Cookies and Candies
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
from “Goodness Gracious” Cookbook
by Roxie Kelley
When I asked my husband what his two favorite cookies are that I’ve made, he answered these peanut butter cup cookies along with the Paula Deen cookies I entered below as his favorites.
I love this recipe because not only does it have the peanut butter and chocolate in the candy pieces, but both of those ingredients are in the cookie dough itself. AMAZING cookies.
2 1/4 cups flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
10 ounces peanut butter cups, coarsely chopped
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugars, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until thoroughly blended. Stir in the dry ingredients until smooth. Fold in the peanut butter cups and chocolate chips. Spoon 2 tablespoons dough about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until slightly firm to the touch, but not brown, 10-13 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before transferring from the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: 3 dozen cookies
*Be careful not to overcook. Since they are already dark in color, it’s harder to tell how done they are. I’ve found that 10 minutes usually is long enough (although my first batch took 11 minutes–probably because the oven wasn’t as hot).
Paula Deen’s Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
These cookies quickly became my husband’s second favorite cookie I’ve made! It’s a simple recipe with very few ingredients. The recipe says to make 1 inch balls. I honestly didn’t think they would be big enough, but these cookies grow in the oven! So stick to the recipe, unless you want really big cookie sandwiches.
Ingredients:
Two 18 1/2 oz devils food cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup vegetable oil
Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter (1 stick) at room temp
3 cups confectioner’s sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or grease pan lightly).
Combine cake mix, eggs, and oil. Beat at low speed until mixed well. Form 1 inch balls and slightly flatten them on cookie sheet with fingers. Bake 8-10 minutes.
Combine cream cheese and butter. Gradually add vanilla and sugar on low until smooth. Ice half of the cookies; then sandwich them with the other half of the cookies.
Store in ziploc bags in the refrigerator.
A Creative Mess 
Chocolate Fudge
This is a very rich, medium dark fudge I came up with combining and adjusting several other fudge recipes. Enjoy!
2/3 cup evaporated milk
7 oz marshmallow crème
1½ cup sugar
8 tbs butter
4 cups chocolate chips
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1. Combine in a microwaveable dish the evaporated milk, marshmallow
crème, sugar, and butter.
2. Microwave on high until contents boil for one minute.
3. Remove from microwave and add vanilla and chocolate chips and stir
until smooth.
4. Pour into 9”x 13” buttered pan and smooth.
5. Let cool until room temperature (or in fridge if rushed) and serve.
Make sure you use a bowl that is roughly twice the volume of the ingredients for microwaving as they tend to expand, and its a big mess to clean up.
You can add more chocolate chips if you like your fudge thicker, but too much more and it will be a little dry. I recommend you try it as written and adjust it the next time to your liking. Also you can add about a half teaspoon of salt if you want, it changes the texture ever so slightly.
Chocolate Covered Cherries
Candice you said that I had better post about this so here it goes 🙂
Some fabulous women in my church that are passionate about Titus 2 got together some young ladies this past week and taught us how to make these cherries and beeswax candles. It was so much fun and a blessing to be instructed in the art of homemaking
Recipe:
2 – 12oz jars marachino cherries WITH STEMS
3Tbsp. butter, softened
3 Tbsp. light corn syrup (Karo)
1/4 tsp. salt (not coarse)
2 cups powdered 10X sugar (you don’t have to sift)
12oz. bag Nestle Toll House semi-sweet morsels
1 Tbsp. Crisco shortening (she used vegetable)
Makes approx. 48 cherries
Special Equipment:
Double boiler for melting chocolate (or my method would be to use a pyrex glass bowl that fits on top of a small saucepan-make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl)
wax paper
Directions:
Step 1: Making the dough
Blend softened butter and corn syrup, adding salt. Slowly stir in sugar, then knead to fully incorporate sugar. Cover and chill for at least 2 hrs.
Step 2: Forming the cherries
Drain cherries (don’t rinse!) and pat dry, pressing lightly with paper towels
Pinch off 1 tsp. of dough and roll around each cherry, covering it completely.
Dough must be cold, and cherries fairly dry (but not dried out), or this will be sticky.
Place “rolled” cherries on wax paper lined tray. Chill for 2hrs/overnight
Step 3: Dipping the cherries
Place chocolate chips and shortening in your double boiler (or makeshift one and cover (I don’t cover it when using my pyrex bowl). Bring water slowly to a boil, reducing to a simmer. Check every few minutes, stirring until chocolate and shortening are melted and well blended. Do not overheat as chocolate will separate. Take each CHILLED (dough covered) cherry by the stem and swirl in the chocolate, moving quickly to dip and replace on the wax paper. Continue until all chocolate is used or all cherries are dipped.
Refrigerate immediately. Chill again for 2 hrs. Keep finished cherries refrigerated until ready to serve.