Hamburger Cookies

When I was a kid we made Hamburger Cookies. It's been awhile since we made them, but over the weekend I went to a BBQ to celebrate a friend's birthday and wanted to take something fun to share. Since it has been ridiculously warm lately (and I'm NOT complaining!), I wanted to make something that did not involve turning on the oven. Enter Hamburger Cookies. They got many compliments at the BBQ and since they are so easy to make I wanted to share "recipe" with you!

What You Will Need:
Vanilla Wafers
Grasshopper Cookies
Vanilla Frosting
Coconut
Green Food Coloring
Yellow Food Coloring
Sugar Water
Sesame Seeds

What You Do:
Tint coconut green using the green food dye. This becomes your "lettuce." Also tint some of your frosting yellow with the yellow food dye. This becomes your "mustard."

Spread yellow frosting on the bottom of a vanilla wafer. Top with a grasshopper cookie (your "meat patty"). Spread white frosting on the bottom of another vanilla wafer. Add some "lettuce" and place on top of the "meat patty." Repeat with the remaining cookies/frosting/coconut. Brush the tops of each cookie with sugar water and top with sesame seeds.

If you let the cookies sit for a couple of hours before serving, the vanilla wafers will become slightly soft, just like hamburger buns!

It's just that easy and these cookies are guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser at your next party! Enjoy!

Recipe: Caramel Layer Chocolate Squares

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite easy-to-make desserts. It is perfect to take to a potluck or a gathering of friends. I recently made it to share with my Bible Study group. It was a hit! I like to stock up on caramels right after Halloween when they are 50% off. Makes this easy, cheap dish even easier and cheaper!

Caramel Layer Chocolate Squares
Recipe from GirlTalk

1 (14 oz) pkg caramels
1 pkg German Chocolate cake mix
3/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup evaporated milk, divided into equal portions
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine caramels and half of evaporated milk. Cook over low heat, stirring often until melted and smooth. Grease 9x13 pan. Combine dry cake mix, butter and remaining evaporated milk and chocolate chips. Stir just until mixe. Press half of dough firmly into pan. Bake 6 minutes at 350*. Spread caramel mixture all over. Top with remaining half of dough. Spread gently to cover. Bake at 350* for 15 minutes. Let stand until cool before cutting. Eat and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake
a la Paula Deen
(Source)


Crust
1-3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 13 graham crackers)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick melted butter (I used 3/4 of a stick)

Filling
3 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (15 ounce) can pureed pumpkin
3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk (at room temperature)
1/4 cup sour cream
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350-degrees Fahrenheit.

For Crust:
In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For Filling:
Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar, and spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours. **

Serve with Cinnamon Whipped Cream on top.

Cinnamon Whipped Cream
1 cup whipped cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put all ingredients in food processor, and blend for about 1-2 minutes, until fluffy and whipped to your desired consistency.

**Notes:

- I baked the cheesecake in a water bath. I wrapped the bottom and sides of the springform pan in heavy-duty foil. I then poured in the cheesecake filling, and placed the pan in a larger pan with about 2-3 inches of very hot water, in the oven. I baked the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until it was just barely jiggly in the center. I then turned the oven off, ran a knife around the edge of the cheesecake pan, and then propped the door open with a wooden spoon handle for about an hour, then removed the cheesecake from the oven until it was room temperature, and then put it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours. The cheesecake is the first one I've made that did not crack. Success!

This was one of the best cheesecakes I've ever tasted. So light and fluffy and delicious!

12 in 12 Challenge: Recipe 7 - Pumpkin Spice Muffins

We had some extra pumpkin in the fridge left over from when I made pumpkin bread the other day. I wanted to make something different, something yummy, and something fun. I met all of those criteria with these Pumpkin Spice Muffins.

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp. pumpkin spice (I made my own with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and 1/8 tsp. cloves)
1-1/4 cups plus 1 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Put oven rack in center position and preheat oven to 350-F. Put liners in muffin cups (we were out of muffin liners, so I greased the muffin pan)
2. Whisk together flour and baking powder in a small bowl.
3. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1-1/4 cups sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture just until combined.
4. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 Tbsp. sugar in another bowl.
5. Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be 3/4 full) - I used 1/4 cup of batter in each muffin cup
6. Sprinkle tops of muffins with cinnamon-sugar mixture.
7. Bake until puffed and golden brown and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean - 25-30 minutes.
8. Cool in pan on a rack for about 5 minutes and then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool.

My Evaluation:
These are awesome. So yummy, so fall-ish. I would definitely make these again. :)

Fair 2010: Snickerdoodles

SNICKERDOODLES

1st Place, Snickerdoodles Category

North Idaho Fair & Rodeo 2010

1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

(1) Heat oven to 400-degrees. In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups sugar and butter; beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; mix well.

(2) In small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

(3) Bake at 400-degrees for 8-10 minutes, or until set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.
I found that baking the cookies for 9 minutes was just about perfect. At least in our oven. :)

Fair 2010: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES

2nd Place, Oatmeal Cookie Category

North Idaho Fair & Rodeo 2010

1-1/2 cups raisins
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup butter
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2-1/8 teaspoon baking powder
3-3/4 cups oatmeal

(1) Cover raisins with warm water and soak for 10 minutes. Drain thoroughly and set aside.

(2) Combine eggs, water, vanilla, butter and sugars in mixing bowl. Sift together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Add to egg mixture and beat at low speed 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Add oatmeal and raisins, and mix until blended. Chill. (I chilled overnight, but probably did not need to leave it that long)

(3) Roll into balls about 1" diameter and place on baking pan. Flatten to about 1/4".

(4) Bake at 375-degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Fair 2010: Uncle Tom's Peanut Butter Cookies

UNCLE TOM'S PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

2nd Place, Peanut Butter Cookie Category

North Idaho Fair & Rodeo 2010

2-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

(1) Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat shortening and butter for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter and sugars. Beat until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients and beat until well blended.

(2) Shape dough into 1" balls. Place 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Crisscross with the tines of a fork.

(3) Bake about 10 minutes in a 375-degree oven. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Prepare For The Fair!

One of my very favorite parts of summer is the fair. Of course, with the fair means the dawning of the end of summer/fall, but it is still one of my favorite parts of the season we call Summer.


My mom and I both love to enter things in the fair. At least one of us usually enters baked goods, and I have entered photography once or twice. I did not have my act together to get any photography entered this year, but I did go on a baking spree last weekend so I would have some baked goods to enter.


I will share pictures from the fair later, but for now let me share what I entered. 

Yep, that is three batches of tasty cookies. We still have some, because, well, it takes a bit of time to eat through 3 batches of cookies when you don't eat very many at a time. I made three different kinds of cookies: Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Snickerdoodles.


I will post the recipes in three separate posts, along with their results. Stay tuned!