Florentine Cookies

This is my favorite recipe so far. I like it because it does not require corn syrup like some recipes do. I do add grated orange rind to this (1-2 teaspoons)

Florentine Cookies from Food Network
10 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 cups sliced almonds
1/2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a heavy saucepan, bring butter, sugar, honey, and cream to a rolling boil. Stir in almonds and oats and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until batter thickens slightly and smells of toasted almonds. Take mixture off heat and drop by teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets. I get 8 cookies per sheet...4 on each side. They need a lot of room to spread out. Bake until golden brown around the edges and a lighter brown in the middle. Watch these carefully..they burn fast.. % minutes to 8 minutes or so is the oven time. Take peeks often.

When done, I take cookie sheet out of oven, let it sit for a minute, and carefully grasp  the edge of the parchment and slide the whole thing off quickly onto a newspaper or another big cookie sheet...or whatever surface you think good. No need to use a spatula to carefully remove them from the pan. they cool quickly. Melt chocolate chips while allowing cookies to cool, and finish by spreading melted choc. on the bottom of one cookie and then attaching it to the bottom of another cookie, sandwich style. These are sometimes called lace cookies because there are small holes in the finished cookie.

I Need A Little Cheese Ball

Oh, I need a little cheese ball,
 right this very minute.
Better'n  fudge or cookies
I will savor every bit.

Here is the recipe I like to use:



C H E E S E   B A L L
Make ahead of time to allow flavors to blend.
2 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
8-oz. block Cheddar cheese, shredded (Shred your own)
1 T. onion, finely chopped
2 T. pimento, drained, finely chopped...or red bell pepper
2 T. green pepper, finely chopped
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. lemon juice
⅛ t. salt
⅛ t. cayenne pepper
½ c. chopped walnuts, toasted

Crackers

Directions:
Beat cream cheese until smooth with an electric mixer; add Cheddar, beat just until blended. Mix
in remaining ingredients except the walnuts and crackers. Place mixture on plastic wrap and shape
into a ball; chill thoroughly. Roll in chopped walnuts and serve with crackers. Makes about 3 cups.
TIP: Shredding your own cheese instead of using preshredded cheese binds the cheese ball and creates a creamier texture.