How to Make Old-Fashion Fruit Cocktail Gems Drop Cookies

Do your children come home from school begging for a snack? Or perhaps you are looking for a new cookie for the lunchbox. Give this great old-fashion cookie recipe a try. Some of our best cookie recipes are the vintage ones. These Fruit Cocktail Gems are drop cookies making them very easy to prepare. But it is still a good cookie, especially for the kids. It has fruit from the cocktail plus raisins and heart-healthy walnuts. Walnuts are good-for-you nuts. Let your children learn to love walnuts from an early age. Resist the desire to substitute their favorite nuts and stick with the walnuts. If you want to go even healthier, substitute Splenda granular for the "white" sugar called for.

FRUIT COCKTAIL DROP COOKIES
This recipe was from an old Christian Church in Idaho many, many years ago.

Cookies Recipe

1 can (1 lb size) fruit cocktail
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets and set aside.

Drain fruit cocktail saving 1/3 cup of the syrup. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add the egg to the sugar mixture and beat well. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the dry mixture to the sugar mixture along with the reserved 1/3 cup of syrup. Stir in the walnuts, raisins, and fruit cocktail. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned.

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen.

Enjoy!

How to Make Old-Fashion Fruit Cocktail Gems Drop Cookies

For more of Linda's old fashion recipes visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com For her diabetic recipes and information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com.

Homemade Gifts - Unusual Ideas for Extraordinary Gifts

If you're looking for a unique gift for someone wonderful in your life, but just aren't able to find something worthwhile, maybe it's time to look inwards. A well made present from the heart will often times have more impact than an expensive gift from a name brand store. And homemade gifts, when done right, are not difficult to craft.

Embellishing Fleece

Homemade Cookies Recipe

A treasured gift for the holidays or winter birthdays would be a two-yard piece of fleece material with a crocheted edge. This is very simple to do with a rotary cutting tool and a skip-stitch cutting blade. The first round of crocheting is a simple single crochet where you are crocheting in the holes made with the skip-stitch tool. Subsequent rows can also be single crochet, or more elaborate stitches.

Homemade Dog Biscuits

Dog biscuits fresh from your oven are a very special gift for someone who has recently adopted a dog. Allrecipes.com has some recipes that you bake up and cut into fun dog-inspired shapes and oftentimes the major pet product stores carry doggie-bone shaped cookie cutters. Or maybe use heart-shaped cutters to show some doggie love! Once your biscuits are done, a special touch is place them in a basket with a couple of dog toys or rawhide bones or chew toys if the gift recipient has adopted a puppy.

College Freshman Survival Kit

An eighteen year old leaving home for the first time often enjoys taking a bit of home with them when they go. When your college-bound child is about to fly the nest, send them off with a basket loaded with college essentials such as: energy drinks, microwave popcorn, chocolate bars, instant coffee, a big coffee mug, a large batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies, flip-flops (for those communal showers), and last, but certainly not least, a heart-felt, handwritten note filled with love and encouragement.

A Pillow for All Seasons

Pillows are a wonderful decorating accent as pillowcases are so easily interchangeable, and therefore you're not stuck with one look all the time. Furthermore, sewing an envelope pillowcase is one of the easiest sewing patterns to master and instructions for which can be found everywhere on the internet. With that in mind, a wonderful gift to give to the ladies in your life is one pillow with four or five different envelope pillowcases. While the typical holiday themes are certainly appreciated, being a bit whimsical is also possible. Such as swapping out a Christmas pattern with a tropical snowman print. Or instead of Easter for spring, showcase St. Patrick's Day. Or use a red, white, and blue motif for Independence day. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.

Homemade Gifts - Unusual Ideas for Extraordinary Gifts

Michelle Michalski is a freelance writer specializing in domesticity, crafts, and living green.

Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Very little compares to the joy of chocolate cupcakes - both serving and consuming them! You can now stop asking yourself how to make cupcakes, especially of the chocolate variety, and get online to investigate the different recipes.

When it comes to birthdays or on festive occasions, chocolate cupcakes become a natural choice of many. The best of chocolate cupcakes need not necessarily be the most elaborate in the making. They are simple but delicious, non messy but a feast for royalty. With a few tips on how to successfully use cocoa in cakes and the combos you can try with this ingredient you will be ready to try out your own cupcakes.

Cookies Recipe

It is very important to use cocoa or chocolate in any other form to the measure because the cakes could turn out a complete disaster otherwise. Also chocolate does not go well with just about any fruit or nut. You need to experiment with how to make cupcakes of chocolate after checking out ingredient combos that work well, like walnuts, raisins and cashew nuts among dry fruits. Here is one of the best chocolate cupcake recipes.

Chocolate Sins

Your line up of ingredients include 2 cups of self rising flour or all purpose flour, a teaspoon each of baking powder and baking soda, 2 cups sugar, 2 eggs (large), 1/2 cup shortening, 3/4 cup each of milk and water, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, 4 ounces of unsweetened and melted baking chocolate.

Prior to getting into the final preparation of the chocolate sins, preheat the oven to about 350 degrees. On a large tray, line the cup cake pans with paper liners and set aside. Take a large cake mixing bowl or the bowl of your food processor and mix together all the ingredients. Mix well for around 5 minutes, alternating speeds low to high. Carefully fill the cup cake liners about 2/3 full. Bake your chocolate sins for around 20 to 25 minutes and allow them to cool. Frost the 'sins' only when they are cooled completely. Alternately grate fresh chocolate slabs and liberally sprinkle each one of your chocolate cupcake indulgences.

If you still want to know how to make cupcakes, then you should indulge in some quality research. Today there are a number of resources that help you in the endeavor. Making chocolate cupcakes is very easy, and like any other baking indulgence once you learn to measure the basic ingredient, you are sorted. These cakes make grand appearances at kitty parties, birthdays and even on the family night out!

There is no denying that chocolate is by far the most preferred flavor in cupcakes. Though cupcakes like chocolate sins seem elaborate, they are not. Chocolate cupcakes also go well will a filling of your choice. All you need to do is cut the baked cupcakes in half, horizontally and place a filling of any fruit of your choice in the center prior to serving the 'sins'. Also try serving them warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream!

Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe

Patrick Garde is the owner of MakeCupcakes.com where you can learn how to make cupcakes.

Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies - Two Must Know Tips

Making a great batch of cookies feels like a tricky task, but nothing could be further from the truth when it comes to baking chocolate chip cookies. There are a few tricks and tips that will make the difference between a good cookie and a cookie that people talk about, and anyone can achieve success when using them. One of the most important and probably ignored factors is the actual baking of the cookie.

People often complain about their baked goods being "too dry." Sadly, the recipe takes the blame and is quickly discarded when in actuality it is a great recipe to have on file. The truth is that in baking chocolate chip cookies, a dry cookie probably spent way too much time in the oven. Everyone likes to see that golden brown cookie effect, but surprisingly at this point it has been overcooked.

Homemade Cookies

Here are two tips to consider before you take your next batch of cookies out of the oven:
Only the edges of the cookie should be brown. The middle will be puffy and appear to be doughy, but if the edges are brown it is time to take them out. Waiting until the whole cookie is golden brown will leave you with a dry crispy cookie. The final baking can be done on the outside of your oven. Once the edges of the cookies are golden brown take them out, and leave them to rest on the hot cookie sheet for 2-3 minutes. The residual heat from the cookie sheet finishes the baking process in a slow and gentle way leaving you with a cooked, yet moist cookie. When the puffy center has fallen and a rim appears around the cookie, slide them off and onto cooling rack.

Always start with the lowest recommended time the recipe calls for. You can always add minutes if needed but cannot take them away. And last but not least, let your sniffer be your guide when baking chocolate chip cookies. When that tantalizing aroma reaches your nose, it is a good indication that they are about done and you can peek in the oven to look for those golden brown edges. You can achieve a gooey, rich and moist chocolate chip cookie when it is perfectly baked.

Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies - Two Must Know Tips

This article was written by Amanda Julander, the owner and creator of Choc-Chip-Cookie-Recipe.com an informative guide to making superior chocolate chip cookies. Learn more about chocolate chip cookies, great tried and true recipes, and all thelittle known secrets that will make your chocolate chip cookies turn out every time.

development Cookies With Cake Mix

Have you ever turned a cake mix into cookies? Did you know it was inherent to make homemade cookies from cake mix? As a mostly from scratch baker, recipes for cake mix cookies had escaped my attention. But recently, I began experimenting with them in the name of kitchen science.

And now I am discovering creative cake mix cookie recipes anywhere I look. You can make cookies from any mix flavor you choose. The options are endless. There are hundreds of recipes for bar cookies, drop cookies, rolled cookies, and shaped cookies from which to choose.

Cookies

When I mentioned to my mom and grandmother that I was having fun trying out cookies with a mix, my grandmother said that one of her neighbors makes all her cookies that way and it was hard to tell them from scratch.

Why Use Cookie Recipes that start with boxed mix? Are cookies made from mixes for everyone? Probably not. If you are an experienced baker who believes in baking only from scratch, they won't be for you.

But, if you love baking shortcuts and the convenience of boxed mixes, they are worth a closer look.

Cake Mix Cookies are excellent for:
Helping fresh bakers build their confidence. Busy home bakers who like easy cookie recipes with short ingredient lists and minimal equipment. Baking with kids since there is less mixing and measuring to do. When the pantry is bare and/or money is short. You can normally pick up cake mix on sale for or less. When you want homemade cookies in a hurry.
Tips for Cookie Baking Success
Read the method all the way before starting to bake and succeed the directions closely. Don't over mix the cookie dough. Only drop cookies on cool cookie sheets; never warm. Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners. Don't over bake your cookies. They should be set around the edges, but still a bit soft on top. Cool your cookies completely, before storing them so they don't get soggy.

Some of the delicious cake mix cookies I've discovered so far comprise recipes for:
Applesauce Cookies Banana Cookies Chocolate Chip Cookies German Chocolate Cookies M&M Cookies

development Cookies With Cake Mix

Wondering Where to Buy Gluten Free Cookies?

As more and more people are diagnosed with celiac disease every particular day more lives are impacted. With a celiac disease determination comes along a life long diet of eating gluten free foods. This means no products with wheat, barley or rye. This means no cookies, no pizza, no bread and basically nothing delicious. Until now.

The gluten free food sector is the fastest growing sector of the food industry. There are many clubs that are popping up to help people eat the same old foods they loved while holding them gluten free. Some of these are cookies or other baked goods. It is a great relief for many people who are otherwise going to live the rest of their lives without these tasty favorites. Imagine a birthday with no cake or any special holiday without cookies. For people with celiac disease who eat a gluten free diet it is prominent to have these foods from time to time.

Cookies

So yes there are many clubs gift gluten free products like cookies and breads but what are the best and where can you find them? Well there are many options ready to man seeing for gluten free cookies in particular. If you live near a mainstream grocer you can get ordinarily semi-decent cookies there or other baked goods. Unless you are near a metro area or a big city you may have difficulty however. Otherwise you can look on the internet. There are many great resources on the internet that will show you the best gluten free cookies and the best products for you. Some gluten free cookies will be delivered right to your front door. If you are interested in gluten free cookies you should check out some online resources before settling for anyone else. You will right on not be disappointed.

Wondering Where to Buy Gluten Free Cookies?

How to Make Character Cookies

Everything genius is simple. After examining dissimilar recipes, it is potential to conclude that the tastiest cookies are made from easy dough with minimal expenses and all you need to use while baking is your fantasy. However, the form of your cookies is leading as well. It is much more attractive to make character cookies where all your fantasy could be used and implemented. And it is where you will need to use dissimilar cookies molds.

Modern cookies molds are made of high potential materials that can create an primary shape of your cookies while not spoiling the taste. Today you could choose from sheet steel with anti-burning-on layer molds or silicon ones.

Cookies

These molds are used for baking cookies from batter. As well classic cookies molds are made from either sheet steel or alimentary molds. Using such molds you can make cookies in varied forms. As well there are cookies patterns using which you are able to cut up to 10 character cookies at once.

Today you could buy dissimilar cookies mold sets that look like dissimilar animals, flowers or heart.

Different character cookies molds could satisfy the fantasy of any cook. Such character molds will be valuable while making ready for dissimilar occasions. For example, cookies in the shape of heart will be acceptable for Valentine's Day and cookies that look like Christmas tree or snowman will be acceptable for the Christmas Eve.

Today dissimilar molds for creating character cookies could be bought both offline and online. As well if you find some time for researching, you will be able to find exactly what you need.

Cookies molds are a great way to make any of your dreams a reality in the form of character cookies. Such molds are able to offer you a lot of determined emotions on your kitchen as well as they will give you an opportunity to please your guests with character cookies.

How to Make Character Cookies

Tuna Salad Recipes - Deliciously Simple Tuna Salad

This is one of the classic tuna fish salad recipes that you can make in just a few minutes. Makes a family sized amount.

4 (6 oz.) cans tuna, drained
1 lemon, juiced (optional)
2 cups mayonnaise
4 stalks celery, diced
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
Salt and pepper to taste

Homemade Cookies Recipe

Directions

In a bowl, combine the tuna, lemon juice, mayonnaise, celery and pickle relish. Mix together well and refrigerate until ready to serve.

=> Tuna Salad Recipe: Gourmet Tuna Salad

Here's a restaurant quality tuna recipe that is absolutely delicious for tuna salad sandwiches.

1 (7 oz.) can white tuna, drained and flaked
6 tablespoons mayonnaise or salad dressing
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/8 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 pinch garlic powder

Directions

In a medium bowl, stir together the tuna, mayonnaise, Parmesan cheese, and onion flakes. Add in the curry powder, parsley, dill weed and garlic powder.

Mix well and serve with crackers or as a sandwich.

=> Low Fat Tuna Salad: Fabulous Bean Tuna Salad

You can do a lot more with tuna salad than make sandwiches. This healthy recipe features albacore tuna, fresh green beans, Northern beans, black olives and hard boiled eggs.

3/4 pound green beans, trimmed and snapped in half
1 (12 oz.) can solid white albacore tuna, drained
1 (16 oz.) can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (2.25 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
1/4 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste
4 large hard cooked eggs, peeled and quartered

Directions

Place green beans, 1/3 cup water and a large pinch of salt into a medium skillet. Cover, turn heat on high and bring water to a boil.

Once the beans start to steam, set the timer and cook until tender and crisp (about 5 minutes. Note: do not let the skillet run dry). Immediately dump the beans into a lipped cookie sheet that is lined with paper towels. Let cool.

In a bowl, combine the tuna, olives and onion.

In another bowl, whisk together the oregano, oil, lemon juice and zest. Pour over the tuna mixture; gently stirring. Add salt and pepper to taste. Arrange a portion of the tuna salad, green beans and hard cooked eggs onto 4 plates.

Tuna Salad Recipes - Deliciously Simple Tuna Salad

Mmmm . . . homemade bread bakes in the oven while you toss a healthy green salad with homemade dressing, and that soup sure smells good too. Get your free recipes here => [http://www.best-salad-recipes.com]

How to Make Homemade Popsicles

Do you know how easy it is to make your own popsicles for your family?

You can make your own freshly made popsicles for pennies on the dollar compared to all of those pricey store brand popsicles. A positive benefit of making your own homemade popsicles is that you control the ingredients that go into them.

Homemade Cookies Recipe

The following recipes take less than 10 minutes to prepare and within a few hours, you will have some great tasting, freshly made popsicle for you and your family.

Here is what you need to get started:

1. mixer or blender
2. large bowl
3. mixing spoon
4. funnel or ladle
5. popsicle molds (Tupperware makes Ice Tupps Popsicle Molds but other companies also make them).

Your popsicle mold set should include: a tray, plastic popsicle molds, popsicle sticks and seals. If you invest in a good quality set of popsicle molds, they should be dishwasher safe, making clean up a snap.

Now let's get started with some recipes.

Kids Polar Popsicles

4 cups strawberries
1/3 cup Tropical Punch flavored sugar-sweetened soft drink mix

Rinse strawberries and remove stems. Place strawberries and flavored soft-drink mix into a blender container, cover and blend on low speed for 1 1/2 minutes or until smooth. Pour mixture into your popsicle molds and insert the sticks and freeze for 3 hours.

Homemade Fudgesicles

1 4 oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup canned evaporated milk

Combine the pudding and 2 cups milk. Beat for 2 minutes. Stir in sugar and canned milk. Pour in to popsicle molds. Freeze.

Frozen Pear Popsicles

1 (16 oz.) can pear halves, drained
1 (8 oz.) plain yogurt
3 tbsp. honey
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
Few drops almond extract

In blender container combine pears, yogurt, honey, lemon juice and almond extract. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into the Ice Tupps set to make popsicles. Freeze 4 to 6 hours.

Cookies 'N Cream Frozen Popsicles

1 cup Cool Whip
12 Oreo Cookies - crushed
1/2 cup milk
1 4-serving pack of Vanilla Instant Pudding

Mix the above ingredients together and pour into your Ice Tupps set to make popsicles. Freeze for 4-5 hours before serving.

Banana Chocolate Pudding Pops

1 cup milk
1 box instant chocolate pudding mix
2 Bananas

In a blender combine the milk and box of Instant chocolate pudding mix. Blend until smooth. Unpeel bananas and add them to the blender and puree until all of the mixture is mixed smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and insert sticks and freeze for 6 hours before serving.

Orange Popsicles

1 box orange gelatin
1 pkt. orange flavored soft-drink mix
1 cup boiling water
1 cup orange juice

Dissolve the orange soft drink mix and gelatin in boiling water. Add the orange juice. Stir until all ingredients are dissolved and mixed. Pour mixture into the Ice Tupps and freeze for 4 hours.

How to Make Homemade Popsicles

Shelly Hill

Shelly has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989. Shelly is a Manager with Tupperware.
You can contact Shelly at:
Web: http://www.classybusinesswomen.com
Recipe Blog: http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

Pumpkin Cookie and Mincemeat Cookie Recipes

Here are my mother's pumpkin cookie recipe and mincemeat cookie recipe. She would bake these particular cookies during the holidays. She worked in the home. So, quite often when I would return from school in the afternoon, she would have a batch of cookies made. As I entered the house, it would smell so inviting.

I have chosen these two recipes because they bring back my memories of home and fall. I hope you enjoy them.

Cookies Recipe

Pumpkin Cookies
1 1/2 cups pumpkin 1/2 cup shortening 1 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 egg 2 cups unsifted flour 1 tsp. soda 1 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 package butterscotch morsels

Mix all the ingredients in the order given. Then, drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 to 14 minutes. You may substitute raisins, pecans or coconut for the butterscotch chips. This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.

Mincemeat Drop Cookies
3/4 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 well-beaten eggs 3 cups flour 3/4 tsp. salt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 9-oz. package dry mincemeat Grated rind of one lemon 3 tbsp. water 1 cup nuts

First you cream shortening and sugar together. Then add the eggs and beat well. Next, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add half of the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and add the finely crumbled mincemeat, lemon rind and water. Stir this mixture until blended. Finally, add the nuts and remaining flour mixture and mix well. Drop the dough from a teaspoon onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees to 10 to 15 minutes. You may use one cup of canned mincemeat instead of the dry mincemeat. This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.

Pumpkin Cookie and Mincemeat Cookie Recipes

For more great cookie and dessert recipes, please visit My Sweetie's Favorite Dessert Recipes at http://www.favorite-dessert-recipes.com. Also, see other recipes in the cooking section at http://www.single-family-home-remodeling.com.

How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Man Cookies

Several years ago when our daughter was about 13 years old, we started a holiday tradition together. About 2 weeks before Christmas, we would spend an afternoon together baking gingerbread flavored holiday goodies.

When it comes to holiday baking, it just wouldn't be complete without making some cute gingerbread man cookies. The follow recipe is pretty easy, although its not quick since you will be hand making your dough, rolling it out and then cutting out your cookie shapes.

Homemade Cookies

Gingerbread Man Cookies Recipe

2 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2/3 cup molasses
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 cups all purpose-flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
4 tablespoons milk

In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup softened butter, molasses, brown sugar and egg together using an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Add in the flour, spices, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, salt, baking soda and then the baking powder. Beat mixture at low speed with an electric mixture until all ingredients are well combined. Place mixture in a large zipper close plastic bag and place into the refrigerator for 4 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with a silicone nonstick baking mat or lightly grease them. Split cookie dough into three equal sections. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured dough board until it measures approximately 1/4" thick. Use a purchased gingerbread man cookie cutter and cut out your shapes. Place shapes onto your baking sheets and bake in the oven for 6-8 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Frosting Recipe

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the confectioner's sugar, milk, remaining 1/2 cup of butter and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Use an electric mixer and beat until mixture is creamy and fluffy. If desired, you can tint the frosting with food color. Decorate your completely cooled gingerbread man cookies with frosting and set aside to dry.

Store your cookies in an airtight cookie canister. These cookies will keep for 2-3 weeks if properly stored.

How to Make Homemade Gingerbread Man Cookies

Shelly Hill has been working from home in Direct Sales since 1989 and is a Manager with Tupperware. Every December, Shelly enjoys spending a few days doing holiday baking with her daughter and her mother. It is a family tradition that all 3 women enjoy doing together. You can visit Shelly online at http://www.workathomebusinessoptions.com or her recipe blog at http://wahmshelly.blogspot.com

Sugar Cookies - Make Your Cookies Vanish

Is it your turn to bring refreshments for your mystery book club - which just happens to be reading a culinary mystery? "One Tough Cookie" by Diane Mott Davidson surely calls for a cookie treat - although hopefully not a tough one! The versatile sugar cookie will give you a chance to show your fellow mystery-lovers that you have just as many tasty talents as Goldy Schultz, the catering, mystery-solving heroine of " One Tough Cookie!"

You don't have to be a detective to find over a million and a half results for a "sugar cookie recipe" search on the Internet. You can add yummy ingredients like lemon, sour cream or chocolate or, using cookie cutters, bake them into any shape that fits your needs (I'll bet you could even find a cookie cutter or two related to books!)

Homemade Cookies

There's even a National Sugar Cookie Day (July 9) - I'll bet that was a mystery to you until now!

One thing that isn't mysterious about sugar cookie recipes - they all contain butter (or margarine), sugar and flour in some combination.

Sugar cookies made with margarine have a much longer shelf-life (up to 30 days) than butter-based dough (only about 7 days). Let's face it though - offer your cookies to women already hungry from reading about Goldy Schultz's appetizing creations and shelf life won't be important anyway!

Once you've chosen your recipe, roll out the dough and cut into shapes. Now, your decorating skills have a chance to shine!

Colorful toppings for the tasty sugar cookie include spectacular fondant, royal icing and glazes. Any of these will make a cookie so grand that Goldy just might decide to steal your recipe!

To really impress your friends with an eye-catching cookie, try using fondant. It's quick and easy to roll and then cut to custom tailor a colorful coat for your cookies. Here's some tips for a sugar cookie even Goldy would be proud to serve.

Fondant can be purchased ready-made or you can make your own at home. Either type can easily be colored. You can do this one of two ways: If you're making the fondant from scratch and you want the whole batch to be one color, you can add the food coloring with the water when mixing the recipe.

If you're using ready-made fondant or you want to color one batch several different colors, add a fine stripe of gel paste color to a lump of fondant and knead in the color.

Specialty food colors should be available at your local baking supply store, but if not, they are easily ordered online.

Once the fondant is mixed and colored, it's one of the easiest and quickest ways to decorate your cookies.

Simply roll the fondant out to the desired thickness and cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Trim to fit cookie and gently lay onto face of cookie.

Certain types of fondant will stick to the cookie without any help, but if you find the fondant is slipping about, brush the surface of the cookie with a little vanilla extract or piping gel.

For a textured effect, try using an embossed fondant roller on the fondant before you cut it out. For an even more dazzling effect, add some pearl luster dust for shimmer - this really makes the embossing stand out.

One final sugar cookie hint, especially useful if you are prone to cookie baking emergencies! Why not make extra dough and save it for a time when you're in a rush to product a culinary delight.

Wrap leftover dough in plastic wrap, and seal it in a zip-top bag. The dough can stay frozen for up to two months. Just allow for defrosting time before you use it - usually overnight in the refrigerator will do.

Maybe you should write a culinary mystery yourself. Call it "The Case of the Vanishing Sugar Cookie!" because once the group tastes these beautifully decorated sweet treats, there won't be even one left!

Sugar Cookies - Make Your Cookies Vanish

Samantha Mitchell, Co-Author Cookie Decorating Made Easy! Vol. 1 & 2 The World's First Cookie Decorating Video Books. Your cookies most certainly won’t be “tough” if you sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.CookiesMadeEasy.com Get hassle free cookie tips, along with cookie decorating tips and online videos delivered straight to your inbox.

How to Make Healthy Vegan Cookies - 3 Easy Steps to Make Your Vegan Cookies Healthy

If you want to make healthy vegan cookies, you can't just stop at the vegan part - there are 3 more things you need to know to get to healthy cookies. In fact, you can make any cookie healthier by following these 3 simple steps.

Cookies are a great treat in a vegan diet because they are so easy to make in a healthy way, rather than something to feel guilty about. If you make them right, they can be a perfect snack that will keep you satisfied, rather than having to keep munching.

Cookies Recipe

Here are the 3 steps to make healthy vegan cookies:

1: Lower the Fat Content
The reason cookies from a bakery taste so good is mainly because they have a huge amount of fat in them. There are lots of ways to cut some fat out of a cookie recipe, and applesauce is an easy one to use. All you need to do is take the total oil content of the recipe, and replace whatever proportion you like with applesauce.

In making healthy vegan cookies, you can generally replace ½ - ¾ of the oil in a standard recipe. Keep in mind that some fat is helpful both to your body and to the cookie. It helps protect the ingredients from drying out and losing nutrients in the oven, and creates a texture that you just can't get without it.

2: Lower the Sugar Content
Another reason bakery cookies taste good is their sugar content. The amount of sugar in a standard recipe, or in store-bought cookies, is way higher than it needs to be. Whenever you bake from a recipe out of a book, you should take a minute to look at the proportions of the ingredients.

You can cut the sugar of most cookie recipes in half for your healthy vegan cookies, and most people won't even notice. The further you cut back, the better. Play around with batches until you get a level that works for you.

If you also use whole sweeteners like sucanat or maple syrup, these will be broken down and absorbed into the blood stream much more slowly than white sugar. Adding fruit brings in natural sugars, and cinnamon tastes sweet without sugar. Experiment with your cookies, and you'll find that you can keep your blood sugar in balance very easily by making them delicious low-sugar cookies.

3: Use Whole Foods
If you want to make healthy vegan cookies that are actually healthy in addition to being yummy, you need to use whole foods. This means unrefined flours, sweeteners and oils. When foods are refined, they lose some component of why they were nutritious in their natural state.

Good choices for whole foods are spelt or whole wheat flour instead of white; sucanat, brown rice syrup or maple syrup instead of white sugar, and coconut oil instead of butter or margarine. Margarine is commonly used in vegan cookies, but it is not a whole food and is not as healthy as coconut oil.

How to Make Healthy Vegan Cookies - 3 Easy Steps to Make Your Vegan Cookies Healthy

And if you really want to make the best vegan cookies, check out this amazing resource that shows you how to make healthy vegan cookies, available at http://www.healthyveganrecipes.net/healthy-vegan-products/healthy-vegan-cookies.

Heather Nauta is a registered holistic nutritionist who teaches you how to live a healthy vegan/vegetarian lifestyle, including how to get proper nutrition, enough protein, vitamin b12 and other minerals, and how to make an amazing variety of simple, fast healthy recipes that taste incredible for you and your family.

Breast Cancer Favors - Purchased and Homemade

Giving breast cancer favors, whether as a personal celebration (weddings, birthdays, etc.) or at events (awareness events and fundraisers) conveys a thoughtful, meaningful and personal message. Guests and/or attendees have something to take home with them (whether it is a keepsake, something functional or an edible favor) to remind and reflect about the disease, how it has affected those they love, and how they can help support the cause.

The options for breast cancer favors are wide, whether purchased or homemade.

Homemade Cookies

Purchased

Breast Cancer Awareness Candles: Whether pink candles, or candles with the pink ribbon adorning them, these are popular gifts. Look for those that you can personalize the container for the occasion. Magnets - Always a thoughtful and practical gift. Many designs are available and some even allow you to personalize the magnets. These pink ribbon favors are especially popular. Cookies & Cupcakes - Turn to your favorite bakery for the cupcakes and cookies. If they are unable to accommodate you turn to online sources. Plantable Favors - These are popular and quite affordable. The recipient plants the favor and in time will have a beautiful array of wildflowers. Bookmarks - These come in many different varieties from simple, laminated bookmarks to more ornate metal bookmarks with bead and crystal adornments.
Homemade

Cookies & Cupcakes: For inspiration and recipes, turn to Google and search on the term "breast cancer cupcakes", "pink ribbon cupcakes", "breast cancer cookies" and "pink ribbon cookies". For more great ideas and pictures perform the same search but using Google Images. (To do this, go to www.google.com and select Images in the upper left corner. Then type the search term).

Also - you can easily find an online source for pink ribbon shaped cookie cutters.

Bath Salts Favors: Purchase in bulk bath salts in pink, or pink and white. Divide the salts into cellophane bags and tie each bag with a pretty pink ribbon. If you are handy with a computer make personalized labels for each favor and include the pink ribbon symbol on it.

A similar favor can be made by purchasing pretty pink or white soaps. Wrap each in tissue paper and then put in a small, pink, drawstring organza bag (available online or at most craft stores).

Diva Entertains- Copyright 2009

Breast Cancer Favors - Purchased and Homemade

Deb Rosenberg is party planner and breast cancer awareness is near and dear to her heart. She recommends these breast cancer magnets and these pink ribbon breast cancer candle favors found at DivaEntertains.com

Homemade Coconut Ice Cream For the Win!

I prefer to make my own ice cream because I then have total control over the ingredients. The following came from a friend. It is a combination of recipes from the Ben & Jerry's book, and some coconut milk recipes online. It's delicious, and it keeps the sugar and artificials out while keeping the flavor and the texture you know you love!

2 eggs
2 cans organic coconut milk (a little over 3 cups)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
6 Tbs. agave nectar **
1 Tbs. vanilla extract

Homemade Cookies

Beat the eggs until fluffy. Add a little coconut milk and the cocoa powder and beat until the cocoa is completely blended in. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until thoroughly blended.

I try to remember to put the bowl in the freezer for at least 8 hours and make sure your freezer is at 0 degrees (max) before I put it into the ice cream maker. Very tasty.

**I used to use stevia. You'd have to fiddle around to taste because all stevias are different. I used 'kal' brand and put in about 3 (heaping) tiny scoops (which comes in the container).

TIP: When making ice cream with eggs, heat them with the coconut milk until it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it. Then add the cocoa and/or whatever else (like raw almond butter) and stevia. Then let it cool in the freezer for 1/2 hour or so, then transfer it to the ice cream maker.

The possibilities to use as ingredients are endless, especially in summer. Fresh strawberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, all are packed with antioxidants and nutrients, and they go with the coconut flavor of the ice cream so well.

Homemade Coconut Ice Cream For the Win!

If you're one of the millions of people out there who is trying to eat right, be it for health or just to save money, this here is a resource I love!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Here's a delicious Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe that is easy to make and receives rave reviews.

First for the ingredients for your Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Cookies Recipe

Recipe:

1 c. pumpkin
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 egg
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla
Nuts (optional)

Here's how you will prepare your Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe

Preparation:

Dissolve baking soda in milk; set aside. In large bowl add pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg; stir. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Serve on top of cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees 10 to 12 minutes or until done.

Alternative Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe:

For a change you can have a try at this delicious recipe here, and am sure it will create impression on everyone. Here's the ingredients you will need for this Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Recipe:

* 1/2 cup shortening

* 1 1/2 cups white sugar

* 1 egg

* 1 cup canned pumpkin

* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

* 1 teaspoon baking powder

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

As for the directions to the alternative Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, and then stir in the pumpkin and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon; gradually mix into the creamed mixture. Stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light brown. Cool on wire racks.

Enjoy this delicious and easy to make Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipe! Both recipes are popular which is why we wanted to give you both of the pumpkin chocolate chip cookie recipes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

If You Would Like to Receive Chocolate Dessert Recipes Click Here ->Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe [http://www.chocolateanddessertrecipes.info/chocolate]

For Details on How You Can Easily Churn Out Scrumptious Desserts at Record Speed click Here -> Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

The Original Old Fashion Paczki Recipe

This is the original recipe for making paczki that was brought from Europe by my wife's grandmother when she first arrived at Ellis Island and the onward to Pennsylvania where she finally settled.

Just how old this recipe really is I have no idea but the only thing I know is how good the paczki's are.

Cookies Recipe

You must follow this recipe exactly or it will not work well, I know, I have tried to create some shortcuts that were ok but not as good.

This recipe yields 4dozen of the most delicious punczki that you ever had.

Remember all ingredients should be room temperature.

1.Disolve:

¾ ounce yeast in ¼ cup warm water

warm ½ quart milk

add to the yeast and warm milk 3 cups flour and let rise for about ½ hour to create what is called a sponge.

2.Put together:

½ quart warm milk

¼ lb. Butter

2 tablespoons shortening

½ cup sugar

2 tablespoons whiskey

3.Mix steps 1 and 2 with 6 eggs, pinch of salt, 9 cups flour and mix until you get a really good textured dough.

Let the dough rise until double in size, cut the dough into 2 ounce pieces and form balls.

Place the dough balls on a well oiled flat pan, let them rise for about ½ hour to about ¾ hour.

Fry dough balls in 350 degree oil until well browned on both sides then put them on a brown paper bag to drain the oil form frying.

Let cool for a while and fill using a pastry bag with a tip that has a whole about the size of a pencil, roll in sugar or 10x sugar and enjoy with a hot cup of coffee.

You can fill them with prune leckvar or any jellies that you like.

The Original Old Fashion Paczki Recipe

Andrew Krause is a Chef and Pastry Chef for over 30 years, at persent I own a Gourmet Bakery called The Cheese Confectioner. You can visit my site at [http://www.andies.cashhosters2.com]

NOTE": You are welcome to reprint this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the about the author info at the end). Please send a copy of your reprint to pastrie@verizon.net

Homemade Malted Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe With Chocolate Cookie Chunks

This malted vanilla ice cream recipe is perfect for pleasing the entire family. You may want to make two batches right away, because the first one won't last very long. Smooth homemade vanilla ice cream with malt flavoring and crushed chocolate sandwich cookie chunks make this better than any ice cream concoction you can buy. You'll get high ratings from your friends and family with this recipe. It will become an ice cream recipe you will make over and over again.

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Homemade Cookies

1 cup whole milk

6 Tablespoons malt powder (you may use more or less to taste)

2 cups heavy cream

2 Teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 12-14 cookies)*

Mix the granulated sugar and malt powder in a medium bowl with a whisk or hand mixer to make sure there are no lumps in the malt powder. Stir in 1 cup whole milk and whisk until the sugar and malt powder is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1-2 hours.

When ready, pour the mixture into your ice cream maker freezer bowl, turn on machine and let mix for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add your crushed chocolate sandwich cookies through the ingredient spout and mix for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer to an air tight container and let freeze for 2 hours. Garnish each serving with an extra chocolate sandwich cookie. Enjoy!

*To crush chocolate sandwich cookies, place the 12-14 cookies in a heavy plastic freezer bag and gently smash with the heel of your hand until pieces are somewhat uniform in size.

Homemade Malted Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe With Chocolate Cookie Chunks

Laura Warnke is owner of an online gourmet retail store, The Topping Shoppe LLC. Here you will find a great selection of dessert sauces and ice cream sundae toppings to purchase. Visit my website at All-About-Dessert-Sauces.com to find out more about dessert sauces and how to serve them, along with easy ice cream and dessert sauce recipes to make yourself.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe?

There is nothing like a great sugar cookie recipe. Don't buy the roll of Pillsbury Dough, you can make a superb cookie that will remind you of the days when Grandma made them.

Grandma used to sit by the fire and drink her tea and Grandpa used to sip his coffee made from his French Press, before it was trendy. I loved seeing them sit there enjoying the day. When we walked in the house there were smells coming from the kitchen you just couldn't imagine. The sweet smell of warm sugar cookies invaded your senses. You knew today was going to be a treat.

Homemade Cookies Recipe

It was a tradition that we enjoyed every year. The kitchen was filled with flour storms and the counters were sticky from Buttercream frosting. We had tin cookie cutters spread all over the table. I liked the boot best, my sister liked the angel.

Grandma had a special way with those cookies and she handed down the recipe to me. I was to teach my kids how to make these wonderful holiday sweets. It wouldn't be Christmas time without this recipe of Yummy cookies.
I am publishing it because I want you to enjoy the best sugar cookie recipe ever.

Grandma's Favorite Sugar Cookie

1 cup white sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp cream of tarter

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups flour

½ cup corn oil

Cream the sugars and butter together. Mix the beaten eggs, vanilla and corn oil, in. Add the dry ingredients .Mix all the ingredients well and chill overnight.
Bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes....DO NOT OVERCOOK.

We used to make the funniest colors to decorate the cookies, most of them looked inedible. They tasted heavenly, though. We figured if we made them look gross enough, the adults would leave them alone. We were wrong. Everyone knew they were Grandma's famous sugar cookies from her handed down recipe book. This page was splattered with all sorts of colors. I have that book now. I love making these cookies with my kids.

Grandma's Favorite Frosting (don't forget the food coloring)

2 cups of powdered sugar

½ cup butter melted

1 ½ T Milk

1 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla. Add a small amount of milk (1 to 2 tablespoons). Beat until fluffy. If frosting is too sweet add a little more milk.

Try it this season. Enjoy your family and brew some wonderful tea or coffee and relax. Take the time to make memories with your family or neighbors or friends.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe?

Linda Cramer is the Owner of Oregon Gourmet Foods and Gifts. She is also the co-owner of The Baby Gift Basket Company. http://www.oregongourmetfoods.com http://www.babygiftbasketco.com