Chocolate Peppermint Cookies ~ By Caroline

The cookie part and ingredients for these cookies are pretty much the same as our white chip chocolate cookies (http://foursistersff.blogspot.com/2015/12/chocolate-white-choc-chip-cookies-by.html) only with mint extract, mint icing and candy for topping.  They're very delicious and a super cute, festive dessert for Christmas time! :-) 

  

Ingredients For Cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon mint extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cups cocoa powder

1tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups white chocolate chips

Icing and Candy Topping:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp mint extract
Crushed peppermint candies for dusting

 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 F.
2. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy.  Add eggs and flavors; beat until light and fluffy.  Stir together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into butter mixture. Stir in white chips.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet.
3. Bake 8-9 minutes.  (Do not overbake; cookies will be soft and puffy and will flatten slightly during cooling) Cool on a wire rack.
4. Mix together icing ingredients in a medium bowl, and adjust milk/sugar if needed to reach the right consistency. (It should be pretty thick so that it doesn't run off the cookies at all)
5. Sprinkle crushed mint candies on freshly iced cookies

Yields: About 4 dozen cookies



Pumpkin Pie Spectacular ~ by Caroline

This has become our family's new favorite way to make pumpkin pie! :-) It's amazing, and the cookie layer on the crust with the crumb topping on top really adds a lot!  I've never been a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but I LOVE this! :-) 

 

1 pre-made pie crust
2 cups crushed ginger-snaps or cinnamon snaps (Here are recipes for those.  I've used both for this pie, and they are both turn out amazing: Cinnamon snaps: http://foursistersff.blogspot.com/2014/03/cinnamon-snap-cookies-by-caroline.html Ginger Cookies: http://foursistersff.blogspot.com/2015/11/soft-gingrbread-cookies-by-caroline.html
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (15 oz) can Pumpkin
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
7 Ginger/Cinnamon Snap Cookies, halved

Preheat oven to 350. 

1. Stir together crushed cookies, powdered sugar and butter.  Press mixture on bottom of pie crust, and up the sides.
2. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
3. Stir together pumpkin, and next 6 ingredients until well blended. pour into prepared crust. Place pie on aluminum foil lined baking sheet.
4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Sprinkle Pecan Streusel around edges and continue baking for 25-30 minutes or until center is set. (If needed, shield edges of pie crust with foil during the last 25-30 minutes) Remove from oven, and let cool slightly for 5-10 minutes.  Insert cookies around edge of pie crust.  Let cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour)

Makes 1 pie ~ 8 servings

Pecan Streusel Topping
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
Dash of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Stir together all ingredients, until well mixed and very crumbly.  Mixture will not be dry at all. 

 

Soft Gingrbread Cookies ~ By Caroline

This recipe was discovered by Victoria last week, and since they were SO GOOD I decided to make them again and post the recipe on here! They are definitely the best gingerbread cookies I've ever had! :-)  Christmas is just around the corner now, and these are perfect for an adorable, decorative dessert!

 

 

Cookie Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 molasses (not blackstrap)
1 egg yolk
2 cups all-purpose flour (even a little extra won't hurt)
1/2 tsp.salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Stir in molasses and egg yolk. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; blend into the molasses mixture until smooth. Cover, and chill for at least one hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness (I made mine thicker and they turned out great) Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheets, lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly cracked on the top. (This produces a very soft cookie, but if you like the crispier texture, bake for 10 minutes) Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. Frost or decorate when cool.

Icing:

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Wisk ingredients together in a small bowl. Icing should be very thick. Pour into a small Ziploc bag, snip off a corner, and pipe icing onto cookies.  Enjoy!



Rich Chocolate Pecan Pie ~ by Caroline

 

I have always loved pecan pie, but chocolate pecan pie is even better!  After trying out several different recipes, we have decided that this one is definitely the BEST!  Enjoy! 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

 

Spread the pecan pieces and the chocolate chips evenly on the bottom of the pie shell.

 

In a mixing bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together.  Pour the filling over the pecans.  Bake until the filling sets, 50 to 60 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes before slicing.

-------------------------------------------------------------

I actually tried doubling the filling last time I made this, and it turned out great!  But either way is awesome.  :)

 

Source: food.com 

 

 

 

Funfetti Cookies ~ by Caroline

Perfect for celebrating the 4th of July, or any special occasion, these cookies are very festive and delicious!!! They are fun to make and serve!!! 

 

Ingredients

• 2 sticks softened butter
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 egg
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup rainbow jimmie sprinkles (the long thin sprinkles))
• 2 tbsp rainbow perils (tiny balls sprinkles)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375º.

Cream the butter and sugar in your stand mixer (or hand mixer) for about 2 minutes (until fluffy). Add the vanilla, almond, and egg. Beat until well combined.

In a separate bowl, sift in the flour, cornstarch, soda, and salt. SLOWLY add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and continue on low speed until it’s all added and combined. Mix in the sprinkles (don’t overmix or the sprinkles will start to bleed into the dough).

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop cookie dough onto cookie sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart (fits 8 cookies per sheet). Bake for about 15 minutes.

*Only bake until they very slightly start to turn light golden brown just on the edges. You don’t want them to totally turn golden or they’ll be crisp cookies. Check then around 10 minutes, then 12, and so on.

Cool on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight container up to 4 days.

 

Source: Tasty Kitchen.Com Blog
http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/05/funfetti-cookies/

Mexican Tea Cookies ~ by Valerie

The other day, Mommy was in "need" ;-) of some comfort food,

and one of our family's favorite Christmas recipes came to her mind! 

Since we happened to  have pecans on hand,

she began "dreaming of a white Christmas" . . . . cookie!

This recipe has been in Mommy's family since she was a child,

and so it is one of Aunt Kelley's favorite Christmas cookies, as well! ;-)

The original origin of the recipe is unknown,

but of course, there are many different names

and recipes for this particular type of cookie out there.

We just happen to think this one is the BEST!

 

 





1 cup butter

1/4 -1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. almond flavor

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

1-2 cups chopped pecans

Powdered sugar

 

Blend with a mixer butter and sugar together.  Add almond and vanilla flavors.  Combine salt and flour together, then add to creamed mixture.  Stir in nuts. 

 

Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet. 

Bake in 350 degree oven for approximately 8 minutes.

When cool, roll in powdered sugar.