praline cookies

Okay...I really can't take credit for these cookies because I got them off Martha Stewart, however my mom and I made them right before Christmas and they are amazing! Really...try them....you'll see. Love them.
Ingredients:
Makes 3 dozen

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups light-brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if necessary
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 cup pecan halves, toasted (I didn't toast) and broken into large pieces

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. I
n the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and 1 1/2 cups light-brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
Add egg and vanilla. Beat until fully combined.
Add dry ingredients, and beat on low speed until combined.
Drop batter in rounded teaspoons onto ungreased baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake until firm and barely golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer cookies from pan to wire rack.

Icing:
In a small saucepan, combine remaining 1 cup light-brown sugar and cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add confectioners' sugar, and whisk until smooth. (If frosting thickens, thin with cream.) Add pecan pieces.
Place cookies on a cooling rack over a lined baking pan. Spoon about 1/2 teaspoon praline mixture onto each cookie.

martha

Ingredients

Makes 36

* 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling dough
* 36 mini peanut butter cups, chilled and unwrapped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer, cream peanut butter and butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar; beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually beat in flour mixture in two batches.
3. Scoop off dough by the tablespoon; roll into balls. Place granulated sugar on a plate; roll balls in sugar, coating completely. Place 2 inches apart on a nonstick insulated baking sheet.
4. Bake until cookies begin to puff up slightly, about 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Press one peanut butter cup in center of each cookie. Return to oven; continue baking until cookies are golden brown and chocolate has begun to melt, about 6 minutes more. Let cool at least 10 minutes on baking sheet before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely.

molasses cookies (for lindy...these are my moms)

sift together

4 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cloves

cream together

1 1/3 cup soft butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 eggs

combine the two mixtures. if it is sticky add 1/3 cup more flour. roll into balls, then roll in sugar. bake on a greased cookie sheet for 9 minutes at 400 degrees. (i actually cook them a minuter or 2 longer but my mom likes them a little more gooey and i like them fully cooked.)

Chocolate-Covered Cherry Cookies

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 c. butter or margarine
1 c. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1 egg
1 1/2 t. vanilla
48 undrained maraschino cherries (10 oz.)
1/2 (6 oz. ) package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. sweetened condensed milk

In bowl combine flour and cocoa. Set aside. Beat butter till soft. Add sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Beat well. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour mixture.

Shape into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press center down and place cherry in center of each.

In saucepan, combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Heat till melted. Stir in 4 t. of cherry juice. Frost each to cover cherry (thin with juice if needed). The frosting recipe makes much more than you actually need, so you can half it if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or till done. Move to rack to cool.

Chocolate Balls

1 6 oz package chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
½ c chopped nuts
1 2/3 c graham cracker crumbs
½ c coconut
¼ t salt

Melt chips- combine with remaining ingredients. Spread in 8 in sq pan.
Bake at 375 for 20 min.

Cut into squares while warm. Roll each square into a ball and roll in powdered sugar.

German Bars

Melt: 1 bag Kraft caramels in 1/3 c evaporated milk and set aside.

Mix: 1 german chocolate cake mix with 1/3 c evaporated milk and ¾ c melted butter.
Mix well with electric mixer.

Spread: ½ of batter onto 9x13 lightly grease pan and bake for 6 minutes at 300

Remove: Sprinkle 1 c chocolate chips and 1 cup nuts(optional) on top. Drizzle melted caramel on top of that and drop dobs of remaining batter over that and bake 20 minutes more.

soft ginger cookies

Combine in a large bowl and beat with mixer until light and fluffy:

1 ½ c shortening
2 c sugar
2 eggs
½ c molasses

Mix together and add to above with a spoon:

4 ½ c flour
2 t soda
2 t cinnamon
2 t cloves
2 t ginger

Form dough into walnut size balls. Place on cookie sheet. Do not press. Bake at 350 for 8-9 minutes for soft cookies or 12 minutes for hard cookies. Remove from oven and let sit 1 minute. Remove to rack and drizzle with glaze while still warm.

Glaze:
Powdered sugar
Water

Mix to form a very thin paste.