November 2016 – Christmas Cookies & Holiday Treats

Crockpot Peanut Cups

Wanda Lyman, Bowmansville

Using a large crockpot, layer the following ingredients in order:

  • 2 lbs. dried salted peanuts
  • 4 oz. German sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 2 cups dark chocolate chips
  • 2½ lb. white almond bark, broken into pieces

Put crockpot on low heat for 3 hours. Do not stir. After 3 hours, stir with a wooden spoon. Using a spoon, put into small (1¼”) cupcake liners. Cool completely. Makes over 100 candies.


Irresistible Peanut Butter Cookies

Charles Lyman, Bowmansville

  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup creamy peanut butter, without sugar
  • 1¼ cup brown sugar, not packed
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2/3 cup peanuts, chopped small
  • 2/3 cup mini peanut butter cups

Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, milk and vanilla; beat at medium speed until well blended. Add egg and beat until just blended. In a smaller bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until just blended. Fold in the peanuts and mini peanut butter cups. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls, 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake at 375°F for 7 to 8 minutes or until just set and beginning to brown. Do not overbake. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, then remove to cooling rack and completely cool. Makes 3 dozen cookies.


Strawberry Cheesecake Supreme

Pat Roth, Ephrata

  • 11/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar
  • ¼ lb. butter or margarine
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 pint sour cream
  • 1 (21 oz.) can strawberry pie filling

Melt butter or margarine. Mix it well with graham cracker crumbs and powdered sugar. Pack this firmly in bottom of 9” or 10” springform pan.

Preheat oven to 350°. Blend or beat sugar, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Pour this over unbaked crust in springform pan. Bake on a cookie sheet in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Beat sour cream while cheesecake is baking. Remove cheesecake from oven and top with sour cream. Bake for 5 more minutes. Let cake cool completely before topping with prepared pie filling. Chill several hours before serving. Serves 12.


Christmas Crunch

Pat Roth, Ephrata

Crust:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 sticks margarine, melted
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Mix flour, pecans and margarine. Press into 9”x13” pan. Bake at 350°, 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Filling:

  • 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
  • 16 oz. box confectioners sugar
  • 8 oz. carton whipped topping
  • 2 cans cherry or strawberry pie filling

Mix cream cheese and whipped topping. Beat in confectioners sugar until smooth. Pour into crust and top with pie filling.

To serve, top with more whipped topping and top with red and green jimmies or sprinkles.


Soft Sugar Cookies

Pat Roth, Ephrata

  • 1 cup Crisco
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup milk with 2 tablespoons vinegar added
  • 1¾ cups granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 cups all purpose flour

Have eggs and milk at room temperature. Cream sugar, eggs, salt and Crisco. Add baking powder and vanilla. Put baking soda in the milk and add alternately with flour to the sugar mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet, or use parchment paper. Bake at 350° for about 8 to 12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.

Frosting:

  • 4 cups confectioners sugar
  • ¾ cup butter or margarine
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 tablespoon milk, if needed

Mix ingredients together, thinning with milk if needed. Frost cookies. And top with candied cherry, chopped nuts or Christmas sprinkles.


Payday No-Bake Bars

Gloria Dougherty, Akron

  • 1 cup light Karo
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup peanuts
  • 6 cups Rice Krispies or Rice Chex
  • 1 chocolate bar

Combine Karo and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Combine peanuts and rice cereal in a bowl, then pour peanut butter mixture over and mix well. Spread into 13”x9” pan. Melt chocolate bar and drizzle on top. Cool in refrigerator.


Walnut Frosties

Kathryn E. Sensenig, East Earl

  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ¼ cup dairy sour cream

Combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.  Gradually add sugar to butter in a mixing bowl, creaming till light. Add egg and vanilla. Beat well.  Then add the dry ingredients and mix well. Shape into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets.  Make a depression in the center of each cookie and fill it with 1 teaspoon of topping. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes.


Ice Cream Dessert

Sue Stauffer, New Holland

  • 4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ½ cup butter
  • ½ gallon vanilla ice cream, softened
  • 1½ cups milk
  • (2) 3 oz. packages coconut instant pudding
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip

Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter. Reserve 1/2 cup for topping, and line a 9”x13” pan with the rest.

Beat ice cream and milk until blended. Add instant pudding. Pour mixture over crumbs and chill.

Before serving, top with Cool Whip and reserved graham cracker crumbs.


German Coffee Cake

Sue Stauffer, New Holland

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup butter
  • dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 21 oz. can cherry pie filling

Beat butter, eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Add flour. Spread dough in bottom of 13”x9” pan, reserving 1 cup of dough. Spread pie filling over dough. Drop reserved dough by teaspoons over the pie filling. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.


Mini Brownie Treats

Sue Stauffer, New Holland

  • 1 package fudge brownie mix (13”x9” pan size)
  • 48 striped chocolate Kisses

Prepare brownie mix according to package for fudge-like brownies. Fill paper-lined miniature muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350°F for 18-21 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Immediately top each brownie cup with a chocolate Kiss. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.


Tiramisu Brownies

Sue Stauffer, New Holland

  • 1 box brownie mix
  • (2) 3 oz. cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
  • 2 cups chopped Oreos
  • 12 oz. Cool Whip
  • 1 cup milk
  • ¼ cup instant coffee
  • cinnamon sugar for topping (optional)

Prepare brownies according to package directions for cake-like brownies. Cool.

Whisk milk and coffee until dissolved. Stir in pudding mix and half of Cool Whip. Fold in Oreos. Spread mixture over brownies. Top with remaining Cool Whip and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (optional). Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and store leftover in the fridge.


Pineapple Cookies

Elaine Ziolkowski, Ephrata

  • ½ cup shortening or butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ½ cup drained crushed pineapple
  • 2 cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup chopped nuts or shredded coconut

Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Drain pineapple and add to creamed mixture. Add dry ingredients. Drop by teaspoons onto cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes 4 dozen.


Cherry Delight

Elaine Ziolkowski, Ephrata

  • 16 oz. can cherry pie filling
  • 16 oz. can crushed pineapple (drained)
  • 1 container Cool Whip
  • 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate 1 hour.


Chocolate Chip Cookies

Loreen Zimmerman, New Holland

  • 1½ cups oil
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 1½ cups brown sugar
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 5¼ cups flour
  • 1½ cups chocolate chips

Mix oil and sugars. Add beaten eggs. Combine flour, salt and baking soda and add to sugar mixture. Add water and vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350°F for 10-12 minutes. Makes 12 dozen cookies.


Rice Krispy Roll-Ups

Loreen Zimmerman, New Holland

  • 10 oz. marshmallows
  • ¼ cup butter
  • ¼ cup peanut butter
  • 5½ cups Rice Krispies
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • ½ cup butterscotch or chocolate chips

Combine marshmallows, butter and peanut butter. Heat in microwave 2 minutes. Stir in Rice Krispies. Spread mixture on jelly roll pan lined with sprayed wax paper.

Microwave chocolate and butterscotch chips for 2 minutes. Spread over Rice Krispies. Roll up and slice.


Everything Cookies

Loreen Zimmerman, New Holland

  • 1 cup margarine
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 cup quick oatmeal
  • 1 cup oil
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup Rice Krispies
  • 2 cups chocolate chips

Mix in order given. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes or until light brown. Take off cookie sheets as soon as you can.


Oatmeal Fruit Cookies

Laura Brubaker, Ephrata

  • 2 sticks butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 cups oatmeal
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup chopped pitted dates
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 cup coconut

Mix all ingredients well. Drop on cookie sheet. Bake at 325°F. Do not over bake.


Egg Nog Logs

Jessica Auker, Denver

Cookies:

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon rum extract
  • 3 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add nutmeg, egg and extracts. Mix well. Stir in flour. Chill dough for easier handling. On lightly floured surface, shape dough into ½-inch-diameter rolls. Cut each into 3-inch-long pieces. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool before frosting.

Frosting:

  • ¼ cup butter, softened
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½-1 teaspoon rum extract
  • 2 tablespoons light cream or milk
  • ground nutmeg

Cream butter until light and fluffy. Add 2 cups sugar and extracts. Mix well. Beat in cream and remaining sugar. Frost cookies. With tines of a small fork, make lines down the frosting to simulate bark. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Yield: 4½ dozen cookies.


Million Dollar Fudge

Elaine Nolt, Ephrata

  • 3 cups sugar
  • ¾ cup butter
  • 2/3 cup Carnation milk
  • 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 7 oz. marshmallow cream
  • 1 cup nuts
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine sugar, butter and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling for 5 minutes over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Add marshmallow cream, nuts and vanilla. Beat until blended. Pour into a greased 9”x13” pan. Cool.


Molasses Crème Cookies

Elaine Nolt, Ephrata

    • 2¾ cups shortening
    • 5 cups brown sugar
    • 4 eggs
    • 1 cup molasses
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 8 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 cup milk
  • 10 cups flour
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour

Mix well. Chill dough for 4 to 8 hours. Shape into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheets and flatten slightly. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool completely.

Cream cheese filling:

  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 6 or more cups confectioner’s sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt, scant

Combine filling ingredients. Put cookies together sandwich-style with filling.


Cream Puff Cake

Dawn Oswald, Ephrata

  • ½ cup margarine or butter
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup milk
  • 2 small boxes chocolate instant pudding
  • 1½ cups milk
  • 8 oz. Cool Whip
  • chocolate syrup

Heat margarine or butter and water together to boiling. Remove from heat. Mix in flour to form a ball. Add beaten eggs and mix until smooth. Spread into a 9”x13” greased casserole dish. Bake for 25 minutes at 400°F. Cool completely.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese and ½ cup of the milk by hand. In another bowl. Mix the instant pudding and 1½ cups milk by hand. Combine the mixtures from both bowls. Pour over crust. Spread Cool Whip on top and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Keep refrigerated. Serves 12.

Note: You can vary flavor by using different combinations of instant pudding and Cool Whip (i.e.: vanilla pudding and chocolate Cool Whip).


Puppy Chow Snack Mix

Dawn Oswald, Ephrata

  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
  • 1 box Crispix cereal
  • 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

Melt butter, peanut butter and chocolate chips together. Pour over cereal and mix well. Put sugar into a large paper bag. Add cereal mixture and shake well. Store in a tight container.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dawn Oswald, Ephrata

  • 14½ oz. can pumpkin
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (or 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon nutmeg)
  • 4 cups flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 12 oz. milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, sugar, oil, milk, vanilla, salt, baking soda and spice. In a separate bowl, blend flour and baking powder. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until well combined. Add the chocolate chips last. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheet (cookies bake to the size you make them). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool. Yield: 6 to 8 dozen.