Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Another new cookie for this holiday season. This one has the classic flavors of chocolate and caramel. Kraft caramel bits makes this recipe easy to make. I wish I had thought of using sea salt instead of regular salt to up the flavors a little bit.

Can’t wait to dive into the sample cookies. No I’m not going to eat all four I plan on sharing.

Be sure to look for the caramel bits. I think I found these at Walmart. 

Just like with most of the cookie recipes start with 2 sticks softened butter.

Add 1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar. Mix all of this together until nice and fluffy.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs and mix everything well.

Add 1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt. I used regular salt but I think next time I would use sea salt.

Gradually add 2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup Kraft caramel bits

Everything all mixed up.

My test cookies are read to be put in a preheated 375 oven.  Bake for 8-10 minutes. I think I might bake them at 350 next time. It might take a minute or so longer but I think they will bake better.

These are going into the cookie freezer.

Hit and fresh from the oven. The melty chocolate and caramel are so good.

Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups plain flour

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup Kraft caramel bits

Preheat oven to 350-375 whichever you want. Bake for 8-11 minutes. You may need to adjust the time. Watch your cookies.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

 I was looking for one more cookies for this holiday season. I wanted something with oatmeal and chocolate chips. I had some of both that needed to be used. So this recipe popped up. It is a King Arthur Flour 2015 Recipe of the Year. This recipe was created by Cookies for Kid’s Cancer. They are made as a fundraiser for the program. With those kind of credentials I knew I had to make them. Then later that evening after I had baked hem my husband tells me they are his favorites that I have made this year. So give this recipe a try. It’s very easy to make. 

Look at all those chocolate chips.

These are pretty much a basic chocolate chip cookies but they are a little elevated.

Start with two sticks of softened butter.

I cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar. Mix those together until nice and fluffy.

And 1 egg and 1 yolk to the butter mixture.

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix all that together.

2 cups plain flour. Add a little at a time. You don’t want flour all over you and the kitchen. 

1 cup oats. These are old fashioned oats. But you can use quick oats if that is what you have. Mix everything well. It’s going to be thick.

Now for the good stuff. 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Make sure they get mixed throughout.

Look at all those chips. That is what makes them so good.

My test cookies. Place them in a preheated 325 oven. Bake for 12-17 minutes.

Scooped these while the test cookies were in the oven. These go in the freezer.

They smell so good.

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

2 sticks softened butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups plain flour

1 cup oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. Bake for 12-17 minutes.

Cheese Ring

 A sweet lady shared this recipe with me a couple of years ago and it has been a hit ever since. I usually make it for the holidays. It tastes better the longer it is in the fridge and will last a couple of weeks too. It is great on a charcuterie board. You can make it in a ring or serve it in a bowl. I usually serve it in a bowl with various crackers. Oh and did I mention how easy it is to put together?

Put it in a bowl, cover and put in the fridge. I would suggest making it at least a day ahead.

Make sure you use real bacon bits.

Start with two 8 oz bricks of cream cheese. I noticed that one of my blocks was out of date. So I added all my stuff while I waited on my new block to come home from work.

Drain a jar of chopped pimentos.

Chop about a 1/4 cup of green onions.

Chop about a 1/4 cup green bell pepper.

Add 1 jar of real bacon bits.

Add 1/2 cup mayo

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

I use a mixer to get it well mixed.

You know I had to sample it.

Cheese Ring Recipe

2 8oz pkg softened cream cheese

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1 jar real bacon bits

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper 

1 jar chopped pimentos drained

Mix well. Store covered in the fridge.

Grinch Cookies

 You’re a mean one Mr. Grinch….. these cookies are too good for mean ole Mr Grinch. The Grinch has become very popular in the last few years, in fact I have decorated with him a lot this year. I think he had a big birthday in the last year or two so that might be why he is so mean. Several years ago we did a Grinch night. I made these cookies and made Grinch punch and we watched the original How the Grinch Stole Christmas show. It was a lot of fun and the special treats made it even better. So try that this year and maybe make a new tradition. Now for the cookies.

This recipe uses a cake mix. Cake mix cookies are a lot of fun to make. They also make whipping up the dough easier. This one uses a French vanilla cake mix. I have not tried it with a regular white cake mix so I can’t tell you how they compare.

Add the cake mix to your bowl.

2 eggs

Melt 6 Tablespoons butter. That is NOT a whole stick of butter. Let it cool for a few minutes. You don’t want to scramble your eggs.

Add some green gel color. You can add as much or as little as you like depending on how green you want them.

In this recipe and in another one from this year I use gel food coloring. You can find the squirt bottles of coloring at Hobby Lobby. Walmart has the small bottles that you will use something to get the gel out like a toothpick or a small spoon. I like the squeeze bottles simply because you just squirt.

Add the melted butter.

Mix it well. You can see it start to become green.

This is a pretty green. Now I am going to share something with you. This dough is sticky, very sticky. I had little bits of green dough everywhere by the time I finished rolling these cookies. You have been warned.

In another bowl add 1 cup powdered sugar. I had to shift it because I had some lumps in it.

Add 1 teaspoon corn starch and stir together.

Drop the dough into the powdered sugar mixture and roll.

I out it on the parchment lined baking pan.

When I made these before I didn’t put hearts on them. I found some hearts and out them up to use in these cookies. I am not freezing the cookies with the hearts on them. I am afraid they might break or fall off. I will add them when I bake.

I had small hearts too but they are too small and get lost.

The only bad thing about cake mix cookies is that they don’t make that many cookies per batch. This is all that one cake mix will make. So plan accordingly.

See the small hearts faded away.

I didn’t forget to tell you about baking instructions, if you notice the bottoms look like they are burnt. Well they don’t taste burnt but they look too dark. I had forgotten about this problem. The original directions called for 375 and bake for 9 minutes. I also left it on the pan too long after  taking it out of the oven. I think I am going to bake at 350 next time and start at 9 minutes. They will continue to bake after they come out if the oven. And then take them off the baking sheet soon after coming out of the oven.  This is why I do test cookies to double check the baking instructions. 

Grinch Cookie Recipe

1 box French vanilla cake mix

6 Tablespoons melted butter 

2 eggs

Green gel coloring

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon corn starch. 

Preheat oven to 350 bake 9-10 minutes watch bottom of cookies.