My wonderful friend Amber sent me a Care package shortly after Christmas, she included a bunch of baked goods and two outfits for Maddy. One of the baked goods where dipped cherry cookies, I had trouble sharing with Adam, they remind me of spritz which are my favorite cookie ever but these are bigger, with more flavor.

Maddy sporting her new outfit. Thank you Amber!

You need to make these cookies ASAP! I cannot wait to make them again, I am very glad I brought most to work otherwise I would of eaten the whole batch!

Dipped Cherry Cookies (Found On: Ambers Delectable Delights, Originally Adapted From: Taste of Home)

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, drained
• 12 ounces white baking chocolate, finely chopped, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• Coarse sugar and red edible glitter

In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Knead in the cherries, 2/3 cup white chocolate and extract until dough forms a ball.

Shape into 3/4-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped in remaining sugar. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave, melt shortening and remaining white chocolate at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Dip half of each cookie into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and edible glitter. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container.

My mom and aunt found this recipe on the Star Tribune website. I was a little unsure as I am not a big nut person, but I figured I could gift them out… well unless I make another batch there wont be any gifted. Yes they were that good. These are WONDERFUL!

I want to try them with different kind of nuts. Try these as soon as you get time.

Almond Triangles (From: Star Tribune)

• 2 c. (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature, divided
• 3/4 c. granulated sugar, divided
• 1 egg
• 3/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2-3/4 c. flour
• 1 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/3 c. honey
• 1/4 c. heavy cream at room temperature
• 1 lb (about 5-1/4 c.) sliced almonds

Use a 10×15 inch jellyroll pan.

In a bowl of an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat 2 sticks butter until creamy (about 1 min).  Gradually add 1/2 c. granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 min).  Add egg, almond extract and salt, and beat until thoroughly combined.  Reduce speed to low, add flour and mix until just incorporated.  Press dough evenly into pan and push dough up the sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.  Note:  the directions say to line the pan with heavy-duty foil, shiny side up; we used a non-stick pan without lining it with foil and had no problems removing it from the pan.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Use a fork to prick dough in 24 places all across and bake 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, honey, remaining 2 sticks butter and remaining 1/4 c. granulated sugar.  Cook, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves.

Increase heat to medium-high, bring mixture to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes without stirring.  Remove from heat and stir in cream, then stir in almonds.

Spread almond mixture evenly over the crust.  Return pan to oven and bake until bubbling, about 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.  While bars are still slightly warm, cut into triangles.  Note:  we slid the bars onto a large cutting board before cutting.

Makes 6 dozen.

Wow I have missed my kitchen. The other night Madalynn was happily sleeping on her Daddy and I decided it was the perfect opportunity to make some cookies. I mixed the dough, made about 6 cookies and then froze the rest in dough balls. Now we can always have fresh cookies.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (From: Branny Boils Over Originally From: Cooks’Illustrated)

• 2 cups plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (1.5 sticks)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl; set aside. Cream together butter and sugars until thoroughly combined. Beat in egg, yolk, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and beat at low-speed until combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop out a rounded tablespoon of dough and shape into a ball. Place formed dough onto cookie sheet, leaving 2″ between each ball.  Bake at 350 until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy (approximately 12-13minutes).  The cookies will come out of the other rather puffy, but they will settle into a beautiful shape once cooled.

Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

I am a sucker for the new or limited edition candy and food. While walking around the grocery store last time I spotted this bag of dark chocolate and mint chips. Hummm, I hate mint, but Adam likes mint, and it’s something new, into the cart they went.

I decided to just go with the recipe from the back of the bag, Adam, my co-workers and his co-workers raved about them, loving them. I guess I need to buy a few more bags of chips to keep so I can make them later again.

Mint Chocolate Delights (From: Nestle)

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Nestle dark chocolate and mint morsels

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by well-rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

I knew I wanted to make something special for my SIL’s for hosting my baby shower, I had saw cookie bouquets long time ago and decided it was time to give it ago. And I am happy to report that for the most part they turned out excellent!!!!!

Me being me had to ofcourse try a new sugar cookie recipes, I wasn’t very impressed with these and thought them to be a little bland and next time will use this recipe which has proven to be my favorite. In the end I had LOTS of fun with this project and can’t wait to have a reason to make them again.

Sugar Cookies (Found On: Ambers Delectable Delights, Orginally From: Annie’s Eats)

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• ½ t. almond extract
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1 t. salt
• 2 ½ c. sifted flour

Cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Chill dough until firm.

Roll to ¼” thickness on well-floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for 8-10 min.

Cookies should not brown. Frost and decorate when cool.

Yields ~40 cookies.

Royal Icing (From: Wilton)

• 3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
• 4 cups (about 1 lb.) confectioners’ sugar
• 6 tablespoons warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).

Cookie Bouquets

To make the cookies I rolled out the dough as instructed and then pushed a cookie stick into the back of it and baked it as stated. Only about 1/2 my sticks stuck the rest fell out but I was able to get them back in with frosting. I am not sure how to do it so they would bake completely in.

I let the cookies cool completely over night before frosting, I frosted as wanted with royal icing and let icing harden.

In my tins (bought from Target) I bought styrofoam to hold the cookies in place.

Once cookies are set wrap in baggies and twist tie to keep freshness, place in foam in tin, wrap tissue paper around sticks to cover up the foam.

**Make sure you put the sticks in the foam BEFORE putting the tissue paper in, I tried to push the stick through the paper and that did NOT work.