John's Heat Sensor Cookie for those that get their hostas shipped in the summer!!! I doubled the recipe. INGREDIENTS 2 cups shortening,or butter 1 1/2 cups brown sugar packed 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar 4 large eggs 4 tsp vanilla 4 1/4 cups flour 2 tsp baking soda 2 tsp salt 3-4 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips Fillings can be Creamy Peanut Butter, Carmel, Marshmellow or Raspberry Jam Dark Chocolate candy waffers by "Make a Mold" brand or Wiltons DIRECTIONS Set oven to 350 combine shortening and sugars and mix to creamy texture add eggs one at a time and mix again to fluffy consistancy add vanilla combine flour, baking soda, salt and add and mix well add chips and mix well drop by cookie scoop or tablespoon on ungreased cookie sheet bake for 10-11 minutes. remove and chill in freezer for 5 minutes spread peanut butter over bottoms of cookies, other choices may be raspberry jam, marshmellow fluff, carmel (the apple dipping kind) Place on cookie sheet with bottom of cookie with filling facing up waiting for the next step of covering with melted chocolate I melt dark chocolate wafers in the microwave on high for a minute and stir every 30 seconds to prevent over cooking. When chocolate is melted I spoon it over the cookie which I hold in my hand being sure to cover all the filling ingredients so to prevent it oozing out. Then place the chocolate covered cookie on a waxed paper cookie sheet and place in the freezer for another 5 minutes. Once chocolate sets up you're finished with the Heat Sensor. Be sure to lick all the chocolate from your fingers, cause sometimes the semi sweet chips may still be a little soft and gooie. If you really want to make a mess then make a Fluffer Nutter by spreading marshmellow fluff on top of the peanut butter and then covering all that with the melted dark chocolate!! Enjoy

ere are two recipes that I like. Hope you have success with them! Chocolate Cut Out Cookies Cookie type: cut outs This is another recipe from www.cookierecipe.com. The recipe was submitted by Robin J. The cookies will puff up slightly. The recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies depending on the cookie cutter. Ingredients 1 cup butter or margarine 2 cups white sugar 3 eggs 2 teas vanilla 3 cups flour 1 teas baking powder 10 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder Directions Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; add eggs, beating well. Mix in vanilla. Combine flour cocoa powder and baking powder, add to cream mixture. Mix well. Cover and chill for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half. Roll out each half to ¼ inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters. Place on lightly greased cookie sheets. Decorate. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Decorate. Cut-Out Chocolate Cookies Cookie Type: Cut-out This is another recipe out of HersheyÂs Best-Loved recipes. Good texture and taste. It makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of your cookie cutters. Ingredients ½ cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ½ cups flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon salt Directions: Beat butter, sugar, egg and vanilla in a large bowl until and fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture, blending well. Chill dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to roll. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. On a lightly floured board or between 2 pieces of wax paper roll a small portion of the dough at a time to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters; place on an ungreased sheet. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until no indentations remain when touched lightly. Cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet onto wire racks. Coo completely, decorate as desired. Hints, Tips, Tricks and How to Cheat: I found that the dough cracked when I tried to roll it out after chilling. The dough needs to be at room temperature. The cookies also needed a longer baking period 8-9 minutes. Also, I found that if you roll the dough on a silicone mat that is floured, then cut out the cookies, it makes it easier to get the cookies onto the baking sheet.

I have tried lots of recipes for cutout cookies and this is the best one I have found! NO FAIL SUGAR COOKIES This recipe is GREAT when using complex cookie cutters. The dough holds its' shape and won't spread during baking. Make sure you let your oven preheat for at least 1/2 hour before baking these or any other cookies. 6 cups flour 3 tsp. baking powder 2 cups butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 2 tsp. vanilla extract or desired flavoring (I like almond myself) 1 tsp. salt Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together. Chill for 1 to 2 hours (or see Hint below) Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on ungreased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges. This recipe can make up to 5-dozen 3" cookies. HINT: Rolling Out Dough Without the Mess -- Rather than wait for your cookie dough to chill, take the freshly made dough and place a glob between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll it out to the desired thickness then place the dough and paper on a cookie sheet and pop it into the refrigerator. Continue rolling out your dough between sheets of paper until you have used it all. By the time you are finished, the first batch will be completely chilled and ready to cut. Reroll leftover dough and repeat the process! An added bonus is that you are not adding any additional flour to your cookies.

Most publications and on-line information say to use 25% less agave nectar than sugar called for (3/4 c. agave nectar for each 1 c. sugar), but I've found I can use much less than that in most cases. It depends on other ingredients and what part (food science) the sweetener plays in the type of food. If there are sweet ingredients or spices, you can often use less agave nectar than 25%. In this wholegrain banana bread recipe - I use 1/4 c. agave nectar. BANANA-POPPY SEED BREAD 1 c. mashed banana 1/4 c. agave nectar (OR 1/2 c. sugar) 1/2 c. milk (I use homemade kefir) 3 T. vegetable oil 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 c. all-purpose flour (I use wholegrain spelt flour) 1 c. whole wheat flour 2 t. baking powder 2 T. poppy seeds (I substitute whole amaranth for an additional whole grain that is high in protein. They look like golden poppy seeds in the bread.) 1/2 t. baking soda 1/2 t. salt 1/2 t. cinnamon vegetable cooking spray Combine the bananas and agave nectar (or sugar) in a small bowl; stir well. Let stand 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk, oil, and egg; set the mixture aside. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Make a well in center of mixture; add banana mixture to dry ingredients, stirring until moistened. Spoon into 8-1/2x4-1/2x3-inch loaf pan (NOT a 9x5-inch pan usually used for quick breads) coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour or until a pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool on a rack. Grainlady Note: I like to bake quick breads in a Danish Loaf pan (aka Tea Loaf Pan - see link below). It's longer and more narrow (12" x 4" x 2 1/2" pan holds the equivalent of a 9" x 5" loaf pan) with playing-card sized servings. It's easier to slice very thin slices from this type pan - important when control portion sizes. Plus, it bakes 25% faster than a 9x5 pan. -------------------- WACKY CAKE (a frosting-free snack cake) 1-1/2 c. whole wheat flour (soft wheat, or whole wheat pastry flour OR 1-1/2 c. + 2 T. spelt flour) 1 t. soda 1/2 t. salt 3 T. cocoa powder (can eliminate) 1 T. vinegar 2 t. vanilla 5 T. butter, melted 2/3 c. agave nectar 1/3 c. cold water Mix ingredients in an 8-inch square pan in this order: -Combine all dry ingredients and mix well. -Make 3 holes evenly spaced apart in dry ingredients. -In first hole, put vinegar. In second hole, the vanilla. In third hole, melted butter. Mix water and agave nectar together and pour over all the cake ingredients. Stir well, using a dinner fork or spatula (be sure no dry ingredients remain in corners). Bake at 325°F for 30-35 minutes. One serving - 1/16 of cake (cut the cake into 16 pieces). For spice cake: Omit the cocoa and add 1/2 t. Penzeys Cake Spice (www.penzeys.com). A mixture of: China cinnamon, star anise, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cloves. -------------------------------- Other agave nectar goodies (my original recipes): COCONUT ALMOND CANDY Melt: 2 T. butter in a frying pan Add: 1/2 c. long-shred UNsweetened coconut 1/2 c. chopped raw almonds Over medium heat, cook until the ingredients begin to brown. CAUTION - this will burn easily. Remove from heat. Add: 2-3 T. agave nectar 1 t. almond flavoring Stir well. Place in small paper candy cups. (I use a 100 size portion scoop for this - approx. 1 teaspoon.) Cool in a refrigerator at least 1/2 hour to set. Yield: approx. 20 pieces. PROTEIN PEANUT BUTTER BALLS 1/2 c. whey powder (vanilla flavor) 1/2 c. peanut butter 2 T. agave nectar 1 t. vanilla or almond flavoring Mix thoroughly with a dinner fork. *If desired, add 1/2 to 3/4 c. crisp wholegrain rice cereal to the dough. Roll into small (3/4 to 1-inch) balls. *Toppings - Melt 1/2 c. chocolate chips and drizzle over the top. You can also dip the balls in a little agave nectar and then dip in chopped roasted almonds or toasted unsweetened coconut. ---------------------- VANILLA ICE CREAM 4 oz. EGG BEATERS (DO NOT substitute raw eggs) 1/4 c. agave nectar 1 c. Half & Half 2 c. cream 1-1/2 t. vanilla In a 4-cup measuring cup or equal-sized bowl, combine Egg Beaters, agave nectar and vanilla and stir to mix. Add cream and half and half. Chill thoroughly in the freezer (just until ice crystals start to form on the edge. Process in an ice cream maker of choice AGAVE NECTAR CHOCOLATE SYRUP 1/4 c. Hershey's Cocoa Powder 1/2 c. agave nectar 1/2 c. cold water Mix, with a whisk (it takes a bit of mixing to get it smooth). Store in refrigerator. Serving: 1/2 c. ice cream and 1 T. cocolate syrup -Grainlady