Umbrella & Underwear Cookies - Letter "U"

The kids loved our Letter "U" recipe making cookies! As always the No Fail Sugar Cookies turned out delicious!! It makes A LOT so you can always half the recipe.

The kids thought it would be funny to have some underwear cookies ready for daddy when he got home! :)

I didn't have any umbrella or underwear shaped cookie cutters so I just used a knife and cut them myself. Then we used a bendy straw for the handle on the umbrella.

Ingredients:

6 c. flour 
3 tsp. baking powder
2 c. butter 
2 c. sugar 
2 eggs 
2 tsp. vanilla extract 
1 tsp. salt 

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
4. Mix well.
5. Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
6. Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes.
7. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

Chilling the dough is an important step!

There are several funny underwear books that you can read before making the cookies:

Arthur's Underwear by: Marc Brown

Underwear Do's and Don'ts by: Todd Parr

Underwear! by: Mary Elise Monsell

And good umbrella books:

Umbrella by: Taro Yashima

The Umbrella Day by: Nancy Evans Cooney

Kite Rice Krispy Treats - Letter "K"

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 package (10 oz., about 40) JET-PUFFED Marshmallows
• (KICRecipeIngredient-65092)
• 4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows
• 6 cups Rice Krispies®
• Canned frosting or decorating gel
• Assorted candies

DIRECTIONS

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add KELLOGG'S RICE KRISPIES cereal. Stir until well coated.

3. Using buttered spatula or wax paper evenly press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Cool. Using sharp knife cut into kite shapes. Decorate with frosting and/or candies. Best if served the same day.


MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
In microwave-safe bowl heat butter and marshmallows on HIGH for 3 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Follow steps 2 and 3 above. Microwave cooking times may vary.


Note

For best results, use fresh marshmallows.
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow crème can be substituted for marshmallows.
Diet, reduced calorie or tub margarine is not recommended.
Store no more than two days at room temperature in airtight container. To freeze, place in layers separated by wax paper in airtight container. Freeze for up to 6 weeks. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/high-flying-kite-treats

M&M Bars - Letter "M"

So delicious!!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking soda

12 tbsp. butter, melted

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

2 tsps. vanilla extract

1 1/2 c. M&M's divided

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325.

Line a 9x13 baking pan with greased parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.

Stir in large egg and egg yolk until combined.

Stir in vanilla extract.

Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients, stirring just until flour is incorporated. Don't over stir.

Add in 1 c. of M&M's.

Press dough into an even layer in prepared pan.

Press remaining M&M's lightly on the top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Found at http://divascancook.com/2014/01/mm-cookie-bars-recipe-homemade-chewy.html

Nutty Fudge - Letter "N"

YUM!!

It turned out VERY delicious!! 

Ingredients

8 ounces unsalted butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound powdered sugar

Directions

Combine the butter and peanut butter in a 4-quart microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave for 2 minutes on high. Stir and microwave on high for 2 more minutes. (Use caution when removing this mixture from the microwave, it will be very hot.) Add the vanilla and powdered sugar to the peanut butter mixture and stir to combine with a wooden spoon. The mixture will become hard to stir and lose its sheen. Spread into a buttered 8 by 8-inch pan lined with parchment paper. Fold the excess parchment paper so it covers the surface of the fudge and refrigerate until cool, about 2 hours. Cut into 1-inch pieces and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Recipe found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/peanut-butter-fudge-recipe/index.html

Chocolate Spiders - Letter "S"

Ingredients:

¼ c. butter

1 – 12 oz. package of semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. butterscotch chips + save a few extra for the eyes

¼ c. creamy peanut butter

4 c. crisp rice cereal

1 can of chow mein noodles

Waxed paper

Directions:

1. Cover baking sheet with waxed paper. Combine butter, chocolate chips and butterscotch chips in large saucepan; stir over medium heat until chips are melted and mixture is well blended. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter; mix well. Add cereal; stir to evenly coat.

2. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheet; insert chow mein noodles for legs and add some of the extra butterscotch chips for eyes.

3. Allow to harden and enjoy!

Makes about 3 dozen

Original recipe found in Frightfully Fun Halloween Recipes

Jell-o Jigglers - Letter "J"

what you need

2-1/2

cups  boiling water (Do not add cold water.)

4 pkg.  (3 oz. each) JELL-O Gelatin, any flavor - Olivia chose the berry blue flavor

make it

STIR boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 3 min. until completely dissolved. Pour into 13x9-inch pan.

REFRIGERATE at least 3 hours or until firm.

DIP bottom of pan in warm water 15 sec. Cut into 24 decorative shapes using 2-inch cookie cutters, being careful to cut all the way through gelatin to bottom of pan. Lift JIGGLERS® from pan. Reserve scraps for snacking. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator.

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/jell-o-jigglers-53920.aspx

Gingerbread Cookies - Letter "G"

I found this recipe from a book: Cookie Fun by: Judith Hoffman Corwin

"Everyone loves these charming gingerbread cookies and they have been a long-time tradition at holidays. In fourteenth-century Europe they were baked and sold at carnivals. Later at holiday time in the Scandinavian countries they were baked and beautifully decorated with white sugar icing. The early American settlers even brought their recipes for gingerbread cookies with them to be enjoyed in their new home." - Cookie Fun

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg yolk

2 1/2 tbsp. corn syrup

2 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

extra flour to roll out the dough

extra butter to grease the cookie sheet

1/4 c. confectioner's (powdered) sugar

a few raisins for eyes, optional (We used M&Ms)

some gel decorating icing

wax paper

cookie cutters

Directions:

1. Combine the butter and sugar. Add the egg yolk and corn syrup. Continue stirring until mixture is completely blended.

2. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Stir well. You will now have a stiff dough. Wrap the dough in wax paper and chill for several hours. If you do not want to use all the dough at once, you can leave some in the refrigerator for another day.

3. Roll the dough to 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface. 

4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

So delicious!!

Flag Cake - Letter "F"

Ingredients:
1 box of festive patriotic funfetti cake mix
1 container of white fluffy icing
1 small container of strawberries (sliced up for the stripes)
2 heaping handfuls of blueberries (for the 50 stars)

Directions:
Bake the cake mix as directed in a rectangle cake pan. Let cool completely. Either turn upside down on a cake plate or leave in pan. Add the icing. Lastly add the fruit. Perfect for July 4th! Enjoy!

"Ta-da!"

Ice Cream - Letter "I"

Here are two delicious ice cream recipes that we have used lately. Sorry, but I will not be putting measurements beside the ingredients because honestly I did not do measuring. I have the Sunbeam Electric Half Pint Gel Canister Ice Cream Maker. It is just so easy to use and the kids love it! I just found myself adding the ingredients to the maker without measuring them.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Ingredients:
Sugar
Milk
Heavy Whipping Cream
Strawberries

Coffee Amaretto Ice Cream

Ingredients:
Amaretto liquid Coffee Creamer
Instant Coffee (I prefer Decaf)
Heavy Whipping Cream
Milk
Sugar
Vanilla extract