Egg Nog Cookies

WE LOVED THESE COOKIES!! I made these for my husband to take to work for his guys along with several other kinds of cookies and these were my favorite!!! My husband is an egg nog addict and he is obessed with these cookies!! A must try especially for the holiday season!

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups white sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup eggnog
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
1 tsp nutmeg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Eggnog Glaze:

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

3 TBSP eggnog

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Cream sugar and butter until light

Add eggnog, vanilla, and egg yolks; beat at medium speed with mixer until smooth.

Add flour mixture and beat at low speed until just combined.

Do not over mix

Spoon onto un-greased cookie sheets and make the dough balls rather small, they will spread generously in the oven.

Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until the edges barely start to brown.

While cookies are in the oven, make the eggnog glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar with 3 T eggnog.

Gaze your cookies warm or cooled and top with cinnamon.

ENJOY!!

Cherry Chocolate Kisses

If you love cherry and chocolate you will love these cookies!!

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp maraschino cherry “juice”
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies
36 milk chocolate kisses, unwrapped


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.

Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined.
With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.

Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.

Using your thumb, gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick.

Sprinkle each cookie with a little granulated sugar.

Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.

Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center.

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

ENJOY!!

Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Cookies

Oh My!! These are the best chocolate chip cookies ever! They are so soft and moist! Definitely give these a try!!!

Directions:



1 cup butter , softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar
8 ounces cream cheese , softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

With an electric mixer cream butter and sugars until nice and creamy.

Add cream cheese and continue to mix until all lumps are gone and it is nice and smooth.

Add vanilla and egg and mix.

Slowly add flour, a little at a time. Add baking soda and salt and mix well, but not too much!

Turn off your mixer and add the chocolate chips, folding by hand with a rubber spatula.

Scoop cookie dough by the rounded tablespoon onto a cookie sheet; make sure they aren’t too close though!

Bake in your oven for 9-11 minutes, I do mine for 10.

Cool on a rack and once they are all the way cool put into a plastic bag or container and keep in the fridge! Since they have cream cheese in them you don’t want them to spoil. 
ENJOY!!

Pork Skillet

This dish was super yummy and really easy to make! It was all in one skillet which made the clean up so easy as well!!

Ingredients:

4  pork chops 1 inch thick ( I did not have pork chops so I used pork shoulder steaks and they turned out just fine!)

1/4 cup Progresso beef flavored broth or chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

4 medium potatoes, cut into fourths

4 small carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 medium onions, cut into fourths

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Chopped fresh parsley, if desired                                           

Directions:

Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray.

Heat over medium-high heat.

Cook pork in skillet about 5 minutes, turning once, until brown.

Add broth, potatoes, carrots and onions to skillet. S

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat to boiling; reduce heat.

Cover and simmer about 30 minute (while turning several times) or until vegetables are tender and pork is slightly pink when cut near bone.

Sprinkle with parsley.

ENJOY!!

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

This is, NO LIE, the BEST banana cake I have EVER had in my life!!! This cake will be a regular in our house.  If you have any over ripe bananas in your house make this cake TONIGHT!

Ingredients:

Cake:

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 egg

2 TBSP butter, softened

2 mashed super ripe bananas (about 3/4 cup)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Frosting:

2 TBSP butter, softened

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or equivalent of vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

Directions:

To make cake (easily mixed by hand):

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees if your using a glass pan. 375 degrees if you are using something different than glass.

Cream together sugar, sour cream, egg, and 2 tablespoons softened butter.

Add mashed bananas and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix well.

Pour into greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting:

Cream butter and confectioner's sugar together until smooth.

Slowly add the heavy cream; stir until smooth.
Stir in the vanilla bean paste until fully incorporated.

Spread on cooled cake. 
ENJOY!!

Tuscan Pasta With Tomato-Basil Cream

This pasta is great!! It is also super easy and quick to make.  I made this and served it with a salad.  It was all delicious!!

Ingredients:

1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli

1 (16-oz.) jar of Classico sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce 

1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained.  I used the garlic, basil and Oregano diced tomatoes.

1/4 tsp garlic

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. 

Put a tiny bit of water in the jar and shake well, cover tightly and shake well.

Stir water mixture into saucepan.

Stir in chopped tomatoes, garlic and chopped basil and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. 

ENJOY!!

Buffalo and Potato Casserole

If you love buffalo wing and ranch dressing you will LOVE this!! Buffalo wings are one of my favorite things and I am in LOVE with this dish!!! The picture is not the greatest but trust me it is delicious!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

1/3 cup Franks buffalo sauce

6 cups shredded hash brown potatoes
1 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 (10 oz) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup panko breading

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Spray 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and buffalo sauce.

Spoon into baking dish in a single layer.

In the same bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup.

Spread over chicken.

Sprinkle panko evenly over the top.

Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.

ENJOY!!