Samoa Brownies

I can't remember where I found this recipe. I wish I could remember, so I could give credit where credit is due. If you like Samoa Girl Scout cookies, you are going TO LOVE this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 brownie mix

3 1/2 cups shredded coconut, toasted
(2) 14 oz. package of caramels, unwrapped
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tbsp. milk
3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I use chocolate Almond Bark found in the baking aisle at Walmart.)

Directions:

1. Prepare brownie mix according to box directions and cool.

2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. To toast coconut, spread shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to make sure that the coconut browns evenly.

3. In a large, microwaveable bowl, add unwrapped caramels, salt, and milk and cook on high for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally (about every 45-60 seconds). Cook until all caramels are melted and smooth.

4. Add coconut and mix together. Spread over cooled brownies.

5. Drizzle chocolate on top

6. Refrigerate 4-5 hours or overnight.

7. Remove at least 1 hour from the fridge before cutting into bars.

8. Store in refrigerator, but remove 20-30 minutes before serving as the caramel will be hard.

Pink Kiss Cookies

If you like chocolate covered cherries, this recipe is FOR YOU! Chocolate covered cherries is one of my favorite Christmas candies, so I am thrilled with this recipe! I hope you like it too! Please let me know if you like it by commenting below.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons maraschino cherry juice
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 2 drops red food coloring
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 10 oz. jar Maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
• 25-30 Hershey Kisses

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and powdered sugar.
2. Add cherry juice, almond extract, red food coloring and salt and beat well.
3. Add flour 1 cup at a time, scraping bowl.
4. Fold in cherries.
5. Place quarter (or a little bigger, depending on how you like them) sized balls of dough on cookie sheet leaving a little room between them to spread.
6. Bake at 350F degrees for 10-12 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and immediately top with Hershey Kisses, pressing down slightly.
8. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
9. Makes 25-30 cookies.

Mini Strawberry Whoopee Pies

Ingredients for Cookie:

• 1 (18.25 oz.) pkg. strawberry cake mix
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup shortening (I usually use just shy of 2/3 cup.)

Ingredients for Filling:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups confectioners sugar
• 2 cups marshmallow cream (That's called Fluff for my Yankee friends! ☺)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease cookie sheets.
3. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and shortening until well blended.
4.  Roll the dough into walnut sized balls.
5. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
7. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Mix all ingredients for filling until well blended.
9. Match up evenly sized cookies and sandwich them with the filling.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 boiled egg, chopped
• 3 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained & flaked (I use white albacore.)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
• pepper to taste
• rolls, croissants or sandwich bread

Directions:

1. Mix together and serve on rolls, croissants or sandwich bread.

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 8 boiled eggs
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• rolls

Directions:

1. Dice eggs.
2. Mix all ingredients.
3. Serve on rolls.

Paula Deen’s Chicken Salad on Croissants

2 tbsps fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 31/2 cups chicken (finely diced cooked)

1 cup celery (finely diced) 1/3 cup slivered almonds 12 slider rolls or croissants

1.     In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt.

2.    Toss with the chicken, celery, and almonds in a medium bowl.

3.    Serve on mini slider rolls.

Seven Layer Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 large head iceberg lettuce ~ rinsed, dried, chopped
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen peas, thawed
• 10 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 1/2 bags Oscar Mayer bacon pieces (or bits)
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Layer the first six ingredients in a large flat bowl. (I usually put it in a clear trifle bowl for a pretty display.) Layer in this order ~ lettuce, onion, peas, cheddar cheese, cauliflower & bacon.
2. Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar and parmesan cheese and drizzle over salad.
3. Refrigerate until chilled.

Beth's Baby Shower Menu

Chicken Salad on Croissants

Teriyaki Chicken Salad on Croissants

Tuna Salad on Rolls

Egg Salad on Rolls

BLT Pasta Salad

Spinach/Strawberry/Almond Salad

Broccoli Salad

Seven Layer Salad

Strawberry Jello Salad

Blueberry Jello Salad

Bowl of Fresh Fruits

Milk & Cookie Bar

Strawberry Cheesecake Shooters

Pink Lemonade

Strawberry Crush

Bottle Waters

Coffee

Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwich

I had a baby shower for my daughter last Saturday. We enjoyed a variety of salads and salad sandwiches...one of which is this Teriyaki Chicken Salad Sandwich. It was a big hit with many of the women, so I thought I would share it with my readers. This recipe can be made a day ahead, refrigerate, and the next day add the fruit and nuts just before serving. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts or 5-6 chicken breast tenderloins
• Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup green onions, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted (I use "Almond Accents ~ Original Oven Roasted" found in produce department.)
• 1 small can pineapple tidbits
• 1 small can mandarin oranges
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• salt & pepper to taste
• croissants

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours.
2. Grill chicken. (Sometimes I cheat and sear the chicken in a frying pan on top of the stove. ☺)
3. Combine celery and green onions in mixing bowl while chicken is cooking.
4. When chicken is done, allow it to cool 10 minutes before cutting it into bitesize pieces.
5. Toss chicken with celery & onions.
6. Add mayonnaise to chicken, celery & onions. Start with 1/3 cup and continue adding to your likeness. Mix thoroughly.
7. Add 2-3 tablespoons teriyaki baste and glaze to taste.
8. Refrigerate for several hours.
9. Right before serving on croissants, add almonds, drained pineapple tidbits and drained oranges, as well as salt and pepper to taste.

Strawberry Jello Salad

Ingredients for jello:

• 1 large box strawberry jello
• 3 large bananas, diced
• 1 pint frozen strawberries (with juice)
• 1 cup hot water
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 small can crushed pineapple with juice

Directions for jello: Mix jello and hot water until dissolved, and then add everything else.

Ingredients for middle layer:

• 12 oz. tub of Cool Whip
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese

Directions for middle layer: Beat Cool Whip, sugar and cream cheese until well blended.

LAYERS:

1. Strawberry Jello
2. Cool Whip mixture
3. Strawberry Jello

Fresh Broccoli Salad

In my opinion, this is a 5-star salad! The recipe is requested every time I bring it to a get-together. This recipe is for 8  servings, and it can easily be doubled or tripled. I hope you enjoy it as much as I.

Ingredients:

• 2 heads fresh broccoli
• 1 red onion (sometimes I reduce it to 2/3 red onion)
• 2.8 oz. bag Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Recipe Pieces
• 3/4 c. raisins
• 3/4 c. sliced almonds
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 2 TBSP white wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces.
2. Cut onion into thin bite-size pieces and add to broccoli pieces.
3. Combine bacon, raisins, almonds and mix well.
4. To prepare the dressing, mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar together until smooth.
5. Mix everything together and chill. (It can actually be made the day before it is to be served. This allows the ingredients times to season together.)

Mama Sherri's Easy Sugar Cookies

I cheat to make these cookies, but they are so pretty, so cute and I must say so tasty!

Ingredients:
2 pkgs. Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tub ready made vanilla frosting
white chocolate Almond Bark
M&Ms, sprinkles or nonpareils for decorating
cookie cutters of your choice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix cookie dough per instructions on package for "cutout cookies".
3. Cut cookies into shapes of your choice.
4. Bake cookies per package instructions.
5. Cool cookies completely.
6. Put frosting in microwaveable bowl and microwave 30-60 seconds, until it becomes thin and runny.
7. Color frosting with color of your choice.
8. Dip front side of cookie in frosting, and let harden. (I usually put the cookies on a paper towel to allow the frosting to harden.)
9. Decorate cookies with melted Almond Bark. (I put the Almond Bark in a quart Ziploc freezer bag and snip a corner, so the piping comes out smoothly for decorating.)
10. Put decorations of your choice on the cookies before the Almond Bark hardens.

Oreo Truffles

This is seriously one of the easiest recipes I have ever made. It requires only three ingredients.

1 pkg. Oreo cookies (regular, NOT double-stuffed)
8 oz. bar cream cheese, softened
Dipping white chocolate (I use Almond Bark.)

Directions:

1. Crush cookies into fine crumbs. (I use my food processor.)
2. Use electric mixer to blend cookie crumbs with cream cheese. Be sure they are well blended.
3. Roll cookie crumb/cream cheese mixture into 3/4" - 1" balls.
4. Melt chocolate per package directions.
5. Dip balls into melted chocolate and place on waxed paper lined cookie sheet.
6. Refrigerate until hardened.
7. Store in tin in refrigerator.

Buttercream Thumbprint Cookies

Shannon, Bill's niece, brought this cookie to a Christmas gathering years ago, and it has been my favorite cookie since! I have just varied it a bit to make it look a little festive. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have. Thanks, Shannon!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (or margarine) melted
2 eggs (separated)
2 cups flour
chopped pecans
food coloring of your choice
a few chocolate chips

Butttercream Frosting:
1/4 cup melted margarine
3 cups powdered sugar
milk (the thickness you want it...Shannon and I make ours thick.)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix brown sugar, butter, egg yolks and flour.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls.
4. Dip in egg whites.
5. Roll in pecans.
6. Push center almost down to cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes.
8. Let cookies completely cool before filling with frosting. (Frosting does not have to be colored, but it makes it festive.)

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

I enjoy browsing All Recipes. This is where I found these simple and delicious German Chocolate Cake Cookies. I am getting all kinds of ideas for new cookies using this concept. I'm thinking it will be fun to try different cake mixes and different fillings! What a variety of cookie ideas!

I am learning to post the actual recipe of findings at other websites because I clicked on a link from my website tonight and discovered the website was not available. So...here't the actual recipe for Allrecipes German Chocolate Cake Cookies:

Ingredients:
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared coconut pecan frosting

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix, eggs and shortening until well blended. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto the cookie sheet.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. Match up evenly sized cookies and sandwich them with the coconut pecan frosting.