White Chunk Macadamia

The chain bakes the cookies in convection ovens at the low temperature of 280 degrees for around 16 to 17 minutes. But since most of us don't have convection ovens and may have a hard time getting the oven temperature to this odd setting,
we have made some adjustments. Just be sure, when you remove the cookies from the oven, that they appear undercooked and only slightly browned around the edges. This will give the cookies the perfect chewy texture when they cool.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut flakes, finely minced
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces solid white chocolate, cut into chunks
1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

1. Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on high speed.

2. Add the coconut, egg, milk, and vanilla and mix well.

3. In another bowl combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until dough forms. Mix in the white chocolate and macadamia nuts.

5. Preheat oven to 300 degrees while you let the dough rest for 30 to 60 minutes in the refrigerator.

6. Measure out about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the dough and form a ball. Drop each ball of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet about 3 inches apart and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Do not over bake! Cookies should come out of the oven appearing slightly browned, yet undercooked. When cooled the cookies will be soft and chewy like the original.
Makes 16 to 18 cookies.

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Thin Mints Cookies

Chocolate Cookie Wafers
1 18.25-ounce package Betty Crocker chocolate fudge cake mix
3 tablespoons shortening, melted
1/2 cup cake flour, measured then sifted
1 egg
3 tablespoons water
Non-stick cooking spray

Coating
3 12-ounce bags semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
6 tablespoons shortening

1. Combine the cookie ingredients in a large bowl, adding the water a little bit at a time until the dough forms. Cover and chill for 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out a portion of the dough to just under 1/16 of an inch thick. To cut, use a lid from a spice container with a 1 1/2-inch diameter (Schilling brand is good.) Arrange the cut dough rounds on a cookie sheet that is sprayed with a light coating on non-stick spray. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the wafers from the oven and cool completely.

4. Combine chocolate chips with peppermint extract and shortening in a large microwave - safe glass or ceramic bow. Heat on 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir gently, then heat for an addition minute. Stir once again, and if chocolate is not a smooth consistency, continue to zap in microwave in 30-second intervals
until smooth.

5. Use a fork to dip each wafer in the chocolate, tap the fork on the edge of the bowl so that the excell chocolate runs off, and then place the cookies side-by-side on a wax paper - lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm.
Makes 108 cookies.

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2 c Margarine; softened
3/4 c Packed light brown sugar
3/4 c Granulated sugar
1 ts Vanilla
2 md Eggs
2 1/2 c All-purpose flour; sifted
1 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
2 c Raisins
12 oz Semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat margarine, brown and white sugars, vanilla, 1 teaspoon water and eggs with electric mixer in large bowl until creamy and thoroughly blended. By hand, stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well mixed. Stir in raisins and chocolate chips.

Spoon dough by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Leave 1 to 1 1/2 inches between cookies. Bake 8 minutes or until cookies are browned to your liking. Yield: About 6 dozen.

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Apple Crumb Cake

Apple Crumb Cake Recipe

1/3 cup Butter
4 Granny Smith Apples
¾ cup Sugar
1 tsp Lemon peel
½ tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Mace
1/3 cup Currants
2½ cups Flour
3 tbsp Sugar
½ tsp Salt
1 package Active dry yeast
¾ cup Water
1/3 cup Butter
1 Egg
1 tsp Lemon peel
¾ cup Chopped pecans
6 tbsp Flour
¼ cup Confectioner's sugar
3 tbsp Butter
¼ tsp Cinnamon

Melt butter in large skillet. Pare,core and slice apples to ½" pieces. Add apples to butter and cook, stirring, 8 minutes until tender. stir in sugar, peel, cinnamon, mace and currants. Cook 15 minutes, stirring until thickened. Cool.

In large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast. In small saucepan, combine water and butter. Heat on low flame until 120°F Gradually add to dry ingredients. Beat 2 minutes, Beat in egg, peel and ¾ cup flour. With mixer, beat 2 minutes. Add remaining flour, stir in. Cover, let rest 20 minutes.

Grease 2 baking sheets. Place half the dough on well floured work surface, roll to 14"x12". Place on sheet. Spread ½ filling lengthwise down center of the dough. Starting about ¾" for filling, cut 1" wide strips diagonally from filling to edges of dough. Alternately fold opposite strips of dough at angles across filling. Fold ends over filling. Brush large piece of waxed paper with vegetable oil. Loosely cover sheet. Top with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 2 hours. Uncover, let stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine rest of ingredients for topping. Sprinkle over loaves.

Bake 30-35 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from sheet. Cool.
[ Apple Crumb Cake Recipe - crumb apple cake ]

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is a tradition that began in the early 90s using a recipe from a small bakery in Atlanta. All of the cookies - which weigh in at an impressive two ounces each - are baked fresh every day on the hotel premises. Raves for the cookies from customers convinced the hotel chain to start selling the chocolaty munchables by the half-dozen. But if you've got an insatiable chocolate chip cookie urge that can't wait for a package to be delivered in the mail, you'll want to try this cloned version fresh out of your home oven. Just be sure to get the cookies out of there when they are turning light brown. This way they'll stay soft in the middle when cool. For even better results, you can chill the dough overnight before you commence with the ceremonial baking.

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 eggs
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grind oats in a food processor or blender until fine. Combine the ground oats with the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

3. Cream together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and lemon juice in another medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add the eggs and mix until smooth.

4. Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture and blend well. Add the chocolate chips and nuts to the dough and mix by hand until ingredients are well incorporated.

5. Spoon rounded 1/4-cup portions onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Place the scoops about 2 inches apart. You don't need to press the dough flat. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until cookies are light brown and soft in the middle. Store in a sealed container when cool to keep soft. For the best results, chill the dough overnight in the refrigerator before baking the cookies.
Makes 20 cookies.

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Sex Cheesecake

Servings: 8

Crust:
5 oz Graham cracker crumbs
3 tb Sugar
5 tb Butter melted

Filling:
16 oz Cream cheese softened
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
pn Salt
2 lg Eggs
3 tb Chambord liqueur

Topping:
8 oz Sour cream
1 tb Sugar
1/2 ts Vanilla
1 tb Chambord liqueur
1 c Raspberries fresh

Preheat oven to 350 Deg. F. To prepare crust, mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press mixture firmly into bottom of 9" springform pan. To make filling, mix cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed with electric mixer. Add eggs, and mix until well blended. Using a fork, gently fold Chambord into batter. Pour mixture into crust.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until golden brown. Loosen cake from rim of pan. Let cool and remove rim of pan. To prepare topping, mix sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and Chambord and spread evenly over cheesecake. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm. Top with fresh raspberries just before serving.
Chambord a French liqueur.

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