Lemon Cookies

These cookies are super easy, and really yummy. They are a favorite in the Welling household. They're delightfully different than the usual cookie. I got this recipe from my "Old Fashioned Bake Sale" cook book.



Lemon Cookies

1 lemon flavored cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup chopped nuts or flaked coconut (optional)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease baking sheets. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil, and lemon juice in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add nuts. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 6-7 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on baking sheets. Remove to cooling racks. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Brownies

Okay, seriously, is there any combination more heavenly than peanut butter and chocolate? I think not. I LOVE this recipe!!! It is so moist and soft, you'll feel like you're on a heavenly peanut butter and chocolate cloud! Okay, I'm getting a little carried away. Well, if you love peanut butter and chocolate even half as much as I do, you'll love this recipe, too. It came from a cookbook that my sister made for me when I got married. Thanks Sis!

Peanut Butter Brownies

2 eggs
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon red food coloring
1 cup butter

Mix until smooth, then add:

2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
*2 cups water

Beat until smooth and pour into cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
*I usually put a little less water in, because it makes them very runny, so you have to bake them longer.



They are so delightful, but very rich, so be careful, and share them with friends!

Mexican Wedding Cakes

Okay, these aren't cakes like you may be thinking. They are cookies. But they're not your usual cookie. They don't spread out when they bake, because there is no baking powder or baking soda in them. They should look like little snowballs when you're finished with them. Don't make the same mistake I did the first time I made them, and overcook them because they weren't spread out. (I was a little naive then.) They should look very similar to when you put them in the oven. I usually squeeze one with my fingers to make sure it's hard. Also, if you look on the bottom, it should just barely be starting to brown, but not quite. So, there are my tips for the day, here is the recipe. It is from my trusty Pillsbury cookbook.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped or ground almonds or pecans *optional (I have never used nuts, but if you're a nut about nuts, go for it!)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Heat oven to 325 degrees F. In large bowl, combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla; beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, almonds and salt; mix until dough forms. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake at 325 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets. Cool slightly; roll in 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Cool 15 minutes or until completely cooled. Re-roll in powdered sugar.



Enjoy!

Popcorn Candy

I got this recipe from a cook book that my sister made for me when I got married. This was the first time I made this, and it was actually super easy, and tasty. I made it for New Year's Eve. It would be great for any get together, family night, or just for fun. It makes a lot, so make sure you have room on your counter to store it, or have lots of people over.

Popcorn Candy

4 quarts popped corn
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup margarine

Bring all ingredients except popped corn to a boil in microwave. Boil 4 minutes stirring 4 times. Pour over the popped corn and toss until it is completely coated.





See! Super easy!!! Now, when you can't think of a yummy treat, you'll have this recipe that takes hardly any time at all!

Bread Twists

This recipe is another from my sister's friend's blog. I'll just give you the blog: cjaneinthekitchen.blogspot.com. She has tons of recipes that I love to share with people. These bread twists are delicious and super easy! Just make sure you have a couple of hours to let it rise and then cook. The actual preparation is super easy, though. If you have kids, this recipe wouldn't be too hard. You'd put the ingredients together and still be able to entertain your kids. They might even want to help, especially rolling the dough out. Well, here it is!

Bread Twists

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon yeast

Let these three ingredients sit for 5 minutes, then add:

3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Mix until smooth, then let raise for 10 minutes. Roll out dough into a large square on a floured surface. Brush with melted butter mixed with garlic and then sprinkle with salt. Fold in half and cut into 1-inch strips. Twist and place on a cooking sheet. Let sit for 15-20 minutes to raise. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately after baking, brush with more garlic butter and sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese.

Frosted Apple Squares

So, I had these apples for a while, and I wanted to cook with them, but didn't know what I wanted to cook. So, I googled apple recipes, and found this one. I'm not the biggest fan of cooked apples, but WOW!!! This was awesome! I just finished them a little while ago, and I've already had three! So, if you need to get rid of some apples, this is a good way to do that.

Frosted Apple Squares

Dough:
3 3/4 - 4 cups flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 cup butter/margarine
4 egg yolks

Apple Filling:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk
3 medium apples, cored, peeled, and sliced

Powdered Sugar Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons milk

Filling: In a suacepan, combine water, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir in slightly beaten egg yolk and apples. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick (about five minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.

Dough: In a large bowl, combine 1 1/4 cup flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Heat water, milk, and butter until very warm. Gradually add to flour mixture. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Add egg yolks and 1/2 cup flour. Beat 2 minutes on high. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. Divide dough in half. Spread half of the dough over ungreased 15 x 10-inch baking pan. Spread apple filling over dough. Roll remaining dough to cover filling. Seal and wait until doubled in size (about 45 minutes). Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until evenly golden. Drizzle with glaze. Let cool in pan; cut into squares.

Powdered Sugar Glaze: combine powdered sugar and milk. Stir until smooth.

Taco Salad

The other day, my family had a Christmas party. We had to bring pot-luck, and my sister asked if I would bring a salad. My usual salad is Suit Yourself Tuna Salad from the Pillsbury cookbook, (I might post this another time). But I am not the biggest fan of tuna, so I decided to do something else. Then I thought of a taco salad. I sort of made it up as I went. So, here is what I did.
Taco Salad

Brown 1 lb ground beef. Drain. Stir in 1 packet of taco seasoning and 1 cup water. Simmer 10 minutes.

Wash lettuce and cut into bite-sized pieces. (I just estimated how much lettuce I would need. It ended up being a little less than half a head.)

Grate cheese. (Do however much is desired. Around a cup is a good estimate, but you can do more or less if desired.)

Choose toppings: tomatoes, olives, corn, etc.

Put ingredients together.

Crush about 1/4 - 1/2 bag of tortilla chips. Stir in salad

Top with ranch dressing or sour cream.

So pretty much, it's like making a taco, but stirring everything together instead of putting it in a shell. It has the nutritional value to be an entire meal, or just a side-dish, depending on what you put in it, and how big you want your quantities to be.