Salted Caramel Butter Bars

from Cookies & Cups.com

Makes 24 bars

Ingredients

For the Crust:

·         2 cups salted butter, room temperature

·         1 cup granulated sugar

·         1½ cups powdered sugar

·         2 tablespoons vanilla extract

·         4 cups all purpose flour

For the Filling:

·         14 ounces soft caramel candies (about 50 individual caramels), unwrapped

·         1/3 cup milk or cream

·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla

·         optional – 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

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Instructions

To Make the Crust:

1.      Preheat oven to 325°. Coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Set aside.

2.      In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Turn the mixer to low and add in the flour, mixing until a soft dough forms.

3.      Press one-third of the dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Wrap the remaining dough in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.

4.      Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are a pale golden brown. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool about 15 minutes.

To Make the Filling:

1.      While the bottom crust is baking and the remaining dough is chilling, make the caramel filling. Place the unwrapped caramels in a microwave-safe bowl. Add the milk or cream. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. If caramels are not completely melted, microwave on high for 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

2.      Once the caramel is melted add in your ½ teaspoon of vanilla and stir until combined.

3.      Pour the caramel filling over the cooled crust. If you are going to salt the caramel sprinkle it on caramel layer now.

4.      Remove the remaining chilled dough from the refrigerator and crumble it evenly over the caramel.

5.      Return the pan to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbly and the crumbled shortbread topping is firm and lightly golden, about 25 – 30 minutes.

6.      Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

German Chocolate Cookies

Modified from handlewithheat.com

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Cookie-

2 ½ cups flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process tastes best)

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 cubes butter, room temperature

1 ½ c dark brown sugar

½ cup sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping-

4 egg yolks

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1 ½ tsp vanilla

1 ½ c sugar

¾ c butter or margarine

1 - 7 oz pkg. sweetened coconut

1 ½ c pecans, chopped

Directions for cookies:

Cream together butter and sugars together until smooth. Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla to the sugar/butter mixture. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold in chocolate chips Scoop (about 2T) onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool on baking sheet.

Directions for topping:

Whisk egg yolks, milk and vanilla in a 4 qt sauce pan until blended. Add sugar and butter. Cook on med. Heat, stirring constantly, for 12 minutes or until mixture has thickened and turned golden brown. Remove from heat and add coconut and nuts. Cool. Spread on top of cookies. Drizzle melted chocolate over.

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cubes butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 T vanilla
3 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
3 c semi-sweet chocolate chips

Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix on low until barely incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips. Scoop dough onto un-greased cookie sheet. 12 scoops per sheet.  Bake 8-9 minutes at 350 degrees on middle rack. Let cook on pan for 5 minutes and then move to cooling rack.

Almond Joy Cookies

Ingredients:

1 14 oz bag coconut flakes-sweetened

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup lightly salted almonds, chopped

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

In a large bowl combine coconut, choc. Chips, almonds and sweetened condensed milk. Mix well. Scoop out dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Pate the tops down. Bake at 325 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the coconut is just starting to turn brown. Cool on baking sheet.

Raspberry Lemon Cookies by Bake.Eat.Repeat.

These have become a new family favorite! They are so delicious!

YIELD: 24 COOKIES

These raspberry lemon cookies are ultra soft and chewy - quick and easy to make and so tasty everyone loves them. One of the best cookies I've made!

15 minPrep Time

15 minCook Time

30 minTotal Time

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

1/2 lemon, zest and juice

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup frozen raspberries, coarsely chopped (I've used fresh as well, use less flour if using fresh raspberries)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, lemon zest and juice and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the salt, baking powder, baking soda and flour and mix until combined. Add in the raspberries and mix briefly to incorporate them.
3. Drop the dough by tablespoonful (a cookie scoop works best here, the dough is extremely sticky, but two spoons works too, the cookies will just be less uniform) onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until they are just starting to brown on the edges and are no longer shiny at all. Put the second half of the cookie dough in the fridge while the first sheet is baking, it will get even softer as the raspberries thaw.
4. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

This cookie dough is extremely sticky, and is best if the raspberries stay frozen, so leave them in the freezer until you’re ready to add them to the dough. If you find it is getting too sticky to scoop, chill it for 30 minutes and then bake. Don’t try to form it into balls by hand though, it works best as a drop cookie, scooping it onto the baking sheet by the tablespoonful and baking immediately. When baking, they are done when they are no longer shiny at all on top. If they are still shiny, they will be underbaked around the raspberries.

Source: Adapted from Lauren's Latest via Mel's Kitchen Cafe .

Snow Cone Syrup

(snow cone on right)

1 package Kool Aide
2 cups sugar
2 cups water

Bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Crystal's Scone Dough

This is the best scone dough ever!

Mix:
1 cup warm water
4 Tbsp. yeast
Let sit for 5 minutes until bubbly.

Add:
4 cups milk ( scalded--bring to boil, but don't boil)
2 cubes butter or margarine
2 cups sugar
Dash of salt
6 eggs beaten
3-4 tsp. vanilla
Approximately 12 cups of flour

Mix until dough is sticky. Let rise until double. Stir down once. (At this point you can refrigerate for up to 3 days.) Flour counter and roll out. Cut into squares and deep fry.

White Chocolate Ganache

8 oz cream

8 oz chocolate chips, milk , or white

Place the chocolate into a medium bowl. Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.

Allow the ganache to cool slightly before pouring over a cake. Start at the center of the cake and work outward. For a fluffy frosting or chocolate filling, allow it to cool until thick, then whip with a whisk until light and fluffy.

Can store overnight in the refrigerator in a glass bowl covered with saran wrap.

BEST Lemon Cream Filling/Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ c butter, soft, not melted

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

16 oz powder sugar

16 oz cool whip

Cream together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add lemon juice and vanilla. Add powder sugar 1 cup at a time. Fold in cool whip. Refrigerate overnight to thicken. Fill crepe with ¼ cup and berries. (This also makes an amazing frosting for fruit pizzas!)

Yummy Crepes

4 eggs

2 cups milk

2 cups flour

2 Tbsp. sugar

½ tsp kosher salt

10 Tbsp water

4 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix until smooth. Refrigerate overnight for best consistency. Use approx.. ¼-1/3  cup mixture for each crepe. Cook on medium heat. Crepes can be made the day before and refrigerated in an air tight container. Fill with your favorite filling and enjoy!

Tres Leches Cupcakes

These are so yummy! I used the recipe from Our Best Bites, but they didn't include an actual cupcake recipe with it just how to do the tops. I used the basic vanilla cupcake recipe and then followed Our Best Bites directions with a few minor changes or details added.

Vanilla Cupcakes:     Yield: 24 cupcakes.

1 cup softened butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cup cold milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Bake Time: 18-24 minutes.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, stir together all dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture; stir in milk.

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Recipe by Our Best Bites
8 oz. evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 pint whipping cream, divided
3-4 Tbsp. Hershey’s Caramel Syrup
Sliced fresh fruit (like strawberries, mangoes, and kiwis, optional)
Juice of 1 lime (optional to keep fruit fresh)
Bake cupcakes according to recipe directions in FOIL LINERS. This is extremely important because it helps contain the milk mixture.
After cupcakes have cooled, use a bamboo skewer to poke several holes in each cupcake. (by several they mean a lot and do this while they are still warm so it will absorb more of the Tres Leches milk sauce.) Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and 3/4 c. of whipping cream. Use a ladle to pour the milk mixture over each cupcake. (Again, do this while the cupcakes are sill warm. ) There might be some runover. Such is life with tres leches cupcakes. Place the cupcakes in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
When ready to serve, beat the remaining 1 1/4 c. of whipping cream until medium peaks form. Gently fold in the caramel syrup and pipe or dollop the whipped cream on each of the cupcakes. If desired, toss the sliced fruit with the lime juice and top the cupcakes with the sliced fruit. Serve on a small plate with a dessert spoon.(And additional sauce on the side! :) )