White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies

I had to start my holiday baking a little early so that I could get gifts out to Baby Bear's teachers and my students and co-workers. So last week, I baked 18 dozen cookies and this week, I have more to bake. These cookies are really yummy and festive looking with the peppermint M&Ms. I love the peppermint and it is even better as M&Ms.



Cookies packaged and ready to go.


 

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies

Ingredients

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 bag white chocolate peppermint M&Ms

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a seperate bowl and set aside.

2. Cream butter, oil, and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.

3. Add dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Do not overmix.

4. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spoon onto cookie sheet. Add 3-4 M&Ms.

5. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen.

Source: Adapted from Lil' Luna

Pecan Turtle Bars

For my Christmas baking this year I tried a new recipe, Pecan Turtle Bars. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com. It looked good and easy to make. I gave it a try and I thought they came out pretty yummy. I packaged them up and gave them as gifts to friends.



Pecan Turtle Bars

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups chopped pecans
1 1/3 cups butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups milk chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Line 13 x 9 pan in foil.

Combine flour, 1 cup brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of foil lined baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumb mixture.

Combine remaining butter and brown sugar in small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. Cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.

Bake 25 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate pieces. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt; use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into 48 bars.

Source: adapted from Allrecipes.com

Cookies!

I did some baking this weekend. I decided to bake cookies for people at work. I went back to an old favorite of mine that is easy and not totally from scratch. You start with a box of cake mix and you can use pretty much any cake mix flavor you want. I usually do chocolate cake, but I decide to mix it up and I made two varieties: Red Velvet crinkle cookies and French Vanilla Cake butterscotch chip cookies.



1 package of cake mix
1/3 cup of oil
2 eggs
(For the Red Velvet crinkle cookies: powdered sugar)
(For French Vanilla butterscotch chip cookies: 1 cup of butterscotch chips)

Blend cake mix, oil, and eggs.
(For French Vanilla butterscotch chip cookies: blend butterscotch chips).
When blended together, roll into 1 inch balls.
(For the Red Velvet crinkle cookies: Dredge in powdered sugar).
Bake on greased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes.

A very easy recipe and very yummy.