Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

Cookies go fast in my house! It seems like once they are baked they are gobbled up no sooner than they are out of the oven! Cookies are a simple snack or dessert and these chocolate crinkle cookies are my favorite of all cookies. Yummy chocolaty goodness in a cookie!

I remember the first time I had them! My mom and I were at a crafter's holiday open house where they had refreshments and they had these cookies. We asked them what they were called and I have been making them since. Love them and so do my kids!

Plus they are super simple! Here's the recipe

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp Clabber Girl baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except the powdered sugar, together in a medium mixing bowl and mix together well. Batter will be dark brown and sticky. Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Put the powdered sugar in a dish and set aside for later. Once batter is chilled roll about 2 tablespoons with your hands in a ball. Roll each cookie ball in the powdered sugar so it is fully coated then place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. I remove immediately at 10 minutes and let the cookies set up a little longer on the cookie sheet. Then remove them and place on a cooling rack. At 10 minutes they are so soft and delicious! Letting them set up on the cookie sheet a little longer after out of the oven allows them to set up more and easier to remove from the cookie sheet. Makes about 2 dozen.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

I just made them for a cookie exchange at a Christmas party with friends. They are great around the holidays but will always be a favorite in our cookie jar any time of the year!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl Baking Powder but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Mincemeat Bars

With Christmas rolling around, I get to thinking about what are my favorite treats I most look forward to and mincemeat bars are definitely one of them! Now they can surely be made any time of the year, but I think I've had them most around the holidays.

If you have read many of my other recipes, you know I have shared several family recipes that are my favorite that I have learned to make myself. Several of the recipes have been passed down through the generations. This is another one of them! My mom got this recipe from my grandma, where she is sure it was a family recipe that she learned as well.

So many flavors mixed together in mincemeat bars they are mouthwatering delicious!

Mincemeat Bars

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/s tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup mincemeat
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup crushed pineapple (drained)
1 1/2 cup powered sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp hot pineapple juice

Directions:
In a medium bowl mix together the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the sugar and shortening and cream together. Then add the eggs, mincemeat, chopped walnuts, and crushed pineapple. Mix it together. Then combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients and mix it all together. Pour mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Prepare the icing by combining the powdered sugar and the hot pineapple juice together and mixed well. Pour the icing mixture over the warm mincemeat bars and spread evenly. Cook completely and serve.


How to make the mincemeat:
1 1/2 pints chopped tart apples (peeled)
1 pint chopped green tomatoes
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp each salt, all spice, ground cloves
3 cups sugar
1 pound raisins
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup ground suet

Mix all the ingredients together in a pot and bring to a rapid boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until thickens. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Jars will self seal.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

If you like a spice cake/fruit/moist cake with light icing you will love these! They are seriously so so good!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl Baking Soda but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Cinnamon Streusel Mini Muffins

It's nice to have different things available for the kids for breakfast before school! I try to occasionally have some homemade breakfast goodies for them! Mini muffins are easy and you get a lot out of one batch so they work out perfect! These cinnamon streusel mini muffins are the right amount of cinnamon in a muffin!

I made these recently for a brunch carry in I attended and they went over so well! It reminded me of how well my kiddos enjoy them too!

Cinnamon Streusel Mini Muffins 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp Clabber Girl Baking Powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
cinnamon
Streusel topping:
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 Tbsp flour
pinch of salt

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, vegetable oil, egg, vanilla extract and mix together. Stir in the milk. Then add in the baking powder, salt, and flour. Slowly stir all the ingredients together until it is mixed well. Fill each muffin cavity of a greased mini muffin pan with batter. Add a small sprinkle of cinnamon to each batter filled muffin cavity and use a knife and stir it in.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the streusel topping. Mix it together to create a crumbly topping. Add the crumb topping to each batter filled muffin cavity by sprinkling it over top.

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes. Cool before removing form pan and serving. A knife is helpful to remove from pan. Makes about 3 dozen muffins.

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

You know all things mini, you can't just stop at one! 

And you won't want to...they are delicious. So delicate and tasty!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl Baking Powder but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Our 4th Little Farmer

And just like that our 4th little farmer was born....and is now 3 months old. Today actually.

Wow does it go fast!!

But what a joy she has been!

I'm not quite sure where time has gone, but it has passed by so quickly that I am making sure to embrace so many precious moments with her. She has gone from our 9 lb 10 oz newborn to a smiley 3 month old full of personality already!

She enjoyed her first months be toted around from the farmers market, soccer and basketball games for her siblings, and tractor rides with me as I run the auger cart. 

I thought it was fitting for her to have produce in her newborn photos since we grow produce and she was born when the season is most plentiful of a variety of different vegetables. So I brought a variety of produce to her newborn photo session. 

She fits in perfectly with the rest of our crew!! 

As the months go by, we will be sure to cherish and enjoy every snuggle, smile, and everything else with our little Haddie! 

Newborn photos by Amanda Trebley Photography

Monthly blanket from Batzkids