Raspberry Oatmeal Bars

These are fantastic little squares of deliciousness. We have made them with all kinds of jam. Last time I mixed some homemade raspberry jam with homemade golden plum jam. The result was amazing. So use whatever jam you have on hand and these will turn out fabulous.

When I make them, I triple this recipe and press it into a large jelly roll baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Perfect for serving a crowd. As with all my desserts, I prefer them chilled in the fridge.

Ingredients
1/2 C light brown sugar
1 C flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 C rolled oats
1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C raspberry jam

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one 8 inch square pan (or a jelly roll pan if you're tripling it) with greased foil.

Combine brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats. Cut the butter into the mixture using a pastry blender (or rub in with your hands if you don't have one) to form a crumbly mixture. Press two cups of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread the jam to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Sprinkle the remaining crumb mixture over the top, and lightly press it into the jam.

Bake for 35-40 min in preheated oven (30 min in a jelly roll pan), or until lightly browned. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

A new favorite cookie in our home, adapted from here.

Ingredients
1 C softened butter
3/4 C light brown sugar
3/4 C granulated sugar
2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 C flour (I like to add 1/2 white whole wheat, 1/2 half regular flour)

2 1/2 C oats (I like to mix some old fashioned, some instant)

2 C chocolate chips (I like dark chocolate)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add baking soda, powder, salt, and mix well. Add flour, oatmeal, and chocolate chips until evenly combined. 

Form cookie balls about 2 TB each. Bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Christmas morning Quiche

This quiche is our traditional Christmas morning breakfast! Adapted from here.

Ingredients

1 9 inch pie crust, unbaked (I recommend this one)
4 slices bacon

3/4 C shredded swiss cheese

3 eggs

3/4 C skim milk

1 C heavy cream

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put bacon and cheese into the bottom of the pie crust. Beat the eggs, milk heavy cream, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl until blended. Pour over bacon and cheese in the pie crust. Bake for 45-60 min, or until quiche has puffed and browned.

 

Soft Gingersnaps

I make these often from my friend Jennie's website--they are the best! Chewy and delicious perfection. I add a little extra flour from her recipe since I like them a little thicker.

Ingredients
1 1/2 C (3 sticks) butter, softened

2 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 C molasses
5 C flour
3 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
additional sugar (to roll the cookies in)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs, vanilla, and molasses and mix well. Add baking soda, salt, spices, and flour and mix again. Roll into roughly one inch balls and then roll them in sugar. Bake for 8-11 min, or until there are large cracks in the top of the cookies and they have a golden hue (instead of the brown color of the unbaked dough).

Chocolate Balls of Goodness

This Christmas cookie is one I grew up eating--we called them chocolate cool-whip cookies. But then one day I made them for my husband to take to a work party, and one of his co-workers called them chocolate balls of goodness, and the name stuck! 

Ingredients:

2 (8 oz) Symphony bars w/almonds and toffee

1 (8 oz ) pkg Cool Whip

Vanilla wafers

Directions:

Melt chocolate slowly in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth and glossy. Stir in the cool whip and cool in the fridge or freezer until firm. Place vanilla wafers in a ziploc bag and roll with a rolling pin until you have a very fine crumb mixture. Shape the chocolate mixture into balls and roll in the wafer crumbs. Place on wax paper on a cookie sheet and freeze.

Melt Away Christmas Cookies

This is my favorite Christmas cookie! They have such a yummy/unique texture, and the cream cheese frosting finishes them off perfectly. These are the reason my cupboard is most often overflowing with a questionable amount of cornstarch. I like to eat them best frozen, straight from the freezer. Perhaps this is because I used to sneak them this way as a kid :), but my husband and kids also agree that this is the best way to eat them so I know it's not just me!

Cookie Ingredients:
1 C (2 cubes) softened butter, unsalted (unsalted is important since this recipe does not call for salt)
3/4 C cornstarch
1/3 C powdered sugar
1 C flour

Frosting Ingredients:
3 oz cream cheese
1 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
food coloring (optional-my mom always added a touch of green for a light green color)

Directions
Beat cookie ingredients until well mixed, then chill slightly. Roll the dough into small balls and flatten with a cup, covered by a dishtowel or paper towel dipped in flour. Bake for 10-12 min at 350 degrees.

Beat together frosting and spread generously on completely cooled cookies.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This is a favorite soup at our home! One that every single one of us loves. I can make it fairly quickly in my instant pot. See the note for instant pot directions. Adapted from here.

Ingredients
2 TB olive oil
1 chopped onion

1 TB minced garlic
1 cup chopped carrots
1 bell pepper, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely chopped

3 cups chopped cauliflower (one head)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup water
1 TB flour
2/3 cup milk
3 cups chopped broccoli (about bite size)
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1 cup Colby jack cheese, grated


Instructions
Melt the oil in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, red pepper, celery, and cauliflower and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add broth and potatoes, bring to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Puree the soup in a food processor or blender and return to pot.

In a small bowl, whisk the flour with water, add to soup along with the broccoli. Simmer until broccoli is tender, another 10-15 minutes.

Add milk and cook until heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Note: I like to make this in my instant pot. I saute the onion and garlic in the oil, then add the carrots, pepper, celery, cauliflower, salt, pepper, broth, and potatoes. Set the instant pot for 10 minutes. Then follow the rest of the steps.