#3808 - Red Velvet Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1/2 cup softened butter
1 cup Domino's dark brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 to 2 1/2 tsp. red food coloring
1 3/4 cups regular Bisquick
1/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 1/2 cups Nestle's white chocolate chips + extra for sprinkling

In a mixer add butter and brown sugar--beat. Add vanilla, egg and food coloring--beat. Add Bisquick and cocoa--beat. Remove bowl from mixer--add 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips--stir with a wooden spoon (batter will be very sticky). Drop by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets or parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Lightly press another couple of white chocolate chips into the top of each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes, then remove and place on paper towels to cool. Wait until the next day to eat them (they taste much better the next day).

#3555 - Fresh Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 unbaked pie crust dough
1 1/2 quarts fresh strawberries (washed and de-stemmed)
1 cup white sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 drops red food coloring
1 - 3oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
1 tsp. Domino's powdered sugar
1 can Reddi Whip whipped cream

Insert pie dough into a greased pie plate, flute the edges and spray the inside of the pie dough with Pam. Bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until nicely browned, then cool completely. Mash a few of the strawberries at a time to make 1 cup of mashed strawberries. In a saucepan add the mashed strawberries, white sugar and cornstarch. Slowly add the water while stirring. Add the red food coloring--stir. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook/stir until boiling and thickened. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature, then stir well. In a mixer add cream cheese and powdered sugar--beat until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture over all of the cooled pie crust. Spread all of the remaining strawberries evenly over the cream cheese layer (you can leave them whole or slice them--your choice). Carefully spread the cooked strawberry mixture evenly over the strawberries. Refrigerate until cold. Serve with Reddi Whip. Note: if you leave any spaces in the cream cheese layer, the juice from the sliced strawberries will seep through to the pie crust and make it mushy.

#3401 - Valentine Cupcakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 sticks softened butter
1/2 cup canola oil
3 cups white sugar
5 eggs
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla
Frosting: 1/2lb. Domino's powdered sugar; 1 stick Parkay margarine (softened); 2 tsp. vanilla; 1-2 TBSP milk (if necessary); red food coloring

In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs and canola oil--beat. Add baking powder, salt, buttermilk and 2 tsp. vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Place cupcake liners into muffin tins. Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-20 minutes. Cool completely. Frosting: in a mixer add Parkay and 2 tsp. vanilla--beat. Slowly add powdered sugar--beat until mixed, then beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes or until creamy. If frosting is too thick, add the milk--beat again. If frosting is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar and beat again. For pink frosting, add 1 drop of red food coloring and beat again. Add more food coloring for darker pink or red. If you want two colors of cupcakes, reserve half of the white frosting and make remaining frosting. Clean the mixer bowl, add the reserved frosting, and make the second color of frosting. Frost the cooled cupcakes.

#3395 - Valentine Heart Cutout Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups white sugar
2 sticks softened Parkay margarine
2 eggs
1 cup of buttermilk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 TBSP vanilla
6 cups of sifted flour (measure before sifting)
Frosting/Icing: 1/2 box Domino's Powdered Sugar (1 lb. size); 1 stick Parkay margarine; 2 tsp. vanilla; 1.5 TBSP milk, red food coloring

In a mixer add 2 sticks margarine, 2 cups white sugar and 2 eggs--beat until smooth. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, 1 TBSP vanilla and buttermilk--beat until smooth. Add flour one cup at a time and mix into batter. Once you've put in two or three cups of flour, you will need to mix in remaining flour by hand unless you're using a heavy duty Kitchen Aid mixer - stir until smooth. Cover the bowl and refrigerate dough overnight. The next day take out a handful of cookie dough and put on a floured countertop. Roll with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thick (flour top of dough also). Use heart shaped cookie cutter to cut cookies. Carefully place each cutout on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (do a test cookie to figure out the time appropriate for your oven). Repeat until dough is depleted. Once cookies are cool, in a mixer add 1/2 box Domino's powdered sugar, 1 stick margarine, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1.5 TBSP milk--beat for at least 5 minutes until it's nice and creamy. Remove 1/2 of the frosting/icing and place it in a cereal bowl--add red food coloring and stir until it's the red color you desire. Use the white icing/frosting to frost 1/2 of each cookie. Use the red icing/frosting to frost the other half of each cookie. Optional: instead of using both red and white frosting on each cookie, frost each cookie with only one solid color.

#3334 - Holiday Mints

(by Shirley McNevich)

8oz. Philadelphia cream cheese (softened)
2lbs. Domino's powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. spearmint oil OR peppermint oil
green food coloring
red food coloring

Sift both boxes of powdered sugar evenly into two separate bowls (1lb. of sifted powdered sugar in each bowl). In a mixer add 1/2 of the cream cheese--beat until smooth. Slowly add 1 bowl of powdered sugar, a few drops of green food coloring and 1/4 tsp. spearmint oil while beating, and continue until all powdered sugar is added. Place green dough on your counter and knead it until smooth in texture. Measure 1/2 tsp. of the green dough, roll it into a ball, place it on a wax lined cookie sheet and press it down lightly with the tines of a fork. Continue until green dough is used up. In a mixer add the remaining 1/2 of the cream cheese--beat until smooth. Slowly add the remaining bowl of powdered sugar, a few drops of red food coloring, and 1/4 tsp. spearmint oil while beating, and continue until all powdered sugar is added. Place red dough on your counter and knead it until smooth in texture. Measure 1/2 tsp. of the red dough, roll it into a ball, place it on a wax lined cookie sheet and press it down lightly with the tines of a fork. Continue until red dough is used up.

#3329 - Candy Cane Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

1 cup softened butter
1 tsp. salt
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. peppermint extract
red food coloring
3 1/2 cups flour
unwrapped candy canes (as needed)

Place one unwrapped candy cane in a heavy duty Ziploc bag and close the bag. Lightly tap the candy cane from the outside of the bag using a hammer, and continue until candy cane is broken into very small pieces. In a mixer add softened butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs and vanilla--beat. Add peppermint extract and salt--beat. Add one drop of red food coloring at a time and beat--only add food coloring until batter is the color you desire. Slowly add flour--beat. Drop batter by spoonfuls on to greased cookie sheets (or use a cookie gun). Sprinkle some crushed candy cane pieces on top of each cookie. If you have trouble with the candy cane pieces falling off, lightly press them into the top of each cookie using your finger. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

#3225 - Waldorf Cake

(by Becky Lynn Mohr - friend)

1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups flour (sift after measuring)
1 tsp. salt
2 TBSP water
1 TBSP cider vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup softened butter
2 tsp. Hershey's cocoa
2 TBSP red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 tsp. baking soda

In a mixer add white sugar and butter--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add salt and water--beat. Add vanilla and cocoa--beat. Add buttermilk and red food coloring--beat. Slowly add flour--beat for 1 minute. Remove bowl from mixer. In a small separate bowl add baking soda and cider vinegar--stir until mixed. Pour vinegar mixture into batter--stir just until mixed. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frost as desired (normal Waldorf cake is frosted with cream cheese frosting and topped with chopped walnuts).

#3110 - Cherry Cookie Frosting

(by Shirley McNevich)

*Recipe can be doubled if needed

1 cup Domino's powdered sugar
2 tsp. Kayro clear corn syrup
2 tsp. cherry extract
red food coloring
water if necessary

In a bowl add powdered sugar, corn syrup, cherry extract and a few drops of red food coloring--stir until mixed. If too thick add 1 tsp. water at a time and stir again. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar and stir again. Use as a frosting for cutout cookies.

#2402 - Clear Toy Candy

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups white sugar
1 cup water
3/4 cup Kayro lite corn syrup
red food coloring
Optional: any McCormick candy flavoring such as mint, peppermint, etc.

Grease candy molds with olive oil--set aside. In a saucepan over medium heat add water, corn syrup and white sugar--cook/stir until temperature reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat--add a few drops of food coloring (and flavoring if you wish)--stir until there are no more bubbles. Carefully spoon the mixture into the greased candy molds. Let the candy sit until well hardened, then remove from candy molds.

#1900 - Lemonade Bundt Cake

(by Shirley McNevich)

4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups Eggbeaters
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
1 - 6oz. lemon yogurt
1/2 cup + 3 TBSP lemon juice
10 drops of red food coloring
3 TBSP lemon zest
2 cups Domino's powdered sugar

In a mixer add eggbaters, white sugar--beat. Add canola oil and yogurt--beat. Add 1/2 cup lemon juice and red food coloring--beat. Add baking powder, salt and baking soda--beat. Add lemon zest--beat. Slowly add flour--beat until smooth. Pour batter into a greased bundt cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes, then loosen cake and invert it on to a cake plate. Cool completely. In a bowl add powdered sugar and 3 TBSP lemon juice--stir until smooth. Drizzle the glaze mixture over the cooled cake.

#1887 - Red Velvet Cupcakes

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter (softened)
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 cup Breakstone's sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1oz. red food coloring
2 tsp. vanilla

In a mixer add butter and white sugar--beat. Add eggs--beat. Add baking soda and salt--beat. Add cocoa--beat. Add sour cream, milk, red food coloring and vanilla--beat. Slowly add flour--beat. Add cupcake liners to muffin tins--fill each 2/3 full with batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes--test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool completely. Frost as desired.

#1098 - Homemade Candy Apples

(by Shirley McNevich)

16 apples
16 popsicle sticks
red food coloring
2 cups water
1 cup Kayro lite corn syrup
6 cups white sugar
candy thermometer
chopped nuts (optional)

If using chopped nuts, put them in a bowl and set them aside. Make sure apples are at room temperature. Wash the apples in warm water and dry them with paper towels. Remove the stems from the apples. Insert a popsicle stick into each apple (where the stem was removed). Place greased cookie sheets on your counter to hold finished candy apples. In a saucepan over medium heat add white sugar, water and lite corn syrup--stir and make sure that you keep stirring until all of the sugar has dissolved. Continue stirring and heating until candy thermometer gets to 300 degrees. Once at 300 degrees, remove saucepan from heat and quickly add a few drops of red food coloring--stir. Start with the first apple--dip it into the candy mixture and coat the apple. Once coated, dip quickly into the chopped nuts (optional). Place coated apple stick side up on prepared cookie sheets. Continue with all apples. When you get near the end, you may need to reheat the candy mixture. You may also need to tilt the saucepan and use a spoon to help coat the last few apples. Once cooled, wrap candy apples in clear cellophane and use a twist tie to keep the air out. Saran Wrap and other plastic wraps tend to stick to the apples so we don't recommend using them.

#992 - Pink Sugared Popcorn

(by Ruth Garrett - friend)

5 cups popped popcorn (plain)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
red food coloring
1 1/2 TBSP Domino's powdered sugar

In a large bowl add popped popcorn (remove any unpopped kernels)--set aside. In a saucepan over low heat add water and white sugar--stir and cook until sugar dissolves, then stir and cook to 238 degrees on a candy thermometer (or drop a bit of the sugar mixture into cold water--if a soft ball forms, it's ready). When heated, remove saucepan from heat and add enough red food coloring to make the mixture light pink--stir. Pour the pink mixture over the popcorn in the bowl. Use a wooden spoon to stir until all popcorn is pink. Sprinkle the powdered sugar over the top of the popcorn and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed. Cover cookie sheets with wax paper--spread coated popcorn on top of wax paper, then use a knife to gently separate the popcorn pieces so they don't stick together. Cool completely. THIS RECIPE DOES NOT TURN OUT RIGHT IF DOUBLED.

#977 - Santa Claus Cutout Cookies

(by Shirley McNevich)

2 cups white sugar
2 sticks Parkay margarine
2 eggs
1 cup of buttermilk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 TBSP vanilla
6 cups of sifted flour (measure before sifting)
Small teaberry candies (for cookies)
Frosting/Icing: 1/2 box Domino's Powdered Sugar (1 lb. size); 1 stick Parkay margarine; 2 tsp. vanilla; 1.5 TBSP milk, red food coloring

In a mixer add 2 sticks margarine, 2 cups white sugar and 2 eggs--beat until smooth. Add salt, baking soda, baking powder, 1 TBSP vanilla and buttermilk--beat until smooth. Add flour one cup at a time and mix into batter. Once you've put in two or three cups of flour, you will need to mix in remaining flour by hand unless you're using a heavy duty Kitchen Aid mixer - stir until smooth. Refrigerate dough overnight. The next day take out a handful of batter and put on a floured countertop. Roll with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thick (flour top of dough also). Use Santa Clause shaped cookie cutter to cut cookies. Carefully place each cutout on to greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown (do a test cookie to figure out the time appropriate for your oven). Repeat until dough is depleted. Once cookies are cool, in a mixer add 1/2 box Domino's powdered sugar, 1 stick margarine, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1.5 TBSP milk--beat for at least 5 minutes until it's nice and creamy. Remove 1/3 of the frosting/icing and place it in a cereal bowl--add red food coloring and stir until it's the red color you desire. Use the white icing/frosting to frost the face and beard of each cookie. Use the red icing/frosting to frost the hat. Use the teaberries to make the eyes, nose and mouth. Refrigerate extra cookies for a few hours, then pack them in empty containers in single layers with Saran Wrap in between each layer--place in freezer and remove them when you need them.