Recipe of the Week: Sunshine Kisses

These cookies are in my top three for favorite cookies. They are just delicious. How do I  know? Because not only does my family love them, but whenever I make them and serve them to friends...I get FLOODED with recipe requests. The best part is they are so easy to make, that you can have these yummy treats often. This recipe comes from a 1996 Pampered Chef cook book. I've been making them for over 14 years now.

Here is what you will need:

Just 6 simple ingrediants!:

cookies:
1 package lemon cake mix
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3. cup vegetable oil
2 T. water

glaze:
1 lemon
1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine cake mix, eggs, oil and water using a hand mixer or stationary mixer with the paddle attachment (as shown below)

(within a few minutes, you will have a dry, crumbly dough)

Using a small cookie scoop drop rounded dough onto cookie sheet or stone 2 inches apart. If dough is crumbly, press into the scoop before dropping onto sheet/stone.

After you have dropped cookie dough on the sheet/stone, take the palm of your hand and lightly press the dough until it is slightly flattened.

Bake 13 minutes or until cookies look like this....

Do not over bake. To keep cookies moist and chewy you want them just starting to turn golden on the edges. If you use a stone, like I do...I let the first batch go for 13 minutes and 10 minutes for each subsequent batch to avoid over baking. Cool completely before glazing.

Next step is to make the glaze:

Using a microplane or zester, remove 2 t. zest from lemon. Remove just the yellow, avoiding the bitter white pith. Put the zest into a small bowl.

Next, juice the lemon and measure 4 T. of the juice into bowl with zest. Then add 1 cup powdered sugar. Wisk well.

Once you have a smooth glaze, pour into a small sandwhich baggie letting the glaze settle into the point of one corner of the bag.

Holding the bag over the cookies, snip a tiny hole in the corner of the bag. The glaze will start pouring out the hole ...so quickly start zip zagging over each cookie as seen below to create a drizzled effect.

Let glaze dry completly...then enjoy the yummy lemon goodness of these melt in your mouth Sunshine Kisses!

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

My Thanksgiving gift to my blog readers is my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This recipe was given to me several years back by my friend Annie. These are one of my favorite cookies, they are cake/muffin like in texture and are simply divine! The recipe suggests storing the cookies in the fridge. Don't worry, they won't harden up if you store them this way. They stay fresher longer and taste delicious warm or cold.

I recently made a batch of these for a church function in which they were devoured and the recipe was requested of me by several ladies. I am making a batch to take to my Dad and Polly's for Thanksgiving as well. Happy Baking!

INGREDIENTS

DRY
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

WET
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 15oz can pure pumpkin
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla

MIX INS
1 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional..I don't use them)

GLAZE
1 c. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1/2 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your baking sheet or stone with non stick spray, wipe off excess. You want a slightly greased surface for these cake like cookies. This needs to be done for the first batch only.

Combine DRY ingredients, stir to mix.

Cream together the butter and sugar with mixer.

Add remaining WET ingredients.

Gradually add in the mixed DRY ingredients, beating until you have a thick cake like batter. Stir in your ADD INS.

Using a small cookie scoop, drop onto your greased baking pan or stone. Your dough will be thick, sticky and cake batter like. Bake 18-20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Your cookies will be cake/muffin like in texture. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, combine GLAZE ingredients. Stir until a smooth glaze forms.

Spoon or pour the glaze into a sandwich baggie, squeezing it all down into one point. Snip the point with scissors and use as a decorator bag to zig zag glaze across cooled cookies. (or you can spread the glaze on with a knife) Glaze will set within 30 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies. Enjoy!