Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:
1 package white (vanilla) cake mix
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups blueberries
2 tablespoons coarse sugar crystals(decorating or granulated sugar)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease bottoms only of 24 medium muffin cups, 2 1/2 by 1 1/4 inches, with shortening, or line with paper baking cups.
2. Beat cake mix, milk, oil, cream cheese, and egg whites in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Gently stir in blueberries. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle with sugar crystals.
3. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cool. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

Pink Stuff

From Allrecipes

Ingredients:

1 (21-ounce) can cherry pie filling

1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

 

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together pie filling, sweetened condensed milk, crushed pineapple, and pecans. Fold in the whipped topping. Refrigerate until chilled.

English Toffee

Ingredients:

• 14 tablespoons (1 stick, plus six tablespoons) butter
  
• 1 cup sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons cold water
  
• ½ cup chopped pecans
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• Dash salt
  
• 1 (6-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate chips or thin chocolate bars
  

 

Directions:

1. Generously butter a cookie sheet.
   
2. Put butter, sugar, and water in a heavy pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Bring to a bubbling boil, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 10 minutes. Remove spoon from pan and cook to a very brittle stage (300 degrees to 310 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Or else make a cold water test: candy will separate into hard, brittle threads when dropped in cold water. Remove from heat and add nuts to mixture. Add vanilla and salt. Pour onto prepared cookie sheet and spread to ¼-inch thickness. Cool slightly, top with chocolate chips or chocolate bars, and spread as it melts. Cool completely and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container.
   

 

Marshmallow Krispie Bars

1

1 (21-ounce) Family-size brownie mix

1 package (10 ½ ounces) miniature marshmallows

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

1 ½ cups crisp rice cereal

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom only of pan of 13x9-inch pan.
   
2. Prepare and bake brownies following directions for cake-like recipe. Remove from oven. Sprinkle marshmallows on hot brownies. Return to oven and bake for 3 minutes longer.
   
3. Place chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in medium saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until chips are melted. Add rice cereal; mix well. Spread mixture over marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled. Cut into bars.
   

Coconut-Lime Thai Snowballs

Here is my very late entry to the Cookie Exchange. Hands down, this is one of the best cookies you will ever eat. I think they are Russell's favorites.

Butter imparts a delicious melt-away texture to this popular wedding cookie reinvented with the vibrant Thai flavors of coconut and lime. Dipped in powdered sugar and coconut, these festive little cookies resemble snowballs and are sure to become a new holiday tradition. Makes 4 dozen.

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure lime oil (or 2 tablespoons key lime juice) (see shopping notes)
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut*

Topping:
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut**
1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Cooking Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF with racks in the lower and upper thirds.

Combine butter and sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer or wooden spoon, beat until light and fluffy. Add lime oil; beat to combine.

Gently fold in lime zest, salt, flour and coconut. Blend well.

Lightly flour hands and roll dough into small, approximately 1-inch balls and place about 1 1/2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until puffy (not browned) and bottoms are just golden, about 15 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well-mixed. While cookies are still warm, dip them in the topping. Remove and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Shopping notes:
*Pure lime oil is available in many specialty food stores. Alternatively, use 2 tablespoons key lime juice. You can get it at Macey's or Albertson's

 

 

Chocolate Mint Cookies

I have to apologize to Sadie because she sent me this recipe at the beginning of December, and my computer crashed. I just got my laptop back, so here is one of the virtual cookie exchange recipes. I will be posting mine hopefully later today or tomorrow.


Chocolate Mint Cookies
These taste a lot like Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies, but softer and chewier. They are delicious.
3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups Mint Chocolate Chips or Andes Mint Baking chips

In a large pan over low heat, cook butter, sugar and water until butter is melted. Add chocolate chips and stir until partially melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is completely melted. Pour into a large bowl and let stand 10 minutes to cool off slightly.
At high speed, beat in eggs, one at a time into chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low and add dry ingredients, beating until blended. Chill dough about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 8-10 minutes.
When cookies are brought out of the oven, put 5 to 6 mint chips on top of each cookie. Let the mint chips sit for up to 5 minutes until melted, then spread the mint on top of the cookie. Eat and enjoy!