Banana Cake Bars!!!

Banana cake bars
These are so good! So moist, the sour cream you can't even taste.

1-1/2 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 eggs
1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:
1/2 c. butter
4 c. powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. milk

1. Heat oven to 375F. Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan. For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy. Blend in bananas and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts.

2. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling. Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting). Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm).

Yield: 2 dozen large bars
From:

http://lifessimplemeasures.blogspot.com/2012/01/banana-bread-bars-with-brown-butter.html

Snickerdoodles

When I was in 9th grade(many many years ago), I took a home Ec class and got first prize for the best Snickerdoodles in class! Here's the recipe!
Snickerdoodles

1/2 c. butter, softened               
1/2 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 2/4 c. flour
2 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
4 T. white sugar
3 t. Gd cinnamon

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 c. sugar, the eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix in the flour, cream of tartar, soda, and salt.
4. Shape the dough in to little round balls about 1 1/2 inch's round or you can do them bigger or smaller, just depends on what you want!
5. Mix the 2 T. of sugar and the Cinnamon on together.
6. Roll the balls of dough in the cinnamon, I put the cinnamon/sugar mix in a flat container with sides and pop the balls in and shake it around gently!!
7. Now put them about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
8. Bake for about 8 to 10 min. Don't let the cookies get to hard while baking, usually 8 minutes does for me.
9. Take them off the cookie pan when done! Enjoy!!

Melting Moments!

Melting Moments
We put these in our Cookie Tins

1 c. all purpose flour
¾ c. cornstarch
¼ t. salt
½ c. powdered sugar
1 c. unsalted butter, room temp
1 t. vanilla
Topping:
¾ c. powdered sugar

In a med. Sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornstatch and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy about 2 min. Beat in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Do not ov3er mix. Scrape the dough into a bowl, cover and refrig. For at least one hour or until dough is firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place rack in ce4nter of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

When dough is firm form into 1 inch balls and place on prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Bake for about 10 min. or until the edges start to brown. Remove from oven, place on a wire rack, and let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few min.

These cookies store very well. Place in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper and they will keep a couple of weeks.
Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Magic Bars!

Magic Bars
We put these in our cookie tins

½ cup butter
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14oz.) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
1 (12oz.) pkg. Semi-sweet choco chips
1 cup coconut flakes
1 cups walnuts chopped finely

Preheat oven to 350F (use 13 X9 in metal or foil trays w/ parchment paper so that you can lift the bar out by the paper to cut). Melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over butter. Press into an even layer covering the bottom of pan. Pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top w/ ¾ cup of coconut, ¾ cup nuts & choco chips. Using the bottom of a glass, press the toppings into the condensed milk. Top with the remaining ¾ cup nuts & ¾ cup coconut. Press down one more time with bottom of glass. Bake 23-30 min. depending on oven. The bars should be lightly browned. Let cool completely before cutting. Store covered at room temp. or in the freezer.
To cut- cut the bar lengthwise down the middle. Cut each of the halves lengthwise down the middle. Cut off any rounded edges on the top and bottom of the strips. Using a ruler cut each strip into 1in. rectangles.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies
2/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2c. Flour
1/2 t. soda
1/2 t. salt
1 pkg (6 oz.) semi sweet chocolate
chips or butterscotch chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix shortening, sugars, egg,
and vanilla thoroughly .measure flour by dipping method.
or by sifting. Stir dry ingred together. (For a softer rounded
cookie add 1/4 c. more flour) Blend in. Mix in chips. Drop
rounded t. of dough about 2"apart on ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 min. or until browned.
Makes 4 to 5 2" cookies.
*Another way to make these cookies is to melt the choc. Chips
And mix in with the batter gently for about 30 seconds. Cook the
Same way.

My No Bake Cookies!!

No Bake Cookies

2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk andmargarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1minute, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanutbutter and oats.Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow cookies to coolfor at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container.

Tiny Fudge Tarts

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Fudge Filling (See below)

Heat oven to 350. Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter. Sprinkle with water and vanilla. Mix well with fork. Using 1/2 of dough at a time, roll out 1/16" thick on cloth-covered board generously sprinkled with sugar or just roll out like you would pastry dough. Cut in 2 1/2" squares. Spread 1 level tsp filling in center of each square. Bring corners to center. Seal together. Place sealed side up or down on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen.

Fudge filling:

Mix the following ingredients thoroughly:
1/4 cup butter or margarine,
1 egg yolk,
1/2 cup sugar,
1 tsp vanilla,
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts or flaked coconut if you want! i dont add these!