With Sprinkles on Top

Gumdrops: you either love ’em or you hate ’em. If you love them, try this recipe. Additionally, why are gumdrops so hard to find? I had to go to three stores before I found them!

Gumdrop Cookies
Recipe source: unknown
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1-1/2 cups gumdrops (I used the smaller variety)
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups quick-cooking oats

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cut gumdrops into small pieces; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
4. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until combined. Stir in oats and gumdrops.
5. Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake 9-11 minutes, or until lightly browned. Let cool on pan for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks for complete cooling.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

* A reader pointed out that it may be necessary to press these cookies down prior to baking, so that they will spread.

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Here’s another holiday-inspired recipe — mint lovers are in luck!

Peppermint Mocha Pound Cake
Recipe source: Paula Deen
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1-1/2 cups butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons peppermint-mocha-flavored coffee creamer
1 cup powdered sugar
Garnish: crushed peppermint candies or candy canes

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray a 12 to 15-cup fluted pan with nonstick baking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium-high speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in peppermint extract.
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup coffee creamer, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition.
4. Spoon batter into prepared pan, and bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes — or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on a wire rack.
5. In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar and remaining 2 Tablespoons coffee creamer, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over cake. Garnish with crushed peppermints.

OK, who else loves melty mints besides me?! Oh, they are so good. So creamy and minty and pretty. We’ve all seen the traditional peanut butter kiss cookies, but I thought I’d change things up and make chocolate butter cookies with melty mints on top.

Melty Mint Chocolate Butter Cookies
Recipe source: Adapted from Paula Deen
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1 stick butter, softened
8 oz. brick cream cheese, at room temp
1 egg
1 tea. vanilla extract
1 box moist chocolate cake mix
Powdered sugar for dusting
Melty mints (about 36)

1. Cream butter and cream cheese with electric mixer. Beat in egg, then beat in the vanilla. Beat in the cake mix (add a little mix at a time).
2. Cover and refrigerate for 2hrs.
3. Preheat oven to 350F.
4. Roll chilled batter into tablespoon-sized balls and roll them in powdered sugar. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes.
5. Before the last two minutes of baking, remove the cookies from the oven and place a melty mint on top of each cookie. Return to the oven for the final 2 minutes of baking.

If you like crunchy, crisp cookies AND mint, these are for you! Ahh, December. The holiday season is here!

Sparkling Peppermint Cookies
Recipe source: Land O’ Lakes
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3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon mint extract
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies (I used a food processor to crush them)
1/4 cup sugar, for coating

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, and mint extract in large bowl. Beat on medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Beat until well mixed.
3. Stir 1/4 cup crushed candy into dough.
4. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup crushed candy in separate bowl.
5. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls; roll in sugar/candy mixture to coat. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.
6. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets, then transfer to wire racks for further cooling.

Oreos! They will always be one of my biggest guilty pleasures. And those of you that read this blog regularly know that I’m a big, big fan of the little chocolate sandwich cookies! I’m also a big, big fan of Bake It in a Cake, a food blog dedicated entirely to baking items (candies, cookies, etc) in cake. Check it out, it’s fabulous.

So to combine my love of Oreos and my love of baked goods within baked goods, here’s the recipe for Oreo stuffed cookies!

Oreo Stuffed Double Chocolate Cookies
Recipe source: Sugar Plum
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1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted
14 Oreos

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
3. In a large mixing bowl, using a mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and sugar until creamy – about 1-2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and egg until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in dry ingredients until combined. Beat in melted chocolate chips until combined.
4. Divide dough into 14 balls. Flatten a ball in the palm of your hand and place an Oreo in the center; evenly wrap dough around Oreo. Repeat process with remaining dough and Oreos.
5. Place balls on sheet pans and bake 10 minutes or until puffy and set. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.