Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

I made these last week for a Fundraising Bake Sale and they were a huge hit!!!

Caramel Apple Cider Cookies



Ingredients

1 cup softened butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups all purpose flour

1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)





Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!)

In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

With your mixer (or an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

Refrigerate for about an hour.
When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels.

Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut.
Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.

Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies. Store in an airtight container.


Found the recipe here...http://scrambledhenfruit.blogspot.com/2010/11/caramel-stuffed-apple-cider-cookies.html

Are Mormon's Christian?

This debate has been pretty prominent recently with the Republican debates & I want to share my beliefs. A definition of Christians is "one who professes belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ". I am here today to tell you that I believe in Jesus Christ.  He is my Savior.  I know that He died for my sins.  He suffered for all of us so that we may return to our Heavenly Father's loving arms.  I strive to live by His teachings and be his disciple.

I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is His church. I believe the Bible to be the word of God. I also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. The Book of Mormon is Holy Scripture that contains divine guidance from God. It does not replace the Bible, it is 'another testament of Christ'. Often, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are referred to as 'Mormons'. This is a nickname given to us because of the Book of Mormon. Our church is not Mormon's church. It is Jesus Christ's.

I am writing this post to give my witness as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that we believe in Christ. Mormons believe in Christ, live by His teachings, and seek to bless the children of God. We are not a cult, we are disciples of Jesus Christ united by our beliefs.

Believing in Christ and being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the source of happiness in my life. It is because of Christ that I know who I am and I have a reason for living.

My name is Heather. I am a Christian, I am a Mormon, I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I believe in Christ.

‎"Once we allow people to start spiritualizing and refining, or as they might say 'deepening' the sense of the word Christian...it will become a useless word....It is not for us to say who, in the deepest sense, is or is not close to the spirit of Christ. We do not see into men's hearts. We cannot judge...It would be wicked arrogance for us to say that any man is, or is not, a Christian." ~C.S. Lewis~

Minion

With Halloween Approaching I looked back at my old posts to see Lauren's costume from last year and realized that I never posted it on my blog.  So here it is, a year later. lol