The thing I love about sugar cookies is the decoration!  You can cut out and do whatever you want with them (make cool shapes) and then you can put all kind of neat frostings or sprinkles on too.  Sugar cookies are very easy to adapt for any special occassion.  Plus the just taste good even if there isn’t something special going on!

But they are great for holidays, birthdays, parties, and any other occasion you want to celebrate.  However, if you’re anything like me, you’ll be tempting your kids to whip up a batch just so you can eat them for no reason at all!

Jan’s Sugar Cookies

2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
4 teaspoons milk
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sugar

Mix all together. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling and cutting. Sprinkle sugar on top before baking. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes (they will look underbaked but they are soft and chewy). Longer if you want a crisper cookie. Frost with a buttercream frosting if you like.

courtesy of recipesecrets.net

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Posted under Easy Cookie Recipes, Easy Dessert Recipes

This is a copy cat recipe provided by RecipeSecrets.net.  It’s super simple and sounds delicious!

Bishop’s Pie

1 lg pkg (6oz) instant vanilla pudding 1qt (4c) vanilla ice cream
1 lg pkg(6oz) instant chocolate pudding 9oz Cool Whip
2c milk Plain Hershey bar
1 graham cracker crust

Mix both puddings with milk. Add Ice cream. Put this into the crust and freeze. Before serving, top with Cool Whip and Hersheys pieces and curls.

Technorati Tags: Easy Dessert Recipes, Frozen Desserts, ice cream, No Bake Dessert Recipes

Posted under Chocolate Dessert Recipes, Frozen Desserts, No Bake Dessert Recipes, Pudding Dessert Recipes

Old-Fashioned Brownies

3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate
½ cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Velvet Chocolate Icing (optional)

1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 325 F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In top of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water, melt chocolate and shortening. Cool slightly. Combine sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt in large bowl; blend in chocolate mixture. Stir in flour; fold in walnuts. Spread in greased pan.

Bake at 325 F for about 40 minutes (brownies should still be soft). Cool completely in pan.

If desired, prepare Velvet Chocolate Icing. Combine chocolate, butter and corn syrup; blend well. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla; blend well. Spread over brownies; cut into bars.

Makes 20 brownies.

recipe courtesy of RecipeSecrets.net

Technorati Tags: brownies, Chocolate Dessert Recipes, Easy Dessert Recipes

Posted under Chocolate Dessert Recipes, Easy Brownie Recipes, Easy Dessert Recipes