Cranberry Orange Lemon Cookies

Orange cranberry lemon cookies
Orange cranberry lemon cookies

This is a variation on a recipe that used to appear on the Sunmade Currants box. I found a similar recipe and updated it with what I had on hand, ie. oranges and dried, sweetened cranberries. They came out very good.

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (I used salted and they were fine)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries (cut them up small!)
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cover two baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream and egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until they are well combined. Stir in cranberries, orange zest,  and lemon juice.

Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough about 1 1/2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until cookies are puffed and golden around the edges, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on baking sheets before transferring cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Update: I did a modified version of this with 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. of cloves and 1/8 tsp. nutmeg. Very favorable addition. Next time I will try adding crushed pecan pieces.

Healthy Rice Krispies® Treats

Healthy Rice Krispies Treats (pictured with Fall Spices added)

This one was a chance discovery because we had a bag of marshmallows that stuck together because of the humidity in the air by the beach where I live. We tried roasting them, it was a messy joke, so this idea came to me. The recipe is really tasty.

  • 5 cups rice krispies
  • 1/4 cup (half stick) butter
  • 1 tbsp. coconut oil (heaping?!?)
  • 1/2 cup almond meal
  • 1/2 cup flax seed meal
  • 2/3 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds

What was already hard to stop eating just became IMPOSSIBLE… You might never go back to the original recipe.

The version pictured has additional ingredients added to the butter as it melts:

  • 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp. all spice
  • 1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Grandma Race’s Ginger Cookies

These cookies are hard to stop eating once you’ve started. You’ve been warned!

  • 1.5 c butter/shortening
  • 2 c brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 c molasses
  • 4.5 c flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cloves
  • 2 tsp ginger
  • 2 tsp cinnamon

Roll into balls and roll in sugar. 375 for 10 – 12 min.

Avoid over baking!

Yum!

contributed by Katie Sloan

Joy’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

350°F   12-15 minutes  10-12 dz.
  • 3 cubes, or 1½ cups butter, or margarine
  • 3 cups dark brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tbsp. maple extract
  • 2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 6 cups oats, old fashioned
  • 2 cups white flour
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. soda
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips, or 1 large bag
  • 2 cups nuts, pecans and walnuts, in big chunks
Preheat oven. Beat together butter, sugar, eggs, maple and vanilla
until creamy.
Add oats, mix well before adding rest of ingredients. Add flour, salt and soda, mix well. Add chips and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheet. Non-stick cookie sheet, don’t grease.
Can also use greased cookie sheet, or parchment paper.
For variety you can make bars, cook longer. Add raisins, or currants, or butterscotch chips, or chocolate chunks, or coconut, or salted peanuts. All of these variations taste good.

Currant Cookies

Can’t claim this as original, it comes from the Sunmaid site, but I love them just the same!

These buttery-sweet sugar cookies are an old-fashioned treat. Toast the pecans for an extra nutty flavor; add lemon zest for a citrus note.

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup Sun-Maid Zante Currants
  • 1 cup toasted chopped pecans
  • Zest of one lemon (optional)

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350º F.

BEAT butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well.

STIR together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Gradually beat into butter mixture until well blended.

ADD currants, pecans and zest if using. Mix well.

DROP by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart on a lightly buttered or parchment lined baking sheet.

BAKE 12-14 minutes until golden brown on edges. Remove with a spatula to a wire rack to cool.

Makes 3 dozen.

Valerie’s Fabulous Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

16 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 sticks butter, room temp
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract

  1. Melt chocolate chips and let stand until cooled but not firm (2-3 hours)
  2. In large mixing bowl, cream butter with electric mixer on medium for 5 mins until creamy and light-colored.
  3. Add the sugar in 3 parts mixing on medium speed for 3 mins after each addition.
  4. Add the cooled, melted chocolate in 3 parts mixing in the same way.
  5. Mix in the vanilla extract.
  6. Frost your cake and enjoy! (After sampling, of course … just to make sure it’s edible.)

Eggless Mayan Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour cake pans.

Wisk together:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 6 Tbsp baking cocoa
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Add then mix with electric mixer on medium speed for 3 mins:

  • 2 cups water
  • 2/3 cup canola oil
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. white vinegar

Pour immediately into prepared cake pans and bake:

  • 2 8×2″ round cake pans – 30-40 mins
  • 3 8×1.5″ round cake pans – 25-35 mins
  • 18 cupcakes – 25-30 mins

Frost with Valerie’s Amazing Chocolate Buttercream Frosting