Jam Jams

This is a very old recipe. I think it originally came to our family via one of my Grandmothers friends. We have been making this cookie for about 50 years or more, so you know it  must be good.

Really just a butterscotch cookie with a jam filling, its pretty basic in its ingredients but complex in flavour. My family loves them especially my nephew, Arden. These are special cookies that require a bit of extra effort so I usually only make them at Christmas time.

I hope your family loves them as much as mine does.
Watch me make them on Youtube

 It really comes from basic ingredients. No chemicals in this cookie.

As with most cookie recipes, start by creaming the butter and sugar. Mix for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture becomes lighter in colour and texture. This recipe uses only brown sugar to produce a butterscotch flavour.

Add the eggs, corn syrup  and vanilla next. If the eggs are too cold the butter may become cold. Sometimes it makes the dough look curdled. Don't worry it will be fine in the end. Take the eggs out of the fridge a bit before you add them to the mixture and let them warm a little.

I think that the corn syrup is the secret ingredient in this cookie. It adds to the butterscotch flavour and keeps these cookies soft.

Combine the dry ingredients and add to the butter mixture.
Mix on low until combined

Form the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. You can roll this dough immediately following mixing but it will be much easier to handle if you let it rest  bit.

Separate the dough into softball sized portions and roll on a floured countertop to about 1/4 inch thick

Cut the dough using any cookie cutter that you wish.  I like the small star shape as seen in the photo. The cookies with the star shape cutout will be the top cookie and the cookies without the star shape will be the bottom cookie. Remember that the cookies will be sandwiched with jam. So one cookie will become two.

Put the unbaked cookies onto an unbuttered sheet pan. Bake them at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes, until they are golden brown.

Make sure that each top cookie has a bottom cookie.

After removing the pan from the oven, let the cookies sit for a couple of minutes. Remove them to a baking rack or, like I did, onto clean tea towels.

That's a lot of cookies. I made a double batch of dough in tis photo.

When the cookies are cooled, spread the bottom cookie with about 1 teaspoon of jam. Use really good jam, homemade if you can get it. Any red jam will do. I am using raspberry freezer jam in the photo. My favourite is chokecherry jam, sadly I had none left. I will be making some this year

Place a top cookie on the jam.

Stacks of cookies

Store the cookies in a airtight container. They freeze beautifully and I think they have a better flavour after they have been frozen.

MMMmmmm. Jam jams. Don't they look festive.

Watch me make the me on Youtube.





Jam Jams

1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup of butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 tablespoons corn syrup
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup of good quality jam or jelly. Red is best. I have used raspberry freezer jam in the photos.

Sprinkle Cookies

My youngest son's favourite. I don't know if its the sprinkles or maybe its the soft sugar cookie but this cookie appeals to all kids. I love to serve cookies for dessert at family gatherings. People can just grab a cookie and continue to visit and the kids don't make a mess. There is no need for plates or forks. It's a win-win.

Watch my son and I make them on You Tube

Start by creaming the butter and the sugar. Mix well until they are well combined and have lightened in colour.

Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract. Mix well.







Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and freshly grated nutmeg.  combine gently until well mixed.

The nutmeg is the secret ingredient. It will have a far superior flavour if it is freshly grated.

Spread a whole jar of round, multi colored sprinkles into a shallow plate. I have used a pie plate here. Drop the balls of cookie dough right onto the sprinkles. I like to use a small ice cream scoop to make the job go faster.

Press the dough into the sprinkles gently so that the whole bottom surface is covered with the sprinkles.

Flp the cookies over so that the sprinkles are on the top. Put them onto an ungreased cookie sheet pan. Bake them for 8-10 minutes.

I like to bake these cookies until they just start to turn golden.

They are just so delicious. A great treat to share with the class. Excellent for bake sales.

They freeze very well too, if they last that long.

Watch my son and I make them on You Tube

Sprinkle Cookies

1 cup room temperature butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 large container multi coloured round sprinkles

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

Without a doubt the best sugar cookies, ever. The secret is the sour cream. Not only does the sour cream provide a nice tang in this cookie, it also produces a very tender cookie. The dough is easy to work with and although making these cookies is a bit of work, they are so worth it.
A special thank you to Angie, from work, for sharing this fabulous recipe with me.

The recipe makes a lot, but they freeze beautifully. Watch me make them on Youtube.

Start by creaming the butter and sugar. Mix on high with an electric mixer  until the butter and sugar are well combined.
Add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream and lemon juice. Mix well.
Then add the dry ingredients. Mix gently until combined and dough forms a loose ball.

Divide the dough in half, form into a disc and wrap with cling film. Refrigerate for at least and hour. The dough will keep in the fridge for a few days.

Remove the dough for about twenty minutes before rolling. Use
extra flour to stop the dough from sticking as you roll it. The dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.

Use your favourite cookie cutter. I'm using a pretty flower cookie cutter for summer time.

Place onto a cookie sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart
Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I like to bake these until they are just beginning to brown. They will puff up a bit and be soft and chewy by the next day.

If you prefer crispy cookies, just bake them a little longer.

Let them cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before removing them to a cooling rack.






While your cookies are cooling, make the icing.

Combine softened butter with vanilla and powdered sugar. Add enough milk to make a soft, spreadable icing. Add food colouring if you desire.

Ice each cookie as you wish. I mixed red and blue food colouring to make a pretty lavender colour. Then I sprinkled the cookies with purple sugar. I put a little yellow sugar in the middle to look like the stamen of the flower.

I think that they look great. They are just sooooo good!


Watch me make them on Youtube.





1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
2 cups sour cream
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2tbsp baking powder
6-7 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer until well combined and pale yellow in colour. Add sour cream, egg, vanilla and lemon juice. Mix until combined. Add salt, baking soda, bake ing powder, and flour. Mix gently until dough forms a loose ball. Pat dough into two 8 inch discs, cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to four days.

The dough can also be frozen at this point. Put disc into ziplock bag and then into freezer, thaw overnight in the fridge

Roll the dough with a rolling pin to about 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with a cookie cutter of choice. Bake at 350 degrees Celsius for 8-10 min on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake until the tops are just starting to become coloured and the bottoms are golden brown. I like to undertake them a bit for a nice soft cookie. If you prefer crisp cookies just bake for a minute or two longer. Remove the hot cookies into a cooling rack. Cool completely before icing them.

Buttercream Icing
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1/2tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
3-5 tbsp of milk
Food colouring(optional)
Mix butter and vanilla together with electric mixer. Add sugar and 3 tbsp milk. Mix to combing. Add enough milk a teaspoon at a time until mixture is the right consistency for spreading.
Add food colouring if desired.

Ice completely cooled cookies. Let sit at room temperature for a couple of hours. Freeze in layers separated by wax paper or parchment paper.
Watch me make them on youtube.

Rolo Two Bite Brownies

Just a few basic ingredients make a delicious chewy fudgy brownie. So quick to put together and one bowl to clean up, too.

Don't buy a boxed mix again.










Combine flour, sugar, salt, cocoa, vanilla, oil, eggs, and water. Mix with electric mixer just until combined.

Fill four dozen mini muffin cups that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Underbake a bit so the middle is very fudgy.

Remove from oven when they are done . Let them sit in the hot pans for five minutes. Remove brownies to a cooling rack.

Push a mini rolo candy on top of each brownie while they are still warm.

Let them cool completely. Store them in an airtight container. They freeze beautifully.

Ooey, gooey, good

Watch me and my boys make them on Youtube

Rolo Two Bite Brownies


1 1/2 cups flour
1tsp salt
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
4 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup nuts,chopped( optional)
1 cup chocolate chips

In a large bowl, mix all ingredient in the order given. Beat at low speed with mixmaster until smooth. Do not overbeat. Spoon about 1-2 tsp of batter into mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. If you wish, sprinkle nuts and chocolate chips on top of the batter. Bake 350 degrees for 12-15 min. Under bake slightly to produce a fudgey, chewy texture.

Chocolate Birthday Cake With Mocha Cream Frosting

Basic Chocolate Cake

Makes 1-9x13, 24 cupcakes, 1 bundt cake or 3- 8inch round cakes or two 8x8 cakes

This cake freezes very well. Eat some now and freeze some for later!
For this cake I used one 8x8 inch cake.

 1 3/4 cup  all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil 
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Combine dry ingredients. Add all wet ingredients in order given. Mix until combined. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full of batter. Bake at 350 degrees. For cupcakes bake 15-20 min, for 9x13 bake 40-45 min, for bundt bake 35-45 min until toothpick inserted into centre of cake comes out clean. 

This cake is so easy and can be put together almost as fast as a boxed cake mix and it tastes SO much better. Tastes better, is better for you and does not have any ingredients that you cannot pronounce(read the label). Deep, dark and delicious. You can do so many things with this cake.

Now for the Mocha Cream Frosting. Not too sweet. Fluffy and light.The perfect accompaniment for the deep, dark chocolate cake.

I used and 8x8 inch square cake




You will need:

• 500mls whipping cream
• 1/3 c instant chocolate pudding mix
• 4 tsp. French vanilla instant coffee, I used Maxwell House brand
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 4 tsp icing sugar 

Whip the cream with an electric mixer until it starts to thicken.

Add the pudding mix, coffee and cream of tartar. Continue to mix until it becomes stiff. It doesn't take long. Watch it carefully.

Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake in half horizontally.
Tuck a few strips of parchment paper or wax paper under the sides of the cake as demonstrated with the half on the left. This will protect you plate from the frosting.

Put about 1 cup of the frosting on the bottom cake half. Spread it out over the surface of the cake. I like to use this small offset spatula.

Carefully place the top half onto the bottom half.

Put the rest of the frosting on the top and greatly spread to cove the cake.

To 'seal' the cake', and prevent crumbs from showing on your pretty frosting, spread a thin layer of frosting on the sides. Then go over the sides a second time spreading a thicker layer of frosting. This is called a scratch coat.

Cover the top and sides.

I used fresh raspberries and grated dark chocolate to garnish.







After you have decorated your cake, carefully remove the strips of paper from underneath the sides of your cake. Presto! a beautiful clean plate.

So good! Makes a great birthday cake. It does not have an over powering coffee flavour. Even my younger children like it

The cook gets to lick the bowl.