Yield: about 45 cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

2 large eggs

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups chocolate chips

Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in a medium-size bowl. Blend with mixer until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla extract. Mix thoroughly with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add baking soda and salt. Slowly add flour until thoroughly blended. Fold in chocolate chips and nut (if using) with a spatula.
3. Drop by spoonfuls onto un-greased baking sheets. Bake for 12 mins or to desired doneness.

For easy cleanup: line sheet pans with parchment paper

Yield: 42 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tbsp milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp bakgin soda

4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, blend shortening with sugars, adding sugar gradually. Add eggs, milk and vanilla; beat well. Add flour, salt and soda; beat well. Stir in oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tbsps 2″ apart onto un-greased cookie sheets. Bake for 13-15 mins or until golden brown. Remove form oven and let stand for 5 mins. Place cookies on a wire rack to finish cooling.

Prep Time: 15 mins | Total time: 1 hr | Yield: 36 bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup pecan halves

Caramel layer:

2/3 cup salted butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

Chocolate:

1 cup real semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all crust ingredients except pecans in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Press onto bottom of un-greased 13×9″ baking pan. Place pecans evenly over unbaked crust.
2. Combine ingredients for caramel in a 1-qt saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until entire surface of mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, 1 min. Pour mixture evenly over pecans and crust.
3. Bake for 18-22 mins or until caramel layer is bubbly. (Do NOT over-bake.) Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle with chips, allow to melt slightly. Swirl melted chips over bars leaving some whole for marbled effect. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

You can use a combination of your favorite nuts or flavored baking chips for variety in these bars.

Store at room temperature in loosely covered container.

Bake: 20-25 mins | Serves: 12

Ingredients:

11/2 cups flour

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-oz) pkg cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (22-oz) can Lucky Leaf Premium Lemon Fruit Topping

1 tsp vanilla

1 (8-oz) container whipped topping, thawed

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of a 9×13″ baking pan. If desired, line with parchment paper and grease the pan again.
2. Mix flour and butter; press into bottom of pan.
3. Bake for 20-25 mins, or until golden brown. Let crust cool.
4. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon filling, vanilla and half of the whipped topping together. Spread over cooled crust.
5. Spread remaining whipped topping over the lemon filling mixture.
6. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Serves: 24

Ingredients:

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided use

1/2 cup honey

1 tbsp lemon juice

4 cups pecan halves, finely chopped in a food processor

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 pound (1 box) phyllo dough, thawed according to package instructions

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan, combine water, 1 cup sugar and honey, and bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking to dissolve sugar. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer 5-7 mins. Remove from heat, stir in lemon juice and let syrup cool.
2. In a bowl, combine pecans, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and cloves.
3. Unroll phyllo dough and trim as necessary to fit a 9×13″ pan. Brush a thin layer of melted butter on the bottom and sides of the pan, then begin building the baklava.
4. Lay down a sheet of phyllo and brush butter over it. Repeat until you have 15 layers. Spread 1 cup of pecan mixture on top. Add layers of phyllo, brushing on butter between each layer, then add 1 cup of pecans. Repeat twice until all pecans are used, then place on remaining phyllo layers, buttering between each.
5. Using a very sharp knife, cut baklava into squares or diamonds, making sure to cut through each layer. Hold the phyllo in place as you cut. Pour over any remaining butter.
6. Bake 40-50 mins, turning the pan halfway through. Remove from oven and immediately pour the cooled syrup over the top; you should hear it sizzle. Let cool completely before serving.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup(2/3 stick) Crisco Shortening

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

Instructions:

1. Melt 8 chocolate squares as directed on package. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.
2. Shape into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.
3. Melt remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hr.

Prep Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 1hr 15 mins (includes refrigeration) | Makes: 3 dozen (18 servings); two truffles/serving

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pkg (20 squares) semi sweet baking chocolate, divided

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

Decorations: chopped Peanuts, multi-colored sprinkles

Instructions:

1. Melt 8 chocolate squares as directed on package. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm.
2. Shape into 36 balls. Place on waxed paper-covered baking sheet.
3. Melt remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate 1 hr.

Makes 2 8×9″ crusts

Ingredients:

3 cups plain flour

1 cup shortening or softened butter

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of baking powder

6 tbsp of ice water

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F. Knead together and roll out. Will refrigerate for later baking.
2. For pre-baked pie shell, generously prick bottom and sides of pastry in pie plate with a fork. Prick all around where bottom and sides meet. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil. Bake for 8 mins. Remove foil. Bake 5-6 mins more or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Serves: 16 | Prep Time: 15 ins | Cook Time: 45 mins | Total Time: 60 mins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp kosher slat

2 sticks (1 cup) salted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries

1 tsp cornstarch

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 cup blueberry or raspberry jam

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8″ baking dish with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the flour, brown sugar, salt, and butter, until a crumbly dough forms. If the dough seems dry, add 1 tbsp water.
3. Press 1/2 of the dough in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. To the remaining dough, add granulated sugar and cinnamon.
4. In a bowl, toss together the blueberries, cornstarch, vanilla, and lemon zest. Spoon the berries evenly over the dough. Dollop the jam over the berries. Sprinkle the remaining sugar-cinnamon dough over the berries. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45-50 ins, until the crumble is a light golden brown.
5. Let cool completely before cutting into the bars. Keep stored in a sealed container for up to 1 week.

Total Time: 45 mins | Yield: 16 brownies

Ingredients:

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

12 tsp flaky sea salt, such as Maldon

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9″ square metal cake pan with foil, draping the foil over the edges. Lightly butter the foil.
2. In a large saucepan, melt the butter with the unsweetened chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Whisking them in one at a time until thoroughly incorporated, add the cocoa, sugar, eggs, vanilla and flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the batter. Using a butter knife, swirl the salt into the batter.
3. Bake the fudge brownies in the center of the oven for about 35 mins, until the edge is set but the center is still a bit soft and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out coated with a little of the batter. Let the brownies cool at room temperature in the pan for 1 hr, then refrigerate just until they are firm, about 1 hr. Lift the brownies from the pan and peel of the foil. Cut the brownies into 16 squares. Serve at room temperature.