Easy Toffee Shortbread

Melt in your mouth shortbread cookie recipe, filled with toffee bits and so much more!  The recipe is called Easy Toffee Shortbread for a reason.  This is also the best shortbread cookie recipe out there. It is a very basic recipe, no need to refrigerate the dough prior to baking.  You can be creative with all of the goodies you can add to the dough and the toppings!  So many options, so little time!

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

    Options to add to shortbread:
    3/4 cup toffee bits
    3/4 cup chocolate or butterscotch chips
    1/4-1/2 cup peppermints/crushed candy canes
    1/2-1/3 cup craisins or pistachios

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or cooking spray.  
2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cornstarch and salt, set aside.
3. Make sure the butter is room temperature & soft.  Grab a medium bowl and cream the butter, vanilla and powered sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Hand mixer on low speed is best.  
4. Gradually blend in the flour mixture and it will come together as a dough.  As it thickens grab a spoon to finish off.
5. Stir in Heath toffee bits or whatever option you have decided to use, if any.
6. Scoop the dough into 1/2 to 2 inch rounds & flatten cookies slightly or rollout dough until 1/2 inch thick and use cookie cutters to make desired cookie shapes.
7. Place cookies about 1 1/2 inches apart & bake for about 20-25 minutes until the edges are just starting to brown.
8. Allow cookies to cool for 5 minutes before removing them on to wire rack to cool.

Tupps Tidbits:  Bake for only 20 minutes and they were done completely.  It made 2 dozen.

We used the Heath Toffee bits the first time we made these and they turned out perfect!

Can't wait to try peppermints or craisins and add then to the "annual" Christmas cookie tray!

Not saying, but saying, Tupps loved having them with his morning coffee.  

DEFINATLEY A KEEPER in our house!

Sweet 'n' tangy Salad Dressing

There are endless rows of bottled dressings at the grocery store. Depending on the kind, they are usually high in fat, sugar or both -- and they all have too much sodium. You may think it’s wise to opt for the lower-calorie offerings but light and low-fat dressings often have even more sugar to make up for the lack of flavor. To ensure you're getting real ingredients, homemade is the way to go, but watch those portions! Keep serving sizes to a tablespoon.

2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. white vinegar
1/4 cup condensed tomato soup, undiluted
2 Tbs. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. sugar (or Splenda)
2 Tbs. brown sugar (or  Splenda-brown sugar)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika

Tupps Tidbits:  You can store most homemade dressings in the fridge for up to a week (not that a batch will last that long!).   You could heat up the remaining tomato soup with 3/4 cup milk for a simple no-fuss soup and salad lunch.

This zesty salad dressing was an easy fix and we would say the taste was a cross between Thousand Island & French dressing. We swapped out the sugar & brown sugar for Splenda sweetener. This recipe is a keeper in our house!