Raspberry Cream Cookies

These are my new favorites! The original recipe called for strawberry preserves, so I made a batch with that and also a batch with my homemade raspberry jam.

Raspberry Cream Cookies

1 cup softened butter

3 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
3 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/2 cups flour
Raspberry jam, or other flavor of your choice

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and vanilla. Add flour and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place on an ungreased baking sheet 2 inches apart. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make a 1/2 inch deep indentation in the middle of the cookie. I had to flour the end of the spoon so that it would not stick. Fill each hole with jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or just until set.

Holiday Shortbread Tidbits

I really like these little, bite-sized cookies. They are really easy to make, too! They can be made before the holiday season and stored between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Skip the nonpareils or substitute a different color for different seasons.

Holiday Shortbread Tidbits

1/2 cup softened butter

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1-1/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons multi-colored nonpareils

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 1 inch overhang. Set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, and almond extract in medium bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add flour and salt. Beat until well mixed. Using a spoon, stir in nonpareils.

Knead mixture 4 or 5 times in bowl until dough forms a ball. Pat dough evenly into prepared pan. Use plastic wrap to lift dough from pan. Cut dough into 1/2 inch squares. Gently place squares 1/2 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Discard plastic wrap. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until bottoms just begin to brown.

Special Sesame Chicken

I absolutely love this recipe! I found it on one of those free recipe cards at the grocery store years ago. You can make sesame chicken nuggets, too!

Special Sesame Chicken

• ½ cup flour
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp lemon pepper
• chicken
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp onion salt
• 1½ tsp garlic salt
• 4 tbsp melted butter
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, chili powder, paprika, onion salt, lemon pepper and ½ tsp garlic salt in one bowl. Combine melted butter, 1 tsp garlic salt and pepper in another bowl. Dip chicken pieces in flour mix, then in butter, and last in sesame seeds. Place in shallow, greased baking pan. Bake for one hour, turning after 30 minutes.

Caramel Brownies

These treats are so yummy! I like to make them during the holidays, but they are great any time of the year. Keep them in the fridge or they will fall apart.

Caramel Brownies

14 oz. caramels (about 50)
1/2 cup plus 1/3 cup evaporated milk (separately)
1 package German Chocolate cake mix
1 cup chopped nuts (I like walnuts)
3/4 cup melted butter
6 oz. chocolate chips

In a saucepan on low to medium heat, cook the caramels and 1/2 cup evaporated milk until melted. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, nuts, 1/3 cup canned milk, and the melted butter. Spread half of this mixture into a greased and floured 13 X 9 pan. Bake @350 degrees for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle 6 ounces of chocolate chips over crust and then pour caramel over it. Crumble remaining cake mix over the top and bake for another 18 minutes.

Cool and keep in refrigerator.