Christmas Cookies!!!!

My Mom and I had our traditional Holiday baking day (dayS). We don't really make the cookies for a specific reason. We take them with us to all the get togethers we have over the holidays. It's just a fun time for us!

My dad and Justin had the hard job of testing out the cookies and eating the ones that turn out so perfect. A day of watching football, drinking beer and eating cookies.... really hard right?

My pups liked the baking as well. Cooper found his new love, powdered sugar! He ended up with it all over his nose!

Below are the cookies we made:

- Thumbprints

- Russian Tea Cakes

- Peanutbutter Blossoms

- Reeses Peanutbutter Cookies

- Lady Locks

Russian Tea Cakes

Recipe coming soon!

Peanutbutter Blossoms

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
3 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Additional granulated sugar (about 2 tablespoons)
About 7 dozen Hershey®’s Kisses® milk chocolates

1. Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, beat 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, peanut butter, butter and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and baking powder.

2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in additional granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate candy in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

Reeses Peanutbutter Cup Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well.
Shape into 40 balls and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

Taco Stuffed Shells

These were pretty tasty but the prep work was a lot and then you have to bake for a good amount of time. This made for a late dinner! Overall though, they were good.

Rating: 7 of 10

Taco Stuffed Shells

Ingredients





* 1 lb. ground beef


* 1 package taco seasoning


* 4 oz. cream cheese

* 12 jumbo pasta shells (I used more. It was the whole box.


* 1 cup salsa


* 1 cup taco sauce


* 1 cup cheddar cheese


* 1 cup monterey jack cheese

* 1 1/2 cups crushed tortilla chips (omitted)


* 3 green onions (chopped) (omitted)


* Sour cream





Directions


1. In a frying pan cook ground beef; add taco seasoning and prepare according to package directions.





2. Add cream cheese, cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and cool completely.





3. While ground beef is cooking, cook the pasta shells according to directions; drain. Set shells out individually on cutting board/baking sheet so that they don't stick together.





4. Pour salsa on bottom of 9x13 baking dish.





5. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place shells in 9x13 pan open side up. Cover shells with taco sauce.





6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.7. After 30 minutes, add shredded cheese and bake for 10-15 more minutes.
(I didn't bake for that long. I really just waited until the cheese was melted.)





8. Add any condiments you'd like (onions, black olives, etc.) Serve with sour cream and/or more salsa. Enjoy!

Steelers Fever!!!!

As you may (Should) know, the Steelers have made it to the AFC Championship game! YES!

I have an unhealthy addiction to Pittsburgh sports. My dogs are obviously Steelers fan as well:

Check out this website for everything Steelers including awesome songs!

http://www.steelersfever.com/downloads.html

Cookie Dough Truffles

Rating: 10 of 10

Cookie Dough Truffles


1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1-1/2 lbs semi-sweet chocolate candy coating, chopped

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the flour, milk and vanilla; mix well.

Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. (I found the dough too sticky using the recipe as written. Don't use the whole can of condensed milk. Use 12 ounces (all but 1/4 cup), then add in 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar.)

Shape into 1 inch balls; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets.

Loosely cover and refrigerate for 1-2 or until firm.I

n a microwave safe bowl, melt candy coating, stirring often until smooth.

Dip balls in coating; place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets.

Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. If desired, remelt remaining candy coating and drizzle over candies.

Store in the refrigerator.

Oreo Truffles

These things are awesome and so easy to make!

Rating: 10 of 10

Oreo Truffles

1 pkg. (1 lb. 2 oz.) Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely crushed
1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
2 pkg. (8 squares each) Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted

Mix the cookie crumbs and the cream cheese until well blended

Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls.

Dip balls in melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store any leftover truffles in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

Yield: 42 Truffles.

Italian Sausage Cacciatore

Rating: 10 of 10

Italian Sausage Cacciatore

3 red bell peppers, sliced- I used red and green
1 large vidalia or large sweet onion, sliced
20 links Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage, cut in half- I used Sweet
Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

In a large crockpot place the pepper slices and onions. Top with sausage then pour sauce over top of the sausage. Cover and cook on high for 6 hours. Serve on rolls or over pasta. Serves about 20.

Taco Ring

Rating: 9 of 10

This is definitely a crowd pleaser for sporting events! It sounds complicated but it's really not.

Taco Ring

Ingredients:
2 packages refrigerated, ready to bake crescent rolls (8 rolls each)
1 pound ground turkey
1 pack taco seasoning
lettuce, sour cream, salsa and cheese for topping

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350°F.
-To make the filling: in a skillet, brown turkey and add taco seasoning. Follow directions on seasoning packet, using slightly less water than called for.
-To make the crust: open one pack of crescent rolls and separate. Lay the crescent rolls in a circle around the pan, narrow side pointing out. You want to do this so that the angled side of the crescent roll is going the same direction around the pan (i.e. if your first roll has the angled side on the right, then continue laying the rolls so that the angled side is on the right each time). When you are finished, it will look like a sun.
-Open the second pack of crescent rolls and separate. Lay one crescent roll, still with the narrow end pointing out, in between two of the previous crescent rolls. Line up the bottom of this roll with the bottom of the first layer of rolls (it will be on top of the first layer). You just want to make sure that the pointy end of this one is in the middle of two pointy ends of the previous ones. Continue until all the rolls are laid out.
-Using a spoon, carefully add the meat to the wide part of the crescent rolls.
-Once the meat has been added, fold the narrow end of the crescent rolls over the meat.
-At this point, you can tear the narrow ends and tuck the top of the crescent roll into the bottom of the roll. Using the extra ends you've torn off, cover any open spots you may have between rolls.
-Bake until the crescent rolls are a light golden brown.
-Lightly sprinkle with cheese (just a small amount) and return to oven until cheese is melted and toasty.
-Serve with all your favorite taco toppings.