Peanut Cookies

1 C shortening

1 C brown sugar

1 C white sugar

2 eggs

2 C flour

2 C oatmeal 

1 t. baking powder

1 t salt

1 t baking soda

1 t vanilla

1 C salted peanuts

Mix all together.  Bake 350 degrees for only 10 minutes.  They will not look done, but they are.

Ginger Snaps by Keiko Bickmore

2 C flour
1 ½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 C sugar
3/4 C shortening
1 Lg Egg
1/4 Molasses
1/3 - ½ C chopped crystalized Ginger (Good Earth)

Oven - 375

Combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl cream sugar, shortening, egg and Molasses. Add flour mixture. Once combined add crystalized Ginger. Bake 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven just when it begins to brown.

ITALIAN MACAROONS 

(from Kirbie's Cravings.com)

Italian Macaroons 

(makes about 2 1/2 dozen)

Ingredients

7 oz almond paste

3/4 cups sugar

2 large egg whites

About 1/2 pound slivered almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 or 3 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat mat.

2. Break almond paste into pieces. Place in bowl of a food processor
with the sugar. Pulse into almond paste is crumbled finely, and evenly
combined with sugar.

3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Stir a little of
the egg whites into the almond mixture; it will be fairly dry. Fold in
remaining whites.

4. Place almonds in a shallow bowl. Roll almond paste mixture into
1-inch balls, keeping them as round as possible. If mixture is too
sticky, alternately drop heaping teaspoonfuls into the bowl of almonds;
use your fingers to roll the dough ball around until coated evenly with
slivered almonds. Place on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. (I just dumped my almonds into the dough and rolled 1 inch balls.)

5. Bake cookies until evenly pale gold, 15 to 17 minutes.

Pink Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks) - room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp. almond extract
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 1/2 tsp baking powder

Frosting:
1/3 cup melted butter (melted is what makes this frosting work)
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp. almond extract
6-7 tbsp milk (use more if needed)
4 -5  cups powdered sugar
Food coloring, if desired

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy - about 3 minutes.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt - beating just until well incorporated
The dough will be thick and not sticky.
Using a medium food scoop (about 3 tbsp) scoop and roll into balls
I found it made about 30 cookies using this measurement.  You could make them larger -1/4 cup   makes 22 cookies.
Arrange on baking sheet, then using the palm of your hand - flatten slightly.  Don't over flatten if you want the cookies to be soft and rounded.
Bake in preheated 350 oven for 10 - 12 minutes
Be careful not to over bake - watch them carefully to avoid more than just a slight browning of the edge.
Cookies should be just barely set.
Remove immediately and leave on baking sheet for several minutes

For frosting, combine melted butter, flavorings and milk in a large bowl.  Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth, adding more milk or powdered sugar as necessary to achieve desired consistency.  Add food coloring, if using.  Frost cookies after completely cooled.  Store cookies covered to maintain softness.
These are similar to loft house soft frosted sugar cookies.

Cherry Chews - BYU

　
Combine and whip to a soft peak:
• 1 ½ cups egg whites (I used the whites from 13 large eggs)
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
Fold into the above taking care not to overmix:
• 2 ¾ cups cake flour (all purpose flour can be substituted)
Melt together in a microwave and fold into the above again taking care not to overmix:
• 2/3 cup margarine or butter
• 1 cup Crisco or other high quality shortening
(Note: margarine and shortening need to just barely be melted. Don’t get it hot)
Finally fold into the above:
• 1/3 cup cherry Fruit-o (this comes from BAKEMARK Baking Supply Corporation – Orson Gygi usually carries this product or can obtain it –if you can’t obtain any cherry fruito, you can substitute 1/3 cup drained and pureed maraschino cherries with a teaspoon or two of cherry extract added to the puree.)
• 2 cups walnut pieces
• 2 cups red glace cherries (these are the ones used in fruit cakes; I have used drained maraschino halves as an alternate and they work just as well)
Note: a couple of drips red food coloring may be added as an option to make it a richer pink color. If the cherry Fruit-o is used, it already has enough coloring and you won't need to add any more coloring.
Spray around the edges and bottom of a half sheet pan with baking release spray and spread the mixture evenly in the pan.
Bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for about 20-25 minutes. The Cherry Chew is done when the middle has risen and just collapses and the top a golden brown.
When it has cooled, cut into bars and serve.

Cake Balls - Kaylee Jensen

Ingredients:
1 cake mix baked according to directions 1 can frostening Almond or chocolate Bark for dipping

Directions:
Make cake mix according to instructions. When cool crumble into a mixing bowl. Stir in entire 1 can of frosting. Form into walnut size balls. Put in freezer until they are hard enough to be dipped into the melted almond or chocolate bark. You can leave them as they are or roll them in sprinkles or nuts. I know it's hard to believe, but these are delicious. Some of the flavor's I have tried are Spice cake/cream cheese, lemon cake/lemon frostening, white cake/strawberry --let your mind go wild. This would also be a great recipe for the younger ones to help with.

Peanut Butter Bars - Sara

1 Box yellow Cake Mix

1 C smooth peanut  butter

1 cube butter, melted

2 eggs

Mix together and set aside. 

Filling

1-12 oz pkg semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 -14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

2 T butter melted

2 tsp. vanilla

Melt together chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, butter and vanilla stirring until all ingredients are melted together. Set aside 1½ C of the peanut butter mixture.  Put the rest of it into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan.  Pour melted chocolate mixture over.  Crumble the rest of the peanut butter mixture over the chocolate while it’s still warm.  Bake at 325 for 20 – 25 minutes until lightly crusted on top.  Cool before you cut.