Week 1--Cheesecake Cookies

I know it seem crazy to be talking about Christmas already, but I believe that you can never have too many cookies around the holidays. You may remember last year there was only a handful of us that baked, but I am so excited that this year we have close to 30 of us baking along...I can hardly stand myself thinking of all the cookies that will be made!

We are a family of cheesecake lovers, what better way to start off the first week with a cheesecake cookie? No better time than the present I say. I liked these cookies and will probably make these for my goodie trays this year. The texture reminded me of shortbread with a little tanginess (is that a word?!) from the cream cheese that is added. You could also roll these in any type of coating you want, I chose to go basic with graham cracker crumbs. You could also put some chocolate in the middle..I may go with a rolo candy in the middle the next time. The possibilities are endless on topping/filling combinations. Happy Cookie Baking!!!

Cheesecake Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 ounces cream cheese
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
Graham Cracker Crumbs, for coating

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, cream cheese, and sugar. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in the flour until well combined.

Scoop the dough and form into 1" balls. Roll in graham cracker crumbs so cookie is covered.

Place covered cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are golden and the tops are slightly puffed.


Week 1 Twelve Weeks of Christmast:

Pineapple Upside Down cupcakes

Some people like, some people don't..I happen to love pineapple upside down cake. This was one of our desserts over the weekend, and it was so nice that you could just pick one up and go instead of having to cut a piece of it from a cake. I did have one little issue, I think I put too much of the brown sugar mixture in the bottom because it ended up coming out of the tops of the muffin pan and down in my oven causing my kitchen to look like we were in a fog..but it didn't effect the taste of these. They still had that sweet topping that we all love!

Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes

Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
12 pineapple rings, I used pineapple chunks
12 maraschino cherries

Cake:
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup pineapple, juice, reserved from can
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin pan with baking spray or grease with butter. Drain the pineapple, reserving the juice for the cake batter. Combine brown sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Evenly divide among each of the muffin cups, about one teaspoon per cup. Cut about 1/3 out of each pineapple ring and arrange over the brown sugar mixture...this is where I just placed the pineapple chunks in a circle. :) Add a cherry in the center of each ring.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Add butter, pineapple juice and vanilla and beat on low until just combined. Increase speed to medium and beat two minutes. Add the egg and beat in until well incorporated. Evenly divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. Bake approximately 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes five minutes in the pan and then flip onto ta platter or covered rack.

Pepperoni Pizza Bites

Normally I would only post something sweet, but I thought these deserved a posting. :) As I said before, we had a "glutton buffet" over the weekend and these were one of the finger foods that I made. I saw these on Megan's Cookin' and knew that I would make them at some point. We are always making some sort of finger food, whether it be for a football game or over the holidays. These were perfect little bites....popular with the 10 kids that were at my house and the adults munched on them too. I did make a couple of little changes, I doubled the recipe to make 4 dozen mini's and added some pizza seasoning to the mix. Not a fan of pepperoni? The combinations are endless in these. Serve with a side of marinara sauce and enjoy!

Pepperoni Pizza Bites
adapted from: Megan

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups colby jack cheese, shredded
2 cups pepperoni, chopped
1 1/2 tsp pizza seasoning

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a mini muffin tin.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and pizza seasoning; stir in the milk and egg.

Stir in the cheese and pepperoni; let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.

Bake until puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.

Chewy Sugar Cookies

While I was on my blogging break, it was like the baking bug just bit my right leg off..truth is, I stress bake. Being in my kitchen is therapy, I think I have admitted that before, and I just couldn't stop. Luckily, I did take pics and hopefully will get those posts up. I found these cookies over on My Baking Addiction, Chewy Lemon Sugar Cookies. I love lemon, anything lemon and will probably pick a lemony dessert over a chocolate one, so I knew that I had to try these. This cookie is kind of bittersweet for me...disappointed that the lemon really didn't come out in these..and that is probably mostly my fault. I didn't add the lemon zest. But, the batter was wonderful..lemony, sweet..just want I needed in a cookie. BUT...after baked..you couldn't taste the lemon at all. Bummer. But, I do have to tell you that this was probably the best chewy sugar cookie I have had. I normally won't ever choose a sugar cookie because they always seen crumbly and dry to me. Not these, they were delish and the kids and hubby gobbled them up.

Chewy Sugar Cookies
adapted from My Baking Addiction

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar for rolling cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

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

Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and roll in sugar.

Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

Makes approximately 24-30 cookies depending on size

2 weeks and counting.....

We are now on the count down for the first week of the 12 weeks of Christmas cookies bake along. Here is who I have so far that is going to be cookie baker for the next 12 weeks.

Barbara from Barbara Bakes
Megan from Megan's Cookin
Megan from My Baking Adventures
Jamie from Mom's Cooking Club
Tracy from SugarCrafter
Beth from You Know What you Oughta Do
Heidi from With Thankful Hearts
Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness
Katy from Alphabet Soup
Tania from Love Big, Bake Often
Avril from Baking and Creating with Avril
Tracy from Mid-Western Girl with a Texas Address
Randi from Little Food, Lot of Flavor
Lina from Crustabakes
Stephanie from Bite by Bite
Lisa from Sweet as Sugar Cookies
Chaya from Chaya Comfy Cooks
Bree from Baked Bree
Megan from Less Than Adventurous
Pam from From Apples to Zucchini
Melynda from Melynda's Muffins..errr..Food Madness
Dajana from Baker's Corner...Somewhere in my Kitchen
Jennifer from Maple n' Cornbread
Chip from Cooking with Chip
Trisha from My Hobbie Lobbie
Katrina from Baking and Boys
Renee from Flamingo Musings
Krista from Meet the Swan's
Amanda from Fake Ginger
Wende from The Rickett Chronicles
Joy from Joy's Misadventures
Mary from Bites and Bliss
Diana from The Iron Maiden
Maggie from Ceo A's Draiocht
Cara from The Boys Made Me Do It
Erin from Making Memories
Rachael from Rachael Raves
Hannah from City Baked
Sue from Munchkin Munchies
Katie from Level 2 Mommy
Samantha from Bikini Birthday
Bonnie from City Home Country Home
Beth from A Nutmeg Kitchen
Louann from Louanne's Kitchen
Marcellina from Marcellina in Cucina
Lee Ann from C'est si bon Sweets and Treats
Alexandra from Peace Love Sprinkles
Martha from Seaside Simplicity
Mickey from Monster Mama
Rachel from Rachel's Bite
Tamy from 3 Sides of Crazy
Manoela from Dessert First

If I left you off, please, please, please forgive me!!! Also, if you haven't received an email from me, let me know. I have a couple of pieces of info to pass along! I am super excited! :) Start looking through those cookie recipes girls, I have cookie trays to start planning!

As I mentioned before the hubby told me I needed to start blogging again. It is so true. Isn't it funny how blogging becomes a part of you? I love blogging, love the friends that I have made and the ones that I haven't yet and I miss it. But, I also realize that you have life to live. Life just happens. I have to find that balance.

So, today is my anniversary. I have been married 16 years today! Wow, the time flies. Tomorrow TN plays FL and honestly, we are going to lose. And if I am being honest...I don't really like to watch football on TV..I just like to get together with great friends and eat. This weekend is not different, I have officially named it "Glutton Buffet Day" because yes, my friends, we have that much food planned and I will probably gain 10 pounds. So, I should have something new to blog about next week. :) Have a great weekend!

Just curious.......

What does it mean when your hubby tells you that you really need to start blogging again?? That is makes you happier???

I'm thinking he just misses the goodies!

Hey there!

Did you think that you could get rid of me that easy? Just kidding. I got an email from Barbara, who got an email from Jamie, asking if we would be cookie baking again this year. Remember our 12 weeks of Christmas cookies? I know...it is crazy to even be thinking of this with temps still in the 90's...but...it is that time to start thinking.

Put on your cookie thinking hats and bake along with us this year. The first post will be on Friday October 1st and each Friday after that with our last being on December 17th. Yep..that is 12 weeks.

I need to add a couple of details. You get to choose whatever you want to make for that week. I know that I have a ton of recipes bookmarked, printed, ripped out of magazines. This is the time to try them out. Also, if you want to make a bar, or even a candy for that matter..if it is something you put on your goodie trays, we want to know about them. :)

Will you be cookie crazy with us? You know you want to....oh, and I need some new cookies for my trays this year. :) I hope you will! If so, comment here or shoot me an email, I would love an email. :)