Carrot Cake Cookies

December 15, 2010

We have a family weakness for carrot cake, so a cookie that mimics the taste of the decadent cake was a sure hit. Carrot Cake Cookies are the fifteenth of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg carrot cake mix (any brand)
  • 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 cup raisins
  • (optional) ½ cup shredded pineapple

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 °F.
  2. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray.
  3. Combine cake mix, eggs, and butter.
  4. Stir in nuts, carrots, raisins, and, if desired, pineapple.
  5. Drop dough by spoonful onto prepared cookie sheet
  6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
  7. Cool on wire racks, and store in a tightly covered container.

Time Required: 25 minutes

Servings: 2 dozen

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@newsfromtengrrl for 2010-12-14

December 14, 2010

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Golden Oatmeal Bars

December 14, 2010

Oatmeal and raisins are meant to be together, and they are great partners in this cake-mix cookie recipe. My version includes raisins, and nuts, but you can easily make the cookie your own by varying the items you mix in. Golden Oatmeal Bars are the fourteenth of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg yellow cake mix (any brand)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ⅔ cup quick cooking oatmeal
  • 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 cup golden raisins

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spray 13″ x 9″ pan with nonstick spray.
  3. Bring water and raisins to a boil over medium heat, and then drain and allow to cool.
  4. Cream eggs and butter.
  5. Add cake mix, brown sugar, and oatmeal. Combine thoroughly.
  6. Stir in nuts and cooled raisins.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  8. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Cool complete, and then cut into bars.
  10. Store in a tightly covered container.

Variations

  • Skip the step of boiling raisins if you like. The process makes the raisins plumper and juicier, but isn’t required.
  • Vary the stir-in ingredients to fit your preference. You can add your favorite nuts, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and so forth. Try stirring in a 1 tbsp maple syrup with the eggs and butter and adding cinnamon chips.

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@newsfromtengrrl for 2010-12-13

December 13, 2010

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Peanut Butter & Chocolate Chip Cookies

December 13, 2010

Today’s cake-mix cookie recipe is a chocolate delight—a chocolate cookie with chocolate chips, plus peanut butter and nuts. Delicious! Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are the thirteenth of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg chocolate cake mix (any brand)
  • 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • ⅔ cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • ⅔ cup peanut butter chips

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spray 13" x 9" pan with nonstick spray.
  3. Mix cake mix, melted butter and beaten egg thoroughly.
  4. Stir in nuts, chocolate chips, and peanut butter chips.
  5. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  6. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Cool complete, and then cut into 24 bars.
  8. Store in a tightly covered container.

Variations

  • Increase the chips to as much as 1 cup each if desired.
  • Choose your favorite chocolate cake mix—chocolate fudge, red velvet, devil’s food. Whatever you prefer will work.

Time Required: 45 minutes

Servings: 24 bars

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@newsfromtengrrl for 2010-12-12

December 12, 2010

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Glazed Nut Bars

December 12, 2010

I’m a big fan of recipes that begin with a box of cake mix—so much so that I’m sharing a week of cake-mix cookies. I remember taking a batch of Glazed Nut Bars to put out with the coffee and tea on the morning I gave my presentation to the Southwest Virginia Writing Project many years ago. I figured why not put everyone in a good mood before I even started talking. It worked so well that one of the questions I was asked after my presentation was “What’s the recipe?” Glazed Nut Bars are the twelfth of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg white cake mix (any brand)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 stick butter or margarine, melted
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 1 12-oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips
  • ¼ cup water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Spray 13" x 9" pan with nonstick spray.
  3. Mix cake mix and brown sugar.
  4. Add melted butter and beaten egg, mixing thoroughly.
  5. Reserve ¼ cup chocolate chips.
  6. Stir in nuts and remaining chocolate chips.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  8. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Melt ¼ cup reserved chocolate chips with ¼ cup water, stirring to combine.
  10. While cookies still warm, top with chocolate glaze, spreading to cover completely.
  11. Cool complete, and then cut into 24 bars.
  12. Store in a tightly covered container.

Variations

  • The nuts can be omitted for a nice chocolate chip bar cookie.
  • The cookies can also be cut into 1" squares for a petit fours look.

Time Required: 45 minutes

Servings: 24 bars

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@newsfromtengrrl for 2010-12-11

December 11, 2010

  • Where Should a Parent Draw the Line When 'Helping' With a School Essay? – West Hartford, CT Patch http://hoki.es/hxByFu #
  • Teachers as Makers: Educators discover how hands-on learning can help teach writing – O'Reilly Radar http://hoki.es/eyLLP6 #NWP #
  • Opinions Mellow on Social-Media Blackout at Harrisburg U. – The Chronicle of Higher Education http://hoki.es/i5RFrY #
  • Reader's Almanac: Focusing the Lens of the Age on Emily Dickinson http://hoki.es/eb1wLV #
  • Students Know Good Teaching When They Get It, Survey Finds – NYTimes.com http://hoki.es/dVdQSw #

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Brownie Bon-Bons

December 11, 2010

Here’s another tasty Girl Scout recipe that even kids can help you assemble. The bite-sized treats disappear fast, so you may want to double the recipe. Brownie Bon-Bons are the eleventh of my 25 Cookies of Christmas.

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg brownie mix (any brand)
  • 1 tbsp water
  • 1 egg
  • 20 chocolate kisses, unwrapped
  • (optional) Nonpareils, sugar crystals, crushed coconut, or other decorative toppings

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to temperature listed on the brownie box.
  2. Mix egg and water in a large bowl until combined. Do not overbeat.
  3. Add brownie mix and stir in. Batter will be thick.
  4. Form batter around chocolate kiss, ensuring kiss is completely enclosed in the dough.
  5. Roll in decorations, or dip just the top of the bon-bon into the decorations.
  6. Place on a cookie sheet.
  7. Bake 6 to 8 minutes, until brownie done. The cooking time will vary based on the size of bon-bons.
  8. Store in a tightly covered container.

Variations

  • Bon-bons can also be pressed into a Wilton Round Brownie Pop Mold, without decorative toppings.
  • Instead of decorative toppings, cool bon-bons complete and dip in a glaze made of 1½ cups powdered sugar and 2 to 3 tbsp milk. Add food coloring and a ½ tsp vanilla extract, if desired.
  • As another alternative to decorative toppings, Roll warm bon-bons in powdered sugar, cocoa, or cinnamon sugar.
  • I’m not sure there’s such a thing as too much chocolate, but if you like, try forming the brownie bon-bon around a large cherry or a mini marshmallow.

Time Required: 20 minutes

Servings: 20 cookies

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@newsfromtengrrl for 2010-12-10

December 10, 2010

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