Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

I found this recipe in my new Family Fun magazine this month. They turned out sooooooooo good!! I think they're my new favorite cookies! And that's saying something!

Melted caramel candy adds luscious richness to the cocoa goodness of these cookies.

Total time: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Servings: 26

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 large egg, separated
3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped pecans
26 chocolate-covered caramel candies, such as Dove or Rolo

Instructions
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder and set aside.

Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk, milk, and vanilla and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Add the flour mixture in two batches and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, beat the egg white with a fork. Set aside about 1/4 cup of the pecans; put the rest on a plate. Roll 1 tablespoon of the dough into a ball, coat it with egg white, and roll it in the nuts. Repeat with the remaining dough. Put the cookies on the sheet, leaving about 3 inches between them. With your thumb, make an indentation in the center of each cookie, then reshape the outside edges, if they crack.

Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, then take them from the oven and gently press a caramel candy into each cookie. Bake until the chocolate and caramel soften, about 4 minutes. Grease the tines of a fork with butter and press on each candy to flatten it slightly. Sprinkle on the reserved nuts, then cool the cookies on a rack.

Best... Cake... Ever!

What do these ingredients have in common... besides the fact that they are all really unhealthy? :) They are the ingredients for the frosting of my favorite cake... the best cake in the whole world.



I get to make and eat this cake once a year for my birthday. I keep it a once-a-year treat so that it will always be special, and I'll never get tired of it. I've been having this cake for my birthday for at least 5 or 6 years now, and I still love it every time!



Here's the cake batter in the pan before baking... I love how you can see the dark chocolate flecks in it!


Here's the bottom layer with the scrumptious white chocolate frosting and smashed up Heath bar chunks.

The filling should really be as thick as the layers on this cake! That's what makes it soooo good!

Here's the finished product!

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1 8oz. carton dairy sour cream

1 cup milk

1. Let eggs stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In large bowl beat shortening and sugar on medium speed until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined. Beat in melted chocolate and sour cream. Alternately add flour mixture and milk; beat on low after each addition just until combined. Spread batter in prepared pans.

3. Bake 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely.

4. Prepare frosting (see below). Place one layer flat side down on plate. Spread top with 1/2 of the filling. Stack second layer flat side down. Spread with remaining filling. Stack third layer flat side down. Spread with remaining frosting. Makes 16 servings. Chill cake before serving for best results.

White Chocolate Frosting with Heath Bars

6 oz white chocolate

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 sticks butter

1 small bag powdered sugar

3 regular sized Heath bars, smashed into chunks

1. Stir chocolate and cream over hot water until melted and smooth; cool. (fill one sauce pan part way with water, turn onto medium heat. Set second sauce pan over first for the chocolate and cream)

2. Add butter and 1 cup of powdered sugar. Beat on high until light and fluffy. Continue adding 1 cup of powdered sugar at a time until it reaches desired spreading consistency.

3. Divide by removing 1/3 of frosting into a small bow. Add crunched up Heath bars to remaining 2/3 frosting to make filling.

GINGERBREAD

As September inches ever closer, my mind starts to turn to fall, holidays, and yummy food! I love baked goods with spices in the fall, the aromas and flavors bring back floods of memories of family dinners, cooking with my mom and sisters, and eating yummy treats.

My mom always made gingerbread around the holidays. I finally tried it out myself last year. It turned out soooo yummy! This is from an old cookbook, I wish I knew the date!





Hot Gingerbread



1/2 cup of butter

1/2 cup of sugar

1 egg

1 cup molasses

2 1/2 cups of flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1 cup hot water



Cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the well-beaten egg and molasses. Beat well.

Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves.

Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture, beating until smooth.

Lastly, add the water and beat again until thoroughly blended.

Pour into a well-greased and floured 9x9x2 inch baking pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Check center with toothpick.

Cut into squares and serve warm. Six servings




Gingerbread is good served warm with whipped cream or butter.



*Notes from Mom: after I add the molasses I use the measuring cup to measure the hot water that you add at the very end. I usually use hot tap water & then put it in the microwave for 10 or 20 seconds on high. You don't want it boiling but it should be a little hotter than warm. Try using only half the spice amounts for a less overwhelming flavor.



**Notes from Me: I only used half the spice amounts and it was just right, my mixer was broken so we used the power drill to cream the sugar, butter, eggs, and molasses, but then I stirred the rest in by hand and it turned out fine.