Toasted Almond Macaroon Bars

I am ashamed. I ate way to many of these. I won't even hint at how much. They are delicious. Wyatt ate almost as much as I. We had to resort to throwing the remaining out because my self-control was gone.

CRUST

1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C butter
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar

FILLING

3 eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 C light corn syrup
1/4 C butter, melted
1 t. vanilla
2 C sweetened flaked coconut
3/4 C almonds, chopped, toasted

GLAZE

1/3 C chocolate chips
2 t. shortening

*Heat oven to 350. Combine all crust ingredients in small bowl. Beat at low speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture evenly onto bottom of ungreased baking pan. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until just beginning to brown.

*Meanwhile, combine all filling ingredients except coconut and almonds in large bowl; mix well. Stir in coconut and almonds. Spread evenly over hot, partially baked crust. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely.

*Place chocolate chips and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute;stir. Continue microwaving 30 seconds; stir until smooth. Drizzle over bars. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

Again, I halved the recipe. So I used a 9 by 9 baking pan. These are pretty rich. but if you love coconut like I do...
I didn't get a picture, I didn't even think about it once those suckers were out of the oven.

Banana Cream Sandwich Cookies

I know that this may sound strange to you...but they are actually pretty good. I always half recipes since there are only 4 of us and I don't want to end up eating a dozen cookies by my self.

COOKIE

1 C butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 medium ripe banana
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 C chopped pecans

FILLING

3 C powdered sugar
1/4 C butter
1 t. vanilla
2-3 T. milk

*Heat oven to 350. Combine butter, sugar and banana in large bowl. Beat at low speed until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Add flour and salt, continue beating until well mixed. Stir in pecans.

*Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheets. Flatten balls to 1/4 inch thickness with buttered bottom of glass dipped in flour.

*Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheets immediately; cool completely.

*Combine all filling ingredients except milk in small bowl. Beat a t medium speed, gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Spread 2 teaspoons filling on bottoms of half of cooled cookies. Top with remaining cookies, bottom-side against filling.




Sawyer and I have started a new tradition. Every other friday during Wyatt's nap we make cookies. Always something different. So I'm sure this is just one of many odd cookie recipes that will end up here. I just happen to have a couple overly ripe bananas that needed to be used.

Amish Fluff

OK, so I remember Grandma mixing more or less equal parts of peanut butter and marshmallow fluff to spread on sandwiches (which is very delicious, especially if you add bananas.) Now, the PB + fluff mixture is surprisingly NOT sticky. At a church activity, somebody brought something that tasted very similar to the PB + fluff mixture, but it was sticky and absolutely delicious as an apple dip. They called it 'Amish Fluff' but didn't know the recipe cuz their neighbors (who happen to be Amish) made it. Google told me the secret ingredient was syrup of some sort.

Amish Fluff
2 parts peanut butter (chunky works better for a dip)
2 parts marshmallow fluff
1 part corn syrup/maple syrup/light molasses (I never saw a recipe with honey, but I bet that would work too...)

I made the molasses version, but I only had blackstrap molasses, so I used 1/2 part blackstrap and 1/2 part corn syrup. It's super yummy, but I think next time I would do 1/4 part blackstrap so that there's a stronger peanut taste.

Lemon Zest Sugar Cookies

Well. I can't remember which of the crafty blogs I follow that I got this recipe off of...but they are super yummy! And easy!

YOU WILL NEED:

One box of white cake mix
2/3 C. butter softened
1 Egg
1/2 t. vanilla
3 limes (small)
1/4 C. sugar

Step 1: Add cake mix, egg, butter and vanilla to med. mixing bowl. Next grate in the green from 2 of the limes. Last, squeeze the juice from one of the limes into the bowl and mix everything together!

Step 2: Prepare the sugar. In a small shallow bowl mix together the sugar and lime gratings.

Step 3: Take little chunks of the really sticky dough and roll in the sugar mixture covering well. It's seriously REALLY STICKY DOUGH! Place on greased baking sheet.

Step 4: Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Depends on your oven. Mine were in for almost 20. Just make sure the edges are just turning brown. Remove and let cool on cooling racks.



All I can say is that I'm really looking forward to the cool weather so I can wear warmer (bulkier) clothes that will hide the cookies I just ate...