Island cookies

Yet another example of all the DIFFERENT cookie recipes.
This one was pretty good.
A fun little cookie with some nuts and coconut added.
I toasted my coconut....
check out this post for a reminder on toasting coconut.

Island Cookies

1 2/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 pkg chocolate chips
1 cup coconut, toasted if desired
1 cup chopped nuts
Preheat oven to 375*

Combine flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a small bowl.
Beat butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla until creamy.
Beat in egg.
Slowly combine flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.

Place onto cookie sheet with your favorite scoop!
Bake for 8 to 11 minutes.
Allow to cool on cookie rack.

Homemade Samoas

I saw on a web site that I was looking at that you can order girl scout cookies now.

Then I remembered this recipe...and thought...

hey, I'm not waiting for the cookies!

These are really good and they actually DO taste like the Samoas cookies!

Give it a try if you can't wait either...

Besides, am I the only one that doesn't understand why we have to order them now

and not get them for 5 more months?

Homemade Samoas

3 cups shredded coconut

14 oz bag caramels

1/4 tsp. salt

3 tbsp. milk

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350*

The topping.

The cookie crust.

Combine sugar and butter and beat until fluffy.

Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Gradually add the flour and salt.

Pour onto greased 9x13 pan.

Press dough into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes,

until light brown.

Cool completely.

Lower oven temperature to 300*.

Spread coconut onto a jelly roll pan, that is lined with parchment paper.

(You have FINALLY bought some, right?)

Bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 or so,

until coconut is a golden brown.

It WILL be delicious, so please, make sure you don't eat it all.

In a large bowl, combine the milk and salt and the

unwraped (Kim) caramels.

Cook on half power for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally,

until caramels are melted and combined with milk/salt.

Once melted, add the toasted coconut.

Spread coconut/caramel goodness over the crust.

You will probably have to make little dollops all over your crust

and then spread it....possibly even using your hands.

The caramel gets stiff after it cools...

Once this has cooled, cut your pieces, whatever size you would like.

Take those pieces and spread them out on a seperate pan...

perhaps a jelly roll pan....lined with parchment paper.

Melt some chocolate chips and pipe the melted chocolate into a baggie.

Snip the edge of the baggie and drizzle the melted chocolate across the cookies.

I'm not exactally sure, but, you may want to just make this instead of ordering your cookies.

I think you may get double the cookies making them homemade for the price of one box..

that has 18 cookies in it...

HMMM..I wonder if the internet has a recipe for thin mints?

I'll let you know!

Cream Pies

Does anybody need to make a pie for a christmas party?

I do!

This is what I am going to be making.

Cream Pies

2 cups milk

2 egg yolks

6 tbsp. flour

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

**and whatever filling you are going to use with the pie**

I like to make a banana and a coconut.

This will make enough for 1 pie.

If you want to make 2 pies, then you will want to double it.

Don't mean to state the obvious, but, well, you know.

In a large saucepan, combine the flour and sugar and salt.

Add the milk, a little at a time...

what you are going for is a paste.

Once you have a paste, and the milk and flour/sugar is all combined, add the egg yolks.

Mix those together, then add the rest of the milk, a little bit at a time.

It will be runny, but you can tell it is thick...if that makes any sense.

It probably doesn't, but just stay with me!

NOW, you are going to turn on the heat.

Start cooking on medium-high heat, stirring until it comes to a boil.

Once it is boiling, you will want to continue stirring until it is thick.

When it is to the consistency you like,

add the vanilla and stir until combined.

It was about 3-5 minutes of boiling time to get it to this.

If you have doubled the recipe, you will want to start with the banana filling.

I like to slice the bananas and layer them on the bottom of the pie crust.

Pour the cream over the bananas, just until they are about 1/2 inch from the top of the crust.

Add another layer of bananas on top of the cream, and push those into the pie.

Smooth the cream filling and there you have it!

Ready to go in the fridge until serving!

Now for the coconut.
You want to just add enough coconut until it is where you like it.
Probably just enough to have coconut in every bite, but not so you are
taking bites of coconut and no cream.
It also is going to depend on how much cream filling you have left over.

We probably added between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup coconut.
Pour the cream into the pie crust, leaving about 1/2 inch of the top of the crust.
Refridgerate both of these pies before serving.
You want to serve them cold!

Of course, you need to top the with whipped cream!
I would take the extra step and make the whipped cream from scratch.
Don't want to top these HOME MADE PIES with cool whip,
not that there's anything wrong with cool whip,
but really, you went to all of this trouble!

I don't know what it is with family members wanting to be in the pictures..
but here's a shot of my Dad!
He's a great guy and has given me tons of tips with my blog,
so....Thanks Dad!