Almond Pillows. Enough said! If you love and almond and you love cookies then this is the best of both worlds!! I just paired this basic cookie dough recipe with my own filling, and it turned out fabulous! Enjoy :D

Cookie Dough:
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. almond extract

Directions: Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, set aside. In mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add egg and vanilla, beat until well mixed. Reduce to low speed and gradually add flour mixture just until blended.

Almond Filling:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup water
3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt

Directions: Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour, water and powdered sugar. Bring to a boil, boil and stir until smooth and creamy. Reduce heat. Add almonds, extract, and salt.

Heat oven at 350 degrees. Roll dough into balls and press onto ungreased cookie sheet. Dallop filling onto each cookie, cover and seal remaining dough over each cookie. bake for 9-14 minutes or until edges are slightly brown. Make 4 dozen.

Blueberry Pop Tarts

                                            Blueberry Pop Tarts! Are you in love yet?
Okay, so I'm a HUGE pop-tarts fan. I know, they're horrible for you, but I think of them more of a dessert than breakfast! So anyway, I knew I had to come up with my own recipe. I had been rummaging around the kitchen for awhile, trying to figure out what to make for some friends who I'm seeing tomorrow. And I really wanted to make something from my own head, and not just have my eyes glued to a recipe. Aha! Pop tarts! I got so excited I started them first thing this morning. They turned out amazing! And so much better then real pop tarts, I have to say!

For the filling:
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
3 cups frozen blueberries
2 tsp. vanilla

For the pastry:
1 3/4 cup shortening
2 tsp. salt
4 cups flour
8-10 tbsp. cold water

For the glaze:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup whole milk

For the filling: Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and mix to create a paste. Add water, sugar, blueberries, and vanilla, bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir until thickened, turn off heat, let cool completely. 
For the pastry: Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Cut flour and salt into shortening. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, until it turns into a dough. Roll out thin enough to cut 32 4 by 3 inch rectangles. Dollop filling onto 16 rectangles. Top with remaining rectangles, pinch with finger or a fork to seal up sides. Bake 10-14 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
For the glaze. Mix all ingredients, stir until consistent. Spread onto pop tarts. Makes 16. Enjoy!! :D

Mint Oreo Truffles

I came up with this around Christmas time, trying to finish up some miscellaneous ingredients we had in the fridge. Mint Oreo Truffles! Heaven, right? I needed to bring something to a Christmas party, and really wasn't expecting much, but everyone loved them! I got really excited and retraced my steps to recreate them again, and tweak it a little to make it even better. It really is ridiculous how simple it is to mix these up, and crazy how addictive they are! Hope y'all like them!! :)
Oreo Truffles:
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup plus 1-2 tbsp butter
pinch of salt 
1/4 - 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (or however minty taste you want!)
3 tbsp. milk
10 Oreo cookies
18 oz. semisweet chocolate
1/2 oz. white chocolate (optional)
Cream the butter and sugar. Add vanilla, salt, peppermint, and milk. Clean filling from Oreos and add as well. Mix well. Break up Oreo cookies (or brownie chunks!! Hmmm, ill have to try that...) into small pieces and fold into filling just until its mixed well. Then use a cookie scoop to make bite size balls and line on a cookie sheet; chill. Melt semisweet chocolate. Once peppermint balls are firm, dip into chocolate. Chill until chocolate is hard. To decorate, melt white chocolate and scoop into plastic bag and cut small hole at corner. Slowly drizzle onto chilled truffles.