Shortbread has got to be my all time favorite cookie. It’s so easy to make, and it tastes really, really good! Plus the options for shortbread are limitless; you can dip shortbread in chocolate, coat it with frosting, make cut outs, (one of my favorites is cutting out hearts and then using a straw to make a hole in the upper left corner. Bake it, then run a string through it and you’ve got dangling hearts!) You can add all different kinds of extracts; lemon, almond, peppermint, orange…etc. And the best part of all its only three ingredients!

Ingredients:

1¼ cups Unbleached Flour

3 Tablespoons Sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

· Preheat oven to 325^O.

· Combine flour and sugar.

· Cut in butter completely with fork and/or fingers, then knead until smooth.

· Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

· Right on the cookie sheet, pat or roll dough into an 8-inch circle. Use your fingers to shape the edges into a scalloped design.

· Use a pizza cutter (or a knife) to cut the dough circle into 12 to 16 wedges. (do NOT separate wedges) Prick all over with fork.

· Bake for 25 minutes, or until the edges are very lightly browned.

· Use the pizza cutter along the same lines to re-cut the wedges.

· Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12-16 wedge-shaped cookies

Tip: For extra flavor add ½ Teaspoon vanilla (before kneading)

- Katura

Ingredients:

2 16oz. packages Oreo Cookies

½ cup Powdered Sugar

Small box Instant Pudding Mix,

2 8oz. packages Cream Cheese

(vanilla or other white flavor)

16 oz. Cool Whip Topping, thawed

1 ¾ cups Whole Milk

Large plastic flowerpot

Dirt Cake:

• · Thoroughly wash and dry flowerpot.
• · In a blender or food processor, grind Oreo cookies in batches until powdery. Set aside.
• · Combine milk and pudding mix. Beat with a wire whisk, or mixer for 2 minutes. Set aside to thicken.
• · In a large bowl, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar; add pudding and blend until well combined (about 2 – 3 minutes). Gently fold in cool whip topping.
• · Cover bottom of flowerpot with a layer of the Oreo crumbs. Top with a thick layer of cream mixture. Repeat layers, as necessary, to the top of the flowerpot, ending with a thick layer of “dirt.”
• · Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 2 or more hours.