The ice that visited Dallas on Tuesday has not left! Luckily, I can do some of my work from home because I DO NOT do icy roads. Schools have been closed all week and are closed again tomorrow. I am definitely starting to develop some cabin fever. Karen, a friend and co-worker of mine, came up with some delicious cookies to cure her cabin fever. I wish I had all these ingredients in my pantry because these cookies look amazing! I am trying to talk Karen into having her own food blog! Hopefully after this guest post, she will get the blogging bug and start her own

Cabin Fever Cookies

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter, softened

½ cup peanut butter

¾ cup sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

2 eggs

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups whole grain oats cereal (or rolled oats)

1 cup butterscotch pieces (or you can substitute chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or dried fruit!)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F.

2. In an electric mixer, beat butter and peanut butter on medium-high speed for about 30 seconds.

3. Add sugar, brown sugar, honey, baking powder, and baking soda.  Beat until combined.

4. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

5. Beat in flour, oats, and butterscotch pieces.

6. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons 2-inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake 10 minutes or until edges are light brown.

8. Let cool on a wire rack.

9. EATTTTTTTTTT!

My friend Mary made these delicious Carrot Spice Cookies for New Year’s Eve. I have to say that they are quite addictive. If you like carrot cake, you will love these cream cheese frosting topped treats. The recipe is from Betty Crocker and is made using carrot cake mix. The cranberries and cream cheese frosting are the perfect addition to the carrot cake flavor.

Carrot Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker carrot cake mix
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 eggs
1 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat cake mix, flour, butter and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stir in cranberries.
2. On ungreased cookie sheets, drop dough by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are set. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 10 minutes.
4. In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting on High 10 to 15 seconds or until frosting is thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle frosting over cookies.

A few weeks ago, Domino Sugar sent me a $20 gift card to use toward the purchase of ingredients to make a fun recipe off their site. The site is full of so many fun recipes and lots of great edible gift  ideas. There are also many cookie recipes perfect for holiday parties. I chose to make the Crunchy Jumble Cookies. The crisp rice cereal in the cookies give them a fun crunch. The cookies are soft and crunchy at the same time. I think I might add butterscotch chips to the mix next time I make these!

Crunchy Jumble Cookies

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup Domino Granulated Sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups rice cereal
1 (12 oz) bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
2. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
3. In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add egg and vanilla; beat well.
5. Gradually add flour mixture.
6. Stir in rice cereal and chocolate chips.
7. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
8. Bake 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned.
9. Remove immediately from cookie sheets onto wire rack. Cool completely. Yield: 3 dozen