Today's cookie was made by a special guest.....

My daughter-in-law, Amanda!!

She made Peanut brittle... something that I have actually never even had before....

she used this recipe

All recipes/ mom's best peanut brittle

and, yes, she shelled all of the peanuts herself. It would have taken a whole lot less time if we weren't eating them as fast as she was shelling them.....

It was her first time using a candy thermometer.... She did a great job!!!

and because of our recent blizzard...

it took the brittle seconds to set up...

it really was quite easy to make... as long as you keep an eye on the temperature of the mixture....

Why have I never had this before? I have no clue... it was so tasty that it is going to be on my Christmas cookie list for years to come.

oxoxo

michelle & Amanda!

Today's recipe is *EASY* PEASY*

After shopping all day with my closest friend, I'm a bit tired... So I decided to make the simplest of simplest recipes. This is actually the first time that I've made it, but I've had it many times at potlucks ( my sister-in-law makes it often)
Yummy Layer Bars

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup butterscotch chips ( only because I had them)

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9 x13 in pan with aluminum foil, overlapping on the ends (for easy removal) & spray lightly with cooking spray. Mix butter with graham cracker crumbs & pat gently into the bottom of the pan.

Pour sweetened condensed milk over butter/ graham mixture and spread with a spatula. Sprinkle remaining ingredients in to order in which they are in the recipe. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove & let cool.

Using the overlapped ends of the aluminum foil, pull the entire bar out & place on a cutting board, allowing to cool completely.

Cut into bars when fully cool.

These are yummy & gooey and oh-so-wonderful!!! I was afraid that they would stick, so I only placed them single-layer on the platter. I'm thinking that maybe next time I'll try the recipe with 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, possibly making a sturdier base.

I highly recommend trying this recipe.. it literally takes minutes to get into the oven.

maybe next time I'll time myself....hmmm.....?????


now..I'm off to wrap all of my treasures that I found today!!!

xoxo
~michelle

Ok... so not REALLY a cookie..

Today was my husband's 98 year young grandmother's Christmas party

 Given the fact that I was a bit tight for time... I decided to make toffee!!!

Once again I went to my old trusty wooden box to dig out a hand-written recipe card. This is such a great recipe... it just goes to show how a few simple ingredients can morph into something wonderful!!

The Recipe :.... You need a candy thermometer for this.... it is well worth the small investment

1 cup butter cut into small pieces
1 cup dark brown sugar ( I had light brown, so I used that)
2 TBSP water
1 cup finely chopped almonds
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Combine butter, brown sugar & water in a saucepan. When sugar is dissolved, whisk in 1/2 cup of the almonds.  Insert candy thermometer & cook until the thermometer reaches the 'hard crack' *giggle* stage.. 290-300 degrees.

When hard crack stage is reached, pour onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. ( be careful.. it is VERY hot) Add chocolate chips & allow to melt for a minute. Use a spatula to spread all around. Add remaining almonds while still hot.

Allow to cool. ( I live in the northeast & since it was freezing out today, I was able to go to my 'deep freeze (my porch *grin* ) & the toffee hardened in no time.

yes, I took a corner off of the sheet.. I *had* to make sure that it was hard enough!!!

I then took a VERY scientific method of turning this sheet into little pieces of mouth-watering perfection... my hands!!!! I broke it all up &

VOILA!!!!!  perfection ....

I am so going to gain weight creating this blog........


If you visit, please let me know.... AND...... I will happily take suggestions for your favorite cookies.
 hint~ tomorrow's cookie has to do with chocolate!!!

oxoxo ~michelle

A fun no-bake cookie!!

Today's  ( or should I say yesterday's ) cookie is one that I haven't tried to make yet.. The recipe comes courtesy of my friend, Jill... ( thanks, Jill)

I've really enjoyed  The Crock pot Lady's blog .. and the format that she uses. So, I am following what she did by taking a photo of the ingredients before hand.

Ingredients : 1 package of Oreo or Oreo-type cookies
                     1 package of cream cheese, softened
                     1 Package of chocolate (white or milk chocolate)
                      Holiday sprinkles (not pictured)

1) put oreoes in food processor & blend until fine.
2) mix with softened cream cheese; then roll them into approximately 1-inch balls
3) freeze briefly while melting chocolate.

Remove cookies from freezer & 1 by 1, dip them in the chocolate & put on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with sprinkles right away. ( Ali & I found this to work much better with both of us helping..I was queen of the sprinkles *wink*)

Allow to cool until chocolate hardens.
Pour yourself a big glass of milk & enjoy.


My daughter, Alison actually made these cookies ( since my dishwasher went to dishwasher heaven this morning & I had had to hand wash 3 loads of dishes)

                                                                (Ali back then )

the result? Although the recipe didn't make all that many ( I supposed we could have made smaller cookies) they are quite rich & very tasty!!

December 4th??

Yes, I realize that today is the 4th ~ I have just started the blog, but that doesn't mean that I haven't started the cookies!!!!

A few years ago, I had made a lemon cookie for a cookie exchange that I hosted (I'm all about the cookies ;)... Many of my friends commented on them.

The following year, I had another party, and I made Florentines (yum!).... Well everyone was asking where were the lemon cookies? The problem was, I couldn't remember what recipe that I had used!!

I promised that I would figure that out before this years' cookie party. I had many recipes lined up to try, but guess what?? I got it on the first try!!!

This one's for you Kara *smootch*

Giada's Lemon Ricotta Cookies

I made a batch & had many  who sampled, and everyone agreed that this IS the recipe!!.. I ran out of confectioners' sugar, so this batch doesn't have glaze...... hang tight, the next batch will!

The other recipe that I made was a  Savory Biscotti recipe, also by Giada..  ( youwill see her name come up a lot)

This was a very simple recipe and very , very tasty. You can't really think of it as a cookie... think of it as an awesome cracker, or soup accompaniment......
I am not too sure about how they freezer, so I have a few in the freezer no to see if they will still tatse as good when thawed..... again

( I'm trying to catch up!!)