Kitchen Meets Culinary Clutz

• Stir together cinnamon and applesauce with a spoon until the dough becomes stiff, then use your hands to create a ball of dough.
• Place the ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, flatten slightly with your fingers.
• Place a second sheet of waxed paper over the top of the dough and roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
• Use cookie cutters or your own template shapes.
• Air dry creations on a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet or a cooling rack for at least 24 hours until they are completely hard.

We're busy here on the SouthShore as we begin to wrap up the Festival of Lights and roll into the Christmas groove! *Gasp* I can't keep up with the baking, and the family is trailing fast behind me eating up all the goodies before I can pipe the icing!! I baked Gingerbread Cowpoke Boots a week ago and they didn't last. Tonight I pulled out the Hershey's Kisses. I baked Peanut Butter Blossoms and... well I tested out a new cookie dough I concocted in the kitchen. I was hoping for a different taste but hey, great recipes are created by trial and error, right? What I was trying to do was recreate a clone of a recipe that my big sis had made back when I was a kid. I think I need to go at it again but this time make more of a "shortbread" type dough. Anyways, here is the recipe... The cookie reminds me of a "snowball" cookie. It's flaky and just a little dry, *grr* .....trial and error.

• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 3/4 cup confectioners sugar
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 10-ounces mini chocolate chips
• 48 Hershey's Kisses
• Powdered  Sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 
2. Remove wrappers from Hershey's Kisses.
3. Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. 
4. Mix in the flour 1/2 cup at a time. 
5. Stir in the mini chocolate chips. 
6. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.
7. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss into center of each cookie (the cookie will crack around the edges). 
9. Let cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. 
10. Sprinkle lightly with confectioners sugar for a snowy garnish! 

 

• 48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Granulated sugar

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.
   
2. Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.
   
3. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.
   
4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. About 4 dozen cookies.

Good Morning,

Kool-Aid Pie

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 envelope Kool-Aid, any flavor you choose
• 1 tub Cool Whip
• 1 graham cracker crust

Directions:

1. Combine sweetened condensed milk and envelope of Kool-Aid with electric mixer on low. 

2. Fold in Cool Whip. 

3. Add to graham cracker crust. 

4. Chill for 2 hours & Serve :)

    Note: Garnish the top of your pie with sliced strawberries! Yum! 

• 4-6 Pork Loin Chops 
• 2-3 Tbsp Margarine
• Seasoned Salt
• 1 can Chicken Broth

1. Preheat family skillet over Med-High heat.  
2. Throw in your margarine to melt. (Don't let it burn) 
3. As margarine is beginning to melt put your loin chops in the skillet to brown. 
4. Brown all chops on both sides until golden. (It's ok to stack your chops on each other so long as both sides of all chops are given the chance to brown.
5. Sprinkle each loin chop with Seasoned Salt on both sides. 
6. Add Chicken Broth. 
7. Cover skillet with lid and simmer for about 20 minutes, rotating at 10 minutes.
8. Before serving, check to make sure the chops reach the temperature just above 160°F.

I drove up to the Penn Square Mall this afternoon to do some shopping and stopped by my favorite store, Williams-Sonoma. Today they were serving samples of their “Pumpkin Dessert Squares” made with their featured product, Pecan Pumpkin Butter! Can we say “Yummm”? This delectable piece of pumpkin goodness melted in my mouth and I was craving for more! I couldn’t leave without the recipe so here it is. I promise you won’t be disappointed!!

One autumn day, KTBug and I took a trip to the Boise Towne Square Mall. She was two years old. While strolling through the mall my little KTBug spied a display case full of brightly decorated cookies! My little girl was filled with so much excitement as she shrieked and clapped her little hands, running towards the Great American Cookie consessionaire! I couldn't resist, I order KT her very own cookie cake.


KT chose the Elmo cake design. Tickle Me Elmo was popular at the time and she was determined to have an Elmo Cookie Cake!


I love reminiscing of the fun times spent with my children! My KTBug was the happiest girl alive when she proudly toted the carefully packed parcel through the mall corridors! She was red and blue from head to toe that evening!

Tonight I'm attempting to prep a new recipe for Chocolate Frozen Yogurt. I found it at AllRecipes.Com. We shall see if the family approves. Unfortunately I prepped it a little late in the evening and the mixture is still cooling in the fridge.

While I wait, I will keep searching for the Freezer Bowl to my Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice-Cream Maker. I've misplaced it! If I don't find it by morning I'll just settle for using my other Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker.

It's late and we're all wide awake. Kids are in the living room playing Monopoly. Laura & and I are in the kitchen baking. We just spent the entire day shopping. While stopping into Williams-Sonoma I spotted a table full of bakeware marked down to unbelieveably low prices. I poked around and then spotted the one item I've been dying to own, a ceramic Monkey Bread vessel! How could I pass up the chance to purchase it for half it's original price? We didn't care that it was 9 o'clock at night. We were making Monkey Bread!!!