Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars by Sarah Carlston

Makes 24 bars (9x13 pan)

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Rice Krispies (if you want to make these healthier, you can use plain puffed rice cereal)

1 ¾ cups quick oats (regular rolled oats work too)

¼ cup wheat germ (or ground flax seed, wheat bran, protein powder or additional oats)

½ cup honey

½ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup chocolate chips(optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine first 4 dry ingredients in a bowl.

In a saucepan, mix the honey, brown sugar and salt. Over medium-low heat, stir until the mixture comes to a complete boil for 30-60 seconds.

Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla until smooth.

Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes before mixing in the chocolate chips.

Press into a greased 9×13 pan and let cool before cutting into bars

Spice Cookies by Autumn Duncan (cookie swap)

Ingredients:
2 c. flour
2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground cloves
1 t. allspice
1 t. nutmeg
pinch of salt
1 c. light brown sugar
1/4 c. light brown sugar, plus enough water to liquefy
3/4 c. canola oil
1 large egg
sugar for rollin

1. Prep your fake molasses: place 1/4 c. brown sugar into a microwave safe mug with enough water to liquefy.  Stir and microwave for 10 seconds (or until it's smooth).  Place in freezer to cool.
2.  Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl until combined: flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, salt.
3.  In a separate, smaller bowl: combine 1/4 c. of your fake molasses, 1 cup brown sugar, canola oil and egg.  Mix until combined, it may get kind of fluffy.  That's ok.
4.  Pour the mixture from the smaller bowl in with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  It'll be kind of crumbly-that's ok.
5.  Cover with plastic wrap and let cool in the fridge.  Cool for at least 20 minutes, but an hour is better.
6.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
7.  Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.  Scoop out teaspoon-sized gobs of dough and roll them into wee balls then roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet 2" apart.
8.  Bake for 7 minutes for super soft cookies and 8 minutes for soft cookies and 10 for crispy.

copied from: http:/feministy.com/blog/no-molasses-ginger-snaps-spice-cookies/  

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies by Sheila Mitchell (cookie swap)

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/2 c. butter-flavored shortening
1/2 c. real butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 t. vanilla
Optional: 1 t. peppermint extract
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 1/2 c. flour, lightly spooned into a measuring cup and leveled with a knife
1/4 c. + 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 12 ounce bag dark chocolate chip
48 Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, unwrapped (one 10 ounce bag)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together first 4 ingredients for 1-2 minutes on medium-high speed or until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and vanilla.  Meanwhile, combine the baking powder, baking soda, salt, flour and cocoa
powder.  Add to the butter/sugar mixture and mix until combined.  Mix in the chocolate chips.

To prevent cookies from flattening out, refrigerate dough for 30-60 minutes.  Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake until just set, but centers are still soft, about 8 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.  Use a metal spatula to transfer cookies to cooling rack.  Top each cookie with an unwrapped kiss.  Allow to cool completely, long enough for the kiss to harden.  If necessary, after the cookies have cooled, they can be placed in the refrigerator or freezer to re-solidify the kiss.
Yield: 4 dozen

Nutmeg Rum Cookie Logs by Trish Long (cookie swap)

1 c. butter
2 t. vanilla
2 t. rum flavoring
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. nutmeg
3 c. flour

Cream butter, vanilla, and rum flavoring.  Gradually add sugar.  Blend in eggs.  Add nutmeg and flour, mix thoroughly.  Shape into long logs 1/2" in diameter.  Cut into 3" pieces.  Bake on ungreased pan at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Cool, then frost with:
3 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla
1 t. rum flavoring
2 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2-3 T. cream or milk
Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Chewy Coconut Cookies (cookie swap)

by Elyse Scoma

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilaa
1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 1/3 c. flaked coconut
1 1/3 c. white chocolate chips

Cream first 5 ingredients. Blend in dry ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Black Forest Trifle (November Gratitude Dinner)

Ingredients:
1 box devils food cake
2-19 oz. cherry pie filling
2 (3.5) chocolate pudding mix
whipped cream
chocolate shavings

Directions:
1. Prepare cake according to package and cool.
2. Cut the cake into pieces (or just crumble it up by hand)
3. Place enough cake in the trifle dish to cover the bottom of the dish.
4. Put half of cherry pie filling over cake.
5. Make pudding and place half of it over pie filling.
6. Cover with whipped cream.
7. Repeat.
8. Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.