Day # 5

Hugs Cookies

These were such a big hit last year I figured I would make them again. These cookies are a huge hit with all ages. Colton helped me put 'his' chocolates on top.


1 cup margarine
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together first 5 ingredients and then slowly add flour and salt. Form into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar (if desired). Bake at 350 degrees until bottom is light golden brown. Once removed from oven and removed to a cooling rack, place a Hershey Hug on top and let set. If you move these cookies around the Hugs will slide around so let the cookies and Hugs set for 10-15 minutes.
Freezes well.

Day #4

Divine Caramel Sauce

THIS.IS.MY.WEAKNESS! I could have sat here and eaten a whole jar with a big spoon. This is what I drizzled over my Caramel Peacan Cookies...actually, i would drizzle this stuff on anything. Yes, it is that good!

1 cup corn syrup
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine ( come on people, use the butter..so much better with butter)
1 cup whipping (heavy) cream

In heavy saucepan, heat corn syrup, brown sugar and butter to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Boil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in whipping cream; heat to a boil. Cool about 30 minutes. Serve warm. Store covered in refridgerator up to 2 months. Reheat slightly before serving.

* To store mine, I actually used sealer jars and sealed them to preserve just a little longer...it's gonna be a long winter. And I like to know that if I get stranded in my house for days and days b/c of a freak snow storm and I run out of food, that there is always caramel sauce I could live on. : )

Day #3

Caramel Pecan Cookies

2/3 cup pecan halves, toasted
1 bag of sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
24 pecan halves, toasted
1 bag(10oz) caramels, unwrapped
2 tbsp whipping cream
2/3 cup semi-sweet choc. chips
coarse salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In food processor, place 2/3 cup pecans. Cover; process until finely ground.(or you can buy the ground pecans from the store) In large bowl, beat ground pecans, cookie mix, butter and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until soft dough forms.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Place 1 pecan half on top of each ball.
Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely.
In microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and whipping cream uncovered on HIGH 1 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth. In small microwavable bowl, microwave choc. chips uncovered on HIGH for 1 minute, stirring once, until softened and chips can be stirred smooth. Drizzle caramel mixture and chocolate over cookies. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Day # 2

Day #2 - Turtle Squares

Bottom Layer:
1 cup hard butter
1 3/4 cup quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped peacans

Filling:
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup hard butter
2 tbsp corn syrup

Topping:
2/3 cup semi-sweet or milk choc. chips
2 tbsp hard butter

Bottom Layer:
Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add next 6 ingredients. Stir together well. Press into greased 9x13 pan. Bake @ 350 for about 15 minutes.
Filling:
Measure all 4 ingredients into heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir. Bring to a boil. Boil slowly, stirring continually, for 5 minutes. This burns easily on the bottom. Remove from heat. Beat slowly with spoon for 2 minutes, until mixture shows signs of thickening a bit. Do not overbeat or it will be too hard upon cooling. Spread over bottom layer. Cool.
Topping:
Melt chips and butter in small saucepan on lowest heat, stirring often. Spread over cooled filling. Cut into squares.

15 Days of Baking..Part II

Well, here it is...my second year of doing 15 days of baking. I feel a little more organized this year than I did last year(which is a good thing). Last year was a little wreckless and unorganized and not thought out and was a last minute idea.
I will be posting all 15 days on here with the recipe. If there are a few days without a recipe, that means it is a family recipe which I will not be sharing. (we can't give every little thing away, right?) Hope you enjoy the next 15 days.

Contest Rules:
Every time you comment on my baking pictures(FB or my blog) over the next 15 days, your name will be put into a jar and at the end of the 15 days I will draw a name. Whoever's name I draw will be the lucky winner of a sample of all 15 days worth of baking. Enjoy!
Ok..deep breathe....here we gooooooooooo.....

Day 1 - Raspberry-Orange Thumbprints

1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. grated orange peel
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar, if desired
1/4 cup raspberry jam (or other favorite flavour)

 In large bowl, beat butter with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; add sugar, beating until blended. Add egg, orange peel and vanilla; beat until blended. On low speed, beat in flour and salt until blended. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refridgerate for 1 hour.
 Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On cookie sheet, place balls 2-inches apart. Press thumb into center of each cookie to make indentation, but do not press all the way to the cookie sheet.
 Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Quickly remake indentation with end of wooden spoon. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack; cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Fill each thumbprint with a dollop of jam.

Scarves!

I love scarves..I wear them all winter. Found this little video lastnight and thought it was informative for you scarf enthusiasts.
http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/25-ways-to-wear-a-scarf--video-.html

My new friends...as of Dec.1.

One month from today I will be embarking on my '15 Days of Baking'..EEEEEEKK! I have my baking list narrowed down to 20 recipes (no, i will not do 20 days!) and I need to decide for sure what recipes I will be doing before Dec.1 is upon us. I have had to put Christmas shopping at the top of my list b/c once this baking thing starts my energy level will be at '0' by 6:00 pm each night. So Christmas shopping needs to be done or almost done by Dec.1!

My new best friends..for 15 days!

I am very excited that I actually have a mixer to use this year. I tell you, my right bicep was HUGE from using my hand mixer for 15 days in a row last year!

INCENTIVE OF THE YEAR...(drum roll please!)
I will be posting pictures like I did last year...buuuuuut this year I will enter your name into a hat everytime you comment on a picture, and at the end of my 15 days I will pick a name out of the hat and that person will receive a sample of all my baking!