Final VCE: M&M Cookies

The Homespun Heart blog

Ok, with this yummy M&M Cookie sharing, we have 20 recipes shared for the Virtual Cookie Exchange for December.

Not that several of the great bloggers and websites I shared don't have a LOT more cookies, bars, and treats shared...you will only go without cookies this holiday if you want to. There is definitely NO LACK of recipes shared around :o)

I had a lot of fun finding and sharing new friends and blogs, fun recipes and craft ideas. I am always watching for great new recipes for our menu here, so maybe we'll do this again...with other dishes :o) Maybe we should have a Crockpot Exchange...a Ground Beef Exchange...who knows?

Enjoy the recipe and get over to The Homespun Heart and do some visiting!

:::Here is the recipe for the cookies I was making the other day, courtesy of Amy! It seems there is a group of people who like their M&M's mixed in and a group who like their M&M's on top - do it whichever way you like!

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. shortening
2 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. baking soda
4 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. salt

Cream together butter, shortening and sugars. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Stir in remaining dry ingredients. If you are mixing in the M&M's, go ahead and pour in a whole bag now.
Drop on ungreased cookie sheet, if you are doing M&M's on top - do it now!

Bake at 375 for 9 minutes. Makes 7-8 dozen. Enjoy!

Catching up on The Virtual Cookie Exchange...all 19 recipes linked!

Ok...just to get caught up without my getting cramped fingers trying to move all those recipes around, here is a full listing of all 19 Virtual Cookie Exchange sharings I've posted here, the family blog, the HSB blog and so forth....

The Start of The Virtual Cookie Exchange...with recipes linked
VCE: Chocolate Truffles
VCE: Amish Sugar Cut-Outs
VCE: Peanut Butter Bon Bons
VCE: Chocolate Chip Shortbread
Gingerbread and More!
Special 4-in-1 Cookies
Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies
Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies
Easy Fudge...and a Craft
An Alternate Fudge from Carnation with variations
Peanut Butter Kisses
Another Great and Easy Fudge
Chocolate Toffee Cookies
Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
Brownie Bites & Shortbreads
Chocolate Roll Outs>br/> Sourdough Fruit Cake
Quick & Easy Cheese Danish

VCE: Chocolate Toffee Cookies

Chocolate Toffee Cookies...yum!

• 1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Cookie Layer:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon salt

Toffee:

• ½ cup unsalted butter
• ½ cup brown sugar

Chocolate:

• ½ cup chocolate chips

Cooking Instructions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Toast pecan pieces on jelly roll pan 12 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.

In large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium until smooth. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk until combined.

Add flour and salt. Beat until combined, scraping down side of bowl occasionally.

Between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap with a rolling pin roll the dough to a 12-inch-by-9-inch rectangle. Transfer dough to a cookie sheet

Bake 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove cookie sheet to cooling rack and let cool completely.

In a medium pot bring brown sugar and butter to a boil. Boil, stirring occasionally 5 minutes. Immediately spread over cooled cookie.

Sprinkle chocolate chips over toffee. Put back in oven 5 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Spread melted chocolate chips over the toffee and immediately sprinkle nuts.

Put in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Break candy into desired size pieces.

Substitution(s)

• Any toasted nut can be sprinkled on top of the chocolate layer.

Storage Tips

It can be stored, well wrapped, in the freezer for 6 months.

Preparation Time:

20 minutes

Cooking Time:

5 mintues

Ready In:

1 hour 20 minutes

Chilling Time: At least 30 mintues
Baking Time: 25 minutes

VCE: Peanut Butter Kisses

Peanut Butter Kisses, with chocolate stars or Hershey Kisses:

• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• ⅓ cup peanut butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup sugar
• 24 Hershey’s® Kisses

Cooking Instructions

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium until smooth. Add peanut butter. Beat until combined. Add brown sugar. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolk until combined. Add vanilla. Beat until combined.
2. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined.
3. Using 1 level tablespoon dough for each cookie, form each into a ball. Toss in sugar to coat. Transfer to cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Continue with remaining dough. Make an indent in the center of each cookie with the base of a kiss.
4. Bake 13 minutes, or until lightly browned.
5. Remove from oven and place a kiss on each one. Cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes. Remove to cooling rack to cool completely.

Substitution(s)

Dark brown sugar can be used in place of light brown sugar.

Make-Ahead

Cookies can be made through step 2 and stored in the refrigerator up to one week or in the freezer up to 6 months.

Tips & Tricks

For a more festive look, use sanding sugar (the large sugar crystals) to coat each cookie instead of granulated sugar.

Preparation Time:

30 minutes

Servings:

About 18 cookies

Baking Time: 13 minutes per batch

VCE: Easy Fudge...and a cute craft

VCE: Easy Fudge

A great recipe and a fun craft, from The North Pole...

Fantasic Fudge

You will need:

• 3 cups chocolate chips
• 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

• 1) Grease an 8 by 8 inch pan.
• 2) Combine chocolate chips, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium- low heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate chips are melted. Remove pan from heat. To microwave, place chocolate chips, milk, and butter in a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes and stir. If chocolate is not completely melted, microwave on high for 20 seconds more and stir. Repeat until chips are melted.
• 3) Stir in vanilla and walnuts.
• 4) Pour chocolate mixture into pan and smooth with a spoon.
• 5) Refrigerate for about 1 hour or until set. Cut into small squares.

Makes 49 to 64 pieces.

And a fun craft -- origami ornaments ;o)

Origami Ornaments

Ornaments inspired by Origami, the traditional Japanese paper-folding craft, are colorful, inexpensive, and easy to make. You only need a few materials - a box of slightly shiny, lightweight origami paper, string, white glue, and scraps of colored tag board or paper.

To make the Santa, we used an 8 inch square of paper and folded it as shown in the drawing below. Complete the Santa by adding a beard, trim, and hanger. You can secure the arms with glue, if necessary.

For the tree, use a 5 inch square and fold as for the Santa; stop when you have the triangle in the fourth step. Take two horizontal tucks to give a tiered effect. Glue on a tag board star, a hanger, and tiny ornaments made of contrasting origami paper.

To make the reindeer, start with a 6 inch square of paper and follow the folding instructions. Cut antlers from tag board and glue on.

Make the bell by folding a 7 inch square according to the drawing. Finish the bell by separating the points at the top and fold them down each side of the bell; secure with glue. Invert the figure and glue a clapper into the opening and a handle on top.

Fig 1

Cheerful origami ornaments are cleverly folded, then decorated with your individual touches.

VCE: Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies

A great fun recipe from the About.com Homeschooling pages!

Oatmeal Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients
• 1 cup (2 sticks) margarine or butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 3-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups Quaker® Oats (Quick or Old Fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• Ready-to-spread frosting
• Assorted candies

Preparation

Beat margarine and sugar until creamy. Add molasses and egg; beat well. Add combined flour, oats, spices, baking soda and salt; mix well. Cover; chill about 2 hours.

Heat oven to 350°F. On floured surface, roll dough out about 1/4 inch thick for a chewy cookie or 1/8 inch thick for a crisp cookie. Cut with 5-inch gingerbread man or woman cookie cutter. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Frost and decorate cookies with candies. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

VCE: Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

These are from MennoniteGirlsCanCook blog (http://mennonitegirlscancook.blogspot.com)

There are many delicious recipes shared over ther -- go visit!

These cookies are soft and chewy with a hint of lemon and a bit of crunch from the coarse sugar which they are rolled in. I also like the 'crackly effect' on top. They are a nice addition on a cookie plate at Christmas or you can bag them up for gift giving.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice or lemon extract
finely grated peel of 1 lemon
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
coarse or regular sugar for rolling cookies

1) Beat butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy
2) Add egg, vanilla, lemon juice and grated lemon peel and mix well
3) Stir together dry ingredients in a small bowl and add gradually to the creamed mixture until well blended
4) Form rounded tsp of dough into balls and roll in coarse or regular sugar...I used coarse..it looks more sparkly
5) Bake in a preheated oven at 350º for 8 to 10 min, just until lightly browned on the bottom..that is if you want them soft and chewy.

I baked some a bit longer until they were lightly browned on top but then it resulted in a crispier cookie..still good but I wanted chewy!

6) Once out of the oven allow them to cool slightly on the pan before removing them to a cooling rack.
Yields: 3 to 4 doz depending on size

VCE: Special 4-in-1 Cookie Mix

Debi shared this over at Our Way of Life, and they sound so simple and easy to whip up...the best kind of Christmas cookie :o)

We do one very similar to what they call Roly Polys every year called Snowballs. Plain, or with mini chocolate chips, or even fine-chopped pecans...yum.

If you read Country Living this is in the newest edition.

This is called Tea Cookie Dough and with this one recipe they give you four cookies that you can make.

I made the one called Roly Polys and they are very good. I didn't have any hazelnuts but will be trying them again with pecans.

So here is the basic recipe:

1 stick of softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/4 flour

beat the butter until fluffy then add in the sugar, vanilla and salt. Then gradually add in the flour.

Now to make the Roly Polys

Preheat the oven to 325.
you need to mix in 2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts once the flour has been incorporated.
Roll the dough by the tablespoons into balls and place 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
Bake until cookies are firm and just beginning to brown. about 20 minutes. Let cool about 2 minutes. Place 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a bowl, then gently toss the warm cookies to coat. Place them on a cooling rack to cool completely. Toss in powdered sugar one more time to coat thoroughly.
This will make 24 cookies.

A few notes on what I did. I used blue bonnet butter, I don't add salt to anything I cook. I also used fresh ground whole wheat flour. As I mentioned I didn't have any nuts so we just left them out, this time. I also doubled this. Yummy.

VCE: Chocolate Chip Shortbread

Sorry -- forgot to post this one here from my other blog. You get a bonus VCE for the day :o)

We've been making these for several years now. I love the taste of a really great shortbread cookie. Be careful when baking, though as they can very quickly go from delicious to rather dry.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 Tbs sugar

Blend as you would any cookie -- cream the butter and brown sugar, add in the vanilla and blennd, then work in the dry ingredients.
Form small balls and flatten as you would a sugar cookie. Bake on ungreased sheets, 300 for 25-30 mins.

Here are some other delicious shortbread cookies:

Another Chocolate Chip Shortbread, from Allrecipes.com
And a great collection of Shortbread Cookies from CDKitchen...they have recipes for some yummy ones, from almond to butter pecan and then some!

Be sure to go check out the cookies at Frugal Creativity and don't forget to sign my MckLinky!

VCE: Gingerbreads and More!

Wilton is hosting Cookie Exchange 2009 from Dec 7th -13th and they already have a great site full of ideas for cookie crafting, decorating cookies, treats and cakes, ideas on storing, transporting, showcasing and more. A perfect visit to get ideas on hosting your own real life cookie exchange recipes for baking new holiday favorites, and for packaging those pretty gift bags and trays to give away some holiday smiles to others. They offer a lot over there...do stop and visit!

My recipe goodie today is Gingerbread....either in rounds or cut-outs :o)

Wilton shares Grandma's Gingerbread Cookies

• 5 1/2 - 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups molasses
• 2 eggs beaten

Makes: 40 medium-sized cookies. Each cookie serves 1.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Thoroughly mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Melt shortening in large saucepan. Cool slightly. Add sugar, molasses and eggs to saucepan; mix well. Add 4 cups dry ingredients and mix well.

Turn mixture onto lightly floured surface. Knead in remaining dry ingredients by hand. Add a little more flour, if necessary, to make firm dough.

On floured surface, roll out 1/8 to 1/4 in. thick for cut-out cookies. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, small and medium-sized cookies for 6-10 minutes, large cookies for 10-15 minutes.

Note: If you’re not going to use your gingerbread dough right away, wrap in plastic and refrigerate. Refrigerated dough will keep for a week.

Substitute 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup for molasses to make Blonde Gingerbread.

And if you are a fan of gingerbread, they also share recipes for Gingerbread Truffles and Gingerbread Spritz cookies.
Hey, just go visit and check out ALL the Christmas cookie recipes :o) Then go visit and register at FaveCrafts.com and find some fun crafts for the holidays (or any season) to work yourself or share with the children. There's an idea...Mom's get together for a Cookie Exchange and the kiddo's work on holiday crafts to share while waiting to taste some cookies :o)

Holiday Baking Links

The Twelve Days of Cookies.....oh yum!

100 Days of Holiday Baking...can you see that waistline expanding as you read????

Taste of Home's Holiday Recipes....everything is here. If you don't see the recipe you want, you don't need it.

VCE: Peanut Butter Bon Bons

My mother makes these every Christmas. They are ultra easy and the children love making them.

4 Tbs melted butter
2 cups sugar
2 cups peanut butter (could use chunky if you prefer more crunch)
3 cups crispy rice cereal

Mix all together and form into balls. Dip into melted almond bark, chocolate or white.
Chill for 1 hour.

Virtual Cookie Exchange: Chocolate Chip Shortbread

We've been making these for several years now. I love the taste of a really great shortbread cookie. Be careful when baking, though as they can very quickly go from delicious to rather dry.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 Tbs sugar

Blend as you would any cookie -- cream the butter and brown sugar, add in the vanilla and blennd, then work in the dy ingredients.
Form small balls and flatten as you would a sugar cookie. Bake on ungreased sheets, 300 for 25-30 mins.

Here are some other delicious shortbread cookies:

Another Chocolate Chip Shortbread, from Allrecipes.com
And a great collection of Shortbread Cookies from CDKitchen...they have recipes for some yummy ones, from almond to butter pecan and then some!

Be sure to go check out the cookies at Frugal Creativity and don't forget to sign my MckLinky!