Magic Cookie Bars

Eagle Brand Magic Cookie Bars

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1 14-oz. can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated)
2 c. (12-oz. pkg.) chocolate chips
1 1/3 c. flaked coconut
1 c. chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350*; melt butter in 13x9 baking pan in oven

Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter; pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs; top with remaining ingredients; press down firmly with fork.

Bake 30 min., until lightly browned. Cool; cut into bars.

Store at room temp.

~Enjoy~

Whoopie Pies

These are my all time favorite childhood treats! As a military brat, the main thing I looked forward to when we got the chance to visit family in New England was the day that my Nana made Whoopie Pies for us. The yummy chocolate cake, the sweet creamy frosting....

• 4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup cocoa
• dash of salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tsp.vanilla

Preparation -
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt; mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, shortening and eggs. Beat for about 2 minutes. Mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture. Add the milk and warm water and beat at medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat again until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. This batter is for a cake like cookie. Bake as drop cookies. Drop by rounded tablespoons full onto ungreased non-stick cookie sheets. Bake in a preheated oven at 375° for 10 to 12 minutes or until the center of the cookies spring back when lightly pressed. Remove from the cookie sheets and cool a wire rack or white paper towels.

filling

• 2 egg whites
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 T. flour
• 4 T. milk
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable shortening

Preparation -
Beat the egg whites until stiff; set aside. Combine the other ingredients and beat very hard for several minutes at high speed. Fold in the beaten egg whites.

To make the whoopie pies - Spread a generous amount of filling on a completely cooled cookie. Top with another cookie. Wrap each whoopie pie individually in plastic wrap.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Cookies (Flourless!)

When I first ran across this recipe in my Taste of Home Best Loved Cookie & Bar book, I was a little worried. I mean, this recipe only has three ingredients and none of them are flour! But it was a cinch to put together and they turned out beautifully.

1 egg, Beaten
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Peanut Butter (I've used Peter Pan both crunchy and creamy and it turned out fine either way)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll level tablespoons of batter into balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet and flatten with a fork dipped in flour (to prevent sticking). Bake at 350 for about 18 minutes and remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 2 dozen.

Children's Hand Cookies

Ingredients

Makes 8 to 10 cookies

• FOR DOUGH
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, for decorating
• FOR DECORATING
• 1 large egg white
• 1 teaspoon water
• Sanding sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg, and beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Add reserved flour mixture, and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined. Stir in vanilla. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
4. Make cookie pattern and heart stencil while wrapped dough is chilling. For the pattern, have your child trace his or her hand on a manila file folder, and cut out the tracing. You will lay this on the dough and trace around it with the tip of a paring knife. For the heart stencil, cut a heart shape from a piece of parchment paper, discarding center.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. On a well-floured work surface, roll out cold dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out hand shapes. Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Dough scraps may be re-rolled twice.
6. To decorate the cookies with sanding sugar hearts, lay the heart stencil over a cookie. Combine the egg white with the water in a small bowl. Brush the egg wash in the heart, and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Lift stencil and repeat with remaining cookies. Bake until edges just begin to brown lightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on pans for 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Sugar cookies (From Eleni’s New York)

COOKING TIME

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 29 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
33⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1⁄4 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 cup colored sugar, for decoration

PREPARATION

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the heavy cream. Cover dough, and chill for 2 to 3 hours, until firm.

2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheets.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1⁄4-in. thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 in. apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

4. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, until bottoms and edges of cookies are light brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.