Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Submitted by Christy Escobedo

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups flour
2 bags Hersheys milk chocolate chips (any kind will do, but these are great)

Mix ingredients together, one at a time. Bake at 320 degrees for 18 minutes. If not done, check every 2 minutes, but don't over bake or let get brown.

A favorite of Mahonri, and all kids, really! Would be amazing made into a cookie cake with the vanilla frosing!

Elegant Almond Bars

Cookie Base:
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 Egg

Filling:
1 can (8 oz) or 1 package (7 oz) almond paste, crumbled into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Topping:
2 oz white chocolate baking bar, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons shortening
1/4 cup sliced almonds (to be sprinkled on top, not mixed into melted chocolate)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie base ingredients until soft dough forms. Spread in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until light golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat almond paste, sugar and 1/4 cup melted butter with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Add 2 eggs; beat until well blended (mixture may be slightly lumpy).

3. Spread almond paste mixture over partially baked base. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup almonds. Bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until filling is set (filling will puff up during baking). Cool completely, about 1 hour.

4. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, melt white chocolate and shortening over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Pour and spread over cooled bars. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup almonds. Let stand about 30 minutes or until topping is set. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 4 rows. Store covered at room temperature.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 1, bake 18 to 21 minutes. In step 3, bake 17 to 22 minutes.

Almond paste can be found in the baking section of your supermarket. It is a prepared mixture of almonds, sugar and water that comes in either a can or a tube packed in a box. Stay away from the larger 12- to 13-oz canned pastry filling because it is a different product.

Use the premium or premier white chocolate baking bars found next to other chocolates in the baking aisle. It will give you a better flavor and performance than almond bark.

The glaze can also be prepared in the microwave. In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate and shortening 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth.

I made these for our Nativity Open House this last Christmas and they were a HIT! I doubled the batch and made it in a cookie sheet pan instead. Your going to Love these!!

Quick Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 pkg Spice Cake Mix
1 small can Pumpkin
1 1/2c. Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

Mix together dry cake mix and pumpkin then stir in choc. chips. Drop spoonfuls or use a cookie scoop on to cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 mins.

Like I said QUICK! and they stay moist!

Magic Cookie Bars

1c. Butter, melted (2sticks)
3c. Graham Cracker Crumbs (2 1/2pkgs)
2 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 pkg semi sweet Chocolate Chips
1 pkg Milk Chocolate Chips
2c. shredded Coconut
2c. chopped Pecans

Combine butter and Graham crumbs then press into the bottom of a cookie sheet (15x10). Drizzle with 1 can of milk, then sprinkle evenly with remaining ingredients. Last drizzle with remaining can of milk. Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins. Let cool before cutting into bars.

This is my Mom's favorite and has also become a Nativity Open House tradition. Enjoy!

Concha's Cereal Treat

1 box Rice Chex cereal
1 box Golden Honey Grahams cereal
2c. Shredded Coconut
1 can Honey roasted Peanuts
1 can Mixed nuts or Cashews(we like just cashews)
1 pkg. slivered Almonds(chunky style not thin)

3 sticks Butter
2c. lite Karo Syrup
2c. Sugar

Mix all dry ingredients together in a very large bowl. Boil butter, Karo and Sugar for 4mins. Pour over cereal mixture and stir to coat evenly. Lay wax paper out on the counter. Pour mixture out onto wax paper to cool. Store in zip lock bags.

Our family loves this and it has become one of our Nativity Open house traditions. Its also great at family picnics or potlucks. Enjoy!

Jam Thumbprint Cookies

3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter
2 egg yolks (save whites)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
2 egg whites, beaten
1-1 1/2 c. finely chopped nuts
1/2 c. Favorite jelly (rasp, peach)

In large bowl combine first 5 ingredients on medium speed of mixer about 1 minute. Gradually add flour and blend at low speed until well mixed. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Dip dough balls into egg whites then nuts. Place on greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Make a deep impression in center of each cookie with fingertip. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Immediately remove cookies from sheet. While still warm, fill centers with jelly. Allow jelly to set before storing cookies. Yield 3-4 dozen.

These cookies remind me of my Grandma Anna Dixon. When I was little she used to send a box of Christmas cookies every year with lots of different kinds of cookies, so FUN!

Fudge Jumbles (Bar Cookie)

Chocolate Ribbon:
14oz sweetened condensed milk
12 oz milk choc. Chips
2 tsp vanilla
3 tb. Butter melted

Cookie Dough:
1 c butter, softened
2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ c flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
3 c oatmeal

Make Dough first, press ¾ of dough into a 9x13 pan. Then make choc. Ribbon mixture, spread evenly over dough. Drop spoonfuls of remaining cookie dough over choc ribbon mixture, press into choc. Bake at 350 for 25mins, cool before cutting.

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Bars

1c. Butter
1c. Sugar
1c. Brown sugar
2 Eggs
3/4c. Peanut Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp. Baking Soda
½ tsp. Salt
2c. Flour
2c. Oatmeal
Top with 1c. Peanut butter and 1 can Fudge Frosting
Mix above ingredients, Spread evenly on a jelly roll cookie sheet. Bake 350 for 12-15 min. until slightly golden. If you over cook they will be hard and crumbly. While still hot spread melted peanut butter on top let cool then spread fudge frosting.

These are an all time favorite at our annual 4th of July Picnic and everyone knows Emily Dixon makes them BEST!

Awesome Carmel Popcorn Balls

1 bag microwave popcorn
1 stick of real butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini marshmallows (heaping)
or 10 reg. sized

Pop popcorn as usual and remove any
un-popped kernels. Melt butter, sugar and
marshmallows in sauce pan. Bring to a
boil then quickly pour over popcorn and
mix to coat evenly. These are so addicting! ENJOY!!!

Andes Mint Cookies

1 Chocolate cake Mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil
Approx. 1 1/2 pkg. Andes Mints (1 mint per cookie)

Mix together cake mix, eggs and oil. Dough will be very thick.
Using a small cookie scoop or tsp. Place balls of dough on a cookie
sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-12 min. Leave cookies on the baking sheet,
immediately place one Andes mint on each cookie. Allow chocolate
to melt then using a butter knife spread the chocolate to evenly coat
the top of each cookie. Now remove cookies to a sheet of wax paper
where they can cool. The chocolate will again harden. Delicious!