Allison's Recipe Book

INGREDIENTS for Cookie Shots

For the cookies:

1 cup shortening
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light-brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mini chocolate chips

For the cookie shots:

1 cup dark-chocolate candy melts
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Making Cookie Shots

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the molds of a popover pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and brown and granulated sugars. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract, and mix until completely incorporated. Gradually add the flour and salt, and mix until completely incorporated. Add the mini chocolate chips, and mix together until evenly distributed. The dough should be a little crumbly at this point.
Form the cookie shots inside the molds, making the walls of the cookie shot about 1/4 inch thick. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes before baking.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cookies just start to brown. Remove from the oven, and let cool completely.
Melt chocolate candy melts, and then pour the melted chocolate into the well of each cookie. Let it sit for a minute, and then pour the excess chocolate back into the pan. Chill cookie shots until the chocolate has set.
Mix together milk and vanilla extract, and serve inside each cookie shot.

Ingredients
For the Cookie Layer
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. shortening
2 Tbsp. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
2 c. chopped Milky Way candy bars (I used the Caramel Apple)

For the Cheesecake Layer
1 pkg. cream cheese (8 oz.)
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg
1/4 c. caramel ice cream topping
2 Tbsp. flour

For the Topping
4 oz. caramel candies (about 14 squares)
4 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/4 c. chocolate chips
1/2 tsp. shortening

Instructions
For the Cookie Layer
Cream the butter, shortening, sour cream, and sugars until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, crumbs, baking soda, and salt and slowly add to the butter mixture. Stir in the candies by hand. Press half the mixture into a greased 8 inch pan. Pour the cheesecake mixture on top. Drop the rest of the dough by spoonfuls gently on top of the cheesecake. Bake at 350* for 45 minutes. Let cool completely. Drizzle with caramel and chocolate. Refrigerate.

For the Cheesecake Layer
Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy. Add the egg and caramel and beat again. Stir in the flour. Pour on cookie dough in pan.

For the Topping
Place the caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan. Heat and stir until melted and creamy. In a small microwave safe bowl, place the chocolate chips and shortening. Heat for 20 seconds. Stir and repeat until melted and smooth. Place in a bag and cut one corner off.

Notes
*The Caramel Apple Milky Ways are a seasonal candy, so feel free to use regular Milky Ways instead. *You can also bake this in a 9×13 pan by decreasing the bake time to 30 minutes.

Ingredients

1 box red velvet cake mix
8 oz (1 block) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bag white chocolate peppermint Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Directions:

In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well combined. Add egg and vanilla and beat. Add cake mix and beat until combined. Chill dough for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350. Scoop cookie dough with a 1 inch cookie scoop and roll in powdered sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 11 minutes. Remove from oven and press a Hershey Kiss in the center of each cookie. Remove cookies to wire rack to finish cooling.

Ingredients:

CHOCOLATE COOKIES
1 cup + 1 Tablespoon (133g) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (32g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (I use 1 package Baker’s Semi Sweet chocolate)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 Tablespoons (75g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
1 cup (180g) mini chocolate chips
CANDY CANE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2.5 – 3 cups (300-360g) confectioners sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-2 Tablespoons (15-30ml) heavy cream or milk
1/2 cup candy cane dust, sifted (about 8-10 candy canes pulverized in a food processor)
crushed candy canes for rolling, optional
Directions:

Begin with the cookies. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 1 minute. Stir. Continue to melt in 30 second increments until fully melted and smooth. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla. Set aside. With an electric or stand mixer with paddle attachment, beat the butter until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute. Beat in the sugars, scraping down the sides every 10 seconds or so. The mixture will be granular.

Mix in the beaten egg/vanilla until incorporated. Add the chocolate in a steady stream and beat until combined. Add the dry ingredients on slow speed. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Do not overmix at any point in this process.

Chill dough for at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of dough and roll into a slightly flattened ball. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies have just begun to set with the centers still appearing very soft. They will firm up as they cool.

As the cookies cool, make the buttercream. Beat the butter for 1 minute with the paddle attachment on medium speed. Add 2.5 cups of sifted powdered sugar and slowly mix on low speed. Increase mixer speed to medium and add vanilla extract, salt, and 1 Tablespoon of cream/milk. Beat for about 1 minute. Manually stir in candy cane dust. If your buttercream needs to be thicker, add more powdered sugar. If your frosting needs to be thinned out, add remaining milk/cream. If frosting is too sweet, add a pinch of salt.

Frost the bottom end of a cooled cookie and top with another to make a sandwich. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ingredients:

1 17.5-oz. bag Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix, mixed according to package directions
(or your favorite sugar cookie dough recipe)
Liquid food coloring, as desired (McCormick Neon shades work well)
Rainbow sprinkles, if desired

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide dough evenly into five bowls, and color each with a different color liquid food coloring. Roll each color of dough into grape-sized balls. Combine a ball of each color and quickly roll into a larger ball. It will look like a little beach ball. Then roll that ball between your hands and the counter until you have a cylinder about 12 inches long. Starting from one end, roll the dough into a coil, twisting the cylinder as you go. Roll edges of the cookie in sprinkles. Bake the cookies for 10 to 11 minutes, or until done.
Yields: approximately 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

Cookie ingredients:
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
2/3C flour
1/4C unsalted butter, softened
1/3C sugar, plus 1/2C
1 egg
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Apple ingredients:
8C apples (roughly 6-8 apples depending on their size)
1/4C brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

In a small bowl combine first four dry ingredients for the cookie dough. In a separate bowl or stand mixer, cream butter and 1/3 cup sugar. Add egg followed by premixed dry ingredients. Mix until dry ingredients are blended into the dough well. Chill dough until easy to handle, at least several hours.

When ready to continue, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl combine 3/4 teaspoon and 1/2 cup sugar. Set aside.

In a large bowl add 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Peel, core and slice apples. Add to brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, tossing to coat. Transfer apples to an 8×8 baking dish.

Form 1 inch balls of dough and roll in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place coated dough balls on top of apples, press down lightly to slightly flatten.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until apples are tender and cookie topping is lightly golden.

Allow to cool slightly prior to serving. Serve with optional whipped cream or ice cream. May be stored chilled for several days.