Samoas Bars

Tagalongs and Do-Si-Dos (known as as Peanut Butter Patties and Peanut Butter Sandwiches when I was a girl scout) were always my favorite girl scout cookies. It wasn't until this time last year that I tasted my first Samoa (Carmel De-Lites) and discovered how amazing they were.

These bars, made in three stages, have a buttery shortbread base topped with caramel-coconut topping and chocolate. Step 1: the shortbread is baked and cooled. Step 2: the coconut topping is applied with a spatula in an even layer. Step 3: Once the topping has set, dip these in chocolate and drizzle some on top.

Samoas Bars
(Source: Baking Bites)

Cookie Base:
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, or line with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly, like wet sand. The dough does not need to come together. Pour crumbly dough into prepapred pan and press into an even layer.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until base is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool completely on a wire rack before topping.

Topping:
3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
12-oz good-quality chewy caramels
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
10 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate (chocolate chips are ok)

1. Preheat oven to 300. Spread coconut evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet (preferably one with sides) and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

2. Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula. Put dollops of the topping all over the shortbread base. Using the spatula, spread topping into an even layer. Let topping set until cooled. When cooled, cut into 30 bars with a large knife or a pizza cutter (it’s easy to get it through the topping).

3. Once bars are cut, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. Dip the base of each bar into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment or wax paper. Transfer all remaining chocolate (or melt a bit of additional chocolate, if necessary) into a piping bag or a ziploc bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle bars with chocolate to finish. Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes 24 bar cookies.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Yet another holiday classic with a very delicious twist. Instead of a kiss, a peanut butter heart. These cookies were to die for.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
(Source: Adapted from Hersheys.com)

1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Granulated Sugar
Heart-Shaped Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

1. Preheat oven to 375°degrees. Unwrap peanut butter cups.

2. Beat shortening and peanut butter until well-blended. Add sugars and beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

4. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Immediately press a peanut butter cup into center of each cookie; cookie will crack around edges. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Spritz Cookies

This is one of my favorite cookies to make at Christmastime. Trees, poinsettias, wreaths, and ribbons are all common shapes seen on my table in December. But guess what?! It's not strictly a Christmas cookie. Why else would cookie presses include plates with other shapes? So, seeings how I have never made these at a time other than Christmas, I decided to bust out my cookie press and make some heart shaped spritz cookies for Valentine's Day.

Spritz Cookies
(Source: An old family recipe)

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt

1. Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla.

2. Add eggs and beat well.

3. Sift flour and salt together; add in three additions, mixing well after each addition.

4. Place dough in cookie press. Form desired shapes on ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake at 400°F for 7-8 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown around the edges, being careful not to over bake.

S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies

These bars are as good as they look, probably better. The gooey marshmallow layered with melting milk chocolate on a crunchy graham cracker cookie-esque crust makes for a mouthwatering combination of textures full of rich flavor. These bars are easy to make and arguably even more tasty.

S'mores Sandwich Bar Cookies
(Source: Hershey's)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bars (1.55 oz. each), unwrapped
3 cups miniature marshmallows

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 8-inch square baking pan.

2. Beat butter and sugar until well blended in large bowl. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough in prepared pan. Bake 15 minutes.

3. Arrange unwrapped chocolate bars over baked layer, breaking as needed to fit. Sprinkle with marshmallows; scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallows, forming top layer. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

Makes 16 bars.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I'm going to start off by saying this: I am not particularly fond of Oatmeal Raisin cookies. Raisins and cookies just don't go together for me. However, they are a wildly popular cookie for people, like my dad, and I promised I would make them for him. This recipe was taken from a Better Homes and Garden cookbook I received as a wedding present. The combination of cinnamon and cloves in these cookies gave them just the right amount of spice and I think they turned out well.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(Source: Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook 14th edition)

3/4 cup butter

1 cu brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. In a mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can. Stir in remaining flour and oats. Stir in raisins.

3. Drop dough by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart onro a ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on a cookies sheet 1 minute. Teransfer to wire rack and let cool.