Cherry Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies - Kim Spera Bamburak

Cherry Coconut Peanut Butter Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups of flour 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1 tsp baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter 
• 1 cup creamy or super chunk peanut butter 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 cup packed brown sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 6 1/2 ounces of flaked coconut 
• red or green candied cherries, halved 

In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Beat in sugars until blended. Beat in eggs and vanilaa. Add flour mixture; beat until well blended.
If necessary, refrigerate dough for easier handling.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Shape dough into 1 inch balls.
Spread coconut on waxed paper; roll balls in coconut.
Place red or green cherry half in center of each cookie.
Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely on wire racks.
Store in tightly covered container.

Thumbprint Treasures - Kim Spera Bamburak

Thumbprint Treasures

• 1/2 cup (1 Stick) butter or margarine 
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1 egg 
• 1 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 egg white, slightly beaten 
• 1 cup finely chopped walnuts 
• 3/4 to 1 cup strawberry, black raspberry, cherry, apricot or peach preserves 

Grease cookie sheets in a large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg. Stir in flour and blend thoroughly. Wrap dough and refrigerate about 1 hour, to chill slightly.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
With floured hands, roll pieces of dough into 1 inche balls.
Dip balls into egg white, then roll in chopped nuts.
Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
With your thumb make an indentation in center of each cookie.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Cool on wire racks.. (If centers have risen during baking, press down again while cookies are hot.)
When cool, fill each center with about 1 level tablespoon preserves.

Pumpkin Layer Cheesecake - Kim Spera Bamburak

Pumpkin Layer Cheesecake

Prep:10 minutes. Bake 40 minutes

• 2 pkg. (8oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• Dash EACH gound cloves and nutmeg
• 1 ready-to-use graham cracker crust (6 oz. or 9 inch)

MIX cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended.

STIR pumpkin and spices into 1 cup of the batter; pour remaining plain batter into crust. Top with pumpkin batter.

BAKE at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set.
Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Makes 8 servings.

Pumpkin Dip - Kim Spera Bamburak

Pumpkin Dip

• 2 cups confectionery sugar 
• 1 can (15 or 16 oz) pumpkin
• 1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened 
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger or pumpkin pie spice

Mix ingredients together till smooth. Use one small pumpkin, cut off the top and clean out.

Use markers to decorate pumpkin. Pour dip into pumpkin and serve with ginger snap cookies