Cow Chip Cookies

We discovered this recipe many years ago in a cookbook at Grandma Reble’s house. I do not know the name of the cookbook, but it has a bright pink cover and it is a collection of recipes from different people in CO. We try new recipes from this book every time we visit Grandma’s house.

These are larger cookies, so we usually make a half batch.

Andrea showing off a cow chip before our cow chip throwing contest.

Lemon Zucchini Bread (or Cake)

With zucchini growing nicely this year, Mom looked for a new recipe to use some of the extra up. She gave us a loaf of this bread that Adrian decided was a lot better than the chocolate cake we usually make because of the lemon.

The loaf Mom gave us was frozen and it defrosted very nicely. She recommended not glazing it until ready to eat. We decided to only make half the glaze and it was plenty.

Granola

There are so many different recipes for granola. This one is very versatile, so experiment to find favorite combinations. For example, use all pecans, or add pepitas in place of the almonds. Replace cherries with dried mango slices or peaches. Another option is to try adding hemp hearts or flax seed near the end of baking.

I would recommend keeping track of favorites, because it can become addictive, experimenting to find the perfect granola.

Custard Based Vanilla Ice Cream

Just before Father’s Day, we discovered whipping cream was on sale for almost 50% off. Mom had given me a coupon for a free 2 dozen eggs. So we decided that we should make homemade ice cream to share.

Making homemade ice cream is a special treat! Be sure to start it early, because the custard base needs to cool down before adding the final ingredients. It is not very difficult to make, but do not rush or use high heat. It is often more expensive than store bought, but you can control how many “strange” ingredients you are eating. Plus, I think it tastes a lot better!

Blondies

These are just a very simple chocolate chip bar cookie.

Strawberry Shortcake

This is a sweet, but not overly sweet shortcake. It makes a great base for strawberries or other favorite berries. While we often use whipped cream with this, vanilla ice cream also works well.

Grain free, Egg Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

We have many friends with food allergies. We were looking for a good dessert recipe that we could share at potlucks that was gluten free, egg free and dairy free. These are simple cookies to make and they taste great!

Biscotti

I was looking for a good biscotti recipe and my friend, Cheri, had the perfect one for me.  This is super easy to make with many variations.  The cookies store well for a few weeks too.  

If desired, these cookies are firm enough to dunk in chocolate.

Chocolate Chip Marshmallows

We enjoy learning new recipes every winter.  Adrian decided that marshmallows sounded good to try this year.   He attempted them himself and discovered they were a lot easier to make than he thought.

We used mini chocolate chips, but most of them melted.  The next time we make these, we plan to omit the chocolate chips, but cut the squares larger and dunk them in the chocolate.

These taste great alone, but are also wonderful in hot chocolate!

Old Fashioned Saltine Cracker Toffee

Andrea loves Saltine crackers.  She was very happy to discover this easy candy recipe that uses the crackers to add a nice crunch.

These double easily, but Andrea recommends not making more than you want for the day because they are very addictive and you will easily eat more than you plan.