Ginger Cookies

           Here is a recipe for some delicious cookies to celebrate the start of fall!

                             

Big Soft Ginger Cookies

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Additional sugar

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and molasses. Combine the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well.

Roll into 1-1/2-in. balls, then roll in sugar.

Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned.

Remove to wire racks to cool. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

These cookies are like ginger snaps, without the snap. They are soft, slightly chewy and full of sugar and spice!

Oatmeal Sandwich Cookies

Here's a recipe for some yummy oatmeal sandwich cookies!

Oatmeal Sandwich Cremes

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups self-rising flour-Note: As a substitute for each cup of self-rising flour, place 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a measuring cup. Add all-purpose flour to measure 1 cup.
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup raisins (optional)

FILLING:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dash salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, water and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and cinnamon; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in oats and raisins.

Drop by tablespoonfuls 3 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. 

Flatten with a glass.

Bake for 13-14 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a large bowl, combine filling ingredients; beat until smooth.

Spread filling generously on a cookie...

...and top with another cookie to make a sandwich.

Makes 2-3 dozen cookies, depending on how big you make them.

These are a nice change from the normal chocolate sandwich cookie. Also, the filling is amazing!

Cupcakes in AZ

Over the weekend, we took a short vacation to Phoenix with the grandparents, cousins, aunt and uncle. While we were there, we took a trip to this cute cupcake bakery in Scottsdale.

Sprinkles Cupcakes.

So many flavors to choose from!

Here we have some Dark Chocolates.

Key Lime and Cherry.

Peanut Butter Chocolate.

Red Velvet. I love the toppers on these!

Banana, Black and White, Coconut, Chocolate Marshmallow.

And of course, there has to be a little gift shop!

And cute t-shirts!

We got a dozen cupcakes in a cute box.

Taking big bites out of Dark Chocolate cupcakes.

A Peanut Butter Chocolate. Doesn't it look amazing?!

A pretty Chocolate Marshmallow cupcake.

And here's the one I got, a Black and White. Chocolate cake with vanilla frosting and chocolate sprinkles!

It was SO good!

And finally before we go, I have to show you what I got at our hotel's gift shop.

It's a mini cupcake bath bomb! Adorable! It took me a long time to decide on a flavor scent, but I finally decided on a White Chocolate Cherry.

But, I don't intend to actually use it. I'll just set it on my dresser or something. It looks so cute and smells so good, it'll be nice up there. If you'd like one of these adorable cupcakes, check out this website. I hope you liked looking at all these sweet cupcakes, edible and non-edible!

Cupcakes for the 4th!

Hooray! This time I got these posted before the holiday was already over!

 This is just a simple doctored up cake mix recipe. They're the perfect treat for the 4th of July!

4th of July Cupcakes

1 white cake mix

1 box cherry gelatin

1 recipe Creamy White Frosting

Red, blue and black food color

Patriotic sprinkles

Prepare cake mix according to directions on box.

Then add gelatin powder. Mix until combined. Add red food color. If too light, add just a bit of black food color.

Ok, before we continue, check out these adorable cupcake papers I used.

Cute, right?! But not as cute as the bottom of the blue wrappers...

I love it!

Ok, back to the recipe.

Line muffin cups with festive holiday cupcake papers. Fill each cup 2/3 full.

Bake according to directions on box.

Cool cupcakes on wire rack.

Next, prepare Creamy White Frosting. Then, divide frosting, and dye one half blue. Leave the other half white.

Prepare a pastry bag with a large star tip. Then, fill one side of the bag with blue frosting, and the other with white.

Pipe frosting on a cupcake...

...then sprinkle it!

Hmmm...reminds me of a firework!

Have a great 4th of July, celebrating our freedom!