Tasty Treats – Easy Lemon Cookies

Tasty Treats – Easy Lemon Cookies

At My Baby Pajamas we decided to mix it up a bit.   Instead of doing a weekly Tuesday Cook Off post we decided we would post a recipe when it was a winner.   So for now on we are going to call our dessert post Tasty Treats (thanks to Jeff Fisher) and our dinner recipe post Family Feast.

So this post is a Tasty Treat for sure.  If you love lemon you are going to love these EASY lemon cookies.   My youngest son came home to me last week and asked me why I never made him lemon cookies.   I said I didn’t even know you liked lemon cookies.  Well, then he proceeded to tell me he likes lemonade and Lemonheads so he must like lemon cookies. 🙂  I was a little unsure about making a whole batch of lemon cookies and then my husband and I would be stuck eating them!

So I searched Pinterest for a recipe that didn’t seem too lemony and that was easy too.   I found the perfect winner.   These cookies were so easy to make and the WHOLE family loved them!! This included my older son who doesn’t really like lemon favor.   But he loved them and asked for them in his lunch.

Now I know these cookies are not totally 100% made from scratch but sometimes moms just need an easy way out every once in awhile 🙂

 

Recipe from Gimmesomeoven.com

Yields about 24-30 cookies

Ingredients: 

• 1 package lemon cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• juice of half a lemon (about 1 Tbsp.)
• zest of half a lemon (about 1 tsp.)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar for decor (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest until well blended. Form dough into small balls (about 1 Tbsp.), and drop into a bowl of confectioners’ sugar. Roll them around until they’re lightly covered. Once sugared, place on a lightly-greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 6 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. The bottoms will be light brown, and the insides chewy.

**To get a rounder, fluffier cookie, let the dough refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (You can also prepare the sugared balls of dough on the cookie sheet, and just refrigerate the sheet for about ten minutes for a similar effect.)

I hope you enjoy these cookies as much as we did!

Tuesday Cook Off ~ Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Tuesday Cook Off ~ Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My kids love chocolate chip cookies!  Who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies.   But sometimes you want to mix it up a bit and what better way than to make cookie bars.   My husband actually likes the cookie bars over cookies but everyone is different.   My boys will eat either as long as it’s chocolate chip!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was really easy to bake.  I think it’s a keeper 🙂

Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod

Yields: 24 Cookie Bars         Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients: 

2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips
Sea salt, for sprinkling over bars-optional

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the melted butter and sugars together until combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix on low, just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

4. Pour cookie dough into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula. Sprinkle cookie bars very lightly with sea salt, if desired. Bake cookie bars for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the bars are light golden brown and the edges start to pull away from the pan. Cool bars on a wire rack to room temperature. Cut bars into squares and serve.

Do you have a great recipe you would like to share?  Just email us at Linda@mybabypajamas.com.  Please attach a photo if you can.  If your recipe is chosen, you will win a $25.00 Gift Certificate to our website.   Who doesn’t want free kids pajamas?  Please share this contest/giveaway!

Don’t forget where to find great footie pajamas, toddler pajamas and more at My Baby Pajamas.

Tuesday Cook Off ~ Greek Salsa Chicken with Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes

Tuesday Cook Off ~ Greek Salsa Chicken and Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes

After a week off, I am excited to announce this weeks Tuesday Cook Off.   This dish was super easy and my family just loved it.  Now of course you have to be a fan of feta cheese and olives to enjoy this dish.   The chicken breasts are roasted in lemon juice, keeping the chicken super moist and flavorful.   If you have a busy week night, this dish comes together in less than an hour.   I promise it will be a favorite.   I served the Greek Salsa Chicken with Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes.   The boys just loved them!!  My youngest even had seconds!!

Here are the recipes:

Greek Salsa Chicken from Sweet Peas Kitchen

Ingredients: 

For the Salsa:
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
1 cup halved grape or cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano
For the Chicken:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (7 ounces each)
pepper to taste
kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 450°.
In a large bowl, combine feta, tomatoes, olives, parsley, lemon juice, 1/4 cup olive oil and oregano. Cover and chill in refrigerator.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with kosher salt and pepper. Sear chicken, about 1-2 minutes each side; remove from heat.
Squeeze lemon wedges over chicken to coat. Place the squeezed lemon wedges around the chicken breasts. Roast until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer chicken and lemons to a large platter. Top with salsa.

This dish is also delicious for leftover lunch 🙂

Garlic and Herb Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients: 

• 1 teaspoon Oregano Leaves
• 1 teaspoon  Paprika
• 1 teaspoon  Thyme Leaves
• ¾ teaspoon Sea Salt
• ½ teaspoon  Garlic Powder
• 2 pounds baby red potatoes, quartered
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Mix oregano, paprika, thyme, sea salt and garlic powder in small bowl. Set aside.
2. Toss potatoes with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle seasoning mixture over potatoes. Toss to coat well. Spread potatoes in single layer on foil-lined 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown.

Do you have a great recipe you would like to share?  Just email us at Linda@mybabypajamas.com.  Please attach a photo if you can.  If your recipe is chosen, you will win a $25.00 Gift Certificate to our website.   Who doesn’t want free kids pajamas?  Please share this contest/giveaway!

Don’t forget where to find great footie pajamas, toddler pajamas and more at My Baby Pajamas.