Mary’s Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen/36 Servings

Ingredients:

Photo by A. Jones

• 1 cup butter (or 2 full sticks), softened
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. pure peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 tsp. green food coloring
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium-size bowl. Set aside.
3. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, food coloring and mint extract; mix well.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until well mixed. Stir in chocolate chips.
5. Drop by heaping tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto un-greased baking sheets.
6. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.
7. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute.  Remove to wire racks and cool completely.
8. Eat and Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Secret Ingredient Stuffed Eggs Recipe

After finding hidden Easter eggs, discover this recipe by Taste of Home©

Yield: 1 dozen

Photo by Taste of Home©

 

Ingredients:

 

• 6 hard-boiled large eggs
• 4 tablespoons crumbled goat cheese, divided
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped pecans, divided
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 2 tablespoons mango chutney
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

 

 

Directions: 

1. Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks; set whites aside. In a small bowl, mash yolks. Add 3 tablespoons goat cheese, 2 tablespoons pecans, mayonnaise, celery, chutney, salt and pepper; mix well. Stuff into egg whites. Refrigerate until serving.
2. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining goat cheese and pecans.

 

Nutrition Facts

1 each: 94 calories, 7g fat (2g saturated fat), 110mg cholesterol, 140mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 0 fiber), 4g protein.

Originally published as Secret Ingredient Stuffed Eggs in Country Woman April/May 2010

Betty Crocker’s™ Bunny Butt Cake

Yield: 15 Servings

Photo by Betty Crocker™

Ingredients:

• 1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ yellow or white cake mix  (Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box)
• Tray or cardboard covered with wrapping paper and plastic food wrap or foil
• 1 container Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting or make the Buttercream Frosting recipe below
• Red food coloring
• 1 large marshmallow, cut in half
• 3 cups shredded coconut
• Green food coloring
• 2 strawberry or cherry stretchy and tangy taffy candies (from 6-oz bag)
• 1 roll Betty Crocker™ Fruit Roll-Ups® punch berry chewy fruit snack (from 5-oz box)
• 3 green-colored sour candies, separated into strips
• Construction paper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease 1 1/2-quart ovenproof bowl (8 inches across top) with shortening; coat with flour (do not use cooking spray). Lightly grease 3 muffin cups in regular-size muffin pan.
2. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour cake batter in 3 muffin cups, filling two-thirds full. Pour remaining batter into 1 1/2-quart bowl.
3. Bake cupcakes 17 to 21 minutes, bowl 47 to 53 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove cakes from muffin cups and bowl; place rounded sides up on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 1 hour. If necessary, cut off rounded tops of cakes.
4. Spoon frosting into large bowl. Add red food color to make desired pink color. Place bowl cake on tray cut side down; spread 1/3 cup frosting over cake. Use frosting to adhere cupcakes to bowl cake for feet and bunny tail. Use toothpicks if necessary. Place marshmallow halves, cut sides down, on tops of 2 cupcakes to make heels of feet. Spread thin layer of frosting over side and top of cake to seal in crumbs. Freeze cake 30 to 45 minutes to set frosting.
5. Spread remaining frosting over cake. Sprinkle with 2 cups of the coconut; press gently to adhere. Shake 1 cup coconut and 3 drops green food color in tightly covered jar until evenly tinted. Surround bunny with tinted coconut. Use rolling pin to press strawberry candies into 2 large rectangles. Cut 2 large ovals and 6 small circles out of candy. Press onto bottoms of bunny feet, using frosting if needed.
6. Roll up fruit snack to make carrot shapes. Cut green sour candies in half crosswise; press into large end of each carrot to make greens on carrot. Cut ears from construction paper; wrap ends that will be inserted into cake with plastic food wrap. Insert into cake. Remove ears, plastic wrap and toothpicks before serving. Store loosely covered.

Further Instructions on how to assemble your Bunny Butt Cake, click here!

Click here for assembly instructions for the Betty Crocker™ Bunny Butt Cake (Photo by Betty Crocker™)

Expert Tips: 

• Need to bake cake layers in batches? Just cover and refrigerate batter in the mixing bowl while the first batch is baking. An extra minute or two for baking the second batch may be needed.
• Sprinkle chocolate cookie crumbs behind the feet and around the carrots to make it look like the bunny was digging.

Buttercream Frosting

Photo by Betty Crocker™

Ingredients:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Directions:

1. In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, butter and shortening with electric mixer on low speed until blended. Beat in milk and vanilla on medium speed until smooth. If necessary, stir in milk, a few drops at a time, until spreadable.

   Frosts two 13×9-inch cakes, or fills and frosts two 8- or 9-inch two-layer cakes.