Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies | Andes Mints

My aunt would always makes these cookies with a surprise mint inside at Christmas, and they were one of my favorites. It's now become a family tradition, passed on, to make them with my daughters and granddaughters.

It's an old-fashion recipe, originally called Starlight Mint Surprise cookies - why, I'm not sure, but perhaps at one time it was the name of the candy inside.

We now use Andes Mints. 

                                                   

Other old-fashion Christmas cookie recipes
Haystack Cookies
Anisette Cookies
Oreo Truffle Balls 
German Chocolate Caramel Bars

Easy clean up in the kitchen with Handmade Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet shop!

                                                                          

          
                                                          

Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies with Andes Mints

Ingredients:

 
3 cup flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
 1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2   eggs, unbeaten
2 tbl water
1 tsp vanilla
Walnuts (optional 
Andes Mints - 2 packages (broken in half)

 Preparation:

Sift 3 c. flour, 1 tsp soda, 1/2 tsp salt.

Cream 1 c. butter, 1 c. sugar, 1/2 c. brown sugar.  

Blend 2 eggs, unbeaten, 2 tbl. water, 1 tsp. vanilla.
Add dry ingredients. 
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Enclose 1 Andes mint in 1 tsp. dough.  Top with walnut (if desired)
Bake 2 " apart 375 oven for 10-12 minutes.

Merry Christmas! 

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen 

Chocolate Haystack Cookies | No Bake Cookies Chews | Chow Mein Noodles

 Always a favorite during the Christmas Holiday Season, these Chocolate  and Butterscotch No Bake Cookies with Chow Mein Noodles were always a favorite during childhood that my mom made.

With all the hustle and bustle goings on, they're easy to make; can be made ahead and refrigerated; and even the kids can help!

Every generation had their name for them - some called them by Chews made with Chow Mein Noodles - my kid's generation called them Bird's Nests, and now they can be known as Haystack. 

Combine your favorite flavors and decorate! 

Other easy Christmas or Holiday Cookie Recipes
Starlight Mint Surprise Cookies with Andes Mints
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles Cookies from Cake Mix

Chocolate Butterscotch Haystack Cookies

Ingredients:

12 oz. Semi Sweet Chocolate chips (any brand will work, but to be indulgent, try Ghiradelli for a richer cocoa flavor)

12 oz. Butterscotch Chips

12 oz. Chow Mein Noodles

Sprinkles, Jimmies or Shots to decorate

• Place chocolate chips and butterscotch chips into a microwave safe bowl, and melt on high power in 30 second intervals, stirring to mix. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until smooth and creamy
  
  
• Add Chow Mein noodles and mix gently until fully covered
  
  
• Spoon about 2 Tbl. of mixture on to parchment lined cookie sheets
  
  
• Decorate with sprinkles while cookies hasn't set up yet
  
  
• Refrigerate until firm

Can be kept in refrigerator in an airtight container for up to about 6 days

Easy clean up in the kitchen with Handmade Cotton Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet Shop!

Merry Christmas! 

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen 

Macaroon Coconut Anisette Cookies | Cake Mix Cookies | Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you're in a pinch and limited for time, Cake Mix Cookies are easy to make.  The combination of ingredients are up to your imagination!  Macaroon Coconut Anisette Cookies were a big hit in Macaroon Coconut Anisette Cookies our house this Christmas Season, but can be made any time of year.

To celebrate the Christmas Season, my friend from way back in middle school (junior high to us) and I went to a new Italian Bakery to get together, catch up on the latest news, and exchange gifts.

The selection of Italian cookies, ricotta cakes, cheesecake and pastry were calling our names!  We had a light lunch of Aranicini rice balls (risotto balls) and a not so light desert of Tiramisu. The Aranicini had a filling of meat, peas, rice and marinara sauce!  Delicious !

Speaking of Tiramisu, I found a wonderful recipe for Tiramisu Poppers from Rita on FB that I'm going to try next, and place in some pretty Christmas wrappers for some upcoming holiday parties !

I decided to go home and bake up my own version of a batch of those anisette cookies, and packaged them up to send off to my brother in upstate New York.  He misses these Italian Bakeries back home in Connecticut.

The Anisette Coconut Cookies came out delicious!

Easy clean up with Handmade Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet Shop:

 Anisette Chocolate Chip Coconut Cake Mix Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 oz) Yellow or White Cake Mix (I have picked up several from Aldi or Walmart)
2 eggs
1/3 to 1/2 c vegetable oil
1 c Shredded Coconut Flakes
1 tsp Anise
White or Dark Chocolate Chips


Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Mix eggs, oil, coconut, anise and cake mix ingredients together with a wooden spoon
Mix in chocolate chips additions
Form dough into 1 inch balls
Place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined cookie sheet
Bake 9-13 minutes.  (I found 10 minutes to be good for my oven, I like the cookies somewhat browned, but still chewy.  I eyeball for doneness.

Remove and let cool completely.

Can be frozen.

Happy Baking!

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen 

Easiest Ever No Bake Christmas Cookies | Oreo Truffles Balls | Recipe

Here's one of my family's favorite easy no-bake cookie recipes. These Sandwich Cookie Oreo Truffles Balls, Poppers or Bonbons steal the show at any holiday or Christmas party!

Oreo Truffles Balls No Bake Cookies

When the holidays arrive, everyone enjoys homemade baked goodies. I always enjoy making platters of cookies, candy, breads, cakes and pies to bring to Christmas parties for family, friends, neighbors or a Cookie Exchange with co-workers. However, ingredients for baking from scratch can still be expensive and put a dent in the family budget. I always find that Aldi is the best place to shop for most items.

Add a festive touch to the kitchen with these pretty handmade crochet Dishcloths available for sale in my Moomettes Crochet shop! 

No Bake Christmas Cookies

This year I've been shopping at Aldi, and decided to give their products a try to cut down on the grocery bill. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Aldis carried everything I needed to make Oreo Truffles Balls on my baking list this year, including peppermint sandwich cookies as well as mini-chocolate chips (for another recipe I'll be posting for Chocolate Cherry Cake) They even had mini crockpots, glass pie plates and take-along containers!

In the meantime, there's still plenty of time to make these no bake Christmas cookies, even if you don't start your baking until the night before Christmas - and you still have quite a bit of time to make these Oreo Truffle Balls bonbons ahead for New Year's Eve or New Year's Day parties!

Next on my list to try are Tiramisu Poppers!  Oh my!

Check out my recipe for No-Bake Brandy Balls too !

Sandwich Oreo Truffle Balls

1 (18 oz.) package of Oreo Sandwich-type cookies (regular size, 3 rows of cookies)
1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese block
4 oz white, milk, or dark chocolate bark

Add Oreo sandwich cookies to food processor and blend until fine.
Add cream cheese to Oreo sandwich cookie crumbs and blend until dough-like.
Chill mixture for 15 minutes.
Roll into bite-size balls.
Chill balls in refrigerator for 15 minutes
Melt chocolate bark in microwave according to package directions. Dip chilled Oreo sandwich cookie balls in melted chocolate using a toothpick so chocolate can "drip off".
Set covered cookie balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper and let set approximately 30 minutes. If using jimmies, shots, sprinkles or decorative sugars do so before chocolate sets.

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen 

White Chocolate Chip Cookies | Dipped Cranberry Cookies | Cranberry Walnut Cookies

This White Chocolate Dipped Cranberry Nut Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe is definitely going to become a Holiday Favorite! It's a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe with a grown-up taste!

Recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies

You can use either white chocolate chips or dark or milk chocolate chips, your choice.

The white chocolate glaze and edible glitter add a nice addition to your dessert table or next Cookie Exchange or Cookie Swap.

Easy clean up in the kitchen with these Handmade Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet ! These cleaning cloths also make a nice addition to any gift basket.

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Cookies

1 c. sugar
1 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
1 egg
3 c. Gold Medal all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 4-oz. bag of dried & sweet cranberries
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 package (20 oz.) vanilla-flavored candy coating (almond bark)
Edible glitter, if desired

In large mixing bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. On low speed, beat in flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in cranberries, chocolate chips and walnuts.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Form into balls. Place balls 2 inches apart. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely on wire rack, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in medium microwaveable bowl, microwave candy coating bark as directed on package until melted and smooth. Dip about 1/3 of each cookie at an angle into coating, allowing excess coating to drip back into bowl. Place on waxed paper; sprinkle with edible glitter. Let stand about 1 hour or until coating is set.

Like my Recipes?  Buy me a Bag of Flour

© Frugal New England Kitchen