We enjoy Harry & David pears – I keep the boxes because they are very heavy/strong and have great dividers for cookies. This is what I’m giving out to friends, family and neighbors. The one without dividers is the lid to the pear box.
Browned Butter Pecan Tassies
Dough:
½ cup easy browned butter, soften (recipe follows)
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
2/4 tsp salt
Filling:
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 Tbsp Easy browned butter, melted
1 Tbsp corn syrup
1 Tbsp cane syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup chopped pecans
24 pecan halves
Easy Browned Butter
Makes about ¾ cup
¾ cup unsalted butter
In a medium stainless-steel skillet over medium heat, cook butter until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 45 minutes, stirring twice.
For dough: In a large bowl, beat softened browned butter and cream cheese with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add flour, sugar, and salt; beat at low speed until a firm dough forms, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a disk. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 Spray 24 miniature muffin cups with baking spray.
Scoop 24 heaping tablespoonfuls of dough. Roll into balls. Place 1 ball in each prepared muffin cup, pressing into bottom and up sides.
For filling: In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, melted browned butter, corn syrup, vanilla, salt, and egg.
Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon chopped pecans in each muffin cup. (I used ¼ tsp in the phyllo cups). Spoon 1 1/2 tsp syrup mixture over pecans. I used 1 tsp in the Phyllo cups.
Top with pecan halves. (I crushed the pecans for easier eating)
Bake until set and lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen; gently remove from muffin cups.
Let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
There are 3 types of dough here – dough from recipe – the bottom 2 on left; phyllo cups – bottom and one on top left; pillsbury pie crust – 3 on right
Jim’s favorite is the phyllo cups – my fave is the pillsbury pie dough and they are larger – I used larger muffin tin for those
Peach Pecan Cookies
The house smells like fall
Peach Cookies
½ c. butter
1 c. sugar
1 large egg
2 c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp each nutmeg and cinnamon
1/8 tsp each ginger, ground cloves, salt
3 med. Fresh ripe peaches
½ c. raisin, (optional)
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda and spices. Sift flour mixture into egg mixture, a little at a time. Peel, pit and finely dice peaches, stir into cookie mixture. Stir in raisins, if desired.
Drop dough, by rounded tsp, onto cookie sheet. Bake at 375F for 20 minutes, until cookies are browned on top.
Cool thoroughly on wire rack before storing.
Yield: about 4 dozen 2 ½ inch cookies
Note: These are soft, cake-like cookies. If cookies become too soft on standing, put them into a warm 250F to 300F oven for a few minutes.
I scooped the first batch of cookies on to cookie sheet and while those were baking, I added blueberries and chopped pecans to the rest of the dough mixture as that is a combo we enjoy. The slight touch of cloves in here is nice and reminds you of fall.
They are soft on the inside and slight crunch on the outside. Last week, I made Apple Maple Walnut Biscotti with Maple Glaze – I had a jar of the leftover maple glaze in the fridge so I drizzled that over these cookies and Jim said, “Yum!”
the butterfingers cookies are delicious and very easy to create. They taste like peanut butter cookies with a hint of butterfingers
Butterfinger Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups chunky peanut butter
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
5 (2.1 oz) butterfingers candy bars, chopped
Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars.
Add egg whites; beat well.
Blend in peanut butter and vanilla.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Stir in candy bars.
Shape into 1 1/2-inch balls and place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, or until cookies just start to turn brown.
Do not over bake!
Let sit on cookie sheet for a few minutes, before transferring to a wire rack.
from my 1999 Taste of Home Collector’s Edition Magazine contributed from Carol Kitchens of Mississippi
So Cute! This is from my 2009 Taste of Home Cookies book. These are so festive – so tasty – so colorful. These are going to be fun to add to my cookie trays.
I make these every year because they are a favorite of mine. I love munching on these with coffee in the morning. I prepare these; wrap them in plastic saran wrap; wrap in parchment; wrap a paper towel tube around to keep the shape while in the refrigerator (that way if anything bumps in to them – the tube protects them) All I do is slice and bake when I am craving them. The boys called these peppermint swirls when they were little and it stuck in our home.
Peppermint pinwheels
Makes about 4 dozen
¾ cup butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp peppermint extract
¼ tsp red liquid food coloring
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar. Beat egg yolk and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Divide dough in half, add extract and red food coloring to one portion. Roll out each portion of dough between waxed paper into a 16-in. x 10-in. rectangle. Remove waxed paper. Place red rectangle over plain rectangle. Roll up tightly jelly-roll style, starting with long side. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or until firm.
Unwrap the dough and cut into ¼-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes or until set. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.
One of the photos shows how I put the roll of dough in wrapping paper tubes to leave in the fridge so that the dough would not flatten on the side it sat on and this also protected it from other items bumping in to it in the fridge I also do orange extract to the white dough and raspberry or cherry extract to the red dough. Melted chocolate to dark dough and mint extract or almond extract to the white dough. I’ve also done chocolate and peanut butter. There are so many ways you can create with these all throughout the year. Among the variety of flavors I combine with this cookie – the peppermint is my favorite. On some, I’ll put the color on outside and then some times I’ll switch because it really makes the dish festive
Butter Ball Chiffons
1 cup butter, softened
¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 package (3.4 oz.) instant lemon pudding mix
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
2 Heath candy bars (1.4 oz. each), chopped (see my tip)
In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the pudding mix, water and vanilla.
Gradually add flour. Stir in nuts and chopped candy bars.
Roll into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 3 minutes before removing to wire racks.
Yield: 5 dozen
Tip: I used medium cookie scoop for the first batch. I used the small scoop after that because I wanted to see if there was a difference in taste/flavor. They were both yummy. The smaller ones were fun due to just popping them in to your mouth. When I make these again, I will use the small scoop.
I did not have Heath Candy bars, but I had a bag of Heath chocolate bits so I used ½ cup (which is more than the 2 candy bars called for, 1/2 cup sounded good enough)
I used pecans, which I toasted first.
I froze half the balls for later baking.
I will include a photo below of how I store these dough balls in the freezer.
Peppermint Meltaways
These melt in your mouth. Make sure you cream the butter well with the confectioners’ sugar or the cookies will melt. I put the dough in the fridge between baking batches and I believe that helped a lot; if the butter is too soft, the cookies will melt.
These are also delicious without the frosting.
1 cup butter, softened
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon peppermint extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cornstarch
Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons milk
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
2 to 3 drops red food coloring, optional
½ cup crushed peppermint candies
In a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in extract. Combine flour and cornstarch; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.
Shape into 1-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.
You must cool them completely before adding frosting or they will fall apart.
In a small bowl, beat butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, milk, extract and food coloring if desired; beat until smooth. Spread over the cooled cookies; sprinkle with the crushed candies. Store in an airtight container.
Yield: 3 ½ dozen
Cherry Icebox Cookies
I share a couple ideas for what I will do differently next time. This recipe is from a 2009 Taste of Home magazine. Jim says they are yummy. His favorite are the ones with chocolate. I want the cherries to be more dominant so I will add cherry extract next time.
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup maraschino cherry juice
4 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped maraschino cherries
(I added ½ cup chopped chocolate chips to one half of this)
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Beat in cherry and lemon juices. Stir in nuts and the cherries.
Shape into four 12 in. rolls: wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.
Unwrap and cut into ¼-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes – I did 12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.
Makes more than 6 dozen
I filled the cookie sheet with over 30 of these and then I froze the other 4 1/2 logs for later baking.
Tip: After I mixed everything – I cut the dough ball in to 2 sections; I put one section back in the processor, and combined chopped chocolate chips with it. These were my favorite.
Next time I will add chocolate chips to the entire recipe. Adding chocolate makes these taste like chocolate covered cherries.
I don’t even taste the lemon and I was curious why it was in the recipe. The cherry seems to be more prevalent with the milk chocolate chips (to me) Jim says he definitely tastes the cherries He did not even know this called for lemon juice. I am thinking maybe cut back on the lemon juice as I am not sure why it is needed
I will also replace one tsp. of lemon juice with cherry flavoring. You cannot taste the lemon juice, and I want to add more cherry flavor to these. I have another idea; I have a bag of cherry chips, thinking I’ll add these to half the batch and chocolate to the other half, or mix.
The third row in the photo shows what the bottom of these look like even when the top does not show and brown. 12 minutes here in Indiana worked for me
I finally found the Pancit recipe (click on the name or photo to take you to the recipe) we were trying to re-create after tasting it at a local shop! This one is delicious, and we ate the leftovers for 3 days.
I found the Bihon noodles at an Asian store, and I added shrimp to this as we love shrimp in dishes like this.
This is not my photo – this is linked with the site where I found the recipe and the photo.
Papas Cutting Board 