Sprinkle Cookies

Meal: Dessert
Recipe source: Parenting magazine Dec/Jan 2006
Reasons I love this recipe:

• Very simple to make
• Kids can help without it turning into a giant mess
• The cookies are delicious
• The cookies can be decorated to fit any occasion (red and green sprinkles for Christmas, pink for Valentines Day, many colors for a birthday party, etc)

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together.
2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed, about 2 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in eggs, then the vanilla. Gradually add flour mixture and beat just until combined.
3. Using a heaping tablespoon, roll dough into balls. Roll the top half of each ball into the sprinkles and place balls on ungreased baking sheet 3 inches apart. If dough is too sticky, chill it or 5 minutes.
4. Bake cookies for 8 minutes, just until they start to turn golden brown but are still soft. Remove from the oven and cool 5 minutes. Move to wire racks to finish cooling. Makes 3 dozen.
   

Chocolate Chip Cheeseball

Meal: Dessert (I could truly make a meal out of dessert most days)
Recipe Source: I have no clue.

This is as yummy as it sounds...clearly not for those watching their calorie consumption, though! I make this several times a year for Myron to take into his fellow officers. They love it, as do we. It's great for entertaining.

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter (no substitutes), softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TB brown sugar
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Graham crackers - honey and chocolate

Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugars, beat just until combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Then, place cream cheese mixture on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve with graham crackers.