Macadamia Butter Cookies

Hello All and Happy Thursday!  Prayers to those that need them!  Most of the world these days.  But this is one of our happy places so we will leave all that out.  I haven't made these jewels, I tell you of today, in quite a while.  One of those recipes that got packed in a folder or something to that affect!  LOL  This particular recipe came from the Cooking Light December 2009 magazine.  And of course this time of the year is perfect for trying new cookies!  At least we are going light, right?  LOL  Better than nothing!  Peace through the holidays for all of you!

Macadamia Butter Cookies

2/3 cup macadamia nuts

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg

5.6 oz all-purpose flour (about 1 1/4 cups)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries, chopped

1 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1.  Preheat oven to 375°.

2.  Place nuts in a food processor; process until smooth (about 2 minutes), scraping sides of bowl once.  Combine macadamia butter, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium  speed.  Add vanilla and egg; beat well.

3.  Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg, stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed just until combined (mixture will be very thick).  Stir in cranberries.  Chill 10 minutes.

4.  Divide chilled dough into 30 equal portions; roll each portion into a ball.  Place 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar in a small bowl.  Lightly press each ball into sugar; place each ball, sugar side up, on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Gently press the top of each cookie with a fork.  Dip fork in water; gently press the top of each cookie with a fork.  Dip fork in water; gently press top of each cookie again to make a criss cross pattern.  Place 15 cookies on each of 2 baking sheets.

5.  Bake cookies, 1 baking sheet at a time, at 375° for 9 minutes or until golden.  Remove cookies from pan; cool on a wire rack.  Repeat procedure with remaining cookies.  Yield: 30 servings (1 cookie)

Pumpkin Pecan Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

Hello All!  Prayers to those that need them.  Spicy and I want to thank you very much for stopping by!  I have already started thinking about Thanksgiving and the amount of people I will be feeding is growing so I'm trying to find easier, simpler and more hand held type foods to lighten my load!  This dessert, which I tried out on my mom and dad recently, turns out to fit right in!  So good!  So not good for my diet!  LOL!  Sorry, not supposed to call it a diet, lifestyle change LOL!  Anyway, they are great!~   Give them a try, hope everyone loves them at your Asylum also!  Have a great week, see you Thursday!

Pumpkin Pecan Peanut Butter Cookie Cups

1 pouch Betty Crocker Pumpkin Spice Cookie Mix

1/2 Cup butter, softened

1 Egg

36 unwrapped miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cup candies

36 pecan halves

Heat oven to 350°.

 In medium bowl, beat cookie mix, butter and egg with spoon or electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls to make 36 balls. Place a dough ball in each of 36 ungreased mini muffin cups.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Immediately place 1 candy in center of each cookie. Cool 10 minutes; remove to cooling rack. Press pecan half onto top of each candy. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

*Recipe from bettycrocker.com