Caramel Surprise Cookies

These cookies are great. Such a nice bit of caramel in the center. DELICIOUS!

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
40 to 50 Rolo candies, unwrapped (one standard bag or 6 individual rolls)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. Cream sugar, brown sugar, and butter. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Mix until well combined. Add a little more flour if the dough is too sticky. Pinch off walnut-sized balls of dough and wrap a piece of dough around each Rolo.
Place on cookie sheets. Bake 7-9 minutes, until the cookie is set but the top is still soft to the touch. Don’t overcook or the caramel will get hard. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for about five minutes before transferring them to the wire racks. Be sure to cool a bit on the cookie sheets or the caramel oozes out. Not so good.
I didn't have quite enough Rolos, so I wrapped a few around some chocolate mint candies and they were also yummy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are not low fat or low calorie. They are just decadent and delicious. It's hard to eat just one. Some of my family members call them the good pumpkin cookies. They are a little more work than some of the others, but are definitely worth the time and effort. Be sure to make the frosting, it makes the cookies unique and good.


Cookies:
2 cups shortening
2 cups white sugar
1 29-ounce can pumpkin
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 packages chocolate chips

Frosting:
6 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
1 cups brown sugar, packed
3 cups powdered sugar (It could take a little more.)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla


To make cookies, cream shortening and sugar. Mix in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add to the pumpkin mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop (1 Tablespoon scoop)onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes.

To make frosting: Combine butter, milk and brown sugar in a large saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes. Take off heat, let cool. Be sure NOT to add the powdered sugar until mixture is really cool. (It will probably take at least 1 hour or longer.) When cool, add powdered sugar and vanilla. Add more powdered sugar if it’s too thin. You want it a little thin so it will spread easily over the cookies.
I start the frosting before I make the cookies and let it cool while the cookies are baking.

Frost cooled cookies and serve. Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Be sure to wait until the Butter mixture is cool before you add the powdered sugar or the sugar will melt and the frosting will never thicken up.

BEAN TACO SOUP

1 lb. chopped chicken, roast beef or ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz) can white beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz) can pinto beans, with liquid
1 (16 oz) can whole kernal corn, with liquid
1 can Ro-tel tomatoes with chilies and liquid
1 (16 oz) can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
1 pkg. Ranch dressing mix

Saute ground beef & onion; drain. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Top with sour cream, tortilla chips and grated cheese. If using chopped and cooked chicken or roast beef, saute onions in a little oil and then add meat. Could be heated in a crockpot until well blended.

EASY BUTTERSCOTCH POUND CAKE

1 pkg. yellow cake mix (dry)
1 cup sour cream
1 small vanilla pudding mix (dry)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 pkg. butterscotch chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine 1st 5 ingredients. Mix well for 4 minutes.
3. Gently stir in butterscotch chips.
4. Pour into well-greased and floured bundt pan and bake.
5. Bake for approximately 1 hour (generally takes the full time). Or until toothpick put in center comes out clean.
6. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely.

CROCK POT CHICKEN

4 chicken breasts halves (about 4 oz. each)
1 (16 oz.) mini carrots
1 small cabbage, cut into pieces
2 (14 oz.) cans mexican stewed tomatoes

Layer into crockpot in order given. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

GREEN TOMATO RELISH

Grind together and drain:
2 gallon green tomatoes
5 green peppers
12 large onions
Add:
2 quarts vinegar
2 quarts sugar
2 Tbsp mustard (dry)
1 tsp. tumeric
2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup salt

Cook slow 30 minutes. Seal. Makes about 18 pints.

Pumpkin Swirl Rolls

These rolls are delicious and much more healthy than most sweet rolls.
Ingredients
DOUGH:
• 4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
• 1-1/2 cups warm water (120° to 130°)
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
FILLING:
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, sugar and yeast. Beat in the warm water, pumpkin, applesauce and oil just until moistened. Add eggs; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining all-purpose flour to form a firm dough. Add raisins.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Roll each portion into an 18-in. x 9-in. rectangle; brush with butter to within 1/2 in. of edges. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over dough. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch seam to seal. Cut each half into 18 rolls. Place seam side down on two greased cookie sheets.
Cover and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 350° for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 36 rolls

I glazed mine, after placing them on the cooling racks, with a medium thin glaze made from powdered sugar and milk with a small amount of orange extract. I like to glaze them while they are still warm so the glaze melts into the swirled areas.