Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

From A Flood of Recipes from the 12th Ward, Ann Heron, p. 125
Makes about 2 dozen

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. flour
3 c. oatmeal

Mix first four ingredients. Add next four. Then add oatmeal last. You may also add 1/4 tsp. cinnamon or raisins or walnuts (I never have). Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Remove while slightly underdone for more chewy cookies.

These are the best oatmeal cookies ever. So chewy and soft. You gotta love them. My hubby's personal favorite.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Babies

From Food & Family Spring '09 p. 39
Makes 18-20

1. Prepare a box of brownies or use another brownie recipe and spoon the batter into 20 paper-lined muffin cups. (I did 18)
2. Beat 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese , 1/3 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1/4 cup peanut butter and 1/2 tsp. vanilla with mixer until blended.
3. Spoon into center of brownie batter cups and pressing lightly into the batter.
4. Bake 30 minutes. Cool. Top with Cool Whip and maraschino cherries.

Um, hello... Peanut Butter, Brownie, Cheesecake...why wouldn't this be good? Well, it turns out, they are pretty good, but not exactly what I expected. It's somewhat of an odd mix. My hubby didn't even finish his, so... there you have it.

Granola

Mom's Granola
From Amber Dyer
Makes... lots (half the recipe filled two quart jars after I ate some for breakfast)

Dry ingredients:
6 c. oatmeal
1 c. fresh sunflower seeds (I didn't use)
1 c. wheat bran
1 c. wheat germ
1 c. oat bran
1 c. dry buttermilk powder
1 c. slivered almonds (I used sliced)
1 c. coconut
1 TBSP cinnamon

Wet ingredients:
1/3 c. maple syrup
1/3 c. honey
1 c. oil
1 teas. vanilla

Dried Fruit options (none of which I used the first time)
1 c. golden raisins
1 c. raisins
1 c. dried apples
1 c. dried cranberries

Mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix all the wet ingredients together. Then mix both together. Spread a thin layer on cookie sheets and cook at 350 until it turns golden.  

*Serves really well with fruit and vanilla yogurt. Another one the girls love.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

From A Flood of Recipes From the 12th Ward (Brooke Egbert, Colleen Hobson p. 120)
Makes approx 3 dozen

1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips (or raisins...yikes)

Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with pumpkin. Add vanilla and chocolate chips. Drop on greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

So yummy, and super festive for this time of year... gotta love pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Don't mind how unhealthy they are.

Zucchini Bread

From A Flood of Recipes From the 12th Ward p. 47 (Kathryn Gudmundson)
Makes 2 loaf pans, one large pan, two layer cake pans, or four small loaf pans.

2 cups zucchini, grated
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 teas. vanilla
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. ground cloves
2 cups white flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teas. nutmeg
1 1/2 teas cinnamon

Mix together all wet ingredients (this is what Kitchen Aid mixers were made for). Sift the dry and add to the wet mixture. Mix well. Pour into greased and floured pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Red Velvet Cake Mix Cookies

From A Flood of Recipes From the 12th Ward p. 123 (Ashley Mecham) & my special touch
Makes a lot

1 pkg. cake mix (Red Velvet is the BEST)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teas. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup water

Mix together (Kitchen Aid) and drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes.

Pound Cake Muffins

From ________ (an email from my sister)
Makes..... I don't remember

2 cups flour
3 teas. poppyseeds
1/2 teas. salt
1/4 teas. baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup yogurt (plain unless you want a little flavor)
1 teas. vanilla or almond flavoring

1. Stir first four ingredients together.
2. Cream the sugar and butter together.
3. Add eggs, yogurt, and vanilla or almond flavoring to creamed mixture.
4. Add the flour mixture to the rest.

Pour into muffin pan. Bake at 400 degrees from 15-20 minutes.