Andes Mint Cookies

Last year at a cookie exchange, someone brought these cookies & I thought they were just great! If you enjoy chocolate & mint I think you'll agree. They're something I'll be making for my family this Christmas but I wouldn't mind them any time of the year!

I found this recipe on the internet. To see the original recipe, please click here. Ingredients

- 3/4 cup butter - 1 1/2 cups brown sugar - 2 tablespoons water - 12 ounces chocolate chips - 2 eggs - 2 3/4 cups flour - 1/2 teaspoon salt - 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda - 24 Andes mints Directions In a medium-sized saucepan, melt together the butter, brown sugar, and water, stirring occasionally. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Let stand 10 minutes to cool. Add the remaining ingredients and combine to form a dough. Chill the dough at least 1 hour. Roll the dough into balls and place on a lightly greased cookie sheet, leaving ample space between the dough balls. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven, and on top of each cookie, place half of an Andes mint. Allow the mint to melt and then swirl the mint over the cookie with the back of a spoon or a knife. I found that putting the cookies back in the oven for a minute to help the mints melt was easiest.

Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

I went looking for a recipe using craisins (dried cranberries) since I had some left over from making my cran-apple crisp & I needed to make some cookies for church. These were really easy to make but make sure not to cook them for too long to avoid them getting too crisp.

I found this recipe on the internet. To see the original recipe, click here.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats (not instant)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

Directions

Preheat Oven to 375°F.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer combine, sugar, brown sugar and butter and mix well.

Add in egg and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add in cinnamon, baking soda, salt and flour and mix well.

Fold in by hand the oatmeal, walnuts, and dried cranberries making sure that all ingredients are uniformly distributed.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 3-inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the edges are lightly golden.

Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet.

Gingerbread Cookies

This recipe comes from Betty Crocker's Best of Baking cookbook. This is a soft gingerbread recipe that is quite delicious. You can leave them plain or ice them with the frosting recipe below.

Gingerbread Cookies

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups dark molasses

2/3 cup cold water

7 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix brown sugar, shortening, molasses, and water in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours until firm.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Roll 1/4th inch thick on floured surface. Cut with floured gingerbread cookie cutter or other favorite shaped cutter. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched in center.

Remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.

Prepare Creamy Frosting and spread on cookies.

Creamy Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

5 tablespoons half-and-half (I just used the milk I use every day)

1 teaspoon vanilla

food coloring, if desired

Mix all ingredients until smooth.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

This recipe comes from my co-worker & good friend Shari. I was rebellious & made this for dessert rather than the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Everyone really liked it, including my husband that doesn't usually care for cranberries.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Topping:

2 1/2 cups quick oats

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients together, set aside.

8 apples (Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Roma) peeled and sliced (I keep the peels on for added fiber)

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoon orange zest (I used fresh zest from an orange & then squeezed it's juice over the apples)

1 can of whole cranberries

1/2 cup dried cranberries

Mix all apple ingredients together and place in lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Add topping mixture to apples, moving apples aside so topping gets into apples as well as on top. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.