Soft Autumn Sugar Cookies

 












1 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400*F.  Beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Mix the dry ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture, alternating with sour cream.  Chill 2-3 hours.  Roll out and cut into desired shapes.  Bake 10 minutes.  Cool on wire racks.

For frosting:

1/2 cup butter

Dash of salt

5 teaspoons milk

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix together and spread on cooled cookies.

Ghoulishly Fun Recipes

Witches' Brew

You need:

1 envelope grape cool-aid mix

1 envelope orange cool-aid mix

2 cups sugar

3 quarts cold water

1 liter ginger ale

1 disposable glove

Red food coloring

Rubber band

1. To make a frozen bloody hand, wash a disposable glove, fill with water, add a few drops of red food coloring, and seal with a rubber band. Freeze until hard.

2. Stir together grape cool-aid mix, orange cool-aid mix, sugar and water until solids are dissolved. Combine with chilled ginger ale just before serving. Dip the frozen hand briefly in warm water, then peel off the glove. Float the prepared hand in the punch bowl for a ghastly effect.

Dirt Trifle

You need:

1 pkg. brownie mix plus ingredients to make brownies

1 3/4 cups milk  (1% for lower-fat dessert)

2 small boxes chocolate instant pudding  (sugar-free has fewer calories)

8-oz. tub cool-whip (try sugar-free or low-fat for a healthier treat)

Oreos

Gummy worms

1.  Prepare brownies according to package directions.  Cool thoroughly.

2.  In a bowl, mix pudding mix into milk until mixture begins to thicken.  Fold in cool-whip.

3.  Cut brownies into 1-inch cubes.  Place cubes in bottom of trifle bowl.  Top with half of the pudding mix.  Crush oreos over pudding mix.  Sprinkle gummy worms over oreos.  Crush more oreos over gummy worms.  Top with other half of the pudding mix.  Crush more oreos over the top.  Chill 30 minutes before serving.

Hot Spiced Cider

You need:

3 1/2 quarts apple cider

2 cinnamon sticks

1 package (3 ounces) cherry-flavored gelatin

In a 4-6-quart slow cooker, add cinnamon sticks to apple cider and stir.  Heat on high heat 3 hours.  Stir in gelatin.  Leave on high heat 1 more hour, until gelatin dissolves, stirring once or twice.  Turn on low heat to keep warm.  Remove cinnamon sticks before serving.  Makes 10-15 servings.  For a more intense cherry flavor, add an additional package of gelatin.

Recipe taken from 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker by Stephanie Ashcroft and Janet Eyring, page 18.