Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Tonight’s December thirty-first...Something is about to burst. The clock is crouching, dark and small...Like a time bomb in the hall.  Hark, it's midnight, children dear...Duck! Here comes another year!” ― Ogden Nash, Collected verse from 1929 on

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9671801-midnight-sins

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” ― Benjamin Franklin

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “And now we welcome the new year, full of things that have never been” ― Rainer Maria Rilke

Recipe for the day ~ Leftover Ham -n- Potatoes Casserole

Leftover Ham -n- Potatoes Casserole

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

6 small potatoes, peeled and cubed

3 TBspns butter

2 cups cubed fully cooked ham

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup butter

3 TBspns all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 (8 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water

Bring to a boil

Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until tender (about 20 minutes)

Drain

Preheat oven to 350

Grease a 1 1/2 quart baking dish

Melt 3 TBspns butter in a skillet over medium heat

Stir in the ham and onion

Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent (about 5 minutes)

Stir potatoes into ham mixture

Transfer to the baking dish

Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat

Stir flour into melted butter until smooth

Gradually whisk milk into flour mixture

Season with salt and pepper

Continue cooking and stirring until thickened (about 2 minutes)

Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in Cheddar cheese into the white sauce until melted

Pour sauce over ham and potatoes

Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of casserole

Bake for about 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Hope...Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, 
Whispering 'it will be happier'...” ― Alfred Tennyson

Recipe for the day ~ Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork

Slow Cooker Beer Pulled Pork

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 (5 pound) pork butt roast

2 tspn salt

1 tspn ground black pepper

1 tspn onion powder

1 tspn garlic powder

1 (12 fluid ounce) can beer

1 (12 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

Directions:

Set the slow cooker to HIGH

Place the pork in the slow cooker

Season top of pork with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder

Pour beer onto the bottom of the slow cooker 

Cook pork on HIGH for 1 hour

Reduce slow cooker heat to LOW and cook for at least 8 hours or overnight

Remove pork from the slow cooker and shred with two forks

Discard juices and rinse out the slow cooker

Return shredded pork to slow cooker 

Stir in barbecue sauce into the pork

Cook on MEDIUM or WARM heat for 1 hour

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5801338-real-men-last-all-night

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ I hope everyone had a great Christmas ~ Thought for the day ~ “No matter how much falls on us, we keep plowing ahead. That's the only way to keep the roads clear.” ― Greg Kincaid

Recipe for the day ~ Cracked Sugar Cookies

Cracked Sugar Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 cup butter

3 egg yolks

1 tspn vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn cream of tartar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets

Cream together sugar and butter

Beat in egg yolks and vanilla

Add flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar

Stir

Form dough into walnut size balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet

Don't flatten

Bake for about 10 minutes until tops are cracked and just turning color

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” ― Bob Hope

Recipe for the day ~ Cranberry Bar

Cranberry Bars

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 (12 ounce) package whole cranberries

1 cup white sugar

3/4 cup water

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

3/4 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 tspn ground ginger

1 tspn ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cranberries, white sugar and water

Cook, stirring occasionally until all the cranberries have popped and the mixture is thick, about 15 minutes

Remove from heat

Set aside to cool

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, melted butter and eggs

Stir in the oats, brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon

Set aside about 1 1/2 cups of the mixture

Spread the rest onto the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish

Pack down to form a solid crust, getting it as even as possible

Spread the cooled cranberry mixture over the crust

Pinch off the pieces of the remaining mixture and place evenly over the cranberry layer

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the top is lightly browned

Cool in the pan for about 1 hour before slicing into bars

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.” ― George Carlin

Recipe for the day ~ Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2/3 cups all-purpose flour

5 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1/4 tspn salt

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 tspn vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or aluminum foil

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, coconut and salt

Stir in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla using your hands until well blended

Use an ice cream scoop to drop dough onto the prepared cookie sheets

Cookies should be about the size of a golf ball

Bake for about 13 minutes or until coconut is toasted

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” ― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223826.Honk_If_You_Love_Real_Men?ac=1

Recipe for the day ~ Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

 

Christmas Pinwheel Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tspn baking powder

1/4 tspn baking soda

1 tspn salt

1 1/3 cups butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

2/3 cup white sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 tspns vanilla extract

1 drop red food coloring, or as needed

1 drop green food coloring, or as needed

Directions:

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl

Resift again into another bowl

Beat the butter with brown sugar, and white sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy

Beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth

Gradually stir in the flour mixture until evenly blended

Gather the dough into a ball and divide into 2 equal parts

Place one half in a second bowl

Use a fork or wooden spoon to blend in the food coloring into the dough until evenly blended

Add additional drops of food coloring to make a desired shade

Roll out the red dough to 1/4 inch thickness

Roll out the green dough to 1/4 inch thickness and place on top of the red dough

Beginning on one edge, roll the dough to make a log so the two colors spiral inside each other

Wrap the log in waxed paper, then in a cotton towel and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight

Preheat oven to 400

Lightly grease 2 baking sheets

Unwrap the dough log, and place on a clean, lightly floured surface

Slice the log into rounds 1/8 inch thick and place on prepared baking sheets

Bake for about 6 minutes

Watch carefully to prevent edges from browning

Remove from oven and cool on wire racks

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Don't give up the fight,  Stand up for your rights.” 
― Bob Marley

Recipe for the day ~ Fudgy Peanut Butter Buttons

Fudgy Peanut Butter Buttons

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup hot water

1 (7.3 ounce) box Swiss Miss® Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, divided

4 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers

PAM® baking spray

72 dark chocolate morsels

Directions:

Combine water and cocoa mix in a large bowl

Whisk together until smooth

Stir in the peanut butter and corn syrup

Stir in crushed vanilla wafers

Spray large piece of waxed paper with baking spray

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of chocolate mixture onto paper

Set aside

Place the remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar in a shallow dish

Roll each piece of chocolate in sugar

Shape into balls

Press thumb into the center of each ball until slightly indented

Place chocolate morsels in the middle (tip side up)

Chill at least 1 hour before serving

Store left over in an airtight container in the refrigerator

**FOOTNOTE**

-1 (7.3 ounce) box Swiss Miss® Hot Cocoa Mix contains 10 packets

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”― Dr. Seuss

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18809304-when-day-breaks?from_search=true

Recipe for the day ~ Butterscotch Lace Cookies

Butterscotch Lace Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups rolled oats

1 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 tspn salt

1 TBspn molasses (optional)

3 TBspns all-purpose flour

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tspn vanilla extract

Directions:

Place rolled oats and brown sugar in a bowl

Pour melted butter over oats

Stir to combine

Let mixture stand at room temperature overnight so oats absorb the butter

Preheat oven to 375

Grease a baking sheet very well or line it with greased parchment paper

Mix salt, molasses, flour, egg and vanilla into oat mixture

Drop level teaspoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets

Bake for about 6 minutes 

Allow to remain on baking sheets for a few minutes until they are firm

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “One of the inescapable encumbrances of leading an interesting life is that there have to be moments when you almost lose it.” ― Jimmy Buffett

Recipe for the day ~ Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

Raspberry and Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cups white sugar

1/2 tspn almond extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 tspn almond extract

1 tspn milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth

Mix in 1/2 tspn almond extract

Mix in flour until dough comes together

Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet

Make a small hole in the center of each ball using your thumb and finger

Fill the hole with the raspberry jam

Bake for about 14 minutes or until lightly browned

Let cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet

Transfer to a wire rack to completely cool

In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar, 3/4 tspn almond extract and milk until smooth

Drizzle lightly over the warm cookies

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Life in us is like the water in a river.” ― Henry David Thoreau

Recipe for the day ~ Magic Peanut Butter Middles

Magic Peanut Butter Middles

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 375

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tspn baking soda

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup margarine

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tspn vanilla extract

1 egg

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup peanut butter

Directions:

In a small bowl blend flour, cocoa and baking soda

Mix until well blended

In a large bowl beat white and brown sugars, butter or margarine and 1/4 cup peanut butter until light and fluffy

Add vanilla and egg

Stir in flour mixture until well blended

Set aside

**TO MAKE THE FILLING**

Combine confectioners' sugar and 3/4 cup peanut butter, blend well

Roll filling into 30 1-inch balls

For each cookie, with floured hands, shape about 1 tspn of dough around 1 peanut butter ball, covering completely

Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet

Flatten with glass dipped in white sugar

Bake for about 9 minutes

When cookies are doe, they should be set and slightly cracked

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “The most important thing is to enjoy your life—to be happy—it's all that matters.” ― Audrey Hepburn

Recipe for the day ~ Butter Rich Spritz Butter Cookies

Butter Rich Spritz Butter Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tspn salt

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 eggs yolks

1/2 tspn almond extract

1 tspn vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

Sift together the flour and salt

Set aside

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar

Stir in the egg yolks, almond extract and vanilla extract

Gradually blend in the sifted ingredients

Fill a cookie press with dough and shoot cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet

If you like, decorate with sugar or sprinkles at this time

Bake for about 7 minutes

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye.” ― Jim Henson

Recipe for the day ~ Snow-Capped Sour Cream Drops

Snow-Capped Sour Cream Drops

(Courtesy of All Recipes by PAM®)

Ingredients:

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tspn baking soda

1/4 tspn salt

1/2 cup Fleischmann's® Original Margarine-stick, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 tspn vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

3/4 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup premier white morsels

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

3/4 cup chopped pecans

2 cups confectioners' sugar

8 tspns milk

Directions:

**FOR THE COOKIES**

 Spray baking sheet with cooking spray

Set aside

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl

Set aside

Beat Fleischmann's and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy

Add egg and vanilla

Beat until well blended

Gradually add flour mixture alternately with sour cream, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended

Stir in cranberries, white morsels, chocolate morsels and pecans

Cover and chill for at least 1 hour

Preheat oven to 375

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2-inches apart on baking sheets

Bake for about 9 minutes or until centers of cookies are set and edges are lightly browned

Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

**FOR THE GLAZE**

Place confectioners' sugar in a small bowl

Add milk, a few teaspoons at a time, until glaze is of desired consistency, stirring constantly

Spread a little glaze on top of each cookie

Let stand until glaze is set

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Recipe for the day ~ Spumoni Chocolate Chip Cookies

Spumoni Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tspn baking soda

1 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant pistachio pudding mix

2 eggs

1 tspn vanilla extract

1 (12 ounce) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Sift together the flour and baking soda

Set aside

Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth

Stir in the instant pudding mix until well combined

Beat in the eggs, one at a time

Stir in the vanilla

Blend in the flour mixture

Fold in the chocolate chips, cherries and pistachios

Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets

Bake for about 9 minutes

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Everything you can imagine is real.” ― Pablo Picasso

Recipe for the day ~ Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies

Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tspn vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tspn salt

1/4 cup butter

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 TBspn rum

1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium bowl, cream together 3/4 cup butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth

Beat in egg and vanilla

Combine flour and salt

Stir in the creamed mixture by hand to form a soft dough

Roll dough into 1-inch balls

Place balls 2-inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets

Make an indention in the center of each cookie using your finger or thumb

Bake for about 12 minutes

Cool completely

In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar and rum

Spoon rounded teaspoonfuls or filling or use a cake decorator to fill each cookie

Sprinkle tops with nutmeg

Let stand until set before storing in an airtight container

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “A truth that's told with bad intent
Beats all the lies you can invent.” ― William Blake

Recipe for the day ~ Cherry Delight Cookies by PAM®

Cherry Delight Cookies by PAM®

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 cup Blue Bonnet®-stick, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 eggs, separated

1/4 tspn almond extract

2 1/2 cups Ultragrain® all-purpose flour

PAM® Original no-stick cooking spray

2 cups finely chopped pecans

48 candied cherry halves

Directions:

Beat Blue Bonnet and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy

Add corn syrup, egg yolks and almond extract

Mix well

Gradually add flour

Beat on low speed after each addition until well blended

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour

Preheat oven to 325

Spray baking sheets with cooking spray

Set aside

Beat egg whites lightly in a small bowl with a wire whisk until frothy

Place pecans in a shallow dish

Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls

Dip each ball into egg whites then roll in pecans until evenly coated

Place 1 1/2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet

Press 1 cherry half, cut-side down into center of each ball

Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned

Remove from baking sheet and cool completely on wire rack

**FOOTNOTES**

Spray PAM® on knives, spatulas, food processor blades to make clean-up easier

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven..” ― John Milton

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10552287-tied-with-a-bow?ac=1

Recipe for the day ~ Chocolate Pecan Sandies

Chocolate Pecan Sandies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened to room temperature

4 TBspns white sugar

1 tspn vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 cup ground pecans

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Lightly grease baking sheets

Cream butter and sugar together until light

Beat in vanilla

Mix in the flour, pecans and cocoa powder

Form dough into 1-inch balls and place onto the baking sheets

Bake for about 20 minutes

Cool then roll each cookie in confectioners' sugar

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “The man who has begun to live more seriously within begins to live more simply without” ― Ernest Hemingway

Recipe for the day ~ Citrus Shortbread Cookies

Citrus Shortbread Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tspn baking powder

1/8 tspn salt

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tspns vanilla extract

1/2 tspn almond extract

1 TBspn grated orange zest, or more to taste

2 cups sweetened dried cranberries, chopped

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl

Set aside

Beat the butter and confectioners' sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth

Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest

Mix the flour mixture until just incorporated

Fold in the cranberries

Mixing just enough to evenly combine

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions

Roll dough into logs about 7 inches long

Wrap each log in wax paper or plastic wrap

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours

Preheat oven to 350

Remove wax paper or plastic wrap

Cut the cookie dough into 1/2 inch slices

Arrange slices on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart

Bake for about 10 minutes until they are firm but NOT brown

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Life is a shipwreck but we must remember to sing in the lifeboats” ― Voltaire

Recipe for the day ~ Cranberry Cornmeal Linzer Cookies

Cranberry Cornmeal Linzer Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

**FOR THE COOKIES**

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 tspn baking powder

3/8 tspn salt

1 tspn vanilla extract

**FOR THE FILLING**

1 1/2 cups finely chopped cranberries

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup water

1 1/2 TBspns butter

1 1/2 TBspns lemon juice

Directions:

Beat 3/4 cup butter and white sugar together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy

Beat egg into butter mixture

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt together

Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture

Stir

Beat vanilla into butter mixture

Form dough into a ball

Wrap tightly with plastic wrap 

Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour

Preheat oven to 350

Lightly grease baking sheets

Roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thick

Cut dough with a round or Linzer cookie cutter

Use smaller cutter to cut the center from the tops

Place cookie bottoms and tops 1-inch apart on baking sheets

Bake for about 10 minutes

Transfer to wire racks for cooling

Stir cranberries, brown sugar, and water together in a saucepan over medium-high heat

Cook until cranberries are soft, about 10 minutes

Stir in butter and lemon juice into cranberry mixture

Remove from heat and let cool

Spread a small amount of the cranberry mixture onto one side of the bottom half of a cookie

Place the top half of the cookie on top of the cranberry mixture

Repeat assemble process with remaining cookies and cranberry filling

**FOOTNOTE**

If you do not have a Linzer cookie cutter, use a round cutter and use a small cookie cutter to cut out a design on the top of half the cookies

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6130404-heat-seeker

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Recipe for the day ~ En-Light-ened Chocolate Chip Cookies

**Now ~ this is NOT my mom's chocolate chip cookie recipe but it is a yummy one**

En-light-ened Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups Ultragrain® All Purpose Flour

1 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup Fleischmann's® Original Margarine-stick, softened

1 cup natural unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup Egg Beaters® Original

2 tspns vanilla

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Combine flour, soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside

Beat both sugars and Fleischmann's with electric mixer on medium-high speed until well combined

Add applesauce, Egg Beaters and vanilla

Beat until well blended

Gradually stir in flour mixture just until blended

Stir in chocolate chips

Spray baking sheets with cooking spray

Drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets 2 inches apart

Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until golden brown

Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet

Transfer to wire rack, cool completely

Store in a covered container

**FOOTNOTES**

When baking, spray PAM® on your pastry or cookie cutters before using.  You'll get better shapes and it won't stick to the cutter so it makes for easier cleanup

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “A man is lucky if he is the first love of a woman. A woman is lucky if she is the last love of a man.” ― Charles Dickens

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6647066-hidden-agendas

Recipe for the day ~ Chocolate Mice

Chocolate Mice

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

4 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup sour cream

1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

1/3 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar

24 silver dragees decorating candy

1/4 cup sliced almonds

12 (2 inch) pieces long red vine licorice

Directions:

Melt the chocolate

Combine with sour cream

Stir in 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

Cover and refrigerate until firm

Roll by level tablespoonfuls into balls

Mold to a slight point at one end (the nose)

Roll dough in confectioners' sugar for white mice and in chocolate cookie crumbs for dark mice

On each mouse, place dragees in appropriate spot for eyes, almond slices for ears and a licorice string for tail

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “We know from daily life that we exist for other people first of all, for whose smiles and well-being our own happiness depends.” ― Albert Einstein

Recipe for the day ~ Peppermint Meringue Cookies

Peppermint Meringue Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

2 egg whites

1/8 tspn cider vinegar

1/8 tspn salt

1/3 cup white sugar

3 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 225

Line cookie sheets with aluminum foil or parchment paper

In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites, vinegar and salt to soft peaks

Gradually add sugar while continuing to whip until soft peas form, about 5 minutes

Fold in 1/3 of the crushed candy canes, reserving the rest

Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, one inch apart onto the cookie sheets

Sprinkle remaining crushed candy canes over the top

Bake for 90 minutes or until dry

Cool on baking sheets

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~“Men are jealous of every woman, even when they don’t have the slightest interest in her themselves.” ― Jan Neruda

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/98218.Dangerous_Games

Recipe for the day ~ Caramel Pecan Shortbread

Caramel Pecan Shortbread

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

2 cups Ultragrain® all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tspn salt

1 cup Fleischmann's® unsalted stick

1 (14 ounce) package caramels, unwrapped

1 TBspn reduced fat (2%) milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1 1/2 cups pecans halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Line a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan with aluminum foil

Spray foil with cooking spray

Place flour, sugar, salt and Fleischmann's in a food processor

Pulse until dough forms ball

Press dough evenly onto prepared jelly roll pan

Bake for about 30 minutes or until light golden brown

Cool 10 minutes

Place caramels and milk in a microwave safe bowl

Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes

Stir until smooth

Spread evenly over crust

Place chocolate in microwave safe bowl

Microwave on HIGH for 1 1/2 minutes

Stirring ever 30 seconds or until smooth

Spread chocolate over caramel layer

Place nuts evenly over top 

Cool completely

Lift foil with shortbread onto cutting board

Cut with a long knife into 48 bars

Store in an airtight container

**FOOTNOTES**

If you do not have a food processor, use a pastry blade to cut up the Fleischmann's into the flour mixture to make fine crumbs

Press firmly onto prepared pan

Spray PAM® on knives, spatulas, food processor blades to make clean-up easier

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “We know from daily life that we exist for other people first of all, for whose smiles and well-being our own happiness depends.” ― Albert Einstein

Recipe for the day ~ Cherry Almond Biscotti

Cherry Almond Biscotti

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups dried cherries

1/2 cup amaretto liquor

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tspns baking powder

1/2 tspn salt

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 cup white sugar

3 eggs

2 tspns vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped blanched almonds

3 TBspns white sugar, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Stir dried cherries and amaretto liquor together in a saucepan over medium heat until the amaretto comes to a simmer

Drain

Reserve 2 TBspns of the liquid to use later

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together onto a sheet of waxed paper

Beat butter with 1 cup of sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes

Beat eggs into butter-sugar mixture one at a time, blending in each egg before adding the next

Stir in reserved cherry liquid and vanilla extract into the wet ingredients

Stir flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time to form a smooth dough

Gently fold cherries and almonds into the dough

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface

Divide in half

Form each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide

Gently press the logs with your fingers to flatten to a thickness of 3/4 inch

Transfer loaves to the prepare baking sheets

Brush with beaten egg and sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tspn white sugar

Bake loaves for about 30 minutes

Transfer loaves to wire racks and cool for about 20 minutes

Use a sharp knife to slice each loaf on the diagonal into 16 pieces

Transfer the biscotti to baking sheets

Reduce oven to 300

Bake for about 8 minutes

Flip biscotti and bake until crisp and lightly browned, about 8 more minutes

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Part of the problem with the word 'disabilities' is that it immediately suggests an inability to see or hear or walk or do other things that many of us take for granted. But what of people who can't feel? Or talk about their feelings? Or manage their feelings in constructive ways? What of people who aren't able to form close and strong relationships? And people who cannot find fulfillment in their lives, or those who have lost hope, who live in disappointment and bitterness and find in life no joy, no love? These, it seems to me, are the real disabilities.” ― Fred Rogers

Recipe for the day ~ Bourbon Balls

Bourbon Balls

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tspns unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup bourbon

1 1/2 tspns light corn syrup

1/3 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions:

Combine wafer crumbs, chopped pecans, 1 cup confectioners' sugar and cocoa

Blend the bourbon and the corn syrup together

Add to the crumb mixture and mix well

Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in confectioners' sugar

Refrigerate

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too.” ― Ernest Hemingway

Recipe for the day ~ Classic Gingerbread Cutouts

Classic Gingerbread Cutout Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup milasses

2 eggs

4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn salt

1/2 tspn ground allspice

1/2 tspn ground cloves

1/2 tspn ground cinnamon

1/2 tspn ground ginger

1 pound confectioner's sugar

1/2 tspn cream of tartar

3 eggs whites

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until smooth

Stir in the molasses and eggs

Combine 1 1/2 cups of the flour, baking soda, salt, allspice, cloves, cinnamon and ginger

Beat into the molasses mixture

Gradually stir in the remaining flour by hand to form a stiff dough

Divide dough into 2 pieces

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thickness

Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters

Place cookies 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet

Bake for about 8 minutes

Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely

In a medium bowl, sift together confectioner's sugar and cream of tartar

Blend in egg whites

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat for about 5 minutes or until mixture is thick and stiff

Keep covered with a moist cloth until ready to frost cookies

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “A guy and a girl can be just friends, but at one point or another, they will fall for each other...Maybe temporarily, maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, or maybe forever” ― Dave Matthews Band

Currently Reading

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12870104-nauti-temptress

Recipe for the day ~ Soft Sugar Cookies

Soft Sugar Cookies

(Courtesy of All Recipes)

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tspn baking powder

1/2 tspn baking soda

1/2 tspn salt

1/4 tspn ground nutmet

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 egg

1 tspn vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg

Set aside

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth

Beat in the egg, vanilla and sour cream until well blended

Stir in the sifted ingredients

Wrap dough in plastic and chill overnight

Preheat oven to 375

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to about 1/4 inch thickness

Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutter

Place cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet

Bake for about 8 minutes

Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely

Decorate or frost to your liking

Thought for the day

GOOD MORNING ~ Thought for the day ~ “Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything.” ― Muhammad Ali