Summer Camp Festival Goodies

DH is here this weekend. Since I couldn't go with him this year, I sent along for he and his "crew" some baked goods to keep the sugar rush going :-)  I didn't take any pictures before I packed them up but the recipes are below.

The Coconut Almond Bars I have posted before.  The only change I made was to "frost" them with pure, melted semi-sweet chocolate.

Peanut Butter Three-Chip Cookies is something I adapted from another recipe.

PEANUT BUTTER THREE-CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts, rough chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.  Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt.  Gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Stir in chips and peanuts.

Drop by rounded tablespoons 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheet.  Bale for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool for 1 minute before removing to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes 4 1/2 dozen.

The Sugar Cookie came from Taste of Home website.

SUGAR COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

additional sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla.  Mix well.  Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Add to creamed mixture.

Shape into 1 inch balls.  Roll in sugar.  Place on greased baking sheet.  Flatten with the bottom of a glass (I used a cookie stamp).  Bake 10-12 minutes until set and lightly browned.  Cool for a moment and them remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Makes 5 dozen.

Rum Cashew Biscotti is an old favorite that used to be available from bettycrocker.com but they took it off the website.  It is also in the Betty Crocker Christmas Cookbook.

RUM-CASHEW BISCOTTI

Ingredients:

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2  tsp. rum extract

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup unsalted cashew pieces. (if all you can find are salted nuts, omit the salt in the recipe)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F

Beat sugar, oil, rum extract and eggs.  Stir in remaning ingredients.  Turn out unto lightly floured surface and gently knead unitl smooth.  Shape half the dough at a time into a log 10 x 3 inches.  Place on ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on baking sheet 15 minutes.  Cut each log crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.  Place slices, cut side down back on baking sheet.  Bake about 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp and lightly brown. Immediately remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 3 dozen

The Raspberry Swirls are from the Taste of Home's The Ultimate Cookie Collection Book.  It is also available online here. 

RASPBERRY SWIRLS

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 jar (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam
1 cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans
 
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and extracts. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and chill dough for at least 2 hours.
 
Divide dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each half into a 12-in. x 9-in. rectangle. Combine the jam, coconut and pecans; spread over rectangles. Carefully roll up, starting with the long end, into a tight jelly roll. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or freeze for 2-3 hours.
 
Preheat oven to 375F
 
Cut into 1/4-in. slices; place on greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on baking sheet for a minute before transfering to wire racks to cool completely. Makes 8 dozen.

Mojito Cake

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I made a cake from http://www.bettycrocker.com/.  Make sure you use strong mint leaves.  The mint I got from the grocery store wasn't strong enough to give a good flavor.

Cake:

1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix

1 cup unflavored carbonated water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rum or 1 teaspoon rum extract plus 1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
3 egg whites

Glaze:

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup rum or 2 teaspoons rum extract plus 1/2 cup water

Garnish

1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
15 fresh mint leaves, if desired
Shredded lime peel, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350°F for shiny metal or glass pan (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with baking spray with flour.

2. In large bowl, beat cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter into pan.

3. Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, mix glaze ingredients. Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium; continue to boil 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until glaze has thickened slightly.

5. Poke warm cake every inch with fork tines. Pour glaze slowly over cake. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

6. In small bowl, beat whipping cream and powdered sugar on high speed until soft peaks form. Garnish each serving with whipped cream, mint leaf and shredded lime peel. Store loosely covered at room temperature.