Brittany's Royal Frosting for Cookie Decorating

Brittany said: "This royal glaze icing is what I use for all my sugar cookies now. It is shiny and pretty but it dries faster. And it’s not hard like royal icing it still tastes yummy. My new favorite icing for pretty sugar cookies."

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE.

Melissa's favorite chocolate chip cookies

https://happymoneysaver.com/the-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe-my-dreams-are-made-of/

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups flour 
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda 
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 3/4 tsp salt 
• 1 1/4 cups real unsalted butter 
• 1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar 
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp sugar 2 large eggs 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 oz bag of Ghiradelli milk chocolate chips or other quality chocolate chips, 11.5 . 

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix to combine and set aside. Using paddle attachment on mixer, cream butter and sugars together just until blended. Add eggs, one a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the vanilla. Put mixer on low speed, and add in dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in chocolate chips by hand gently. It's best to make bigger cookies for the right texture - so I would recommend using 4 Tablespoon size scoop to form your cookies. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes. I like mine to look a little undercooked in the middle, then let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet for a few minutes while they cool. Then move them to a cookie rack or plate to keep cooling. If you are freezing these cookies: Form into balls, and freeze on a cookie sheet. After frozen remove and add to a ziploc freezer bag. They will last for about a month in the freezer. To bake just take out and bake as directed, adding a few extra minutes of baking time.

Notes from Brittany: This is the chocolate chip cookie recipe that Melissa found. I cook mine for 14 mins and they turned out perfect. I also used salted butter and did not add any salt to the recipe. 

Cashew Chicken

We enjoy this meal!

• 1/2 cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar 
• 1 Tablespoon Packed Brown Sugar 
• 2 Tablespoons Oyster Sauce 
• 1/2 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil 
• 6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cut Into Small Cubes 
• Kosher Salt To Taste 
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Garlic 
• 1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Ginger 
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Chopped 
• 1/4 cup Sherry Or Chicken Broth 
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch 
• 1/2 cup Drained Canned Water Chestnuts, Coarsley Chopped 
• 1 cup Unsalted Cashews (be Sure To Use Unsalted) 
• 2 whole Green Onions, Thinly Sliced 
• Cooked Rice Or Noodles, For Serving (if Desired) 

In a bowl, mix together the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat and add the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt, then leave it alone for at least a couple of minutes to give the chicken a chance to brown. When the chicken has turned golden, stir it around so that it can brown on all sides. Throw in the garlic and ginger and stir to combine. Stir in the bell pepper and let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes. While the pan is still hot, pour in the sherry. Stir it around, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen all the flavorful bits. Turn the heat to medium-low and pour in the sauce mixture, then mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to make a slurry and pour it in. Stir the sauce for 1 to 2 minutes to thicken, then add the water chestnuts and cashews and stir to coat everything with the sauce, adding a splash of water if the sauce is too thick. Finally, sprinkle on the green onions. Serve with cooked rice or noodles.