Cookies, Bars, and Brownies

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies:

3 c. self-rising flour

1 ½ c. granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 c. Heath Toffee Pieces

1/2 c. Thin Almonds

1 c. Chocolate Chips

1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 cup butter softened

2 eggs

 

Directions:

Pre-heat oven 375 degrees. In large bowl add flour, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. Take a spoon or spatula and mash and blend the flour and sugars together until there is no more clumps of sugar particles and the flour will turn slightly brown in color.  Then, add in vanilla extract, butter, and eggs. Mix just until everything is incorporated thoroughly. Next, add Heath Toffee Pieces, Almonds, and Chocolate Chips; stir into cookie dough. Chill dough in refrigerator for 25-30 minutes. Spoon onto a Silpat or ungreased cookie sheet about 1 inch round spoonfuls and bake for 6-8 minutes or until golden brown. 

 

Note: An ice-cream scoop works well in spooning out the cookie dough. 

 

 

Double Reese's Cheesecake Bars:

 

Nutter Butters

6 Tbsp. Butter (Melted)

Reese's Cups (Around 20)

2 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese Blocks

1/2 c. Sugar

2 Large Eggs

2/3 c. Creamy Peanut Butter 

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

Reese's Pieces 

 

Directions:

 

 

Use an 8"x 8” pan, line it with foil or wax paper or spray it with cooking spray.  Melt butter in a bowl and set aside. 

 

For Crust: 

 

Crush Nutter Butters until they are crumbs (set some crumbs aside for spreading on top later), and then add the crumbs in with the melted butter, mix well and then press into the pan evenly. 

 

On top of crust, lay the whole Reese’s cups, until thoroughly covered.

 

 

For Cheesecake Layer:

 

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt. Pour over Reese’s cups layer and then add over the crushed Nutter Butters crumbs. Then, top it with the Reese’s pieces. 

 

Bake for 40 minutes. Let it cool somewhat sitting out and then refrigerate until completely cold 2-3 hours or overnight. Slice into bars. This is rich so smaller bars will be best. Enjoy!

 

 

 

No-Bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies:

2 c. sugar

1 stick butter

1/2 c. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. oatmeal

1/2 c. peanut butter

 

Directions:

Mix sugar, milk and butter in a medium cooker. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for three minutes and remove from stove. Next add vanilla and the peanut butter and stir well. Last, add oatmeal a little at a time to desired taste and thickness. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper, or pour into a buttered pan and cut into squares after it cools.

 

Submitted By: Melissa H. NC

 

Peppermint Cheesecake Brownies:

Ingredients for the cheesecake topping:

1 8 oz. block of 1/3- less-fat cream cheese

1/3 C granulated sugar

1 t peppermint extract

1 large egg

1 large egg white

1 T all-purpose flour

 

Ingredients for the brownie bottom:

1 C all-purpose flour (4.5 ounces if you weigh it, which apparently you should be doing. Which I definitely don’t do)

1/2 C unsweetened cocoa

1/2 t salt

1 1/2 C brown sugar

1/4 C canola oil

1/4 C buttermilk

2 t vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

 

Directions:

Start by making the cheesecake batter. Put the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat it (at medium speed if you have a hand mixer). Add the granulated sugar and peppermint extract and beat together. You’ll notice the official recipe calls for 1/4 teaspoon of peppermint extract. But I read the reviews and pretty much everyone said this wasn’t nearly enough. So I used a full teaspoon and thought the brownies had the perfect amount of peppermint flavor to them. And since they are peppermint brownies, that’s kind of important. Now add the whole egg and the 1 egg white and beat well before adding the flour and beating that until it’s just blended. I separated my cream cheese topping into 2 bowls. One I kept white. And the other, I added a bunch of red food coloring to. I set these aside and started making the brownie portion of the dessert. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, cocoa, and salt. Then, in a larger bowl, combine brown sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, whole egg, and 2 egg whites, and beat until just blended. Remove 1/2 cup of the brownie batter and set it aside. Pour the rest into a 9×9 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray (I used 8×8).After I had the brownie batter in my pan, I poured my white cream cheese mixture on top. Then I poured the red on that and swirled it around with a knife. Then I dribbled the reserved brownie batter on top of that and swirled that around too. I think that next time I make these, I’ll keep more of the cream cheese topping white, as the red and brown kind of took over.Put in the oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 26 minutes.

Snowman Christmas Cookies:

1 cup butter, softened

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

2-1/4 cups sugar, divided

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

50 pretzel sticks

Frosting of your choice

Orange gumdrops

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes or until easy to handle. Shape dough into 1-in., 3/4-in. and 1/2-in. balls. For each snowman, gently press one of each size ball together; gently roll in remaining sugar. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Break pretzel sticks in half; press into the sides of each cookie, forming arms. Bake at 325° for 15-18 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute before removing to wire racks. Decorate as desired using frosting and orange gumdrop noses. Yield: about 4 dozen.