Kitchen Sink Oatmeal Cookies

Active Time:  20 MinutesTotal Time:  35 Minutes I threw everything in these cookies that I thought my health conscious adult children would appreciate in a cookie and they were a complete success. RECIPE INGREDIENTS 2 sticks butter, softened 1 C. brown sugar ½ C. honey ½ C. peanut butter 2 eggs 1 t. vanilla ¾ C. flour ¼ C. whole wheat flour ¼ C. milled flax seed ¼ C. wheat germ 1 t. baking soda 1 t. cinnamon ½ t. salt ½ t. ground ginger 3 C. uncooked oatmeal ½ C. raisins ½ C. chopped nuts ½ C. coconut

DIRECTIONS Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat or stir together butter, sugars, honey and peanut butter until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla, mix well. Add combined flours, wheat germ, flax seed, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and ginger, mix well. Stir in oats, raisins, nuts and coconut, mix well. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto 2 ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7 minutes, rotate and reverse cookie sheets and bake an additional 7 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then remove to wire rack to completely cool

Buttery Spritz Cookies

Yield:  7-1/2 Dozen RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 cup butter (no substitutes), softened 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt Food coloring, optional
DIRECTIONS In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and extracts. Combine the flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Tint with food coloring if desired. Using a cookie press fitted with the disk of your choice, press dough 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until set (do not brown). Remove to wire racks to cool.

Nutty Choco-Kisses

Active Time:  20 MinutesTotal Time:  1 Hour They will be your favorite, I assure you. RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 bag of Hershey's almond kisses 1 Batch of your favorite "Sugar Cookie Recipe" 2 Cups of crushed almonds Powered Sugar

DIRECTIONS Make your "Sugar Cookie Dough", place parchment paper on cookie sheet, sprinkle with crushed almonds, place dough on sheet and roll out about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, (we like ours just in between). Cut out rounds with biscuit cutter, place 1 Kiss in the middle of dough. Pull dough up to form a peak (like a Hershey's Kiss) Squeeze together so they stay in place. Place on clean parchment paper on another cookie sheet, sprinkle with more crushed almonds and bake in a 350 degree oven, pre-heated, for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Remove to cooling racks, Sprinkle with powered sugar after cooling for 5 minutes.

Banana Apple Oatmeal Cookies

Yield:  16 cookies RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 egg 1 3/4 cups oatmeal 1 cup mashed bananas (2-3 bananas) 1/2 cup nuts 1 apple, grated
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. Reserve in a medium bowl. Cream together the butter, sugar and egg in a separate small bowl. Blend the creamed butter mixture into the medium bowl with the dry ingredients. Add the oatmeal, mashed banana, nuts, and grated apple and fold together. This batter is like a muffin batter and with muffin batters you just blend until mixed, do not over beat the mixture. Drop a scoop of batter onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Cool and store in a plastic container, or cover with a clean dish towel to maintain a more "muffin like" top crust.
Recipe reprinted by permission of White Lace Inn, WI. All rights reserved.

OMG Brownies

Yield:  24 Brownies I've been making these brownies for bake sales and parties for over 20 years and they are always a hit. They are just absolutely, almost too fudgy and are a combination of several recipes that I've tried through the years. RECIPE INGREDIENTS Brownies: 3/4 cup butter 1 cup sugar 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 Tbsp. vanilla 3 eggs 1 cup flour 1/2 cup mini-chocolate chips Chocolate Butter Cream: 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 Tbsp. butter 1/2 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS In a mixing bowl, melt the butter, 1 cup chocolate chips and sugar in the microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix until just well blended, do not overmix. Spread batter into a 9x13-inch metal pan, that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 23 minutes or until a cake tester, inserted in center of pan, comes out clean. Remove from oven to a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan. Meanwhile, prepare the CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM by placing the chocolate and the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwaving for about 1 minute. Stir until melted and well blended and add the vanilla, stirring again. Allow to cool to a spreadable consistency and whip until creamy with a small wire whisk or spoon. Spread thinly over the cooled brownies and, once set, cut into 24 squares.

Lemmon Cookie Recipe

Active Time:  15 Minutes Total Time:  30 Minutes Yield:  Makes 1 dozen cookies Recipe Courtesy of The Spanish Kitchen St. Augustine, Florida RECIPE INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar 16 tablespoons (1/2 pound) margarine 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons lemon extract

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or with a handheld mixer, cream together the sugar and margarine until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the flour and lemon extract and continue to beat on low speed for 2 minutes, or until the flour has been incorporated and a dough has formed. Don’t overmix the dough or the cookies will be tough. FORM THE COOKIES: Pinch off ping-pong size pieces of dough and using the palms of your hands roll them into balls. Transfer the balls to the baking sheet, laying them 2 inches apart to allow for spreading. Bake the cookies for 15 minutes, until they are lightly browned on the edges. Cool on a rack before serving. Serving size = 1 cookie