Pumpkin Zucchini Muffins

   
Ingredients:
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 2 cupcake sheets with cooking spray.  In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin, butter and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in zucchini and nuts. 

2. Pour into cupcake pans, about halfway in each cup. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes and remove to a wire rack. 

(c) Kristen Stevenson

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 cups chocolate chips, semisweet 

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray.

2. Beat the butter until smooth. Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds. Stir in the chips.

3. Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and let them rest for 2 minutes. Take the cookies off with a spatula and cool them on wire racks.

(c) Food Network

Mint Chocolate Cookies

These are perfect for Christmas, St. Patrick's Day, or just because!! If you need a quick and easy recipe then you've got to give these a try. The chocolate chunks and touch of mint make for a perfect combination!

Ingredients:
1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

8 drops green food color
1 egg
2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350F. In a large bow, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in chocolate chunks.

2. Using teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve!

Snickerdoodles

I bring these to Christmas parties every year and always have people asking me for the recipe! These never disappoint! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

In addition, set aside in a bowl:

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix thoroughly butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs.  Blend in flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt.

2.  Shape dough into rounded tablespoon balls. 

3. Roll dough balls, indiviudally in the cinnamon/sugar mixture until covered.  Remove from bowl and place on ungreased baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes or until set.  Immediately remove from baking sheet onto cooling rack.  Serve!

(c) Betty Crocker Cookbook

Sweet Champagne Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Champagne Cupcakes:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup Barefoot Mascato champagne
6 egg whites

Sweet Champagne Buttercream Frosting:
3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Barefoot Mascato champagne, at room temperature

Directions:
To Make The Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a cupcake pan with liners.

2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt together, and then blend into creamed mixture alternately with champagne.

3. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into batter to lighten it, then fold in remaining egg whites.  Fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 full.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

To Make The Frosting:
1. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix on low until well blended, and then on medium for another two minutes, until emulsified.  Add vanilla and champagne, beating on medium for another minute.

Recipe from AllRecipes.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. water
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter with both sugars.
2. Add peanut butter and vanilla, mixing well.
3. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add water.
4. Mix in dry ingredients, scraping down the sides as needed.
5. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Drop rounded tablespoon dough balls onto ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8 1/2 minutes.  Immediately move to cooling rack.

By pickyeatings.wordpress.com with modifications by Kristen Stevenson

Cranberry Chews

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions: 
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the milk and vanilla. 

2. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. 

3. Stir in the oats, chocolate chips, cranberries and coconut until evenly distributed. 

4. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes for a chewy cookie or 14 minutes for a firmer cookie. Cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet and then remove to wire rack. Cool completely and then store in tightly sealed container. 

By Kristen Stevenson 

Cherry Cookies

Chocolate + Cherry = Love! 

I found this recipe and decided to give it a try today! The recipe said it made about 36 cookies, but my batch only made around 20.  I would also HIGHLY advise that you use a mixer for this recipe... If you don't have one, do not attempt, your hand will be broken from all the mixing! 

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies
12 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped
12 swirled chocolate hugs, unwrapped 

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2. In the bowl of your standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

3. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.

4. Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined.

5. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

6. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.  Mix until the dough is emulsified.

7. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.

8.  Using your thumb, gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick.

9.  Sprinkle each cookie with a little granulated sugar.

10.  Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.

11. Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center.  If you're using Hugs too, wait about 2 minutes, allowing the cookie to cool a little before adding them to the cookie.

12.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Found: http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/03/04/cherry-chocolate-kisses/