HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!

We are having a potluck lunch at work to celebrate the day of the green. I didn’t feel like making treats from scratch, but I wanted to make something fun and festive. I came up with these minty chocolate treats that can be made with 4 ingredients. These cookies are so easy to make, and they are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. Enjoy!

Chocolate Mint Thumbprint Cookies

Ingredients:

1 pkg. Refrigerated Nestle Mini Brownie Bites

1 tub Vanilla Frosting

Peppermint Extract

Green Food Coloring

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Separate brownie dough into 20 individual pieces.
3. Roll into balls, place on prepared cookie sheet, and flatten slightly.
4. Bake for 15 minutes.
5. Remove from oven and immediately create small bowls in the middles of the cookies with the back of a teaspoon.
6. Allow cookies to cool.
7. Mix 1 1/4 tsp peppermint extract into frosting.
8. Slowly mix drops of green food coloring into frosting until you reach the shade of green you desire.
9. Fill the middle of the cookies with mint frosting.

Cheesecake and cookie…..these words together are MAGIC! The girls at work loved these cookies, and they didn’t last long at all. I found this recipe at BettyCrocker.com. You know I like easy recipes that result in treats that look like that took a lot of time to prepare. This recipe definitely qualifies. To make the cookie dough, simply mix sugar cookie mix, instant cheesecake pudding, egg, and oil. Then, fill with raspberry jam, and top with grated white chocolate after they cool. Of course, you can vary the jam filling flavor to your taste preference. Strawberry jam would be pretty tasty too!

Raspberry Cheesecake Thumbprints

Ingredients:

1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® sugar cookie mix

1 box (4-serving size) cheesecake-flavor instant pudding and pie filling mix

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

3oz white chocolate baking bar, coarsely grated

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir cookie mix, dry pudding mix, oil and egg until soft dough forms.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheets, place balls 2 inches apart. Using thumb or handle of wooden spoon, make indentation in center of each ball. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon jam into each indentation.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool 10 minutes; sprinkle with white chocolate. Enjoy!