Pecan Pie Phyllo Tarts

2 boxes premade phyllo cups (found in the freezer section)
⅓ cup brown sugar

⅓ cup light or dark corn syrup
1½ cups chopped pecans 
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp melted butter
½ tsp vanilla
pinch of salt

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Remove the phyllo cups from the plastic trays in the boxes and place them directly on a large baking pan lined with a silicone mat.
• Mix together sugar, corn syrup, pecans, egg, melted butter, vanilla and salt.
• Spoon a small amount of the the pecan mixture in to each cup, making sure you get plenty of pecans in each one.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until just starting to bubble.
• Remove from the oven, let them sit on the tray for just a couple of minutes then carefully transfer to a cooling rack. 
• Store in an airtight container.

Butterscotch Brownies

 adapted from: https://dishesdelish.com/butterscotch-brownies/

Ingredients

• one stick butter (if salted, adjust salt added)
• 2 cups good quality butterscotch morsels (11 oz bag)
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups flour 
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350℉ and liberally grease a 13 x 9 pan.
• Add the butter and butterscotch morsels to the saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and stir the two ingredients as they melt. Make sure the butter has melted fully and most of the chips have melted. (You may have a few chunks of butterscotch chips - that's fine.)
• Transfer the melted butter mixture to a large bowl. Add the brown sugar and stir until combined.
• Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.
• Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix just until combined to prevent the brownies from becoming too dense.
• Spread evenly in a 13 x 9 pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 35 minutes. Check the doneness with either a toothpick at 32 minutes; butterscotch brownies can go from perfectly baked to overdone quickly.
• Let the butterscotch bars cool in the pan and on a wire rack for 10 - 15 minutes before cutting. This helps them set properly and makes for cleaner slices.
  You can store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days or refrigerate for up to two weeks. These also freeze well. Just put them in a gallon freezer bag in a single layer or put a piece of parchment paper between two layers. They will keep for three months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1square | Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 200mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 177IU | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 1mg

Lemon Bars

Ingredients

Crust:
2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) cold salted butter, cut into small cubes, plus more for greasing

Filling:
1 ½ cups sugar
¼ cup flour
4 large eggs
Zest and juice of 4 medium-sized lemons (2/3 cup of lemon juice and 4 to 5 teaspoons of lemon zest)
Powdered sugar, for topping

Directions

For the crust:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Grease a 13-by-9-inch pan with butter or line with parchment paper (spritz pan with baking spray first).
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt.
Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut it all together until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
Press into the prepared pan and bake until golden around the edges, about 20 minutes.

For the filling:
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar and flour.
Crack in the eggs, and whisk to combine.
Add the lemon zest and juice, and mix until combined.
Pour over the warm crust and bake until the filling is set, about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours, then sift powdered sugar over the top before cutting into squares.

Ina Garten's Shortbread Shape Cookies

1 cup powered sugar

2 cups of butter

3 cups of flour

Cream butter and sugar on medium high add flour and continue to beat for 5 minutes. The dough will feel velvety when done. I roll out dough to desired thickness, cut shapes and bake at 350 for about 7 minutes.

Some suggest this list of ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter

1 cup cream cheese

3 cups flour

Peanut Butter Cookies and Sultans

½ cup Crisco
one stick butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 ½ cups self-rising flour

Mix first six ingredients and then blend in flour. Cover and chill until firm. Shape in 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in preheated 375 for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on wire racks. For Sultans, add a Hershey Kiss to top of each cookie while still warm.

Chanon's Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup shortening
3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups self-rising flour
1 ¼ finely chopped pecans, if desired

Cream shortening, sugar, and cream cheese.

Add egg and vanilla until well mixed.

Add flour and pecans. 

Chill dough for 30 minutes or overnight. 

Heat oven to 325.

Roll or scoop dough into small balls and bake for 14 minutes.

Remove from oven and immediately use scoop or spoon to make thumbprints. 

Let cool and frost with powdered sugar icing.

Icing

¾ cup powdered sugar (I used more to thicken)

3 tsp water

food coloring as desired

Pecan Crescent Shortbread Cookies

2 sticks salted butter
¾ c. powdered sugar, plus more for finishing
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. pecan halves, very finely chopped

1. Place the softened butter, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. 
2. Beat with a paddle attachment on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add the flour and mix on low speed, just until combined. 
4. Add the pecans and mix on low just until combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Preheat the oven to 325 F. 
6. If using more than one cookie sheet, position one oven rack in the top one-third of the oven, and the other rack in the bottom one-third position. 
7. Shape slightly mounded tablespoonfuls of dough into oval shape logs, about 2 ½ -inches long. 
8. Place them on two baking sheets, about 2-inches apart and curve them into half-circles.
9. Bake for 20-22 minutes just until the bottoms of the cookies are lightly golden (if using two racks, rotate the baking sheets from upper to lower rack half-way through).
10. Let cool on the sheet tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a bowl of powdered sugar. 
11. Dredge them while they are warm, then transfer to a cooling rack set over a sheet tray to cool completely. Once cool, sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. 
12. Store in an air-tight container in a single layer, between layers of parchment paper, at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Magic Cookie Bars

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND(R) Sweetened Condensed Milk
1-2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1 ⅓ cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 325.
Coat 13x9-inch glass baking dish with no-stick cooking spray.
Melt butter, stir in the graham crackers, and press down evenly in glass baking dish.
Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.
Layer with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts.
Press down firmly with a fork.

Bake 22-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool before cutting into bars.

Easy Salted Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

• 18-ounce brownie mix
• approximately 8-10 ounces of dulce de leche (or other THICK caramel sauce, I love Smucker's Simple Delight Salted Caramel Sauce)*
• 1 tsp sea salt

Directions: 
1. Preheat to 350ºF. Prepare the 9x9 nonstick baking dish by lining it with parchment paper (this aids in an easier removal when it comes time to serve the brownies).  
2. Mix and bake brownies according to recipe on package. Let cool COMPLETELY. 
3. Spread the caramel sauce over top.  Sprinkle with sea salt. 
4. Keep chilled until ready to serve. 

If you can bear the wait, let the caramel topping sit on the brownies for a day or even just overnight (covered, of course). It will soak into the brownies a bit, making them even more moist and deliciously gooey than ever! 

Note: 
*Another great option for the caramel topping would be Nestle’s Duce de Leche, which you can usually find beside the sweetened condensed milk or in the Hispanic section of the grocery store.

Click here for the 'from scratch' version.

Chocolate Brownie Cookies

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
one stick butter, melted
2 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa

Add all ingredients in mixing bowl and blend with electric mixer.
Let batter rest for ten minutes.
Preheat oven to 375.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet (about 1 1/2 inches apart).
Bake for 7-9 minutes.
Cool for one minute on pan and then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Blond Brownies

3 eggs
1 stick butter, melted
1 box brown sugar, packed (2 ⅓ cups, packed)
2 cups self-rising flour
1 T vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Beat together eggs and sugar, add melted butter and flour gradually, mixing well. Add vanilla and nuts. Bake in greased 9x13 pan for 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.

Aunt Angelyn's Bushel Basket Cookies

2 cups shortening
1 ½ cups light brown sugar
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
3 ½ cups plain flour
2 cups quick oatmeal
2 cups crushed cornflakes
2 cups chopped pecans
1 package butterscotch morsels
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soda
2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream first 5 ingredients. Stir in dry ingredients by hand.
Drop by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet.
Flatten cookies a little because they do not flatten while baking.
Bake at 350 until light brown, 12-15 minutes.
These are great to make when you need mass quantities. The term ‘bushel basket’ is not in the name just for decoration, you know. That’s approximately the size of the container you will need to store these gems.

Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz pkg) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Rae’s Oatmeal Cookies

¾ cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
2 cups uncooked oatmeal
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans
½ cup buttermilk or water

Cream shortening and sugar. Add oatmeal, flour with soda and baking powder, then nuts and spices. Moisten with buttermilk or water. Drop from spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 375 for 10 to 12 minutes.

My Macaroons

4 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp cream of tartar
¼ tsp salt
½ cup sugar
4 and ¾ cups sweetened shredded coconut (a little less than one 14-ounce package)

• Preheat oven to 325. 
• In large mixing bowl beat first four ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. 
• Add sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form. 
• Fold in coconut. 
• Using a large scoop, drop mixture in mounds at least 2 inches apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. 
• Bake until lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Make sure to rotate the pan to ensure even baking. 
• Allow to cool completely on the baking sheets. Cover leftover macaroons tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days or 3 days at room temperature. Macaroons freeze well, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Sa's Butterscotch Brownies

6 oz Nestle’s butterscotch morsels
¼ cup margarine
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
½ tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350. Melt morsels and butter over hot water in double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar. Cool for five minutes and stir in eggs and vanilla. Sift together and stir in flour and baking powder. Stir in nuts. Spread in 9x13 pan and bake at for 25 minutes.

Graham Cracker Brittle

1 cup brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
2 sticks butter
graham crackers

Boil first three ingredients together 3-5 minutes, until thick.
Spread over graham crackers and bake at 325 for 15 minutes.
Let cool and break apart.

Bourbon Balls

1 cup finely crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 T cocoa
2 T light corn syrup
¼ cup bourbon

Stir together dry ingredients and pecans. Add corn syrup and bourbon; mix well. With wet hands, shape into 1-inch balls. Roll in powdered sugar. Store in airtight container. Makes 36