sugar cookie bars

1 cup butter (unsalted is recommended, but I use salted and can’t tell a difference.)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Add vanilla & mix well. In a separate bowl combine flour, salt & soda & stir with a whisk to combine. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased baking sheet (use a 13 x 18 pan).

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely and frost with buttercream frosting (I like to go a little heavy on the almond extract for these.)

Lemon Cake

1 pkg. Betty Crocker Lemon cake mix
1 pkg. instant lemon jello pudding
2/3 c. oil
¾ c. water
4 eggs
Beat above ingredients for 3 minutes. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until done. Remove from pan and poke with a toothpick. Warm 1 c. powdered sugar and ½ c. lemon juice to make a glaze. Spread over cake.

Caramels

1 cup butter or margarine
1 pound light brown sugar
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light corn syrup
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. In a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, sweetened condensed milk, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Heat to between 234 and 240 degrees F (112 to 116 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when removed from the water and placed on a flat surface. Cook for 2 minutes at that temperature. Remove from the heat and stir in vanilla.
2. Meanwhile, butter a 9×13 inch baking pan. When the caramel is ready, pour into the buttered pan. Allow to cool completely at room temperature. Remove from the pan and cut into squares using scissors. Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper or cellophane.

Mom’s Hot Fudge

1 can evaporated milk
4 Tbs. butter
mix together:
4 Tbs. cocoa
4 Tbs. flour
2 c. sugar
at last add:
2 tsp. vanilla

Mix dry ingredients in pan with a spoon, using the back to break up clumps. Add butter and evaporated milk. Stir until boiling, then boil for 2 min. Pull off heat and add vanilla.

Staple’s Marshmallow Puffs

1 can Pilsburry Crescent roll dough
1 bag marshmallows
¼ tsp. cinnamon
½ c. sugar
4 Tbs. butter

Glaze:
1 c. powdered sugar
2-3 Tbs. milk
Remove dough from can and separate rolls. Combine cinnamon and sugar. Melt butter. Roll a marshmallow for each roll in butter then cinnamon and sugar and place in the center of each crescent roll and roll up. Tuck edges underneath and place on a cookie sheet. Bake according to directions on the can. After removing from the oven, let cool. Then make glaze and drizzle over puffs.

So Easy Truffles

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 c. confectioners’ sugar
3 c. semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar until blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate 1 hour then shape into 1” balls.
*You can roll in nuts, cocoa, coconut, confectioners’ sugar, candy sprinkles, or omit chocolate and add 1 c. crushed oreos, then roll in oreos.