Cookies for the Booksigning

Cookie plate ~ from Top, clockwise: Peanut Butter Blossoms, Cereal Killer Cookies (with Heath bits), Lemon Sugar Cookies (flattened), Candied Orange Peel, Cereal Killer Cookies with butter brickle and pecans, Chocolate Cherry Cookies, Lemon Sugar Cookies (rolled ),n Candied Orange Peels dipped in dark chocolate, Unicorn Poop (center).

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Sweet Candied Orange Peel

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

 makes 2 cups

• 6 orange peels, cut into 1/4 inch strips
• 3 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/3 cup white sugar for decoration

Directions

1. Place orange peel in large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 20 minutes, drain and set aside.
2. In medium saucepan, combine 3 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook until mixture reaches thread stage, 230 degrees F (108 degrees C) on candy thermometer, or small amount dropped in cold water forms a soft thread. Stir in peel, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Drain.
3. Roll peel pieces, a few at a time, in remaining sugar. Let dry on wire rack several hours. (I placed them on a cookie pan and set them in a preheated oven that I had just turned off). Store in airtight container.

For a treat, dip one end of orange peels in dark melted chocolate.
Save the leftover orange-flavored simple syrup for sweetening tea, etc..

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Unicorn Poop

http://www.instructables.com/id/Unicorn-Poop/?ALLSTEPS

I used this recipe, with a few changes:

The basic recipe is my old stand-by for a bland butter cookie (Cookie Monster Cookie Dough from Sesame Street Books).

I do not use dragees (tooth-breakers)

I used what I had on hand: glitter gel (awesome stuff) for glue, multi-colored butterfly sprinkles (just spriinkle them, that is why there is a sprinkle-top) and gold sprinkles.

She makes rolling the dough sound hard. If you've ever played with clay, it's easy. I rolled pencil sized logs of each color, about 8" long, then pushed them together, rolled them into a log, twisted off sections, rolled the log smaller and twisted it ~ not as hard as she makes it sound.

Do not use a floured surface, use a plastic pastry mat; it makes the dough rolling easier.

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Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 (10 ounce) jar maraschino cherries
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
2. Beat the butter and sugar together in a bowl. Add egg and vanilla and beat well. Add the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder and stir until smooth. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls about the size of a walnut (larger if desired). Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Press center of each ball with thumb.
3. Drain cherries and reserve juice. Place a cherry in indentation of each cookie ball.
4. In microwave, heat condensed milk and chocolate chips until chips are melted. Stir in 4 teaspoons of cherry juice. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of mixture over each cherry and spread to cover cherry. (More cherry juice may be added to keep frosting of spreading consistency.)
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

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Cereal Killer Cookies

Recipe By : Dianne Mott Davidson

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
12 ounces almond brickle chips*
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter
2 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark brown sugar -- firmly packed
3/4 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 375.
In a small bowl, mix the oats with the brickle chips.
Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together. In a food processer, mix the sugars until blended, then gradually add the butter. Continue to process until creamy and smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla and
process until blended. Add the flour mixture and process just until combined.
Pour this mixture over the oats and brickle chips and stir until well combined.
Scoop out 1" balls of dough and place at least 2 inches apart on parchment-covered cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks

*When I use the plain butter brickle chips, I add 1 C pecan pieces.
When I use the Heath bar bits (butter brickle with chocolate) I dont add anything
I have added golden raisins to the butter brickle cookies

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Lemon Sugar Cookies

These Lemon Sugar Cookies feature traditional sugar cookie dough dressed up with tart lemon juice and grated lemon peel.

Ingredients:

1 cup (1/2 lb.) butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 C raw sugar (for coating)

Preparation

1. 1. In a bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until smooth and light. Beat in eggs, lemon peel, lemon juice, milk, and vanilla until well blended, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
2. 2. In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir or beat into butter mixture until blended.
3. 3. Roll dough into 1" balls, then roll in raw sugar and place cookies slightly apart on parchment-lined 12- by 15-inch baking sheets. You may slightly flatten them with a spatula or leave them round.
4. 4. Bake cookies in a 350° oven until edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes.

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Peanut Butter Blossoms

Centers

1 Package Chocolate chips
2 squares Baking chocolate

Melt together, then drop by teaspoon onto foil making nickle sized kisses

OR: use Guitard dark chocolate wafers as centers.

Cookies

1 C Smooth Peanut Butter
3/4 C packed Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Egg

Mix ingredients together
Roll cookie dough into 1" balls.

Place chocolate center on each one.

Bake 375* for 6-8 minutes, til just firm. Do Not overcook.

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