Fruit Pizza BITES

I was blog hopping and I discovered this recipe on
bloom
and I realized that it would be perfect to take
for a couples date night with some friends!
I love fruit pizza...and I thought that these would be fun...
they are miniature-little pizzas....
and we all know how much I like the littler portions...
(makes you think they aren't as fattening!)

I have to tell you, I have never seen a recipe for the cream cheese part
that calls for lemon juice.
I thought it was perfect...paired with the fruit.
It really is worth it to make these...
although if your kids will let you get through frosting them before eating them all..
or BEGGING you for "just one mom, pllleeeeeeaasssssssseeeeeeee!"

Give it a try...especially since fruit is in season,
the weather is nice.
It will make you wish for summer that much quicker!

Fruit Pizza Bites
(from a place to bloom)


1 (16 oz) Pillsbury sugar cookie dough roll
1 (8oz) package cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice

AND ANY FRUIT YOU WANT!

For mine, I used:

strawberries
blueberries
raspberries

Preheat oven to 325*.

Slice the cookie dough pretty thin,

trying to do it as thin as you can without it crumbling.

(I'm really not good with measurements)

Place onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 7 - 8 minutes.

Allow to cool.

In a seperate bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.

Mix until combined and creamy.

Spread onto cooled cookies.

You can go pretty liberal, there is enough cream cheese for all these babies!

Decorate with fruit as desired.

Hopefully this nice warm weather will make me want to start baking again!

Sorry I have been a slacker.

I just can't get into it.

Thanks for supporting me though.

Look for more recipes to come!

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.

Pudding Cookies

Check me out here

for my guest post!

Thanks Vanessa!

Toffee Chip Cookies

I can't believe how many different cookie recipes there really are out there.
This one is from my sister....
and it has almost everything from your pantry in it!
It's a fun little cookie with a different kind of taste!
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
TOFFEE CHIP COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3 cups rice crispy cereal
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup toffee chips
Preheat oven to 350*

In a BIG bowl,
cream together butter, oil, both sugars and vanilla.
Add eggs, flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar.
Next, add all the lovely *adds* to your cookies.

Using your desired size *scoop* place dough on parchment paper covered cookie sheet
and bake for 10-12 minutes.
Allow to cool.

Also, just an FYI..

I got 120 small cookies out of this batch.

I'll leave it up to you if you want to half it or brave it!

Applesauce Cookies

I have been taking a lot of these treats that i've been making into my work.
A bunch of people at work have been asking me to make some treats
that are lower in fat....or maybe even more healthy for you.
I say there is no such thing...
and if there is, it probably doesn't taste that good.
However, to try and make them happy,
I looked through my recipes, and this is what I came up with.
Applesauce Cookies
right?
It has applesauce in it...that counts as a fruit!
So, go ahead and make this recipe...
and make one mark in your
"Daily serving of Fruits and Vegetables"
column.
Applesauce Cookies
2 cups applesauce
2 tsp. soda
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
1 pkg chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 400*

First of all, just to let you know....I made these cookies
with my small scoop.
It made 120 cookies.
You MIGHT want to half this recipe,
or make bigger cookies.
In a small bowl, combine applesauce and soda.
Combine well and set aside.

Make sure there is room in the bowl, because the applesauce will EXPAND.
In a seperate bowl, combine sugar, shortening and eggs.
Mix until smooth and creamy.
Add applesauce mixture and combine.
Then add remaining dry ingredients.
Add chocolate chips...
(Might I suggest the "mini" chips if you are making the small cookies)
Place onto parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Orange Cookies

These have to be some of the most AMAZING cookies!

My sister-in-law, Roxanne's mother, makes these cookies

and will bring them to our family parties.

I think the first time I tried them I ate about 7!

They are so good...and i've decided they have 5 of the food groups in them

so they are TOTALLY healthy to eat!

One batch made 64 cookies (small ones) for me.

I would HIGHLY suggest you double them,

unless you think you will be ok when they are all gone and you want another one!

ORANGE COOKIES

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup shortening

1 egg

1 cup mashed, cooked carrots

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup coconut

First off, start cooking those carrots.

Peel and slice them and put them in a pan and cover with water.

Boil for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are soft.

When they are done, mash them completely.

Let them cool down a bit,

so they don't cook the egg when you add them to the cookie mix!

Preheat oven to 350*

Combine sugar, shortening and egg.

Mix until soft and fluffy.

Add the cooled carrots and vanilla.

Once combined, add all the dry ingredients.

Using your small scoop :), place onto parchment paper covered jelly roll pan

or a cookie sheet...whichever you have!

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Mine took 12.

FROSTING:

Grate the peel for some orange zest.

Juice the orange into a bowl.

Add the powdered sugar until it is the right consistency.

You want it to be a thick consistency, not runny.

I think mine took about 3 cups of powdered sugar.

You want that orange goodness to stay on TOP of the cookies!

Add the orange zest!

Place cookies on a cooling rack to cool.

Before they have cooled completely, frost them.

****Use the left over parchment paper to put under the cooling rack...

that way you don't have frosting drippings all over your counter!

I DARE you to try and not snag a cookie...or two...or three.

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!

Hershey Kiss Cookies

Kisses anyone?


This recipe isn't quite as easy as the peanut butter cup ones...
but it is by no means difficult!
The only thing that I discovered that I did wrong was making the cookie part too big.
I ended up having a lot of kisses left over.
So I ended up making another 1/2 batch.
The directions said it would make 48 cookies....
and there are 48 kisses in a bag.
So..make sure you keep the cookie part of the cookie on the smaller end.
(my mini scooper was too big...can you believe that!)

Hershey Kiss Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375*

Beat shortening and peanut butter until well blended.
Add sugars and beat until fluffy.
Add egg, milk and vanilla and mix well.
Slowly add flour, baking soda and salt.
Mix all ingredients until combined.
Make dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar.
Place on cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Once out of the oven, press chocolate kiss into the center of each cookie.
They will ALL crack...don't worry about it!
Allow to cool a bit and then move them to a cooling rack.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

My next recipe from my neighbor gifts is

REESE'S PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES!

If I talk about how easy it was to make these cookies..

will my neighbors feel cheated?

At least they taste good...

I do have that going for me!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

1 package peanut butter cookie mix

ingredients as needed on package

oil, water and egg.

Preheat oven to 375*

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

I just used a wooden spoon to stir them together until all ingredients were moistened.

Using my small pampered chef scoop (again)

place dough into a greased mini muffin pan.

Bake as directed on package.

(I threw mine away and just don't remember...sorry!)

In the mean time....start taking the wrappers off your Reese's!!!

Once you cookie dough comes out of the oven

Take an *unwraped* p.b. cup and place it on top and centered cookie dough

take a clean..sanitized finger and press it into the cookie.

See....SO NOT HARD!

Allow cookies to cool for a bit before removing them to a cooling rack.

Get a glass of milk and give 'em a try!

Rolo Cake Mix Cookies

My other chocolate cake mix cookies were exactly my favorite,
however,
my friend Hollie told me that she has had those cookies,
but with the Rolo candy inside.
That thought was VERY interesting
So I decided I had to try it.
Besides, the cake mixes were on sale at Walmart for $.78.
BONUS!
All I have to say is,
these did not disappoint.

ROLO CAKE MIX COOKIES

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

3 eggs

1 pkg rolo candies

Preheat oven to 350*

Using a hand mixer, combine cake mix and egg in a mixing bowl.

Unwrap the Rolo candies. (Kim)

The cake/cookie dough will be sticky.

To avoid too much sticky-ness, I dropped the dough into sugar.

Then, I formed the dough into a flat circle.

Place the rolo in the center, and then covering the rolo with the cookie dough.

Make sure you don't have TOO much cookie dough.

You just want enough to cover the rolo.

Then, roll the ball in the sugar for a light coating.

Place on a cookie sheet.

I usually get about 20 cookies to a sheet.

That's the size they should be.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove to cookie rack for cooling.

Just to warn you,

there will be some cookies that have some caramel oozing.

For those of you that are worried about that,

just eat them right now.

There, no worries!

P.S. I just got this cool rounded corners action for photoshop.

You will be seeing a lot more rounded corners from me!

I LOVE the look!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Just a few more cookie recipes.
Then we can move on to some other yummy treats!
My friend at work was BEGGING me to make these,
and if you believe it or not,
I actually do not remember if I have ever tried these cookies or not.
But they were SO good.
If you haven't had them before,
or haven't tried this recipe,
I suggest you do.
They were moist and so good...

OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

2 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
2 tbsp. hot water
3 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
5 cups quick oats
1/2 cup nuts (I used pecans)
1 large package chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375*

This recipe makes 10 dozen...so if you want to half it, go for it.
That's what I did, although, I probably could have eaten ALL of the cookies.

Cream together the butter, sugars, and egg.
Add the other liquid ingredients.
Combine the flour and salt and slowly add to mixture.
Add the quick oats.
Add the nuts, if desired and chocolate chips.

Using a scoop, place on a cookie sheet.

Bake in the oven for 8 minutes.

I love the recipes that are easy to follow.

These last couple of ones were really easy.

I really couldn't believe how moist these cookies were.

Let me know what you think!