The Gee Family (Kurt’s Family) and the Cherry Almond Cookies

Kurt is a great friend from high school. Kurt and his family moved to Niagara Falls when we were in ninth grade and all of the girls went CRAZY. Kurt became the instant heartthrob and the cat fights began. With most trends, I don’t usually catch on to them until about a year or two after everyone else. Well the Kurt trend was no exception. I waited my turn and then we dated. I guess maybe he was worth the wait. Anyway, regardless of what happened in the past Kurt is still someone I consider a very close friend and someone I know is always there for me. Right now Kurt is living in California with his beautiful wife Wendy and their two adorable kids, Maddie and Austin. And although California is a great place, there are a bunch of people, myself included, who would love if they lived just a tad bit closer. I have to admit I was a little nervous sending them cookies because Wendy is an amazing baker and I am sure mine don’t quite compare, so here’s hoping they aren’t too bad!!! Enjoy!!!


Cherry Almond Cookies
Makes about 100 cookies
Ingredients:
Cookies:
-1 ½ Cup Marchino Cherries, Drained and Chopped (You can save some juice to add to frosting)
-7 ½ Cup Flour
-1 ½ Cup Sugar
-3 Cup Cold Butter
-1 Bag (2 Cups) White Chocolate Chips
-1 ½ teaspoon Pure Almond Extract
-1 teaspoon Cherry Extract


Almond Frosting
4 cups sifted powder sugar
4 Tablespoons softened butter
1 teaspoon almond extract
5-6 teaspoons milk
Add Marchino Cherry Juice for coloring is desired.
Beat until smooth, add more milk if needed to make it more spreadable.


Directions:
-WARNING: This recipe makes a lot of dough so make sure you have a big enough bowl.
-Slightly soften butter, although you still want it somewhat hard.
-Cream butter.
-Add sugar. Mix until thoroughly mixed. Gradually add other ingredients. I did the cherries next, then the extracts, and then the white chocolate chips. Mixing in between each ingredient.
-Finally add the flour to the mix, about 1 cup at a time.
-Using a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough balls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
-Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
-Remove cookies from tray and place on cooling rack directly from oven.
-Allow cookies to cool.
-Mix frosting ingredients. The Marchino Cherry juice can be added for coloring if desired so use as much or as little as you want.
-Heat the frosting in the microwave if you want it thinner and easier to use. Place frosting in plastic Ziploc bag and cut the tip off of one of the bottom corners.
-Drizzle the frosting over the cookies. Let sit to allow frosting to harden.

The Adams' Fluffernutter Cookies

The Adams, Matty and Marisa, are some friends from middle/high school. They are high school sweethearts, they even won best couple in our graduating class. And when they got married this past July they proved to everybody that they deserved the title of best couple!!! (Not to mention that their reception was a blast with ALL music from the 90s so needless to say I had A LOT of fun!!!) Matty and Marisa are both extremely caring and thoughtful people and are always there if you need them. Although we have drifted apart a little over the past few years, I still consider them great friends. I know that if I ever need them they are there for me, and I hope they know the same about me!!! Now I have to explain the cookies a little… I was just stumbling through some recipes on-line and I came across these ones and knew they would be perfect for The Adams (still feels a little weird to say that lol). The reason being that every year Matty still has a HUGE birthday party with bounce houses, games, and food we loved as kids- including Fluffernutter Sandwiches. (Peanut Butter and Fluff for those of you who don’t know what they are, although shame on you for not knowing!!!) So when I saw a recipe for a Fluffernutter cookie I had to make these cookies for them… here’s hoping they enjoy them!!!!


Fluffernutter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 jar Fluff (marshmallow cream)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two baking sheet with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the peanut butter and sugars together until creamy and smooth.
3. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
4. Add the salt and baking soda. Stir until mixed together.
5. Spoon dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Place the cookie dough balls on the greased baking sheets, about two inches apart.
6. With your thumb, press down the dough ball to make a puddle in the middle of each cookie. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheets from the oven. Press down the cookies with your thumb again. Do this quickly because the cookies will be hot (really hot apparently- ouch!!!!!!!). Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for two minutes.
7. Move cookies to a wire rack and cool. Once cool, take a spoonful of Fluff (marshmallow cream) and fill the center of the peanut butter cookies. The Fluff (marshmallow cream) will be sticky, but try to smooth it out as best as you can. Fill all of the cookies and serve.

**** No changes to this recipe****

“Little” Fred and The Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

To call my favorite stepbrother “Little” Fred at this point is probably one of the biggest oxymoron statements ever!!! While at one time “Little” Fred was a short, scrawny, boy he has grown into an extremely tall, still pretty skinny, and handsome man. Fred is a die-hard Buffalo and Notre Dame fan. Come rain, snow, blizzard, or freezing temperatures, on Sunday you will find him down in the 100s at Ralph Wilson. And on Saturdays you will either find him on a road trip to an ND game or at Gadawski’s watching it with the rest of the family. Fred is one of the sweetest, kindest, and funniest men I know. He always knows how to make you feel better whether it’s through a joke, a hug, or completely bashing the person who has hurt you (the last one is always my favorite). Anyway, I love my stepbrother very much and am so thankful to have him in my life. In an attempt to try and make Fred gain some weight (although all previous attempts have failed) I tried to pick a fattening recipe. Enjoy!!!


Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
By: BUCHKO
"These cookies have a sweet peanut butter cup center."
Original Recipe Yield 40 cookies

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
40 miniature chocolate covered peanut butter cups, unwrapped

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda; set aside.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar, peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Add the flour mixture; mix well. Shape into 40 balls (about ¾” diameter) and place each into an ungreased mini muffin pan.
3. Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a mini peanut butter cup into each ball. Cool and carefully remove from pan.

***Additions/Changes***
1. I unwrapped the mini PB cups and placed them in the freezer for a while so they wouldn’t melt as I was putting them into the cookies.
2. I refrigerated the dough for about an hour before rolling the balls so the dough would be easier to work with.
3. I did not have a mini-muffin pan so I just placed the dough balls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Lastly, I placed the cookie sheets in the refrigerator after they came out of the oven for about 7 minutes before putting the cookies on the cooling rack.