Chocolate Snickerdoodle Drops

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, soda, and cream of tartar. Beat until combined. Beat in egg. Beat in cocoa powder and as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

2. Drop by slightly rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Stir together remaining sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle dough with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Bake in a 375 degree F. oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on wire racks. Makes about 30 cookies.

Make-ahead tip: Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days or in freezer up to 1 month.

Source

Peanut Butter Munchies

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. In a medium mixing bowl stir together flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl beat together butter, the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and the 1/4 cup peanut butter with an electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Beat in as much of the dry ingredients as you can with mixer. Stir in remaining dry ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Form chocolate dough into 32 balls about 1-1/4 inches in diameter. Set aside.

3. For peanut butter filling, in a medium mixing bowl combine powdered sugar and the remaining 1/2 cup peanut butter until smooth. Shape mixture into 32 (3/4-inch) balls.

4. On a work surface, slightly flatten a chocolate dough ball and top with a peanut butter ball. Shape the chocolate dough over the peanut butter filling, completely covering the filling. Roll dough into a ball. Repeat with the remaining chocolate dough and peanut butter filling balls.

5. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

6. Bake cookies in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until they're just set and surface is slightly cracked. Let cookies stand for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool. Makes 32 cookies.

To Store: Place in layers separated by waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Source

Minty Fudge Cookies

Ingredients

• 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/3 cups butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• Sugar
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 10-ounce package mint-flavor semisweet chocolate pieces*
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1-1/2 cups sugar and the oil. Beat until well mixed. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture; beat until combined. Cover and chill about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Dip the bottom of a glass in additional sugar and flatten each cookie. Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes or just until firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

4. For filling: In a small saucepan, combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate pieces, and unsweetened chocolate. Cook and stir over medium heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Let stand about 1 hour or until cool.

5. Spoon a rounded measuring teaspoon of the filling on the bottom of each of half of the cookies. Top with remaining cookies, flat sides down, pressing lightly together. Makes about 36 sandwich cookies.

6. *Test Kitchen Tip: If you can't find mint-flavor semisweet chocolate pieces, use 1 1/2 cups regular semisweet chocolate pieces and stir 1/4 teaspoon mint extract into the melted chocolate mixture.

7. To Store: Place filled cookies in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Source

Super-Duper Chocolate Kisses

Ingredients

• 1 16-1/2-ounce package refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 cup chocolate-flavor sprinkles
• 2 tablespoons milk
• About 40 dark chocolate kisses, unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine cookie dough and cocoa powder. Seal bag; knead with your hands until dough is well mixed. Remove dough from bag.

2. Place chocolate sprinkles in a shallow dish or small bowl. Place milk in another shallow dish or small bowl. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Dip balls in milk to moisten, then roll in chocolate sprinkles to coat. Place balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.

3. Bake in the preheated oven about 8 minutes or until edges are firm. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool. Makes about 40 cookies.

To Store: To Store: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Source

Fudge Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package (2 cups) semisweet chocolate pieces
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped cashews,pecans or almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cookie sheet; set aside. In a medium heavy saucepan heat and stir 1 cup of the chocolate pieces, the unsweetened chocolate, and butter until melted. Remove from heat; add the eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, and baking powder. Beat with wooden spoon until combined, scraping sides of pan. (Mixture will be thin.) Stir in remaining 1 cup chocolate pieces and nuts.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are firm and surfaces are dull and crackled. Cool on cookie sheet 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

Source

Spinach Artichoke Dip

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/2 cup or 1 handful of spinach (frozen, then thawed with the water squeezed out)
Minced onions to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in casserole at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or in a lightly buttered crockpot on high for about an hour.

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes are a good addition.

Monkey Bread

Ingredients

3 (10 ounce) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup sugar

1 T cinnamon

1/2-1 cup margarine

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons water

1/2 cup walnuts or pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° Place nuts onto bottom of greased bundt pan.
2. Quarter biscuits; roll in cinnamon and sugar that has been mixed together.
3. Place in pan.
4. Melt margarine, brown sugar and water; boil 2 minutes and pour over biscuits.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.

Lighter Version:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated reduced-fat buttermilk biscuits
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 3/4 cup fat-free caramel topping
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-cup fluted tube cake pan with cooking spray.

2. In 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix sugar and cinnamon. Separate both cans of dough into 16 biscuits. Cut each biscuit into quarters. Add biscuit pieces to sugar mixture. Seal bag; shake to coat. Layer biscuit pieces and pecans in pan.

3. In small bowl, mix caramel topping and vanilla. Pour over biscuit pieces.

4. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Serve warm.