M&M Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups M&Ms plain (3/4 pound)

Cream shortening and sugars in large bowl. Beat in vanilla and eggs. Stir in remaining dry ingredients. Stir in 1/2 cup candies (reserve remaining for decorating). Drop from teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet, decorate tops with remaining candies (about 3 per cookie). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Applesauce Cookies

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup applesauce

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup raisins

1 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and applesauce Stir in flour and spices. Fold in raisins and nuts. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes. Frost with powdered sugar frosting while cookies are still warm.

These are one of my favorite fall foods! They are wonderful when they are fresh from the oven. The powdered sugar frosting is a MUST!!! Since Ada cannot have nuts until she is at least two I omitted the nuts. I also omitted the raisins as I just wasn't in a raisin mood! They still tasted AWESOME!! My cookies baked for 8-9 minutes so just watch them when you put them in your oven. You will not be disappointed with these cookies.

Mounds Cookies

If you like Mounds candy bars then you will LOVE these!

1/4 cup butter

3 Tblsp. cold water

1 tsp. almond flavoring

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup powdered milk

3 cups flaked coconut

Melt butter in saucepan. Remove from heat, add water, flavoring, powdered sugar, and powdered milk. Mix well, add coconut. Drop by teaspoons on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. Chill until firm.

Frosting:

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 Tblsp. oil

Melt, and drizzle over cookies.

These can also be frosted with chocolate almond bark.

Marquette Family Sugar Cookie Cut-outs

1 cup margarine
1 cup shortening
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
4 cups flour (add more if needed)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions: Cream margarine, shortening, sugars, and eggs together. Add dry ingredients and vanilla. Mix well. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until there is a golden brown color.

My notes: Batter should be chilled for easier working. If in a hurry add extra flour until you are able to work a little easier with the dough. This recipe makes a lot of cookies! No need to double unless you are expecting a huge crowd of cookie lovers!

Benjamin enjoys helping me frost and decorate the cookies. He also likes helping me cut out the cookies. For frosting and decorating, I have used a buttercream frosting, a mixture like Angela's below, or almond bark. I melt some vanilla almond bark, add food coloring, and frost till my little heart's content. I think the almond bark gives it a little something different. I am always looking for a good frosting recipe so if anyone has one they would like to share I would appreciate trying it. Thanks.

Sugar Cookie Cut Outs

1 cup margarine
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt


Cream the margarine and add the sugar gradually. Beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition.
Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt gradually to the creamed mixture, stirring in by hand. Cover and chill dough overnight.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll dough out on a floured surface to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick and cut into your favorite shapes. Place cookies onto greased baking sheets.

Bake at 375 degree for 6 to 8 minutes or until cookie has a golden appearance.

Today was the perfect day to be inside making these, it was snowing all day. I am searching for the perfect cut out cookie. So far, this is the best of all the recipes I have tried. If anyone else has a good sugar cookie recipe, please let me know, or post it on here.

I don't go by a recipe for the frosting, I just use about 3 Tblsp. margarine, 5 Tblsp. soymilk, a little vanilla and almond extract, and enough powdered sugar to make it the right consistency.