How to Make Easy Meals

Archive for the ‘Cookies’ Category

Ingredients:

4 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
2/3 cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

Place the egg whites, coconut, sugar, vanilla and salt in a large stainless steel bowl.  Fill a large skillet 2/3 full of water and place of medium heat.  Allow the water to start to simmer.  Place the stainless steel bowl into the simmering water.  Cook on medium temperature 5 minutes being sure to stir continuously from the bottom up (so the mixture doesn’t burn) until the egg whites begin to thicken and turn opaque in cooler.  Remove from the heat and stir in the cherries.  Allow mixture to cool.  Bring the oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Once the cherry mixture has cooled stir in the pecans and chocolate chips.  Drop batter, 2 teaspoons at a time, onto the prepared cookie sheet.  Bake 14 minutes or until cookies are a golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.

Ingredients

1 c. softened butter
1 c. sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ¾ c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
¾ c. whole blanched almonds
Red paste-type food coloring

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix dry ingredients except whole almonds. In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar, egg, and almond and vanilla extracts. Beat in dry ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While waiting, dilute some of the red food coloring with water. Brush onto the almonds.

Remove one-fourth of the dough from the refrigerator at a time. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into a finger shape, making them somewhat smaller than you want the finished cookie to be. Press an almond into one end as a fingernail. Squeeze the center of each cookie in slightly, and use a knife to make slashes for knuckles.

Place cookies on a greased cookie sheet. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until pale golden brown. Let cool on wire rack.

Halloween is a holiday that is filled with lots of sweet treats. But it’s easy to get burned out on candy when there’s so much of it. For a nice change of pace, try these fun and whimsical no-bake spider cookies. They make a great alternative to the usual candy for trick-or-treaters, and they are also a hit at Halloween parties. And of course you can always make them to keep on hand for snacks at home!

Ingredients

1 bag milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bag butterscotch chips
1 cup salted peanuts
4 cups chow mein noodles (also known as fried or chinese noodles)

Instructions

Place chocolate and butterscotch chips into a double boiler on medium-high heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat.

Pour chow mein noodles into the chocolate and butterscotch mixture. Stir with rubber spatula until thoroughly coated. Add peanuts, and mix until all ingredients are covered with the mixture.

Use the spoon and rubber spatula to remove a spoonful of the mixture at a time. Place onto cookie sheets lined with wax paper. Use the spoon to shape the cookies into a spider shape as best you can. Refrigerate overnight or until set. Store in refrigerator until ready to serve to prevent melting.

This recipe can make up to 48 cookies, depending on how large you make them. The larger the cookies, the longer it will take for them to set.

Tips

* You can also make these cookies in the microwave. Place the chocolate and butterscotch chips in a microwave safe bowl, and heat 30 seconds at a time. Stir every 30 seconds to aid in melting and prevent burning. When all chips are melted, mix for uniform color and proceed as directed.

* If you want smaller cookies, break the noodles into smaller pieces before adding them.

* For those who are restricting their salt intake, use unsalted peanuts. These cookies also turn out nicely with walnuts or any other kind of nut.

* You could try making these cookies with two bags of milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips, or with two bags of butterscotch chips.

* For a fun touch, press two raisins onto the top of each cookie before refrigerating to make “eyes” for the spiders.

* If you’re in a hurry, place these in the freezer until firm. They also freeze nicely if you want to make them ahead of time.

* This is a great recipe to make with the kids. Just be careful that they don’t get burned when mixing the noodles and nuts in with the melted butterscotch and chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

6 squares of Premium White Baking Chocolate
2 squares of  Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Vanilla Wafers
Red and yellow food coloring
Decorating gels
Assorted candies
Fruit snack rolls
Wax paper

Instructions:

Place baking chocolate in separate microwave bowls.  Microwave each baking chocolate according to directions on box.  Remove bowls from microwave and stir making sure chocolate has completely melted. Spread wax paper out on flat surface to place cookies on once decorated.  To make pumpkins place some of the white chocolate in another bowl.  Add a one drop of red and yellow food coloring and stir to make white chocolate orange. Ice chocolate sandwich cookies, chocolate chip cookies and vanilla wafers with orange colored chocolate.  Place green gel at the top for stem and use candies or gel to make your pumpkin face.  To make your ghosts, ice Nutter Butter cookies with white chocolate.  Make faces with decorating gel or candies.  For bats coat Nutter Butter cookies with dark chocolate.  Lay cookie sideways and make eyes and fangs with red decorating gel.  To make mummy shaped cookies take Nutter Butter cookies and cover with white chocolate.  Wrap fruit rolls around cookie to make the mummy effect.  Add eyes with candies or gel.

1 ½ C. granulated sugar
¼ C. butter or margarine
1/8 tsp. salt
1 ½ Tbsp. cocoa
¼ C. milk
1 ½ C. quick cooking oatmeal
½ C. shredded coconut
½ Tbsp. vanilla
1 C. chopped nuts

Directions:

Mix sugar, butter, salt, cocoa, and milk in a saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in oatmeal, coconut, vanilla, and nuts. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and let cool until firm.