Peanut Butter Kisses

Peanut Butter Kisses:
from allrecipes.com

1 cup white sugar

1 cup peanut butter

1 egg

18 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, peanut butter and egg. Shape into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Note: If dough is too sticky, refrigerate 1/2 hour or until easy to handle.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove cookies from the oven. Press a chocolate kiss into the center of each warm cookie.

Jam Filled Butter Cookies

I absolutely adore apricot flavored anything. Couple that with not being able to have chocolate and this became the perfect Christmas cookie for me this year! These are melt in your mouth and so scrumptious. I also made strawberry jam cookies, but I much preferred the apricot.

Jam Filled Butter Cookies:
from allrecipes.com

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup fruit preserves, any flavor

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Place balls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Use your finger to make a well in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 tsp. of preserves.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Banana Walnut Muffins

I had some bananas that were about to go bad and I wanted to do something with them. My husband always liked the Entenmann's Banana Nut mini muffins, so I thought why not make the real thing? I got this recipe for banana muffins from allrecipes.com and just added some walnuts to them. They are super moist and tender. Just a strong enough flavor of banana without being overpowering.

Banana Muffins:
adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 large bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat muffin pans with non stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Combine bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture and mix until smooth. Add in walnuts and mix until incorporated. Scoop into muffin pans.

Bake in preheated oven, 10 to 15 minutes for mini muffins, 25 to 30 minutes for large muffins. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.