Fancy Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing and Candied Nuts

This salad is amazing.  Every time I have had it, I have loved it.  Feel free to 1/2 the amounts or double the amounts according to the crowd you are serving.  You can add tons of ingredients to this salad to bulk it up for a meal or to serve as a special side salad.  I have used all romaine lettuce and I have also done it with a combination of romaine and mixed leafy greens.  Both are delicious.  Just use what you have on hand.  The nuts, feta and dressing are key though in making this salad unique, tasty, and special.

Poppy Seed Dressing:

1 medium onion, chopped roughly
1 c sugar
1/2 c cider vinegar
1 tbs poppy seeds
2 c veg or canola oil
1 tsp salt

In a blender combine onion, sugar, cider vinegar and poppy seeds.  Puree mixture.  Then while the blender is running, add oil and salt.  Store in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.

Candied Nuts:

1/2 pound of nuts (any kind) about 2 1/2 cups
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg white
1/2 tbs. water
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Beat egg white and water in a bowl until soft peaks form.  Add salt, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon.  Beat with mixer.  Add nuts, and stir to coat nuts evenly.  Line baking sheet with foil and grease with cooking spray.  Spread nuts evenly on cookie sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Other ingredients for the salad:
Lettuce
Cranberries
Feta Cheese
Chicken (optional)
Nuts
Green onions (optional)
peas (optional)
shredded carrots (optional)
cucumber (optional)
tomato (optional)
strawberries (optional)

Perfect Cut Out Sugar Cookies

I have tried dozens of cut out sugar cookie recipes.  I have to say, this is the one!  I hate it when I cut out the sugar cookies into shapes and after baking the cookies, the shape gets distorted.  Not this recipe.  The shape maintained it's straight lines, and the taste and texture is delicious.  Especially when you pair it with some almond flavored frosting...my fave. 
Keep dough really cold in between batches.  I like to cut out all my cookies at once, place them onto a a cutting board and stick them into the fridge so that they stay cold before putting them into the oven to cook.

Perfect Cut Out Sugar Cookies

1 c sugar
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
3 cups + 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixer, beat butter and sugar together until blended. Stir in egg, almond and vanilla extracts. Scrape sides of bowl and mix again. Slowly stir in flour and baking powder until just incorporated. Dough will be crumbly so you'll have to work it together with your hands. Shouldn't take too much effort. Roll dough out to be 1/4-3/8 inch thick on well floured work surface. Cut into desired shapes and transfer to baking sheet. Immediately transfer to oven and bake 7-8 minutes. The thicker the cookie, the longer the baking time. Cool 3 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Serve at room temperature.  Frost with frosting and decorate if you wish.

Andes Mint Bars

I have a wonderful recipe for you!  Perfect for the holidays or whenever you are needing an Andes Mint fix.  Some stores sell Andes Mint baking bits.  If you see them, buy them (they are REALLY good).  They have the original chocolate and green mint bits, and then during the holidays they have the white chocolate peppermint bits.  You can use either in this recipe.  I loved how easy this recipe was to throw together.  (This recipe can be halved, if you prefer)

Andes Mint Bars

3 c flour
1 1/2 c butter
3/4 c sugar
pinch of salt
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed
2 c Andes Mint baking bits (any flavor)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, butter, and a pinch of salt.  Using a fork incorporate ingredients together until nice and crumbly.  Press half of the crumble into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Set remaining crumble aside.  In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed and 1 cup of the Andes Mint baking chips.  Microwave the mixture, stirring frequently until chocolate has melted into the sweetened condensed milk.  Pour milk mixture onto crust.  Combine the rest of the Andes baking bits with the crumbly top, and sprinkle it over the sweetened condensed milk layer.  Bake for 20 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges.  Let cook completely before cutting.

Chewy Apple Cider Cookies

These cookies are making me really happy right now.  Seriously. Not because I haven't made a baked good in over a month, but because they taste so amazing.  The texture of this cookie is absolutely perfect.  Perfectly chewy, spiced and little bit of tang from the apple flavoring.  I added white chocolate chips to my cookies to round it all out.  The original recipe had caramel in the middle, which I'm sure is amazing.  I just didn't have the caramel on hand. These are the perfect cookies for the holiday season. 

Chewy Apple Cider Cookies 

(Makes about 1 1/2 dozen very large cookies, double if needed)

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 packets of instant apple cider
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Mix butter, sugar and cider packets together.  Add egg and vanilla, mix well.  Add dry ingredients to wet, and mix just until incorporated.  Add white chocolate chips, and stir to combine.  Bake for 11-12 minutes.

Toffee Almond Chip Cookies

These are so good. It's like english toffee in a cookie form. They are the chewiest cookie I have ever had, and that is not a bad thing. I made this recipe during the holidays, and just remembered that I needed to post it. The baking time is finicky, as you do not want to burn the toffee bits. So, even though the cookies may not look done, remove from the oven once the edges start to turn golden and let sit on the cookie sheet. This insures a chewy cookie.They are truly a winner. By all means, if there is an ingredient that does not suit you, leave it out. But, you must, must, must include the toffee chips. (P.S. the dough is soooooooo good!)

Toffee Almond Chip Cookies

1 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2-3/4 bag of toffee chips (I used heath bar chips)
1 c chocolate chips, chopped
1 c oatmeal
1/2 c coconut
1 c almonds, toasted and chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix butter and sugars until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, salt and baking soda, mix until combined. Add oats, chopped chocolate, coconut, chopped nuts, and toffee bits. Stir to combine. On a baking sheet drop dough by rounded tablespoons. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges turn golden. Let cool on cookie sheet before removing.

Candy Bar Cookie Cups

I tried a new recipe. I get a couple of cooking magazines, and this recipe comes from the Betty Crocker magazine for this month. There were a ton of recipes that were very tempting. I decided to try this one, because I liked the ease factor and also the flavor combination. I have always really liked the Betty Crocker cookie mixes that you just add an egg and a stick of butter to. They are really good, and speed up the whole baking process. You could use any candy bar for this recipe, they would be good with any. If you really want to go easy, buy the frosting in the tub, but I just had to make my own. And by the way, these would be good anytime of year, especially if you want to get rid of old Halloween candy.

Candy Bar Cookie Cups

1 pkg Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie Mix (prepared as directed on the package)
18 miniture Snickers bites, cut each one in half
1 container pre-made chocolate frosting (or make your own...that's what I did)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 36, 1-inch balls. Press into ungreased mini-muffin pan. Press a piece of candy bar into the middle of each ball. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until edges are light golden brown. Cool completely in the pan before removing them. Spoon frosting into a small zip-lock bag. Cut the corner tip, and pipe the frosting on top of each cookie cup. use sprinkles to decorate the top.

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

If you haven't seen the Candy Cane Hershey Kisses...look for them the next time you are at Walmart or the drugstore. They are white chocolate mint kisses, that are just creamy and divine. I made these cookies for a Christmas cookie exchange and they were so festive and yummy. The kids especially like them because pf how colorful they look. You will not be disappointed! (I put my cookies in the fridge to let cool so that the chocolate would harden up faster.)

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies

48 Hershey's Kisses Brand Candy Cane Mint Candies
1/2 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 c flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs milk
red, green, or white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, egg, milk and vanilla and combine thoroughly. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until combined. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and then roll in sugar to coat. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit 2-3 minutes. Unwrap peppermint kiss, and push them into the center of the cookies. Remove cookie onto a cooling rack. (Make sure you do not jiggle or move cookies as the kiss will be very melty, and you want them to keep their form)

Butter Nut Balls

Tis' the season for holiday baking! I LOVE Christmas goodies, so expect a lot of recipes for the "goodie" category in the next couple of weeks. These cookie balls are so buttery, shortbread-like and delicious. They are very addicting, and I make them bite-size so you can pop them in your mouth in one bite! This is a family favorite of ours, and for as long as I can remember, my parents have been making these for goodie plates at Christmas time. I did however, in my usual way change them up a bit from my mothers recipe. Since I'm a HUGE fan of almond extract, I had to add a little bit to the recipe. I also sweetened the dough up a little bit more, so you don't have to double roll the cookie in powdered sugar to get them sweet enough. Less work, better flavor, equals one awesome cookie. Use whatever nut is your favorite. I like to use walnuts because they have a nice soft texture.

Butter Nut Balls

1 c. butter softened
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1 1/2 c walnuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter, and sugar until creamy. Add extracts, salt and flour, mix until well incorporated. Add chopped walnuts until combined. Roll batter into 1 inch balls, place on ungreased cookie sheet. (You can place them close together, since they don't spread.) Bake for 12-15 minutes or until just starting to turn golden. When they come out of the oven immediately toss them in a bowl of powdered sugar, place on cooling rack.