Spritz Cookies

 This is Ashley B.'s favorite Christmas treat.  She says that she always makes them with almond extract and not vanilla.  You will also need a cookie press.  Ashley says, "Of all the treats my Mom made every year, spritz cookies are the ones I long for and make."

Makes: 5 dozen cookies

1 C. butter or margarine, softened

1/2 C. sugar

2 1/4 C. all-purpose flour (DO NOT use self-rising flour)

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 400.  Cream butter and sugar.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Fill cookie press with 1/4 of dough at a time.  Form desired shapes on ungreased baking sheet.  Bake 6-9 minutes or until set but not brown.

Swig Sugar Cookies

From Sister Shannon A. (From the Oct 2015 RS Newsletter)

1 cup butter, room temperature

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons water

2 eggs

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

1 t salt

5 1/2 cups flour

Cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugar, water, eggs. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add buttered mix to dry. Mix well. Roll into a golf sized ball and place on a cookie sheet.

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Get glass cup. Put bottom of glass cup in sugar/salt mix and then press on cookie-this creates the signature “Swig” cookie.

Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until barely brown on the bottom.

Swig Sour Cream Frosting

1/2 cup butter softened

3/4 cup sour cream

2 lbs powdered sugar

1 t salt

1/4 cup milk

Red food coloring

Cream together butter, sour cream and salt. Slowly add powdered sugar. When it gets so thick that it’s not frosting- add a splash of milk. Alternate this process until your frosting is desired consistency. Add 1 drop of red food coloring and mix well.

GOAL- Cookies cold, Frosting warm!

Easy/Healthy Pumpkin Cake/Cookies/Brownies

15 oz. Pumpkin (you can use pumpkin pie if desired...but just pumpkin is healthier and tastes great)
1 cake mix (Spice cake is really good...but you can use others)

Do not add the oil/eggs/water called for in the cake.  Just mix the above 2 ingredients together.  Spread in a pan for brownies/cake or drop by spoonfuls for cookies, or put in muffin papers for muffins.  Bake according to cake box directions until toothpick comes out clean.  You can also add chocolate chips to the batter if desired.  It is good plain, or you can top with coolwhip or applesauce.

Yummm!

Never-Fail Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the choco chip cookies I always make.  The recipe is from Chris.  Thanks Chris!  They are great and I love that they use shortening, so you don't have to soften any butter.

1 C. butter flavor shortening (I use regular shortening)
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 C. flour
1/2 pkg. chocolate chips

Cream shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla until just mixed.  Add salt, soda and flour.  Do not overmix.  Stir in Choco chips.  Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees just until top of cookie starts to crack.  Good undercooked and gooey.

These are my favorite but here are a few personal notes.  The dough is good, but not my favorite dough to eat raw (but the cooked cookies are my favorite).  But don't get me wrong...it's still good dough to eat, just not my favorite.  They are not as good if you freeze the dough and cook them up later, they are much better made from fresh dough.