Cherry Cheesecake Dip

 This is a very easy pretty dip that I made during the holidays.  Of course you can change the pie filling flavor to whatever you like or color that you need.  This is great for the holidays and even for Valentine's Day.  

It's so good.  Serve it with graham crackers or some other kind of shortbread cookies.  I have even used my gingerbread men and that was very good as well. 

It only takes four easy ingredients. 

In the cheesecake mix take out the filling packet. 

You will not use the graham cracker crumbs.  Save this for some other recipe.

After you put the cheesecake mix in the bowl add 8 oz of Cool Whip. 

Stir those together well.  It will appear gritty.  That's okay because as it sits it will get smoother. 

Cover and put in the fridge.  Leave at least several hours but over night is even better. 

When you are ready to serve, Spread out in a serving dish.  You will notice it is not gritty. 

Then top with your pie filling.  Can't get much easier than that. 

Cherry Cheesecake Dip Recip

1 box Jello cheesecake mix.  Save the graham cracker crumbs

1 8 oz container Cool Whip

1 can pie filling of your choice.

Graham cracker or cookies to dip.

Strawberry Sugar Cookies

 This is the last of the new cookies for 2024.  I found these strawberry sugar cookies and I had to make them.  You can make them darker red if you add more red gel coloring but I didn't want a lot of red gel in these cookies.  They are so good and taste like biting into a fresh strawberry.

These are my sample cookies.  I wonder if you dipped half in chocolate they would taste like chocolate covered strawberries?  I'm not going to take the time to do that but it is a thought. 

This recipe uses dehydrated strawberries. You can get a small bag of them at the store, but I needed a lot so I ordered a small container on Amazon.  I am making more than one recipe. 

Before I start working on the dough, I pulled out the little food processor and made strawberry dust. I need 6 Tablespoons for each recipe so I poured a lot in the container. 

Pulse it until the bigger pieces are powder. 

Now for the dough.  Start with 2 sticks softened butter.

1 1/2 cups sugar.  Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy.

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon strawberry extract to make sure that strawberry flavor comes through.

A little red gel coloring.

Mix that well. 

6 Tablespoons freeze dried strawberry powder

3 cups all purpose flour. I don't know what I was doing when I took my pictures but I left out pictures of the 2 Tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons cream of tartar, 1/2 teaspoons salt

The dough needs to be chilled for a little while before you roll into balls to be baked.  I put it in the fridge for a couple of hours. 

In a small bowl add 1/2 cup sugar

1 Tablespoon freeze dried strawberry powder

Mix it well. 

Roll the cookie balls in the sugar before baking. 

My test cookies ready for the oven.  Place in a preheated 350 oven bake for 8-10 minutes. 

Fresh out of the oven. 

The strawberry flavor will be a nice surprise this holiday season. 

Strawberry Sugar Cookie Recipe

2 sticks softened butter

2 eggs

3 cups all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup sugar

6 Tablespoons freeze dried strawberry powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon strawberry extract

1/2 teaspoon red gel food coloring

1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoons strawberry powder for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 bake for 8-10 minutes

Espresso Mocha Cookies-Coffee Cookies

 Today's new cookie is another knock out.  Since I already had the espresso powder for the pumpkin spice latte cookie when I found this one I said why not.  This cookie blends chocolate and mocha.  These are a great pick me up.

Now I don't drink coffee but I bet these would be good with a nice cup of coffee. 

This is a very simple recipe.  The only ingredient that is a little outside the box is the espresso powder. 

Start with 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup +1 Tablespoon sugar

1 egg white

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoon melted butter

Mix all this together.

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

Mix well.  This is a thick dough. 

Scoop up dough and roll in sugar.

These are my sample cookies. Place in a 350 preheated oven.  Bake for 8-10 minutes. 

These are so good especially when they are warm. 

Espresso Mocha Cookie Recipe

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 cup +1 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 +1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder

3 Tablespoon melted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg white

additional sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 bake for 8-10 minutes. 

Pumpkin Spice Latte Tea Cake Cookies

 Today's new cookie should be a hit with a lot of people because it is pumpkin spice latte.  Who said pumpkin spice is just for the fall.  I like pumpkin all the time but mainly at the holidays which includes Thanksgiving and Christmas.  This is a tender little cookie with a punch of flavor.  I think you will enjoy it. 

My sample cookies.  Make sure there's lots of powdered sugar so that it will get all over you when you bite into the cookie.

   

There is a couple of special ingredients in this recipe.  More on that later. 

Start with 2 sticks softened butter and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla.  I know that is more vanilla but I rarely measure my vanilla.  

Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar.  Be careful or it will be all over your kitchen.  Don't ask me how I know.

Add 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice extract

This is one of the special ingredients.  You might have to look for this in a couple places. 

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. 

Add 1 teaspoon Espresso powder.  This is another special ingredient.  It is not hard to find the little jar of espresso powder.

This is the jar of instant espresso powder.

Mix all these together well.

Add 1/4 teaspoon salt

Add 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour.  Add a little at a time.  Mix well. 

3/4 cup finely chopped pecans.

This dough smells so good and if you like pumpkin spice you will love it.  My husband is not a big fan of pumpkin spice but he liked these cookies. 

My sample cookies.  Place in a preheated 400 degree oven.  Bake for 8-9 minutes. They won't get very brown. 

These are going in the freezer. 

These are just out of the oven.  

While still warm roll in powdered sugar. Let cool a little and roll again.  Some of that first powdered sugar gets melted into the cookie.  You want it to look like a snowball. 

These are ready to sample now.

Pumpkin Spice Latte Tea Cake Cookie Recipe

2 sticks softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon pumpkin spice extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon espresso powder

3/4 cups finely chopped pecans

1/4 teaspoon salt

powdered sugar to roll cookies

Preheat oven to 400.  Bake for 8-9 minutes.