An Easy Lemon Cookie Recipe

As you may have noticed, up until yesterday I hadn't blogged in awhile. Our church (actually a small church plant) decided that for the month of August we would fast and pray for our neighbors (as this is the reason we all moved here--to make connections in our neighborhoods and share the gospel with people). So each week of August, I have given up something different  (fasting helps remind us to pray too)...and last week it was Internet for me (other than email)...as I was spending WAY to much time online...mostly "just looking" at stuff. Well, I wasn't perfect, but I did pretty well, and thus I didn't post to my blog at all last week. It's amazing what else I was able to get done (more time spent with Ellie, I read a couple books, and was able get my house really clean!). 

Both books I read were murder mysteries by Joanne Fluke. I love murder mysteries, and these are really "clean" books too, so I really enjoy them (this is kinda hard to find in the murder mystery genre). PLUS she includes lots of recipes in her books (mostly cookies!!) which I think is just awesome! 

So yesterday I tried out a new cookie from her "Candy Cane Murder" book.

They were so simple (only 4 ingredients) and so yummy (really light and refreshing for summer).

LEMON WHIPPERSNAPPERS

1 package (approx. 18 oz) lemon cake mix (for a 9x13 pan)

2 cups Cool Whip (8 oz container)

1 large beaten egg (just whip it in a glass with a fork)

1/2 cup powdered sugar (in a separate bowl)

Combine dry cake mix, Cool Whip and beaten egg in a large bowl. Stir till it's well mixed.

Drop by teaspoon into bowl of powdered sugar and roll to coat the cookie dough.

Place the coated cookie drops on a greased cookie sheet, 12 cookies to a sheet.

Bake at 350 F for approximately 10 minutes. Let cool for about 2 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Make approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Another Awesome Cookie!

I have to start off by saying I'm not a huge peanut butter fan...but I even kinda like these cookies...but EVERYONE else seems to LOVE them!!! I made them for my small group yesterday, and they were a huge hit, and Pete took just a few to work for some co-workers and two of them are begging for the recipe. So I thought I'd share it with you. I got it from a cooking class I went to (my friend Denece from my old church does these monthly classes, and Pete and I go together...she is such a fabulous cook and baker!!)

CHOCOLATE AND PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH COOKIES

For the Cookies:

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup flour

1 box Devil's Food cake mix (18.25 oz)

For the Filling:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

2-1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp milk

For the Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly whisk eggs and oil in a medium bowl. Mix in flour and cake mix until well blended. Roll into 1 inch balls and bake for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet (I flatten them just a bit with the bottom of a glass immediately after removing from the oven). Cool completely on wire rack.

For the Filling: In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla. Add in powdered sugar and mix till smooth. Add in milk a little at a time until you get the desired consistency (I used all 3 Tbsp). Spread about 1-1/2 Tbsp of filling onto the bottom of one cookie and then place another cookie on top, bottom sides facing in.

*Note: Denece did suggest that since I wasn't a big peanut butter fan, I could try using a Vanilla cake mix (instead of the Devils Food) and lemon curd (instead of peanut butter). So I'm definitely going to try that soon (as I love lemon!).

My Favorite Sugar Cookies (Seriously...They Rock!!!)

These are a specialty of mine...one of my most favorite things to bake. And, every time I make these, people say "these are the best sugar cookies I've ever had". I got the recipe years ago from a friend, and have had a ton of people ask me for it. So, I wanted to share it here too.

I used to use canned frosting, and they were still delicious. But recently, my friend Kaytie shared her buttercream frosting recipe with me, and now that I've been making my own frosting, the cookies are even more delicious (really, really seriously delicious!)

THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE EVER

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

1 cup oil

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

5 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

I use my KitchenAid, but you can also use a hand mixer. 

Cream butter and sugar. Add oil, eggs, salt and vanilla and mix. Add 1 cup of the flour, the baking soda and the cream of tartar and mix. Then gradually add the other 4 cups of flour until it's thoroughly mixed in. Roll into balls (I use a cookie scoop--it makes it so easy!) and bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes (you don't want them to get brown at all). When you take out, flatten them (with bottom of a glass) just a bit. Frost if desired (they're really good even without frosting). This recipe makes 5-7 dozen cookies depending on size of balls you make.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

1-1/2 cups butter

6 cups powdered sugar

1/8 cup water

1 Tbsp vanilla

Start with the butter-beat till fluffy. Slowly add sugar, then water and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Add food coloring if desired. This makes a lot of frosting so you can be pretty generous putting it on your cookies:o).