Cereal Smore's Bars

Cereal treats are always a

favorite of mine to make when I

am asked (or told by a family member) at

the last minute to provide a treat.

And lets be honest here...

EVERYONE loves a soft chewy

cereal treat, no matter how old you are.

These are perfect to place in your

children's lunch box, wrap up for

snacks or a bake sale.

 

Cereal Smore Bars

1 (10.5 oz) Mini Marshmallows~ reserve 1 cup

1 (12 oz) Milk Chocolate Chips

1 (8oz.) Marshmallow Cream

5 TBSP Butter

1/2 C. Corn Syrup

1 tsp. Vanilla

8 C. Golden Graham Cereal

 

In a large sauce pan melt together the

chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup,

marshmallow cream and mini marshmallows.

Stirring until smooth and chips are melted.

Take off heat, stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture over cereal, mix well

until all the cereal is coated.

Press mixture into a buttered 9x13" pan

sprinkle reserved marshmallows over top.

Let cool then cut into bars.

Now go ahead and make another

batch because these bars wont

last long. Oh So Yummy!

Lark

 

 

 

 



Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Love-Handle Bars

You will never have to worry

about what to do with the leftovers,

there wont be any!

 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip
 Love-Handle Bars

~First Layer

1 Chocolate Cake Mix

1/2 C. Butter~ softened (not melted)

3 TBSP. Milk

1 Egg

~Second Layer

1 (8oz.) Cream Cheese~ softened

1/2 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

1 TBSP. Vanilla

3 Eggs

3 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

~Third Layer

2 C. Peanut Butter Chips

1 C. Chocolate Chips

1 C. Toffee Pieces 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together ingredients for the 1st. layer.

Spread evenly into a 9x13" greased pan.

You will have to press it out into

the pan with your fingers.

Sprinkle 1 C. of the Toffee

pieces over top.

Now beat together all of the ingredients

for the 2nd layer. Carefully pour this

over the first layer and chips.

Then sprinkle the remaining

peanut butter and toffee chips

over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Let the bars cool completely

before cutting and serving.

I also drizzled some melted chocolate

over top just to jazz them up a bit.

I gave them their name due to

the fact that if eaten often you

WILL gain Love-handles!

ENJOY, Lark





Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Boy do these cookies bring back memories!

Although my Mom would call these

"cowboy cookies". No matter what you

call them they don't last long!

 

Soft and Chewy Oatmeal Butterscotch Chip Cookies

1 C. Shortening

1 C. Sugar

1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar ~ packed

2 Eggs

3 C. Quick Cooking Rolled Oats

3/4 C. All Purpose Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Vanilla

2 C. Butterscotch Chips

 

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together shortening and sugar

until fluffy. Add in eggs, mix well.

Add in oats, flour, soda, salt

and vanilla mix until well blended.

Stir in butterscotch chips.

Bake on a lightly greased or

parchment lined baking sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Fill up those Cookie Jars,

Lark



Peanut Butter Love-Handle Bars

These bars are perfect for

 afternoon snack, picnic's, bake sales

or pot luck dinners.

You will never have to worry

about what to do with the leftovers,

there wont be any!

 

Peanut Butter Love-Handle Bars

~First Layer

1 Yellow Cake Mix

1/2 C. Butter

3 TBSP. Milk

1 Egg

~Second Layer

1 (8oz.) Cream Cheese~ softened

1/2 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

1 TBSP. Vanilla

3 Eggs

3 1/2 C. Powdered Sugar

~Third Layer

2 C. Peanut Butter Chips

1 C. Toffee pieces

 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together ingredients for the 1st. layer.

Spread evenly into a 9x13" greased pan.

You will have to press it out into

the pan with your fingers.

Sprinkle 1 C. of the peanut butter

chips over top.

Now beat together all of the ingredients

for the 2nd layer. Carefully pour this

over the first layer and chips.

Then sprinkle the remaining

peanut butter and toffee chips

over the top. Bake for 30-40 minutes.

Let the bars cool completely

before cutting and serving.

I also drizzled some melted chocolate

over top just to jazz them up a bit.

I gave them their name due to

the fact that if eaten often you

WILL gain Love-handles!

ENJOY, Lark

Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Pudding Cookies

If you like soft and chewy

cookies this is the recipe for you!

Also the great thing about this

recipe is that you can change the

base flavor of the dough by choosing

any flavor of pudding you like.

*(one of my favorite's in Cheesecake

pudding with dried cherries!)

So go ahead and make a couple

different batches this weekend.

 

Chocolate P.B. Chip Pudding Cookies

1 C. Butter~ softened

3/4 C. Sugar

1 C. Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 tsp. Vanilla

1/4 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1(5 oz.) Instant Pudding Mix ~any flavor

2 1/3 C. All Purpose Flour

2 C. Peanut Butter Chips

 

Preheat Oven to 350

In a mixing bowl cream together

the butter, and sugars until fluffy.

Add in eggs, vanilla, salt and baking soda.

Mix in pudding mix and flour until

blended well. Final step add in the chips.

(instead of using chips, you can add nuts,

toffee or dried fruit)

Drop onto a greased baking sheet,

bake for 8-10 minutes.

Store in an air tight container.

HAPPY BAKING,

Lark

 



4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies ~ Gluten Free

When coming up with this recipe

I tried time and time again to

get a dough that was easy to make,

without the use of flour.

Why?... Well I have a dear friend

who has to have a gluten free diet.

She is forever telling me that

she cannot find any "regular"

tasting cookies.  Therefore I was

on a mission to see if I could

make a cookie that would put

a smile on her face  :)

These were a HUGE success!

*If you are wondering what the filling

is that sandwiches these together,

it is marshmallow's!

 

4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C. Sugar

1 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

1 Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

*Marshmallow~ optional

 

Preheat oven to 350

Beat together sugar and peanut butter.

Add in egg and vanilla, blend well.

Scoop into balls, place on a

parchment lined cookie sheet.

Flatten with a fork, bake for 10 minutes.

Let cool on pan for 1 minutes

before removing to a wire rack.

*If your making them into sandwich

cookies, just place 1 cookie upside down on

a plate, add a large marshmallow.

Microwave for 15 seconds, then top

with another cookies.

It cant get much easier than that.

Lark



Orange Citrus Blondies

After I had such  positive feedback

on the Lemon Blondie's I decided to

give Orange a try....SUCCESS!

 

Orange Citrus Blondie's

 

1 1/2 C. Flour

2 C. Sugar

1 C. Butter~ softened

1 tsp. Salt

4 Egg's

1 TBSP. Fresh Orange Zest

2 tsp. Fresh Orange Juice

 

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1(8oz.) Cream Cheese~ softened

1/4 C. Butter~ softened

1 tsp. Fresh Orange Zest

2 TBSP. Fresh Orange Juice

3-4 C. Powdered Sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all of the Batter ingredients together.

Mix until smooth. Pour into a lightly

greased 9x13" pan. Spread evenly and

bake for 30 minutes or until center

is cooked through.

While Blondie's are baking you

can start on making the frosting.

 In a mixer beat together the butter

and cream cheese for 2 minutes.

And zest, juice and powdered sugar.

Beat until smooth. Cover and chill

When the Blondie's are cool,

frost and serve.

 

Orange you glad You tried these?

Lark

Mini Fruit Tart's



 These are a cross between a Cookie and a Tart.

You can make individual size or one large 12" inch.

**These are  very freezer friendly**

I love that you can make the

"frosting" any flavor you like.

*I usually choose to make mine

Orange or Lemon.

 

Mini Fruit Tarts

CRUST

1 (18 1/4 oz.) White or Yellow Cake Mix

1 1/4 C. Quick Rolled Oats

1/3 C. Butter~ Softened

2 Eggs ~beaten

 

Frosting

1 (8 oz.) Cream Cheese~ softened

2 C. Powdered Sugar

1 (8oz.) Cool Whip~ thawed

1 (3 oz.) Instant Vanilla Pudding

*Zest of Lemon

*1 TBSP. Lemon Juice

 

Preheat oven to 350

 

In a mixing bowl combine all

ingredients for the crust. Mix until

it is blended together in a solid dough.

 You will now either divide dough into

individual size balls. Or into a large 12" inch

round (onto a pizza pan)

Grease pan, push dough into round flat circles.

Bake for 12 minutes.

 



While crust is cooking, beat together

all your frosting ingredients.

If frosting is to thick, you can add

a little milk.

Frost tart when completely cool.

Add any fruit you desired right

before you serve.



 ENJOY!

Lark

Mandarin Orange Cookies

Lately I have been on a citrus kick.

I love the tangy, sweet, tart flavor

from all the citrus fruit.

I wanted to come up with a cookie

you could make by using canned fruit.

These Mandarin Orange Cookies

are sure to become a favorite!

Mandarin Orange Cookies

1(11oz.) Mandarin Orange's~ blended

1 C. Butter Flavor Shortening

2 C. Sugar

1 C. Milk

4 C. Flour

2 tsp. Orange zest

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Orange Extract

Orange Citrus Icing

6 C. Powdered Sugar

2 tsp. Butter~ melted

1 tsp. Orange Extract

2 tsp. Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together shortening and sugar

until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add in the mandarin puree and milk, mix.

 Add in remaining ingredients.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a well greased

baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

While cookies are baking beat together

all the icing ingredients until smooth.

 Make sure you let the cookies cool

on rack completely before "dipping"

each cooking into the icing.

Store in an air tight container, with

wax paper between layers.

HAPPY BAKING,

LARK

Lemon Citrus Blondies

   Yup, it's ANOTHER Lemon

dessert. I always want to use

ingredients I know will make

mouth's water!! And in this house

it is anything Lemon!

 

This Blondie's are perfect for

after school treats, bake sale's,

picnic's, pot lucks and even

for a weeknight treat!

 

Lemon Citrus Blondie's

1 1/2 C. Flour

2 C. Sugar

1 C. Butter~softened

1 tsp. Salt

4 Egg's

1 TBSP. Fresh Lemon Zest

2 tsp. Fresh Lemon Juice

 

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

1(8oz.) Cream Cheese~ softened

1/4 C. Butter~ softened

1 tsp. Fresh Lemon Zest

2 TBSP. Fresh Lemon Juice

3-4 C. Powdered Sugar

 

Preheat oven to 350

Mix all of the Batter ingredients together.

Mix until smooth. Pour into a lightly

greased 9x13" pan. Spread evenly and

bake for 30 minutes or until center

is cooked through.

While Blondie's are baking you

can start on making the frosting.

 In a mixer beat together the butter

and cream cheese for 2 minutes.

And zest, juice and powdered sugar.

Beat until smooth. Cover and chill

When the Blondie's are cool,

frost and serve.

 

Lemon is the new "black"...

Lark

 

 

 



Lemon Whoopie Pie's

When it's cold outside I find I want to 

BAKE like a mad woman...hee, hee :)

I mean nothing warms a home like

Home baked goodies!

These light lemon cookies

sandwiched between a creamy

tart cream cheese filling is a

sure fire way to make your family

warm up on a chilly day.

Lemon Whoopie Pies

3/4 C. Butter

2 C. Sugar

2 tsp. Lemon Zest

2 Egg's

2 TBSP. Lemon Juice

2 tsp. Lemon Extract

1 C. Buttermilk

3 C. Flour 

1 tsp. Baking Powder

1/2 tsp.Baking Soda

1/2 tsp. Salt

Filling:

8 oz. Cream Cheese~ softened

2-3 C. Powdered Sugar

1 TBSP. Lemon Juice

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together the butter, sugar and zest

until light and fluffy about 4 minutes on high speed.

Add in eggs, lemon juice, extract and buttermilk.

Mix until smooth. Add in the remaining dry

ingredients and blend well.

Scoop dough by the tablespoon into

a greased whoopie pie pan. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Let cookies cool in pan for a minute before 

removing to a cooling rack.

For the filling beat the cream cheese

until smooth. Add in powdered sugar and juice.

Beat until smooth. If filling is to thin add in the extra 

cup of powdered sugar.

Chill the filling for 30 minutes.

Pipe filling onto one cookie then

sandwich with the other.

Keep in a sealed container.

*they also freeze very well, just make

sure you wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

HAPPY BAKING!

Lark

Homemade Oreo Cream Cheese Tarts

These are so easy to make and yet

they look as if they took hours to make.

With the use of a Devil's Food Cake Mix

these will be ready to serve in an hour.

Homemade Oreo Cream Cheese Tarts

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix

1/2 C. Oil

2 Eggs

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz. Cream Cheese~ softened

1(3.5 oz) Cheese Cake Instant Pudding

1 tsp.Vanilla

2 C. Powdered Sugar

Milk

Preheat oven to 350

Start by mixing the cake mix, oil and eggs

together in a mixing bowl until well blended.

Roll dough into 2 inch balls, press into

a Whoopie Pie pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Let cookies cool in pan for a minute

before removing.

While cookies are baking, you can make

your filling. In a mixing bowl beat together the

cream cheese, and powdered sugar until

smooth. Add in the pudding mix, and vanilla.

Beat until smooth. This will be thick,

you then add in enough milk to make it

smooth enough to pipe into each tart shell.

For the chocolate drizzle, I just take some

chocolate chips and melt them down .

Drizzle over top and you're all set!

A Chocolate lovers dream,

Lark

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

These are just one of the cookies I 

came up with while I worked

as a Baker for a few years.

Super easy and very popular!

You can bake them so they are either

soft or crisp, whatever your in the

mood for.

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 C. Butter~ softened

3/4 C. Brown Sugar~packed

1 C. Sugar

2 Egg's

1 TBSP. Vanilla

3 1/2 C. Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 C. Macadamia Nuts~ chopped

1 (12oz.) White Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350

Cream together the butter and sugars.

Add in eggs, vanilla, salt and baking soda.

Mix until smooth. 

Add in flour, chips and nuts.

Blend well, roll into 2 inch balls

place on a parchment lined sheet

pan. Slightly flatten each ball with 

your palm. Bake for 9-12 minutes.

Happy Baking,

Lark

Skookie's (Cookies baked in a Skillet)

For Christmas I bought 3 Mini

cast iron skillet's. I have wanted them for 

awhile now....so I counted them as a gift! (lol)

I am so happy with my buy!

I have made individual sized 

stratta's, brownies,and snookies.

(Really you can make anything in them.)

Chocolate Chip Snookie Dough

1 C. Butter~softened

1 C. Brown Sugar

1 C. Sugar

2 Egg's

1 TBSP. Vanilla Extract

3 1/2 C. Flour

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1(12oz.) Mini Chocolate Chip's

Preheat oven to 350

Start by creaming the butter and sugars

together for 2 minutes. Add in the eggs one 

at a time, while beating slowly.

Next add in the vanilla, soda and salt.

Mix again until smooth.

Pour in flour and choc.-chips.

Blend well.

*depending on the size of your skillet,

(you can use any size) roll dough into a

ball and then press flat out to the edge.

Baking time will also depend on the

size of skillet. My 5" size took 14 minutes to bake.

This  recipe made (15) 5 inch Snookies.

It's Snookie time!

Lark

Our Traditional Christmas Haystack Cookies

When Christmas time rolls around

I find myself wanting to bake like crazy.

No Really I would LOVE it if I could make a

treat everyday....My family would love it too.

However I am not sure I could "remove"

all the temptation of eating the sweets

if they were in my kitchen for very long. (lol)

One Cookie I can not pass up making

each Christmas, (or eating for that matter)

are these HAYSTACK COOKIES!

These have become a Christmas Tradition.

Now I know they dont look like much.

I know there are prettier cookies out there

to be made and passed around.

Once you taste these crunchy mounds of

butterscotch goodness, you will want 

to take these to your next cookie swap!

The bonus of these cookies is that there 

are only 4 ingredients! 

Even the kids can make these!

Christmas Haystack Cookies

1 (10 oz.) Pkg. Mini Marshmallows

1(12 oz.) Chow Mein Noodles

1 (12 oz.) Pkg. Butterscotch Chips

1 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

In a large microwave safe bowl

mix together the butterscotch chips

along with the peanut butter.

Heat 1 minute, stir. Repeat

doing this until chips are all melted.

Then add the chow mein noodles

and marshmallows.  Stir until coated.

Drop by the spoonful onto wax paper.

Let cool and set up for at least 30 minutes.

Store in a covered container, if they last that long.

That's it!

Merry Christmas,

Lark