Campfire Brownies

This is a recipe that you can make with any brownie. We like them best with my brownie recipe ( http://carriesbestrecipes.blogspot.com/2008/10/best-brownies.html ), but it's good with ALL brownies.

All you need to do is place cut brownies on a cookie sheet and top with mini marshmallows.

Place in oven on broil until marshmallows and golden a toasty. Watch them very carefully, they burn quickly!

Serve them immediately with a glass of cold milk.

Orange Biscotti

This might be my personal favorite Christmas cookie. I love the orange flavor with the dark chocolate drizzle on it. This year I even used extra dark chocolate chips. Mmmmmmm! They are perfect with a cup of hot cocoa with or without whipped cream.

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp grated orange peel

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Heat oven to 350. Beat sugar, oil, orange peel, vanilla and eggs in large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Turn dough on lightly floured surface; knead until smooth.

Shape half the dough at a time into rectangle, 10x3 inches, on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

Cut crosswise into 1/2" slices. Turn cut sides down on cookie sheet. Bake about 15-20 minutes, turning once, until crisp and light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack.

Drizzle or dip in melted chocolate. (1 cup chips with 1 tbsp shortening) Chill until firm.

Gingerbread Cookies

These are another Christmas cookie tradition at our house. The boys help decorate them every year, but this is the first year they haven't quit before they're all done and mom has to finish the rest by myself. They did a good job and were definitely more creative this year than most!

4 1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1 1/4 tsp baking soda

Mix together in large bowl.

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 cup molasses

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, then add molasses.

Slowly mix in flour mixture.

Divide dough in half, flatten into large pancakes, and cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 2 hours. (if it is too stiff to roll, let it sit out for 10 minutes)

Roll on floured surface and cut into desired shapes with cutters.

Bake at 350 on greased cookie sheets for 9 to 10 minutes, or until light brown.

Decorate when cooled.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

I have had these cookies ever since I was a kid. My mom called them Russian Teacakes. One year the boys and I were studying Christmas in Mexico and found a recipe for Mexican Wedding Cakes. It was the same recipe! But we have stuck with the new name ever since.

1 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts

powdered sugar for rolling

Mix sugar, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and nuts. Shape into 1" balls. Bake at 400 for 8-9 minutes, until set but not brown. Roll in sifted powdered sugar while still hot. Cool. (they will be sticky) Roll again in more sifted powdered sugar.

after the first roll

after the second roll

Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are Chris' absolute favorite cookie! But they just didn't seem special enough for Christmas.

How do you make something ordinary into something special? Dip it in chocolate!

Just make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe and let them cool.

Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tbsp shortening in the microwave.

Dip one-half of the cookie into the chocolate and lay it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.

At this point, you can put sprinkles in the chocolate to make them more Christmas-y.

Place tray in the fridge to set the chocolate.

Remove from tray and store in fridge.

Cookie Stamp Cookies

We have made these every Christmas since I was pregnant with Andy. That year I went to a class with my sister Theresa and made cookie stamps. (only 1 has survived)

We have made them with colored dough or colored sugar. Either way is easy and fun! The boys help with these every year.

1 cup softened butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp almond extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups flour

Brush stamp with oil. Let sit on paper towel.

Cream butter and sugar. Add extract. Add salt and flour. Mix well. Roll into 1" balls, roll in sugar. Stamp immediately on cookie sheet. (don't press too hard) You could also use the bottom of a glass to press the cookies.

Bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes.

Pumpkin Muffins

I got this recipe over 10 years ago when Zack was in preschool. They made them as a class and the teacher sent everyone home with the recipe. They are great for a fall breakfast or snack, as well as a nice dessert when topped with homemade maple flavored cream cheese icing. Mmmmm!

Andy helped me make these, and they turned out great!

1/2 cup margarine or butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. Cream butter and sugar

3. Stir in pumpkin, milk, eggs and vanilla

4. Add other ingredients and stir
5.Spoon into prepared muffin tin.

6. Bake 5 minutes at 425. Reduce heat to 350, without opening oven, and bake another 10-13 minutes or until pick comes out clean.