Kentucky Butter Cake Cookies

1 box white or yellow cake mix, (flavored cake mixes may also be used)

2 eggs, whisked

1/3 c. butter, melted

Glaze:

1/4 c. butter

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. water

1 t. vanilla or other flavors to match cake mix

food color gel, optional (gel doesn't break down and has more vibrant colors even after baking)

powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cookie ingredients and mix well. Dough will be thick. Use a cookie scoop (1 T.) to make small balls. Place dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake 7-8 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool 4-5 minutes. Combine glaze ingredients in small saucepan. Cook until all of sugar is dissolved about 4 minutes on medium low heat. Be sure to whisk the entire time.  Spoon 1 t. of glaze onto each cookie and spread out. Add food coloring to glaze divided into separate  bowls before placing on cookies, for a more festive look, if desired. Let glaze set & sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Keep in airtight container.

after baking and glazing:

Daisy Shortbread Cookies with Pastel Candies

2 c. butter, softened, not melted

1 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla

4 c. plain flour

pastel m&m's or other candies

Preheat oven to 350. Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla and flour. Chill for 30 minutes. Remove from fridge and form into small balls. Place 5-6 balls in the shape of a circle on parchment paper covered baking sheet. Press candy in center of cookies. Place a small square of parchment paper over flower and press down with bottom of glass before baking. Use a knife to make lines on cookies. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly golden on edges. 

after baking: 

*for a more stable flower a center ball of dough can be placed and candy placed on top of it. (seen in picture)

Daisy Cookie Cups

1 basic sugar cookie recipe, or premade dough in tube

1/2 T. vanilla, lemon, or almond extract, your choice

Filling:

any flavor instant pudding*, prepared

or homemade if desired

powdered sugar, to garnish

Preheat oven to 350. Make basic sugar cookies, adding extract for added flavor if you desire. Use a flower shape cookie cutter to cut shapes. Place one cookie shape in sprayed mini muffin tin with petals hanging on the outside/top. One cookie in every other tin to allow space for the petals. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-15 minutes. Cool. Make pudding flavor. Fill each cookie cup with pudding and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. (Might want to sprinkle powdered sugar on before adding filling).

*making these in different colors/flavors would be a great way to be festive for spring or Easter.

Chocolate Fudge Marshmallow Cake

1 chocolate cake mix, made in 8x8 pan as directed

1 c. chocolate fudge sauce, slightly warmed

1 c. marshmallow fluff

2 c. cool whip, thawed

sprinkles, optional

Poke holes all over cake with fork. Pour fudge sauce over cake (it spreads easier if warmed). Let it soak in. Spread marshmallow fluff over top. Top with cool whip. Spread evenly. Refrigerate 2 hours. Garnish with sprinkles before serving, if desired.

Easter Blossom Cookies

2 c. SR flour

1/4 t. salt

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened, not melted

1 egg, room temperature

1 1/2 t. vanilla

1-2 T. milk

colored sanding sugars*

food coloring/gel*

32 Hershey's kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets. Whisk together flour and salt. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, beating until combined. Gradually add flour on low until combined. Continue mixing on low while adding milk. Add just enough to soften the dough. (Too much will cause the dough to be too sticky and thinned out, you want the cookies to be puffy, see picture.) Use a small cookie scoop to portion out dough and use your hands to roll it into 1 T. size balls. Roll each ball in colored sugar and place 2" apart on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes until puffed and edges are just set but not browned. Allow cookies to cool 2 minutes then press Hershey's kiss in middle of each cookie. (Kathy places the kiss on after the first 8-10 baking minutes and bakes an additional 2 minutes to help hold kiss in place as it cools.) Allow to cool 5 minutes, then cool completely, or place in refrigerator for a faster set up making it easier to stack.

*dough can be divided and colored with food coloring/gel before rolling into balls, instead of buying colored sanding sugar. 

**dough can also be made with premade cookie dough (in a tube). Divide into different balls and roll in colored sugar before baking.

Vanilla Blueberry Cake

15.25 oz Pillsbury creamy vanilla cake mix

1 c. water

1/2 c. oil

3 eggs

1 can blueberry pie filling

whipped cream

fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan. Prepare cake mix as directed on box. Pour into pan. Add pie filling. Filling will sink to the bottom when baking. Bake 35-40 minutes. Top with whipped cream and fresh blueberries to serve.

Pistachio Pudding Cookies

3/4 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. sugar

1 egg

1 t. vanilla extract*

1 3/4 c. SR flour

3.4 oz. box dry pistachio instant pudding mix**

1 c. white or milk chocolate chips

1/2 c. chopped pistachios, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream together butter, brown sugar & sugar until light in color and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Scrape down sides of bowl. Add egg and extract. Mix in well. Add flour and pudding mix. Mix until soft dough forms. Fold in chips until evenly dispersed. Portion out 3 T. dough. Press the top of each cookie dough ball into chopped pistachios, if using. Press more white chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake at 350 degrees 7-9 min until tops aren't glossy. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Store in an airtight container. Very soft and yummy!

*I like using almond extract with pistachio pudding mix

**cook and serve pudding mix can also be used instead

Before baking:

After baking: 

Cake and Pudding Mix Cookies

15.25 oz. white or vanilla cake mix

3.4 oz. instant pudding mix*, any flavor

1 stick butter, melted

2 eggs

1 t. vanilla or other extract**

1 c. white chocolate chips

food coloring, if needed

water, if batter too stiff

Combine all ingredients except chips. Add chips, or just place on top of dough balls before baking, food coloring, if needed. Place water a little at a time if batter is too stiff. Place dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes only. Remove from oven and cool 2 minutes. Very soft and delicious!

*can also use cook and serve pudding instead of instant if that's the only way you can find the flavor you desire.

**I like using almond extract with pistachio pudding mix. I added a little green food coloring to the dough before I baked the cookies. These would be festive at Christmas with red sprinkles added.

Crockpot Peanut Butter Candy Clusters

1 bag peanut butter chips*

12 oz. white chocolate wafers

1 c. salted peanuts*

1 c. creamy peanut butter, crunchy can also be used

chocolate melting wafers

Place peanut butter chips, white chocolate, peanuts, and peanuts in lined crockpot. Turn to low and cook for 1 hour. Stir well at 30 minutes to keep the mixture from having hot spots that will scorch. Stir again to fully coat peanuts. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a cookie scoop or T. to drop the warm mixture onto sheets, leaving enough room so they don't spread into each other. Place chocolate wafers in bowl in microwave. Heat in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until fully melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the clusters using a spoon or piping bag. Place sheet in refrigerator and allow them to cool about an hour to retain their shape.

*Butterscotch chips may be substituted, marshmallow bits may be added, peanuts can be omitted.

Chocolate Marshmallow Chubbies

1 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 t. vanilla

1/2 c. cocoa

2 c. SR flour

2 c. milk chocolate chips

2 c. mini marshmallows, frozen,* or marshmallow bits

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Combine butter & sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until fully combined. Add cocoa. Stir in flour until dough comes together. Fold in chocolate chips and marshmallows. Scoop 2 T. dough out and roll into a ball. Repeat until 24 balls are made. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Bake in oven for 12 minutes. Cool 5 minutes. 

*Freezing marshmallows will keep them from spreading out and melting into the cookie too much. Pull them out of the freezer just before placing in cookies. Be sure to spread them out on a small tray to freeze, instead of freezing them all in one clump.