CANDY STRIPE COOKIES

 

Candy Stripe Cookies! So adorable and so delicious! What can I say? Want to impress everyone? They would never guess how easy these are to make and you won't give your secret away either.

These are another awesome treat that Cafe Treats Baker Dorene made for the Sunday before Christmas. I have to say that really fast. It is so hard to believe Christmas is only a couple of days away. Where has the month gone?

We have already celebrated with our CO son and his family for Christmas and also with our MO son and his family. We will still attend church on Christmas Eve with our MO family and then just the two of us for the 11 pm Candlelight service later that night.

I guess I am getting used to it and have learned that you can celebrate anything anytime you want to, but it would be fun though to be able to have a Christmas like I had growing up when the whole family - maternal aunts and uncles and their kids got together on Christmas Day at Grandma and Granddaddy's house. My paternal grandparents were divorced and lived out of state so I didn't see them very often.  My paternal granddaddy died when I was eleven. My mother's family was very close.

PRINT RECIPE.

CANDY STRIPE COOKIES

1/2     cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

1/2     cup butter-flavored shortening

1-1/2  cup sugar

1         large egg

2        tablespoons milk

1         teaspoon vanilla

3        cups flour

1/4     teaspoon baking soda

1/2     teaspoon salt

1/2     teaspoon mint/peppermint extract

red food coloring (or green would be pretty also)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening, and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda and salt and then add to creamed mixture. Stir just until combined.

Divide the dough in half. Flavor one half of the dough with 1/2 teaspoon the mint or peppermint extract and tint with the red food coloring.

Line a loaf pan with waxed paper.

Divide each portion in half.

Press one of the red tinted portions in the bottom of the pan.

Top with one of the white portions and then the other red tinted portion. Finally press the other white portion on top. 

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until thoroughly chilled.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Invert the pan and remove the waxed paper. Cut the dough in half lengthwise. Cut each half in 1/4 - inch slices; place slices 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 to 12  minutes or until edges begin to brown.

Cool on a wire rack.

Whatever holiday you might be celebrating, I hope it is a blessing for you and that 2025 blesses you also.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

 I think I have finally found a comparable Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie as with a local cafe that we eat at often serves. They chop up some Reese's peanut butter candy and places around the crust edge.

Friend Fran has started back hosting our quilters canasta group after dealing with some health issues. Since I have always made the dessert for her to serve us, that means I had the opportunity to make something truly awesome again for us to enjoy.

And I scored a big hit with this truly awesome Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. I found the recipe in my The Best of Mennonite Fellowship Meals cookbook by Phyllis Pellman Good and Louise Stoltzfus. Winnifred Wall from Freeman, South Dakota made a Peanut Butter Delight in a 9 x 13 - inch pan but I made a few changes and ended up with two 9 - inch pies. I served one and froze the other one. I also used Zero sugar products when I could and 1/3 less fat Neufchatel cheese. I do this often with great results.

PRINT RECIPE.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE

1/2    cup peanut butter

8       ounces cream cheese, room temperature

1        cup powdered sugar

1        cup whipped topping from an 8 - ounce carton

2      small packages of instant chocolate fudge or chocolate pudding + 1-3/4 cup milk for each package

1        cup of whipped topping for topping, if using

2       pie crust (9-inch baked or graham cracker crumb crust)

If using a regular pie crust, bake as directed and allow to cool.

 

Cream together the peanut butter and cream cheese

until smooth.

Add the powdered sugar and

mix together.

Fold in the cup of whipped topping.

Divide the mixture evenly and spread over the crust using.

Set aside.

Prepare the pudding mixes in separate bowls using 1-3/4 cup milk. Whisk until pudding thickens.

Top the creamed cheese mixture in each pie with a pudding.

Cover and refrigerate to firm up. I refrigerated mine overnight.

When ready to serve, top with the rest of the whipped topping.

I ended up freezing the one using the graham cracker crumbs. I covered it with the plastic lid that comes with the crust and closed it down all the way around. Then I wrapped the pie with two pieces of foil. It fit in a gallon freezer bag so I did that next. When I am ready to eat it, I will remove it from the freezer the night before and place in the refrigerator. I may or may not top it with whipped cream. I made one pie using a Zero sugar chocolate fudge instant pudding mix and then a Zero sugar chocolate instant pudding mix for the second one. We loved the chocolate fudge one so I hope we like the chocolate one too.