Neiman Marcus Cookie Recipe

I am pretty sure the Neiman Marcus cookie recipe story is an Internet Urban Legend. My cousin Kristin forwarded the recipe to me. Either way it makes great cookies. I bet Kristin makes these for her cute nieces Ava & Elle and her nephew Ambrose. These would be great to leave for Santa!

For the record, Neiman's has their cookie recipe posted on their web site for free. It is different than this one Kristin sent, but looks just as good. Click here to check it out!

1 cup butter
12 oz. Chocolate chips
2 cups flour

1 cups brown sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 cups sugar
4 oz. of a Hershey Bar (grated)
2 1/2 cups blended oatmeal
2 eggs
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the
butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,
oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda . Add chocolate chips, hershey
bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookie
Sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 56 cookies.

Aunt Karen's Pumpkin Fluff

We are nearing the end of Halloween recipes. This is another one from my Aunt Karen. I love that you can serve this as a parfait, I would add some gummy worms or other spooky candies. This picture is of our niece Lily at Boo at the Zoo.
Aunt Karen says:
Hey Jessie,
I have another simple delicious recipe! This is a light dessert and everyone loves it!! It is just as good with the low calorie ingredients.

2 cups skim milk
1 package sugar- free butterscotch instant pudding
1 cup canned pumpkin (15 oz. 100% pure)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 oz. fat free whipped topping
Make pudding. Stir in canned pumpkin and spice. Either fold in Cool Whip or layer as a parfait.

German Apple Cake

Here is another recipe from Val, a family friend who lived near my family when I was young. Val is a great cook and all around domestic goddess! (Remember my apron?)

The apron pictured is one of Val's favorites from Gooseberry Patch. Val was kind enough to share another favorite fall recipe. She said:

When it is Fall I always think of apple recipes. One of my favorite recipes is this German apple cake I got from German friends.

German Apple Cake (Apfelkuchen)

Crust:
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 stick butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
4 lbs tart apples (peeled, cored and quartered) (I like Granny Smith, Golden Delicious)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup whipping cream
Spring form cake pan 10” x 3”
Oven set at 400 degrees F.

In a mixer place flour, baking powder and 1/3 cup sugar. Add one egg and one teaspoon vanilla extract. Dice and add 1 stick butter and slowly mix until the ingredients form a smooth dough. Roll out the dough and place it in a greased spring form cake pan making sure the dough comes half way up the sides of the pan. Cut slits into the outside of the apple quarters and arrange apples on the dough slit side up Bake in preheated oven at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

Beat the remaining 3 eggs, one cup sugar and one teaspoon vanilla extract until creamy. Add 2/3 cup whipping cream and pour mixture over apples.
Place cake back in oven and bake another 30 to 30 minutes until topping is set and apples are cooked.

Makes one 10” cake.

Thanks Val, sounds delicious!

Notes on wine from Jason:

And here is one screaming for a nice white dessert wine. I've had the Trader Joe's Late Harvest Moscato ($5) which is certainly worth grabbing for those that have little experience is this area. For those looking for something more the Navarro Late Harvest Gewurztraminer ($20) was the best white dessert wine I've had to date....

Panini Happy

Kathy over at Panini Happy was kind enough to let me post one of her great recipes, I just love it when people share their recipes! Kathy has a site solely dedicated to delicious paninis.  From breakfast to desert she has you covered, her site is a great one to subscribe to, especially if you are lucky enough to have a panini press.  (I am dying to try her grilled brownie panini) I decided to share her Reuben Panini recipe, since it's one of my dad's favorite sandwiches.  Thanks Kathy, they all look spectacular, I can't wait to try them all!

Butter, melted
Rye bread
Thousand Island dressing
Sauerkraut, drained
Corned beef, thinly sliced
Swiss cheese

Preheat the panini grill to medium-high heat (375 degrees).

Brush melted butter onto two slices of bread.  On one slice (non-buttered side), spread a layer of Thousand Island dressing.  Top with a generous amount of sauerkraut (be sure to drain as much liquid as possible) and corned beef, and two slices of Swiss cheese.  Place the other slice of bread (buttered side up) on top to form the sandwich.

Grill sandwich for 5-6 minutes until cheese is melted and grill marks appear.  Serve immediately and enjoy!

Andrea's Pancakes

Andrea, one of this blogs readers was sweet enough to share her pancake recipe. (Andrea if you want to e-mail me a photo, I will change it on the post) Thanks Andrea, I love share recipes!


1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
Beat all ingredients until smooth. For thinner pancakes, stir in 2 to 4 Tbsp of additional milk. Our favorite addition to the recipe is grated apple.