Turtle Shortbread Rounds

I'm not the only baker in the family. My mom was known for her baked goods and now my dad has taken over the baking in their house. His Peanut Butter Cup Topped Rice Krispie Treats and Pecan Sandie Rolo Cookies are two of my favorites. But those two may need to step aside and make room for my new favorite....

Turtle Shortbread Rounds
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the topping:
1/2 stick butter (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bag Kraft caramels
1 cup milk chocolate chips
approximately 70 pecan halves

Directions:

1. Beat the butter well. Add in the remaining ingredients until a dough is formed without lumps. Refrigerate the dough for approximately half an hour.

2. Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and separate into two sections. Roll each section into a log approximately 1 inch in diameter. Flatten the ends of the log and wrap each log in wax paper Refrigerate at least a half hour or until you are ready to bake.

3. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice logs into 3/16 of an inch thick and lay out on an ungreased cookie sheet pan. Bake until they are lightly golden brown, 8-10 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and make a small well in the center of each cookie. (You can do this using the end of a wooden spoon.) Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet pan for 5 minutes. Then, place them on a wax paper covered surface.

4. Meanwhile, in a small pot over a medium heat, melt the butter and mix in the milk, salt, and caramels, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Spoon the caramel into the well of the cookies, allowing the caramel to slightly mound.

5. Lightly press a pecan halve into the center of each cookie.

6. Melt the chocolate and pour into the corner of a freezer bag. Snip the end and drizzle the chocolate over the cookies.

Store the cookies in a cool dry place or in the refrigerator.

Chewy Chocolate Toffee Bars

Cookie recipes like these are too irresistible to pass up. 

The flavors of brown sugar and sea salt will have your family begging for more!

You can find my recipe for Chewy Chocolate Toffee Bars 
over at Recipe Lion.

Sugared Candy Corn Cookies

These have been a favorite of my children for a couple of years now.

This year I added some melted chocolate to one of the layers and they were a big hit! 

Sugared Candy Corn Cookies
((Printable Recipe))

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

food coloring
1 ounce melted chocolate
1/2 cup sugar for rolling after the cookies are baked

Directions:
1. Line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. (I find it sticks to the sides better if I wet the inside of the loaf pan slightly.)

2. Mix the flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside.

3. Combine the butter and sugar together and beat at medium speed until creamy.  Add the egg and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed. Reduce the speed to low and add in the dry ingredients.  Beat until well mixed.

4. Divide the dough into thirds. Leave 1/3 of the dough uncolored and press it into the bottom of the loaf pan. Color 1/3 yellow or make this dough chocolate by adding the melted 1 ounce of chocolate to color the dough. (I also added a tiny bit of dark cocoa powder to boost the color even more.)  Press this into the pan as the middle layer.  Color the last 1/3 orange and add this as the final layer. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight.

5. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Invert the loaf pan and peel off the plastic wrap. Place the layered dough on a cutting board and cut 1/4 inch slices.  Cut each slice into about 6 wedges, trimming as needed. Place about 1 inch apart on a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for 7-10 minutes.  Cool for 1 minute on a cooling rack and then dip each cookie in the reserved 1/2 cup sugar.

Featured on: Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen, TasteSpotting
Linked to: Crazy for Crust, Today's Creative Blog, This Chick Cooks, Sweet As Sugar Cookies,
Recipe Lion, Gooseberry Patch, Katherine Martinelli
(Adapted from Land O' Lakes)

It's Time to Celebrate: White Chocolate

If there is one thing you should know about me, it's that I LOVE white chocolate. Today, I feel we should all take a moment to celebrate National White Chocolate Day.  Here are a few of my past contributions...

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Rice Krisipe Bars

Pomogrante White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Triple Chocolate Kit Kat Cookies

White Chocolate Maple Walnut Bars

Pecan Sandie Rolo Cookies

Once a week the kids and I go hang out at my parents' house.  After running around outside or playing a game of LIFE, the kids settle in for lunch.  For dessert, Grandpa always has a delicious bar or cookie for the kids to enjoy.  After lunch, their Grandpa becomes their science teacher.  I may teach them every other subject at home, but after my engineer father retired and volunteered to take over my science curriculum for me I said, "Go for it!"

Every once in awhile I'll stumble upon a recipe that I pass on to my dad instead of making myself. My dad altered this recipe that I gave to him and I came up with the "new" name. As I was leaving their house the other day my mom said, "I think you need to put these cookies on your blog."

I took a few home with me for a "photo shoot" which also, as you can tell from the photos, required me to have a bite.  That bite turned into three or four.   Oh my.... yum.

This recipe is a keeper.

Pecan Sandie Rolo Cookies
((Printable Recipe))

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
60 Rolos, unwrapped
1 cup chopped pecans (reserved)
1 tablespoon sugar (reserved)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the chopped pecans and 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

In a mixer, cream together the butter, shortening and 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue beating until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in the dry ingredients.

Use a small cookie scoop to form a ball.  Break the ball in half, placing the Rolo in the middle and wrap the dough around. Roll in the pecan/sugar mixture.

Place balls 2 inches apart on a parchment lined cookie sheet pan. Bake about 8-10 minutes, rotating pan once. Cool for 5 minutes on the cookie pan before transferring the cookies to a cooling rack.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week or freeze.

(Recipe inspiration from: The Baker Chick)
Linked to: Alli n Son, Sweet As Sugar Cookies, Everyday Mom's Meals, Delightfully Dowling, Mrs. Happy Homemaker