Posted by Nydia Streets of Streets Law in South Florida Family Events and Recipes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year and today might be one of the most wonderful days of the year - yes, it’s National Cookie Day! Celebrate with some delicious recipes.

Carrot Cake Cookies with Pineapple (found on Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• Cookie Dough:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup softened butter

  • ½ cup vegetable shortening

  • 1 cup white sugar

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 2 large eggs eggs

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved

  • ½ cup grated carrot

  • ½ cup golden raisins

  • ½ cup chopped walnuts

  Frosting:

  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

  • 1 tablespoon softened butter

  • 2 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 tablespoon juice from canned pineapple

Preparation

• Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 cookie sheets.

• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl; set aside.

• To make the cookie dough, beat 1/2 cup butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and allow to blend into the butter mixture before adding the second egg and the vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the crushed pineapple, carrot, raisins, and chopped walnuts, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Drop onto the prepared baking sheets by the heaping teaspoonful, allowing 2 inches of space between the cookies.

• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

• To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and pineapple juice. Beat until no lumps remain. Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies, and allow to dry completely before storing.

Banana Pudding Sugar Cookies (found on Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup shortening

• ⅔ cup white sugar

• 2 large eggs eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 (3.5 ounce) package instant banana pudding mix

• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

Preparation

• In a medium bowl, cream together shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla extract, baking powder, salt, and instant banana pudding mix. Mix in 2 cups flour. Gradually mix in remaining 1/2 cup flour as needed to form a workable dough. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours.

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease baking sheets. Shape dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten balls to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.

• Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned.

Deep Fried Oreos (found on Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

• 1 large egg

• 1 cup milk

• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

• 1 cup pancake mix

• 1 (18 ounce) package cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreo®)

Preparation

• Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

• Whisk together the egg, milk, and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the pancake mix until no dry lumps remain. Dip the cookies into the batter one at a time, and carefully place into the hot frying oil. Fry only 4 or 5 at a time to avoid overcrowding the deep fryer. Cook until the cookies are golden-brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate before serving.

Enjoy your weekend!