31 Days of Cookies . Day 30. Spiders

Since tomorrow is Halloween, I thought it would be fun to end the month with something kinda creepy, but actually yummy.

When we were kids my siblings and I made these chocolate treats we called Spiders. They aren't actually a cookie, but not really a candy either. But so easy you'll have fun making them with your kids.

Spiders
Just two ingredients... chocolate chips and crunchy chow mein noodles

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler--or in a bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. (I don't own a double-boiler, and this is the way I see professionals do it on TV. Totally works!)

Add the chow mein noodles and stir till they are completely coated in chocolate.

Drop by tablespoonfuls onto a platter or parchment paper.

Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to cool completely and harden a bit.

Enjoy, and have a safe Halloween!


 

31 Days of Cookies . Day 5. Cookie Balls

These little nuggets have so many names, and I think every culture has their own version of them. So I'm just calling them cookie balls. I grew up calling them Russian Tea Cakes, I've eaten them as Mexican Wedding Cakes, and the Greeks have their own version (that I can't spell or pronounce... kourambiethes? You try saying that!) that are crescent-shaped.

No matter what you call them, you must include "delicious" in the title. Here's how to make them.

Ingredients:
1 C butter (2 sticks)
2 1/4 C sifted flour
1/2 C powdered sugar (plus more for later)
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla
3/4 C chopped nuts

Mix the butter, flour, powdered sugar and salt in a bowl.
Add the vanilla and chopped nuts.
The dough will seem very dry and crumbly, so get your hands in there and kind of knead it a little till it starts to come together.
Pinch or scoop off pieces and roll into balls a little smaller than an inch or so.
Place on a cookie sheet. These don't grow much (if at all) so you can fit a lot pretty close together.
Bake 14-17 minutes at 400°
Let cool a bit and roll in powdered sugar.

So easy to just pop in your mouth! But beware... you may have tell-tale powdered sugar down the front of you.

31 Days of Cookies . Day 4. Magic Cookie Bars

Bar cookies are fun to make because you just spread stuff in a pan and bake. No rolling, flattening, scooping. Just cut them in squares after they've cooled. Plus you can bake them all at once rather than in batches.

Today I made Magic Cookie Bars. Several years ago I made these All. The. Time. But it's been awhile and I didn't realize how sketchy my recipe was. (Like... a 3 oz can of coconut? I didn't know coconut ever came in a can.) So I did a little guessing with this one, but it came out fine, so I'll tell you just what I did.

Ingredients:
1 cube butter
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk. They come in the same size can and are right next to each other on the grocery store shelf)
1 C chopped nuts
1/2 C shredded coconut
1/2 of a 12 oz. bag of chocolate chips

Melt the butter in a 9x13" pan (or similar)

Roll the graham crackers between the folds of a sheet of waxed paper with a rolling pin. Recognize this cute rolling pin? I'm making these at Kate's while babysitting napping Maggie (and the Blue Angels are practicing for Fleet Week overhead. Thundering loudness! Can't believe she's still asleep!)

Put the crumbs in the butter, stir and press down to make a crust.

Then mix the nuts, chocolate chips, and coconut in a bowl and spread over the crust.
Bake at 350° for a half hour or so. (Again, the sketchy recipe. Gave no baking time, but a half hour seemed about right. I'm really so accurate when I bake... or not.)

We were kind of anxious, so we cut them while they were still a bit hot. Messy, but delicious!

31 days of cookies . day 3. Easy Peanut Butter

Another day, another cookie. Today we're making a recipe I got from an elderly couple who used to live around the corner from us. It is one of the easiest cookies ever, except slicing from a tube or breaking apart squares from the grocer's dairy case.

Isn't this recipe card so cute and vintage? ... but it was her actual card. Darling.

Four ingredients. That's it!

1 can Eagle Brand Milk (or any sweetened condensed milk will do)
3/4 C Peanut Butter
2 C Bisquick (or any Buttermilk Baking Mix. I used Trader Joe's brand)
1 t Vanilla (I used Mexican in honor of my dear husband. Plus, it's really good quality and less expensive at the Mexican Produce Store.)

Just mix the ingredients together and roll them into 1" balls. Then flatten with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Dip your fork in sugar to keep it from sticking to the dough.

I obviously had  little trouble holding the camera still with one hand while pressing with the other.

Bake for 6-8 minutes (I go the full 8) in a preheated 350° oven.

I just had to add this hydrangea to the photo. I love the way hydrangeas go from bright sunny blue to a deep purple as fall begins.

Quick, easy, delicious peanut butter cookies. Enjoy!


 

31 Days of Cookies . Day 1. Sesame Thins

For the month of October, I have accepted the 31-day challenge to write on a topic every day for 31 days. My topic? Cookies. You may not get a recipe every day (not that I'm lacking for cookie recipes...), but we'll definitely be talking cookies.

Cookies are the perfect afternoon snack with a cup of coffee (or your beverage of choice). Just hold them it in your hand. No plate, no fork, no spoon. Just a cookie.

One of my favorites growing up was my mom's Sesame Thins.  Perfect for Day 1.

Sesame Thins

1 C (2 sticks) butter

1 C sugar

1 egg

1 t vanilla

2 C sifted flour

1/2 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 C sesame seeds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 

Beat in the egg and vanilla. 

Sift flour, salt and soda 

Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture, half at at time, blending well to make a soft dough

Wrap the dough in waxed paper; chill several hours or overnight.

Roll dough, a teaspoonful at at time, into small balls

Roll balls in sesame seeds to coat lightly

Place on a cookie sheet
Bake 10 minutes

Cool completely

Makes 5 dozen

Enjoy!

Be sure to check back each day for more cookie goodness.
 

31-Day Challenge

A couple blogs I read started the 31-day challenge several years ago... well, maybe they didn't start it, but it's where I first heard about it.

One of my favorites was the 31 Days to a No-Brainer Wardrobe last year on Tiny Twig. It was so fun to see what she came up with each day for keeping a wardrobe streamlined. She even turned it into an e-book.

So the challenge begins again this October, and I'M IN! (that's only 2 days away...)

My subject? Something I'm passionate about, and could eat ten one every day... cookies. So I'll be talking about cookies every day for a month. If you share my passion, be sure to check back each day in October. It'll be fun. (and fattening.)

See you in a day or two,