Cup of Cocoa Treats

butter or sugar cookies, store bought or homemade, any flat cookie will do
large marshmallows
mini candy canes, cut the stick off so you have half a circle (handle)
Kraft marshmallow bits*
chocolate icing, I used the kind in a tube
vanilla icing, I used the kind in a tube

Place cookies on cookie sheet. Use vanilla icing to attach marshmallow to cookie. Place a small dab of vanilla icing on the ends of candy cane handles and push them into the large marshmallow. (Placing icing on the handles, before inserting inside the marshmallow, will allow the treats to be picked up by the handle, as the icing will dry inside the marshmallow.) Squeeze a small amount of chocolate icing on top of the large marshmallow. Spread it around with a knife if needed. Place 3 marshmallow bits on top of chocolate icing. Allow to dry. These make cute treats for parties or gifts.

*Kraft marshmallow bits may be discontinued now, as I have not been able to find them in stores or online in over a year. The Kraft website doesn't list them as being discontinued, but it may be with the pandemic that they were unavailable. I just made 2-3 small white dots with the vanilla icing in 2021 and they turned out just as cute!

**Other candies and cookies can be used if you desire. Sometimes I use iced oatmeal cookies or vanilla wafers. But I really like the scalloped edge to the butter cookies when I can find them, they are sometimes hard to find. If you don't want to use the peppermint candy cane, you could use a mini pretzel instead. Anything that would create a handle.

Jenna's Cranberry Streusel

1 pie crust, I use the refrigerated roll type crust

2 c. fresh or frozen cranberries*

¼ c. sugar/splenda

¼ c. packed brown sugar/splenda substitute

½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts, optional

½ t. cinnamon

1 egg

1/3 c. sugar

¼ c. butter, melted

3 T. flour

Place pie crust into square baking dish. Stir together cranberries, ¼ c. sugar, brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Pour into unbaked crust. Whisk egg, 1/3 c. sugar, butter and flour together. Pour over cranberry mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes more, or until streusel is golden brown. May be served warm with vanilla ice cream as a dessert or as a breakfast item.

*May use different kinds of fruit too

Chocolate Sauerkraut Cake

3/4 c. drained and chopped sauerkraut
1 1/2 c. buttermilk*
2/3 c. butter, softened
1 3/4 c. brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
2 eggs
2/3 c. cocoa
2 1/4 c. SR flour

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 pan. Combine flour & cocoa. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk & sauerkraut. In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add eggs. Add flour mixture, alternating with sauerkraut mixture. Beat only until blended. Pour batter into sprayed 9x13  pan. Bake for 45 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before frosting with desired frosting.

*you can substitute 1 c. milk, mixed with 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice. Let stand for 5-10 minutes before adding to batter.

Faye's Sock-It-To-Me Cake

1 yellow cake mix*
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1/2 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
4 T. brown sugar
4 t. cinnamon

Combine all ingredients except brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour 1/2 of batter in sprayed angel food cake pan. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to remaining batter and pour on top of other layer. Bake at 300 for 1 hour 25 minutes, or until done. **This cake is easy to fall. Do not open door early.

*Cake mixes used to be 18 oz. but now they are 15 oz. An additional 2/3 c. yellow or white cake mix will need to be added to make up the difference. 12/2024--Cake mixes are 13 oz. now, add 1 c. cake mix.

Mom's Chiffon Layer Cake

2 egg whites
1/3 c. sugar
2 c. SR flour
1 c. sugar
1 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
1 t. vanilla
2 egg yolks

Beat egg whites with 1/3 c. sugar until thick and glossy, but not stiff. Combine flour & sugar in mixing bowl. Add milk, oil, vanilla, & egg yolks. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Scrape bowl and beaters frequently. Fold in egg whites. Pour into 2 sprayed 8" metal pans or 1 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Cool 10-20 minutes before removing from layer cake pans. Frost as desired.

Mom's Cherry Cake

1 white cake mix
2 small boxes cherry jello
16 oz. cool whip, thawed
1 can cherry pie filling
2 c. boiling water

Prepare cake and pour in sprayed 9x13 pan. Bake according to pkg. Combine water with jello and dissolve. Punch holes in cake while hot. Pour hot jello mixture over cake. Place in refrigerator for 1 hour. Cover with cherry pie filling. Top with cool whip. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Mom's Cheesecake Dreams

1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. SR flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 T. milk
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8" square pan. Combine 1st 3 ingredients, Stir in melted butter. Reserve 1/3 c. crumbs. Place remaining crumbs in pan. Bake 12-15 minutes. Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with crumbs. Bake 25 minutes. Cool. Cut into 2" squares & then cut these diagonally. Makes 32 cookies.

Mom's M & M Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. water
1 egg
1 c. + 1 T. SR flour
3/4 c. M & M's

Blend butter and sugars. Add vanilla, water, and egg. Add remaining dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in M & M's. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Mom's Oatmeal Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs
6 T. molasses
1 3/4 c. flour
1 t. cinnamon
2 c. oats
1/2 c. chopped pecans
1 c. raisins

Combine butter, sugar, eggs, and molasses. Add flour and cinnamon. Add oatmeal, nuts, and raisins. Drop by teaspoonfuls 2 " apart on sprayed cookie sheet. Bake at 400 for  8-10 minutes, until just barely brown or they will be too hard.

Mom's Date Balls

1 stick margarine
2 c. Rice Krispies
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 c. chopped pecans
8 oz. pkg. chopped dates
1 t. vanilla

flaked coconut

powdered sugar

Spray saucepan. Melt margarine over low heat. Add sugar, egg, and dates. Cook over low heat 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Let cool slightly and add rice krispies and nuts. Spray hands. Roll date balls in hands and then roll in coconut and/or powdered sugar.