Butterscotch Brickle Bars

I just made this recipe from the Mennonite Girls Can Cook blog. I followed exactly except I omitted the salt from the topping and used salted cashews instead of pecans or walnuts. Pretty dang good. Im freezing a ton of them for Kelseys wedding along with the butter tarts!

Cookie Layer:
1-1/2 Cups sifted all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup softened butter
3/4 Cup firmly packed light brown sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 13 X 9 inch pan lightly and dust lightly with flour. (* I lined mine with foil and sprayed with pam. It lifts out effortlessly and is a real time saver!) Sift together flour and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender. Add sugar and mix well. Press dough evenly into the bottom of prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly.

When cookie layer has less than 5 minutes left to bake, start preparing the topping:
Butterscotch Topping:
1- 6oz. package of butterscotch chips
1/4 Cup light corn syrup
2 Tablespoons shortening
1 Tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 Cups coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans

Combine all ingredients except nuts in a microwaveable bowl and heat at 30 second intervals on full power stirring well after each 30 second heating until smooth. (It took me 3 - 30second intervals) If you prefer you can do this step over a double boiler. Stir in nuts. Spoon mixture evenly over slightly cooled cookie layer. Bake an additional 8 minutes. Remover pan to a wire rack. Cool until slightly warm and then cut into 1-1/2 to 2 inch squares. Cool completely before serving. Makes 24-38 squares.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie

The urban legend states that this recipe was sold to a NM shopper for $250.00. She was so shocked that her bill was not $2.50 like she had thought, that she quickly went and circulated this guarded recipe for all to enjoy...just to stick it to the store.

All I know is that these are GOOD! Maybe not $250 good....but close! This recipe makes roughly 112 coookies. So cut it down if you dont want to eat your body weight in cookies!

(Recipe may be halved):
2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal and blend in blender to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. Hershey bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla 

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place two inches apart on a cookie sheet..Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. 

Jamilla's Banana Cookies

These are served best while dancing in "black ho night" gear around your living room. I also recommend cutting off all your hair and shoving the clippings into an old Dominos pizza box while you are waiting for them to finish baking. Its the little details that make these Jamilla's specialty. Ah, the good ol days. It has also been rumored that serving these to men will most assuredly snag you a husband (or two). So be careful who you give them to. 


Cookie Ingredients:

3/4		cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
3/4		cup firmly packed brown sugar
2		medium (1 cup) ripe bananas, mashed
1		LAND O LAKES™ All-Natural Farm-Fresh Egg
2		teaspoons freshly grated orange zest
1/2		teaspoon vanilla
2		cups all-purpose flour
1/2		teaspoon baking powder
1/2		teaspoon baking soda
1/4		teaspoon salt

Glaze Ingredients:

2		tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter
3		tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
3		tablespoons LAND O LAKES™ Half & Half or milk
1 1/4		cups powdered sugar
1/2		teaspoon vanilla Grated orange zest, if desired

Heat oven to 350°F. Combine 3/4 cup butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add bananas, egg, orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool completely.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons brown sugar and half & half. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil (1 to 2 minutes). Remove from heat. Add powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well mixed; cool slightly.

Frost cooled cookies. Garnish with grated orange zest, if desired. 

Not Yo Mama's Sugar Cookies

These remain the worlds most sought after and coveted sugar cookies of all time. Fast & Easy, the way we Crandalls like em. I like to dust off the ol kitchen aid for this one. Just start dropping ingredients in with the setting on medium speed.


Preheat oven to 400'
Beat one egg
drop in 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of soft butter
add 1 tsp vanilla
add 1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of sugar


Combine above ingredients well. Then add in 2 cups of flour, one at a time. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll 1/2 inch thick - yes, 1/2 inch! Cut out with cutters or just use a wide mouth jar like I do.


Bake on foil lined sheet for 6-7 minutes NO LONGER!!! The cookies should look a little undercooked thats the way it must be. Remove immediately from hot pan and transfer to counter top- foil and all.


When cooled frost with your favorite icing. Then hide them somewhere safe. Away from your spouse and children.