Ooey Gooey Center

Well I’ve always been told I’m over emotional so maybe I’m the one with an Ooey Gooey Center … Oh Wait I was talking about a cookie.  Sorry got a little side tracked!  I found this very yummy cookie recipe of COURSE on Pinterest and have been dying to make it.  We had a gravesite memorial for the family for my grandmother on Sunday.  After church I ran home and wanted to make up something real quick to bring to the luncheon afterwards.  I’m glad to say these were a HUGE hit!  I made Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies that I found on Scrambled Henfruit’s blog.

Ingredients

• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz) – I used Target’s brand found in Candy Isle

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
• In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
• With your mixer (or an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.
• Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
• Refrigerate for about an hour. (I skipped that)
• When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels. 
• Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut.
• Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
• Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.

Follow her instructions they were really easy to make and I couldn’t believe how fast they went.  Enjoy!

Cookies & a Tray for the neighbor

My dear neighbor asked if I could make some cookies for her family cookie exchange.  She loved the Snickerdoodles crème’s I made before and wanted them. Instead of making the ones I made last time with the betty crocker mix.  This time I made Mrs. Sigg’s Snickerdoodles first.

Then I found this Quick Vanilla Buttercream frosting on the food network that worked perfect for my center!

Then I assembled them!   8 Dozen cookies made for 4 dozen whoopie pies.  I used the poor man pipping bag, AKA ziplock bag with the corner cut off.

Then I found this on Pinterest to do a peppermint Candy tray.  I took the green ones and shaped a cross.  At first I started with a small pan and had to go to the big one!  NOW be very careful it will break as you can see in my picture below!

So there you have it some simple fun things to make!  Sorry I skipped yesterday was running around delivering cookies .

Really I'm a good sport! I just want to WIN!!!

First off before I start my crazy story, I MUST say thank you for all the wonderful SITS lady that have stopped by to say hi. I found this WONDERFUL blog site a few weeks back. Then Sunday comes I get all these comments (which made my heart do a little skip). Come to find out yours truly is featured on the sidebar as one of the Saucy Blogs of the week. Yup I'm dancing around and sing "I'm a Rockstar". Sorry for that mental picture! For any of you who don't know the blog, you must join great place for Mommy's. SITStas unite :). It's on my side bar click on it and sign up!

Yes I'm still in a winter "white" land seriously it needs to stop. It snowed again last night, thanks to dear hubby driveway had been cleared and my car, so this morning I could roll out of the driveway. That was until I hit the giant heap that had been pushed off the road to the edge of my driveway, thank you dear city workers. When we finally made it out of the driveway, thank you Kia I love my four wheel drive. For all of you who laughed at me for a SUV and four wheel drive, a big raspberry coming your way! (That is so much better in person, currently my mouth hurts and the screen is wet).

My beautiful neighborhood:

Today at work I got Brian to count the votes for the Bake Off. Do you think it would be bad if I was to bribe him to make the votes in my way? Just playing ... (Psst Brian I won't tell anyone ... guess this is not the best place to ask that people from work read this). Oh well it's too late anyways Jacob took the list to the engraver to get the wooden rolling pin engraved (The Shengie award, isn't that the coolest ... yup I came up with it). After I got home after picking up the boys and buying my Christmas Exchange gift for work. Which I think is the BEST gift ever! It's a wireless headphone set, an awesome deal regularly $60 and they had them on sale at Rick's work for $20 which is the limit. The exchange is everyone grabs a number either grabs a present or steal one that was open. The person that bought the gift that is stolen the most gets a prize. I so want that prize! LOL I know I'm obsessed with winning. It must be the chubby girl that never got picked for sports or picked last! Now when it's a competition that isn't sports related I go crazy, and I'm so going to win (sorry couldn't let it go).

I plated the cookies tonight, don't they look cute. Merry Christmas everyone, here is your amazing gift yummy cookies and a nice dish you can use again. I even threw in the box so you can store the dish for next year (not because I didn't want to fill up my recycler, nope that had nothing to do with it). Oh geez one more baking project before I can go to bed, I need to make bread. You know since I was at the store yesterday said to myself no I don't need to buy any bread I'll make it (like I do each week). Except this week I baked cookies forgot about baking bread which left Cole with no sandwich for lunch. I then didn't think a thing of it until I got to the school of course with no backpack and no lunch box. (Mental Head Slap here) Call Rick can you stop by and buy sandwich for Cole. When I picked him up the cheese and the "salad" (the lettuce) were in the box ... he told me he wanted my bread for his sandwich tomorrow. NO problem I'm sure it's my bread and not the fact that I cut it into a dinosaur each day. I leave you with some more pictures. What out crazy mom with a camera.

Time to plate all those cookies. This was the best way I think.

The wreath look, didn't really care for that.All wrapped up in Press and Seal, just don't try to take it off to add more cookies. Not the prettiest sight. It's like putting control top panty hose on, lord be with me. But once there on don't breath because they might shoot off like a rubber band!
See I use the bins Rick! Yes that is Scooby Doo Costume, it's filling the void. Don't ask why the costume is still out, it's a sore subject at the house my Mr. Clean (hubby).

The boxes that I'm giving as part of my gifts ;). Bread Started! (Yes it's the Semi Homemade way I use a breadmachine)

I like to keep my wobbly arms, no muscles for this girl! LOL I'm ready! Popping right out of the breadmaker.

Thankfully it's a dome lid, let's it rise just right!

Bread done, of course I need to try it.

(Yup total Carb freak and butter of course)