Cherry Chocolate Cookies

This cookie recipe is perfect for Valentines Day!  I made these with our teen guys at church for a bake sale we were prepping for.  Cherry's and chocolate, mmmmm!!!!  The recipe originally came from here.

What the recipe called for:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened, but still cool
1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons maraschino cherry “juice”
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, chopped
Granulated sugar, for sprinkling the cookies


1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. In the bowl of your standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
3. Reduce the speed to the lowest setting and slowly add the powdered sugar and salt.
4. Add the cherry juice and the almond extract until combined.
5. With the mixer still on low, slowly add the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
6. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add the cherries.
7. Shape the dough into 1-inch balls, and place the balls on a baking sheet, approximately 2 inches apart.
8.  Using your thumb, gently press each cookie in its center until the cookie is about 1/2-inch thick.
9.  Sprinkle each cookie with a little granulated sugar.
10.  Bake the cookies until the bottoms are lightly browned, about 14 minutes.
11. Once removed from the oven, immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie’s center.
12.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

From my kitchen to yours, Enjoy!!

Potato Wrap Ups

While on vacation a few weeks back we were able to have dinner with a very sweet family.  The lady of the house is from Mexico so you can imagine we had some really good Mexican food :)  One of the things we had was these potato wrap up things.  Seemed simple enough to me so I gave them a whirl and they were super yummy..... though not super healthy.  However, you can throw on all kinds of fresh veggies to help make it better for you :)  They are kind of like a taco, just with a different filler.

What I used:
Corn Tortillas (about 10 of them)
4 potatoes (cooked and mashed)
veggie oil
tomatoes, diced
cheese, shredded
lettuce, shredded
sour cream
salsa
(get the idea? You can add whatever!)

Get your oil heated up in a skillet.  You'll want enough oil to cover the bottom and then some.  Take 4 or 5 tortillas at a time and cover them with a paper towel and cook in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Just enough to nuke them.  Then, place about 2 tbsp of your mashed potatoes inside and roll them up.  

Place them in your hot oil, be careful though because the oil will be very hot and will probably pop some.  I use a handy little thing on top of my skillet, kind of like a splash guard.  It comes in very handy!  It keeps the oil from popping onto me!

Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.  These babies will be crunchy.  Yum-o!

Once cooked remove from oil and place on paper towel to let the oil drain off a bit.  Serve warm and top with all your favorite ingredients!

From my kitchen to yours, Enjoy!