If you’ve ever tried to make a gingerbread house, you know that it can be difficult. You can find kits that require assembly and decorating, but which give you all the supplies you need. This can be a good alternative, but if you want to make something yourself, or with your children, try this:

Easy Cookie House

You’ll need:

• Graham crackers (about 6 per house, or more if you’re feeling ambitious)

• Royal icing

• Decorations (candies, colored sugars, Oreos, cookies, gumdrops, peppermints, pretzels, and more make great trimmings for your house)

The royal icing is a very important part of the building process. It can also be a pain to use! But, luckily, it doesn’t take long and only has a few ingredients.

• 2 large egg whites (whites only!)

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Beat the egg whites and lemon juice and then add the powdered sugar. Beat this on low speed until smooth. That’s it! But royal icing dries and hardens very quickly, so make sure to cover it with plastic wrap when not in use.

Begin by making a base for your house to stand on. Use a piece of 8x10 (or so) cardboard and cover it with aluminum foil. This will give you a foundation and a little yard to decorate later.

To make your house, get six whole graham crackers. Put four of them to the side (these will be used to make the roof and the two long sides of the house). Right now, you’re going to work on the gables. Use a serrated knife to gently saw the cracker’s short side so it has a point now. You can make sure it will fit right by using the lines on the crackers to make a triangle tip. Do this for the other gable.

Now you can begin assembling the graham cracker house. Pipe royal icing onto the edge of one of the gable sides and hold it in place on your base. You can also pipe royal icing on the base, too, to get a stronger hold. With one of the rectangle pieces, pipe icing on the edge of the two short sides and the bottom edge and hold on the base. Again, be generous with the royal icing and apply a layer to the base before you put the cracker on. Next, put on the other gabled end in this way, followed by the last rectangular wall. Make sure you hold each one firmly in place to allow it to set. Royal icing dries quickly, so a few minutes should be sufficient.

Next, pipe royal icing around all four sides of one of the roof crackers (flat on the cracker, not on the edge like you did with the walls). Press this gently on to the gables and walls and hold in place until secure. Repeat this with the other side of the roof.

Let the royal icing dry and harden completely. You have completed your house! Now comes the fun part. Use your royal icing as glue for the candies, sprinkles, chocolate covered oreos and other trimmings. Remember to put some icing on the base and decorate that as well.

If you want to make a cookie house that isn’t gingerbread and has a simplified process, this is a great project.

Who said you can only make a cookie house at Christmas time? Make one of these fun houses when a new neighbor moves in as a housewarming cookie arrangement!

Here are some recipes. If you don’t have a jelly roll pan, simply use any non-stick cake pan. Usually a 13x 9 inch pan will work exactly the same way.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownies (from food.com)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter

2 cups brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla

5 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 1/4 cups flour

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Line a 10 x 15 jelly roll pan with foil, and coat with non-stick cooking spray.

Using a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, and 3 of the eggs until smooth. Add the baking soda in pinches. Mix in the flour and stir until smooth. Pour half of the batter into the pan and spread in a thin layer.

Press the chocolate chips into the batter.

Beat the remaining eggs and cocoa into the batter until smooth. Mix in the walnuts. Pour into the pan on top of the first layer and spread evenly.

Bake on the lowest rack for 18 minutes, until the top is dry but the interior is not yet firm.

Store for up to one week, wrapped in plastic.

Cookie Dough Brownies (from tasteofhome.com)

When I take these rich brownies to any get-together, I carry the recipe, too, because it always gets requested. Children of all ages love the tempting "cookie dough" filling. This special treat is typically the first to be gone from the buffet table - even before the entrees!

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup canola oil

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baking cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, optional

FILLING:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

GLAZE:

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

1 tablespoon shortening

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, oil and sugar. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa and salt; gradually add to egg mixture. Stir in walnuts if desired. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until brownies test done. Cool completely.

For filling, in a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour. Spread over the brownies; chill until firm.

For glaze, in a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Spread over filling. Immediately sprinkle with nuts, pressing down slightly.

Don't forget your friends. Put some of each cookie brownie in a cookie tin and let your friends know that you're thinking of them!

Bell peppers are perfect for stuffing!  This classic recipe is healthy and delicious and perfect as a main dish served with garlic toast and a salad.

Ingredients:

6 - 8 large red, yellow or green bell peppers
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 lbs of ground beef
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 can peeled chopped tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water

Step 1:  Prepare the Peppers: Rinse the peppers well under running water (if they have a waxy finish, you should scrub them as well). To core the pepper, use a paring knife to cut around the stem. Remove the stem and scoop out the pepper's insides including the seeds and fibers.

Boil the peppers in salted water for 5 to 8 minutes (or steam them). Drain well and set aside to cool a bit.

Step 2: Cook the Rice:  Cook the rice according to package directions.

Step 3: Prepare the Filling: In a large frying pan, brown the onion and beef together adding a little oil if necessary. Once it is cooked, drain it.

Then either in the large frying pan or in a separate bowl, add the cooked rice, tomatoes, 1 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the cooked onion and hamburger.

Stir well until all the ingredients are distributed evenly.

Step 4: Stuff the Peppers with Filling: In a 9 x 13 baking dish or similar sized oval dish, arrange (stand up) the bell peppers and stuff them full of the hamburger/rice mixture. If you still have any hamburger/rice mixture left after stuffing all the peppers, just pour it next to the peppers in the baking dish.

In a small glass bowl, mix together the tomato sauce, remaining salt and pepper. Pour evenly over the stuffed peppers (and any excess rice mixture that you placed outside the peppers in the baking dish).

Step 5: Bake the Stuffed Peppers: Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degF. Baste tops of peppers frequently with juices in the baking dish. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 1/2 hour more. Top should be slightly brown and bubbly.

Enjoy!

If you're a fan of peppers, you must try this recipe for Uova Con Peperoni - Eggs With Peppers!

Valentine's Day cookie bouquets

Our gourmet cookie bouquets are created from delicious butter creme cookies, baked fresh daily and professionally hand-decorated. Cookies are approximately 4-5" tall, depending on shape.  Each bouquet is artfully arranged and carefully packaged for shipment to insure it arrives safely.

Our first new design really packs a punch!  Let your Valentine know you think they're a real knockout!  We've decorated cookies shaped like boxing gloves, boxer shorts and heart for a unique and unforgettable gift!  Perfect for the hard-to-buy-for man in your life!

The next new bouquet is our "Sending My Love" cookie bouquet.  Sweetly decorated mailboxes, lips, hearts and an envelope sealed with a kiss make up this fun bouquet.  Whether your Valentine is near or far, go straight to their heart (or stomach!) with a delicious cookie bouquet!

Prices start at $29.95 and we ship them straight to their door!

Want to make more Valentine's Day cookies? Try this recipe for Stained Glass Heart Cookies.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 egg, beaten

• 2 tsp. vanilla

• 2 tsp. rum flavoring

• 3 cups flour

• 1 tsp. nutmeg

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the beaten egg, rum flavor and vanilla stirring together well. Sift flour and nutmeg together and add to the wet ingredients. Sir until thoroughly combined. Shape dough into 1” balls and flatten slightly with either a fork or the bottom of a sugared glass. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350° for 12 to 15 minutes

Frosting

• 1 Tbsp. butter

• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

• 1 tsp. rum flavoring

• 2 cups powdered sugar

For the frosting, blend together the butter, vanilla, and rum flavoring. Slowly add the powdered sugar until you get the desired frosting consistency. Frost the cooled cookies and sprinkle each one with a bit of ground nutmeg. Recipe makes 4 dozen iced cookies.

If you liked this recipe, you'll love this recipe for Candy Speckled Popcorn Cake.

• 1 1/2 lbs. chestnut

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup blanched chopped almonds

Make a crisscross cut on the top of each chestnut. Cook in boiling water 20 minutes. Drain, cool, and peel. Mash the chestnuts very smooth; blend in the sugar, ginger, and cinnamon. Shape into walnut sized balls. Dip in the honey and roll in the gourmet nuts.

Love nutty desserts? Try this recipe for Chestnut Balls.