Diploma Cookies

Diploma Cookies

1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted

Beat butter, shortening and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in baking powder, salt, vanilla and egg. Stir in flours. Divide dough in half. Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll each half of dough into 15x6-inch rectangle on floured surface. Cut lengthwise into three 15x2-inch strips, then cut crosswise into two 7-1/2x2-inch strips. Working quickly, spread about 1 teaspoon melted chocolate over one strip to within 1/4-inch of one long side. Gently roll up, starting at long side with chocolate. Repeat with remaining cookie strips and chocolate. Cut each roll into 2 pieces; roll each cookie slightly to shape. On ungreased cookie sheet, place cookies about 1 inch apart.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool 1 minutes; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely. Place remaining chocolate in plastic bag. Cut hole in corner and squeeze out chocolate to look like ties.

Recipe and picture from BettyCrocker.com

Graduation Caps

Graduation Caps

24 miniature peanut butter cups

1 tube (6 ounces) decorating frosting, any color

24 After Eight thin mints

24 milk chocolate M&Ms, any color or 24 semisweet chocolate chips

Remove paper lines from peanut butter cups; place upside down on waxed paper. Place a small amount of frosting on each peanut butter cup; center a mint on each. Using frosting, make a loop for each cap's tassel. Place an M&M on top of each loop.

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Diploma Sandwiches

Diploma Sandwiches

1 loaf (16 ounces) thin white sandwich bread, crusts removed

2 cups prepared ham, tuna or chicken salad

Whole chives or green onion tops

Flatten bread slices with a rolling pin. Spread a rounded tablespoonful of ham salad onto each slice of bread. Gently roll up; tie each with a chive.

Recipe and picture from TasteOfHome.com

Graduation Cap Cupcakes

Graduation Cap Cupcakes

1 package (2-layer size) yellow or devils food cake mix

1 package vanilla or chocolate pudding mix

1 package fudge covered graham cracker cookies

Butter cream icing

Twizzlers, pull and peel (not Redvines)

M&Ms

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare cake batter as directed on package. Blend in pudding mix; spray muffin tins with cooking spray. Place a little less than 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin tin. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean; cool completely.

Place cupcakes upside-down on plate. Spoon buttercream icing into resealable plastic bag. Snip one corner from bottom of bag; pipe icing inside the cupcakes and onto tops of cupcakes, reserving small amount of icing for later use. Top cupcakes with fudge covered graham cracker cookies, to resemble graduation caps.

Use Twizzlers (pull and peel) to make tassels for caps. Add 1 tassel and M&M to top of each graham cracker cookie, securing each with dab of remaining icing. Keep refrigerated.

Tips

-Do not twist Twizzlers. Simply leave 3 strands hanging straight down from top of cap. Make sure strands are not longer than the cupcake. Trim, if necessary, to be hanging.

-Put enough icing between cupcake and graham cracker to make sure it sticks.

-Do not put too much icing on the top of the hat to keep on Twizzlers and M&M.

*We made these every year for our teen Grad Night. After 3 years, we got it down to a science and the recipe above is what became the easiest. They will look a little different from the picture below.*

Recipe adapted and picture from KraftFoods.com

Cheesy Diplomas

Cheesy Diplomas

Sandwich meat (1 slice per diploma)

Sliced cheese (Swiss or provolone work best)

Scallions

For each diploma, stack a slice of sandwich meat on a slice of cheese.

Roll them up and tie each diploma with a scallion.

Recipe and picture from FamilyFun.go.com