Turtle Cookies

Looking for a new cookie recipe? After trying lots of different recipes I am happy to share this Turtle Cookie Recipe, because they were so, so good. Like stupid good. Thank goodness I have kids to help me eat them, otherwise I would have eaten them all!
My daughter is cooking with me all the time which is such a treat. It's so fun when the kids get old enough to help out.

Turtle Cookies

Cookie batter:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/8 tsp. salt

8 T. butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

1 egg yolk

2 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer to a low speed and add flour mixture until just combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate until firm.

Coating:

2 egg whites

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Whisk egg whites until frothy.  Place chopped pecans in a separate bowl.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip half the ball in egg whites, and then roll that half in pecans.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.

Caramel Filling:

10 caramel candies

2 T. whipping cream

Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 minute.  Once cookies are removed from the oven,  re-press the indentations.  Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. 

Chocolate Drizzle (optional):  

1/4 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

1 Ziploc bag

Place chocolate chips in a small Ziploc bag.  Set the bag in a bowl of warm water to soften.  Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed.  Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag.  Drizzle chocolate over the cooled Turtle Cookies.

Rudolph's Nose Cookies

Rudloph's Nose Cookies
1 box (18.25 oz) Devil's food cake mix

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted


1 egg

Vanilla frosting (about 1/2 tub per batch)

maraschino cherries (no stems)

Directions

Mix first four ingredients into a stiff dough. (Dough dries quickly and then is hard to roll--add a

 little oil to help with the dry-out factor:-) ) Roll in 1-inch balls. Press an indentation into ball (like

 with the round end of a wooden spoon or something like that). Place 2 inches apart on 

ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. If dough is puffed, use the 

end of a wooden spoon to recreate indentation. Cool for one minute. Remove from pan and

 continue to cool. Spread frosting in indention (or apply with star-tipped pastry bag). Top with 

cherry.

Christmas Treats

This year we decided to try some new recipes. Here are two we tried: Chocolate Cake Batter Chex and Turtle cookies.


Chocolate Cake Batter Chex was really easy to make and it is so yummy. In Texas this is basically the same recipe we use to make Texas White Trash. This is a great recipe to do with your kids!

Chocolate Cake Batter Chex

5 cups corn chex
10 squares chocolate flavored almond bark
3/4 cup yellow cake mix
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Sprinkles

In a gallon size ziploc bag mix together the yellow cake mix and powdered sugar, set aside. In a large bowl measure out your  5 cups of chex and throw in some sprinkles. Melt the almond bark and pour over the chex and sprinkles. Once the almond bark and chex is mixed up pour it into the ziploc bag and shack it up with the cake and sugar mix. Once it's mixed up well that's it. Your done!

• To make this recipe into Texas White Trash just add pecans, pretzels, and peanuts.

Turtle Cookies are not as simple as the the other recipe. These are multiple step cookies, but they are quite delicious and worth the effort.

Turtle Cookies

Cookie batter:

1 c. all-purpose flour

1/3 c. cocoa powder

1/8 tsp. salt

8 T. butter, softened

2/3 c. sugar

1 egg yolk

2 T. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine flour, cocoa, and salt; set aside. With an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolk, milk, and vanilla. Reduce mixer to a low speed and add flour mixture until just combined. Cover the dough and refrigerate until firm.

Coating:

2 egg whites

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Whisk egg whites until frothy.  Place chopped pecans in a separate bowl.  Roll dough into 1-inch balls, dip half the ball in egg whites, and then roll that half in pecans.  Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes.

Caramel Filling:

10 caramel candies

2 T. whipping cream

Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 minute.  Once cookies are removed from the oven,  re-press the indentations.  Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. 

Chocolate Drizzle (optional):  

1/4 cup chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

1 Ziploc bag

Place chocolate chips in a small Ziploc bag.  Set the bag in a bowl of warm water to soften.  Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed.  Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag.  Drizzle chocolate over the cooled Turtle Cookies.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownie Ice Cream Cake

A while back I bought an ice cream cake from Cold Stone and was a little taken back by the price. I wondered if I could make one. I wasn't sure how hard it would be. After searching Pinterest I realized how easy they are to make. They are way cheaper to make then they are to buy.

Mint Chocolate Chip Oreo Brownie Ice Cream Cake

1 package brownie mix (get whatever kind you like best)
1 carton mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 package mint Oreos
1 package regular Oreos
1 jar hot fudge

Bake the brownie mix according to it's directions in a 9x13 pan. Make sure not to over cook the brownies. You want the brownie to be soft enough it will hold the Oreo mint cookies you press into it all along the sides of the pan. Once your brownie base has cooled enough add the cookies all along the side. The add an ice cream layer on top of the brownie base.

Next crush up some regular Oreos and sprinkle them across the ice cream. I tried to use the mint ones, but they do not crumble up well.
Next pour the hot fudge over the crumbled cookies and ice cream layer. Spread around the hot fudge.
Finally add another layer of ice cream and top it with some more crushed Oreos. Put it in the freezer until your ready to eat it.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished cake and it didn't last long once I got it out of the freezer. The kids gobbled it up in no time!