Cowgirl Cookies {Cookies for Santa}

We made these for Santa on Christmas Eve. They are seriously yummy cookies!!!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup & leveled
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking oats
3/4 cup m&ms
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 – 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Stir all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

Add:

1 slightly beaten egg
1/2 cup butter (melted slightly in the microwave)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Use the back of a large spoon to work it all together. You may even need to use your hands to get everything incorporated.
Then roll the cookie dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. I got about 26-28 cookies out of these.

Lots of baking!

Last week, I had 100 decorated cookies to bake/decorate, 100 Hershey Kisses Pretzel snacks to make, and 24 cupcakes for Hannah and Noah’s class for the last day of school. Also 24 ribbons and tags to tie onto 24 suckers and teacher gifts to put together! Phew!

Hershey Pretzel Bites:

Ingredients:

Bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels
Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug
M&M's candy {totally forgot these. oops}

Instructions:
1. Heat the oven to 170F. Set a number of bite-size, waffle-shaped pretzels (one for each treat) in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then top each pretzel with an unwrapped Hershey's Kiss or Hershey's Hug.
2. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes (the white chocolate will melt more quickly), until the chocolates feel soft when touched with a wooden spoon. Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and quickly press an M&M's candy into the center of each Kiss.
3. Allow the treats to cool for a few minutes, then place them in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Place handfuls of the candies in clear plastic bags and tie on colorful ribbons.



A close up of the 100 snowflake cookies I baked & decorated:


Here are all 100 drying!

And, sucker treats for Hannah and Noah’s Class…


24 cupcakes I baked and didn’t decorate very well!!

Apple Oatmeal Muffins

These yummy muffins are great for an on-the-go breakfast. This is the first recipe I made with my new awesome Kitchen Aid mixer! I love it!

Ingredients:

1 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup light sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup butter (melted) or canola oil
2 eggs
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 apple (peeled, shredded – at least 1 cup)

Optional Add-ins:

chopped nuts
raisins
dried cranberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 (F).
In a bowl add sour cream to oats.

Stir in milk. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat two eggs and add vanilla. Set aside.

Peel an apple.

Chop into quarters and remove core.

Use a box grater to grate the apple quarters.

In a large mixing bowl, add brown sugar and whisk to remove any lumps.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to brown sugar.

Combine thoroughly.

Add cinnamon and nutmeg to mixture and combine.

Create a well in the center of dry mixture.

Pour beaten egg mixture and melted butter into well. NOTE: Make sure melted butter is not hot or it will cook your eggs!

Fold dry mixture into egg mixture until combined. Mixture will be stiff.

Add oat-sour cream-milk combination.

Fold until combined.

Add shredded apple and all juice that comes from it.

See the pool of fresh apple juice?

Stir just until combined and your batter is done.

Fill muffin cups with batter. These muffins are dense and do not rise too much, so fill the cups fairly full, if not brimming :)

Bake 375 (F) for 20 – 25 minutes.

Allow muffins to cool in tins on a rack for about 10 minutes before attempting to remove from tin. Makes 12 regular sized muffins or 24 mini-muffins.