drop Cookies

 These cookies bring back childhood memories for me.  I will never forget one day my 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Johnson held a class party and she made these and brought them to school.  I thought they were the greatest cookie ever and when she told us she never even baked them intrigued my already young, budding baking mind.  A cookie you didn't have to bake?  It blew my mind even then.

What You Need (Makes about 2 dozen cookies)

• 1 stick of room temperature butter
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 2 cups of sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of creamy peanut butter
• 3 cups of quick cooking oats

Let's Make Them!

• In large nonstick saucepan combine the butter, milk, sugar and cocoa
• On medium heat stir constantly until comes to a full rolling boil (one that can't be stirred down)
• Boil exactly 1 minute still stirring and remove from heat.  Pay attention to the time for these cookies its a must!
• Stir in vanilla, peanut butter and 2 cups of uncooked oats
• Drop by spoonful onto wax cookie sheets or baking sheets
• Stick in fridge for 30 min. to 1 hour before serving

Some extra tips for you:

• An easy quick way to grease the dish the mixture will be poured into is to spray it will baking spray.  You can also just pour or scoop into piles and let cool
• For higher altitudes adding 1 minute works well at sea level, but you may need to increase it.  If you can, experiment with this recipe a few times before making a batch you need right away so you know how long to boil at your altitude.
• If boiled too long your cookies will crumble and not long enough they will be too gooey and not harden

Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.  These really do take me back in time to 3rd grade.  Until next time, see you in the kitchen

Mrs. V's Bakery Style White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies Can You Say YUM!?

These cookies are a huge favorite in my household and this morning I got up very early to bake a batch off to complete a birthday goody box for a very special young woman in my life named Kendall.  I love her dearly and wish I could be there in person for her birthday October 28th but instead am sending her a box of homemade yummy to her tummy goodies.  Yesterday I completed the banana nut bread and strawberry jam she requested and today the cookies and in about 2 hrs her package will be headed her way to Oregon.

These cookies can also be less sugarfied by using SPLENDA and nobody will know the difference.  When I want these cookies for myself that is how I make them however, this batch today is fully sugarfied ;-) ... I love making up my own baking terminologies hahaha.

I apologize, normally I take pics as I go but I couldn't find my camera this morning.  So, let's get our aprons on and make some cookies!


What You Need

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks room temp butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar (or sub with 1 cup SPLENDA)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (or sub with 1/2 cup SPLENDA Brown Sugar)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 bags white chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or hazlenuts) 

Let's Make Them!

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Prep your baking sheets with either parchment paper or spray lightly with flour baking spray.
• In small bowl combine flour, salt and baking soda, mix and set aside
• In large stand mixer bowl add butter and both sugars, beat on medium high until well creamed 
• Add eggs and vanilla, beat again until smooth and creamy, stop mixer and scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula
• Add flour mixture slowly, mix well, stop mixer again and scrape sides and add white chocolate and nuts, pulse on low to combine.

These are bakery style, in other words Jumbo size.  Use an ice cream scoop (I like this method best)  to dough these babies out or you can use a 1/4 cup dry measuring cup...works just as well.

 

Drop onto baking sheet two cookies per row (6 to a sheet) Press cookie dough down just a bit to flatten.  Bake 12-14 minutes or until edges are a golden brown.

Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheets about 5 minutes before transferring to a cookie cooling rack

Use a wide cookie spatula to remove from sheets.

Guess what?  It's time to gobble them up!  You can print this recipe out just click on the green button below that says print friendly you will even be able to remove the graphics.  

Until next time, see you in the kitchen.  Tell me, what size cookie do you love best?  Regular drop size or jumbo/bakery size?

Hey Pumpkin Head How About Some Spiced Pumpkin Cookies With Cream Cheese Frosting?

"Approach Baking With Reckless Abandon" unknown author

Wow that quote is so me.  I have to admit that Fall baking borders an obsession with me.  Between apples and pumpkin I tend to fall to pieces (grins... pun intended) and turn into one crazy bakin' mama!  You might wonder where all this food goes (besides to my hips) when it's baked off.  Well, my husband, kids, nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors and other family or anyone else that wants some!

So, I have never made pumpkin cookies like these before and I was a bit skeptical when the original recipe called for oil.  Don't let it spook you, they turned out fabulous.  These cookies are more of a cake texture, very soft and chewy with an wonderful earthly flavor with the spices in them, oh, and the cream cheese swirl frosting?  That sets this cookie over the top.  Of course I tweaked a thing or two.  

Note: I am still working on a printer friendly blog and it's not in place yet...just copy and paste recipe off blog into word and print that way.  Thanks for your understanding.

Ready to bake?  Let's get STARTED!

What You Need (Makes about 18 large 1/4 cup cookies)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon cake flour

(you can use 2 cups reg flour if you like)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs at room temp

1 1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup canola oil (or any tasteless oil)

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (plain..do NOT get with spices in puree)

1 cup finely chopped and toasted pecans (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients 

4 ounces cream cheese at room temp

2 tablespoons unsalted butter room temp

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

How To Make Frosting: Beat the cream cheese and butter until soft and creamy, then beat in powdered sugar and vanilla until frosting is soft and creamy.

Let's Bake Them!

• Make sure oven rack is in center of oven.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• Spray baking sheets with baking spray or line with parchment paper
• In large bowl, sift or whisk together flour(s), baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt.
• In the bowl of your stand mixer, or with hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and smooth (about 2 min.) Beat in oil, extract and pumpkin.
• Add flour mixture until well incorporated then fold in nuts if using.
• With a small ice cream scoop or 1/4 cup measuring cup scoop batter onto baking sheets and space them 2 inches apart. 
• Bake 15-18 min.  Check at 15 min. mark inserting toothpick down center of cookie..if comes clean it's done (just like a cake)
• Remove from oven, let sit on sheets for 5 min before transferring to wire cookie racks to cool completely.  Cookies should be cool before frosting.
• Place frosting in piping bag, fitted with small plain tip and pipe swirls on cookies.  You can also use a plastic baggie and cut a small corner off the tip and pipe on that way, or just frost them.  I like the swirls.
• Store frosted cookies in the refrigerator.

And there you have it.  Question...do you drink coffee and if so do you use cream in your coffee?  Well I have a surprise for you...check out my recipe for homemade pumpkin spice creamer here.  Talk about a fabulous combination!

Until next time, see you in the kitchen

 

Where Meals and Memories are Made

 

 

Its Fall In A Cookie: Blissful Butterscotch Pecan Delights Cookie

So, my niece and her family are coming over for dinner tonight and I decided to bake cookies to have for after dinner.  As I was walking down the grocery isle I saw butterscotch chips on sale at an amazing price and my mind started whirling as to what kind of cookie I can create with them and this is what I came up with.  I am calling them Blissful Butterscotch Pecan Delights.  I hope there are some left by the time the kids get here because Mr. V is gobbling them up pretty quick and he says it tastes "like Fall in a cookie."

I am giving you two versions of my cookie recipe.  One fully sugarfied and one de-or low sugarfied :-) I made them both ways.  Shhhh nobody can tell the difference, at least not around my house.

Ingredients (makes 4 dozen cookies)

• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar (or 1/3 cup SPLENDA brown sugar)
• 2/3 cup sugar (or 2/3 cup SPLENDA)
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon maple extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups butterscotch chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Spray baking sheets with baking spray
• In large mixing bowl (I use my KA) combine sugar, brown sugar, shortening, salt, both extracts, and baking soda and mix on medium high with hand or stand mixer until creamy
• Add egg and mix again until smooth
• Slowly mix in flour, add chips and nuts
• With cookie scoop make 1 1/4 inch dough balls place them on your cookie sheet 2 inches apart
• Bake cookies for 9 minutes, let cookies sit for 5 minutes before transferring to wire cookie rack to finish cooling.

Until next time, see you 'round the table,

Where Meals and Memories are Made

Blissful Butterscotch Delights Cookie created 10/2/2011 by Mrs. V’s Kitchen ask for permission to use on another blog/website by contacting Mrs. V

Mrs. V's Delightful Snowball Christmas Cookies

This is my favorite winter holiday cookie.  My Mom made them every year and my Dad and I used to race each other to the table when she put them out.  I can tell you this it kind of ticked her off a wee bit because we ate them faster then she could bake them.  

It wasn't until later in life I learned their "true name and origin", The Mexican Wedding Cookie.  I will always fondly remember them as snowballs.  There are several variations of this cookie out there and here is one I like and it's very simple to make.  

Be prepared, they are messy to make and eat but oh so much fun and yummy-licious.

What You Need

1 1/2 cups powdered/confectioners sugar (divide 1 cup set aside in bowl)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans (any nut will work and they are fabulous with dried fruits like cranberries and cherries)

Let's Make Them!

1. With Mixer or KitchenAid cream butter, sugar and vanilla until fluffy and well combined.
2. Cover and chill dough for 1 hour in the fridge
3. 15 minutes before pulling out dough preheat your oven to 400 degrees F
4. Roll dough into 1 inch balls.  You can use a standard cookie scoop to measure then place between palms of your hands and roll into shape.  
5. Bake 8-10 minutes.  Do NOT brown cookies.  
6. Let them cool completely before coating with more powdered sugar
7. Roll them until well covered 
8. Gobble 'em up!

Until next time, see you 'round the kitchen,