Salted Caramel Pecan Bark

Ingredients

1 Cup chopped pecans
12 whole graham crackers
1 Cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 Cup butter
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 10 to 12 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Line a 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan with aluminum foil; lightly grease foil. Arrange graham crackers in a single layer in prepared pan, slightly overlapping edges.

3. Combine sugar, butter, and cream in a medium-size heavy saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla and pecans. Pour butter mixture over crackers, spreading to coat.

4. Bake at 350° for 10 to 11 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.5. Immediately sprinkle with salt, and slide foil from pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely (about 30 minutes). Break into bars.

Store in covered container.

Toasted Hazelnut Cookies

Ingredients

• 3 Cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 Cups Nutella
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/3 Cups white sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee
• 1/3 Cup milk
• 2 Cups hazelnuts, toasted and chopped , divided

Preparation

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl with a whisk. Set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the butter, Nutella and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, espresso and mix until well incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and alternate additions of flour mixture and milk. Mix until just combined, do not over mix the dough. The dough will be thick. Fold in 1/2 Cup of the chopped hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate the dough for about 2 hours up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line the baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper. Place the remaining chopped hazelnuts in a bowl. Working with the chilled dough, roll into 1 1/2 inch balls (size of golf ball) then roll in hazelnuts.

Place the balls 2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until just set, 8-12 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool 5 minutes, then transfer to wire to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes approximately 3 dozen

Peppermint Crunch Cookies

 

Ingredients

• 1 Cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 Cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 Cups flour
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 Cup oatmeal
• 4 squares almond bark
• 6 candy canes, crushed

 

Preparation

 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

 

Combine the flour, salt, and oatmeal in a bowl with a whisk. Set aside.

 

Cream together the butter and powdered sugar.

 

Add the vanilla to the butter mixture and gradually add the dry ingredients.

 

Roll into 3/4 inch balls and bake on an ungreased cookie sheet ( I line mine with a silicon mat) for about 20 minutes. Stay close as they will burn easily.

 

Allow to cool completely. Melt the almond bark in a microwave proof bowl for approximately 3 minutes stirring after each minute. Add the crushed peppermints to another bowl. Dip the cooled cookie in the melted almond bark and then the crushed peppermint. Allow to dry on a baking rack.

Makes approximately 3 dozen

 

 

 

Chocolate Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 2 1/3 Cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of fine salt
• 1 Cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 Cup white sugar
• 34 Cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/4 Cup bittersweet chocolate chips (1 10oz bag)
• 3/4 Cup peanut butter chips
• 20 miniature peanut butter cups, quartered

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl with a whisk. Set aside.

Cream the butter, brown sugar and white sugar in mixer bowl; mix until fluffy. Add the peanut butter, vanilla and eggs and mix on low speed. Add the flour-cocoa mixture gradually; mixing after each addition until just barely mixed. Fold in the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips and peanut butter cups and stir until everything is evenly blended.

Drop by heaping tablespoonful's onto a baking sheet  (I covered mine with a silicon mat), leaving 2 inches between each cookie. They will spread. Bake until set but still soft approx 8-10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Approximately 3 dozen

Pecan Drops

Ingredients

• 1 Cup margarine or butter
• 2 Cups sifted powered sugar
• 2 Cups all purpose flour
• 1/3 Cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 Cup coarsely chopped pecans
• Sugar
• Pecan Halves (optional)

Preheat oven 375

1. In a large mixing bowl beat margarine or butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed about 30 seconds or until softened.

2. Add powdered sugar, about half of the flour, half  of the milk, and the vanilla to the margarine. Beat until thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat or stir in the remaining flour and milk. Stir in chopped pecans.

3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto a ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. If desired, lightly press a pecan half onto the top of each cookie.

4.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden. Remove cookies and cool on a wire rack.

Makes 48 cookies.

Chewy-Cherry Almond Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs

1-1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

3 cups Quaker Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats

1 cup dried cherries 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*F (or 177*C). Use a non-stick baking mats or parchment paper on your cookie sheets for best results.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt; set aside.
3. Cream butter, sugar, and honey. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
4. Add the eggs and almond to above and beat to combine.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture, mixing on low just until incorporated.
6. Stir in oats and cherries by hand.
7. Scoop tablespoon sized drops onto a cookie sheet.
8. Bake 10 minutes. Watch very closely the last 2 minutes, they go from done to over done very quickly.
9. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

Store in covered plastic container. Makes 4 dozen