White Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Another new cookie!! It gets hard finding new cookie recipes.  There are several things I look for, are they freezable, have I made these before, and will they go well with other holiday cookies.  Before I go to far, I know a lot of people don't care for maraschino cherries but you really need to try these cookies. 

I think Santa would approve of these cookies. 

Normally you think of dark chocolate with cherries and I might try that some time but this recipe uses white chocolate. 

While you are putting everything together drain your cherries.  For some reason this jar had stems.  So if yours have stems please remove them.

Start with 2 sticks softened butter.  I use unsalted butter in my baking.  If you have salted butter don't add as much salt.

1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar.  Mix well with the butter.  You want it nice and fluffy. 

Add 1 room temperature egg

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.  Almond goes really well with cherries. 

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Take your well drained cherries and chop them.  I use the food processor.  Work smarter not harder. 

2 cups good quality white chocolate chips.  I like Ghirardelli chips.  

Scoop up those cookies.  If you are going to bake preheat your oven to 375 and bake for 8-10 minutes.  Let cool on your baking sheet fro 3-4 minutes. 

Save some for Santa.

White Chocolate Cherry Cookies Recipe

1 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all purpose flour

1 10 oz jar maraschino cherries drained and chopped

2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375.  Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

Death By Chocolate Cookies

 Another new batch of cookies went into the freezer for the holidays.  This was a very easy batch to mix up.  This one starts with a cake mix as its base.  Cake mix cookies are very good and easy to make.  Keep in mind that the batter will be thick. 

Say hello to Mickey. I am enjoying using my Santa Mickey plate this year. 

Three different types of chocolate chips help make these cookies death by chocolate. 

Start with one box of devil's food cake mix.  I used Duncan Hines but you can use whatever brand you like or can find. 

Add 1/2 cup of oil

2 room temperature eggs.

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips.  Note: I made two batches of these cookies.  I did not have enough milk chocolate chips for both batches but I had a bag of espresso chips so I used 1/2 cup of those in the second batch.  So if you like espresso and you have those chips try those as well.

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips.  Mix everything together.  Like I said it will be thick and somewhat sticky.  Use a cookie scoop and your hands won't get too messy.  

This tray is ready for the freezer.  I freeze them on the tray overnight and then tomorrow I put them in zip lock labeled bags to go back into the freezer. When you are ready to bake them preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 7-9 minutes. 

I had to bake a couple to make sure they taste good. 

Death By Chocolate Cookies Recipe

1 box Devil's food cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1/2 cup  dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 7-9 minutes.

Green Chile Chicken Rice-A-Roni Casserole

The last couple of weeks I have tried a few new recipes and they were all keepers.  This is a very flavorful recipe full of cheese. I think I need to keep all these ingredients on hand so it can be a new go to meal.

Look at all that cheese. 

I don't usually keep rice a roni but I think I will from now on.

Start with a can of cream of chicken.  You could use cream of mushroom if that is what you have.

Add a 4.5 oz can of green chilies

1/2 cup sour cream.  I didn't measure I just eye balled it.  It may be more than 1/2 but that is okay.

Mix all that together until smooth and add 1 teaspoon cumin

1 cup pepper jack cheese shredded.  I had a piece of pepper jack so I grated all of it.  Add to the mixture.

3 cups chopped cooked chicken.

Cook the rice a roni per the box directions. This took the longest amount of time.  Add the rice to the chicken mixture.  I let it cook just a little bit. 

Now pour into a sprayed 9x13 baking dish.  Smooth out.

Add another cup of pepper jack cheese.  I was out of the pepper jack and I had Monterey Jack and I used that.  It was fine.  I think the pepper jack is good because it adds a little kick but if you don't have it or enough you can substitute.

Add the cheese on the top.  Place in a preheated 350 oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.  You can make this recipe ahead of time to be baked later.  It can even be frozen.  I would not put the cheese on top if I were going to freeze it.

It comes out of the oven all nice and golden brown with gooey cheese.

Green Chile Chicken Rice-A-Roni Casserole Recipe

1 box chicken rice-a-roni  plus the ingredients from back

1/2 cup sour cream

1can cream of chicken soup

1 4.5 oz diced green chiles

1 teaspoon cumin

2 cups pepper jack cheese shredded

3 cups chopped cooked chicken

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Blood Orange Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies

I found a new store this summer and that is where this recipe comes from.  There is a new place in Guntersville that sells various flavors of olive oils and Balsamic vinegars.  The name of the store is Tennessee River Olive Oil.  Go check them out.  On their Facebook page they posted the recipe for these cookies.  I thought they would be perfect for Christmas.  So this is the first batch of Christmas cookies to go in the freezer this year.  I always make a double batch of my cookies, but I will show you the recipe for a single batch. I think you will enjoy these cookies.

I brought out my Disney cookies for Santa plate this year in honor of the 60th Anniversary of Walt Disney World.  

These cookies uses the olive oils instead of butter.

Here are the two oils you will need for this recipe, blood orange olive oil and butter infused olive oil.  The butter infused is really good to use to pop pop corn. 

Start with 1/2 cup of the blood orange oil

1/2 cup butter infused oil

1 cup brown sugar.  Mix well.

Add 2 eggs.  Have the eggs at room temperature.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract.  I use the vanilla paste with the seeds from the bean.  Mix this well.

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.  Mix all these dry ingredients well.

Add 4 cups old fashioned oats, one cup at a time.  Mix well after each cup.

Finally, add 1 cup dried cranberries.  Mix everything well.  The dough will be stiff. 

I scoop the dough out on parchment lined cookie sheets, then pop in the freezer overnight to freeze.  I then place in labeled freezer zip lock bags and keep in the freezer.  This is a great way to do cookies.  You can have fresh warm cookies whenever you need them during the holidays.  To bake place in a preheated 350 oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.  Frozen cookies might take another minute or two to bake.

Then enjoy some nice warm cookies.

Blood Orange Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies Recipe

1/2 cup blood orange olive oil

1/2 cup butter infused olive oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

4 cups old fashioned oatmeal

1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.

***With the left over blood orange olive oil make some brownies.  Take any box mix and replace the regular oil with the blood orange and you have orange chocolate brownies.