Molasses Cookies

3/4 cup Crisco shortening

1 cup sugar plus more for coating before baking

1 egg

1/3 cup molasses

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream sugar into shortening, one tablespoon at a time.  Add egg and beat until fluffy.  Add molasses, Shift flour, salt, baking soda, and spices (clove, ginger, cinnamon), Add dry ingredients into the shortening mixture 1/2 cup at a time. The batter will become very thick.

Form into small balls about 1/2 inch in diameter.  Roll in sugar.  Place on greased baking sheet.  No need to flatten the balls.  Bake until cookies are puffy and the tops just begin to crack, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.  Let cookies sit on the baking sheet a few minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.  

Makes approximately 60 cookies.

Cream Wafers

 Cookies

 1 cup butter

2 cups flour

¹⁄₃  cup heavy whipping cream

¹⁄₂ cup sugar

 Filling

 ¹⁄₄cup butter

³⁄₄cup sifted confectioner sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix butter, flour and whipping cream thoroughly. Chill dough 1 hour

Preheat oven to 375°

Roll dough 1/8" thick on a lightly floured board

Cut into 1-1/2 inch rounds

Transfer onto waxed paper heavily sprinkled with sugar, turning to coat both sides

Place on ungreased baking sheet; prick in 4 places with fork

Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until slightly puffy

Filling

Blend butter, confectioner sugar and vanilla together

Put 2 cookies together with filling

Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries

1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature, plus more to grease the baking pan
1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 orange, zested
2 tablespoons Amaretto
1 pint strawberries, hulled and quartered         

 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 5 by 3-inch loaf pan with butter. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
 
Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter, ricotta, and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the machine running, add the eggs 1 at a time. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and Amaretto until combined. Add the dry ingredients, a small amount at a time, until just incorporated. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean and the cake is beginning to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 45 to 50 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Using a mesh sieve, dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar.
 
 Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a small bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit until the juices have pooled around the strawberries.     
 
To serve, slice the cake and serve with a spoonful of strawberries and their juices over the top of the cake.
 
Serves 8 to 10

Pumpkin Bars

 Bars

4 eggs

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar 

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Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray.

 

In large bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar, oil and pumpkin with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Spread in pan.

 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and bars spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

 

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed 

until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Spreading frosting over bars. Store covered in refrigerator.

Fruit and Nut Pie

Pie Crust

Filling

4 granny smith apples pared and sliced
1 cup cranberries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 

Crumb Topping

1 cup flour
1/2 cup firm butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Stir together filling ingredients.  Turn into crust lined pie pan.  Prepare crumb topping by mixing all ingredients until crumbly.  Pour crumb topping on the top of the pie and bake 45 minutes.  Cover crumb topping with foil for the last ten minutes of baking if it browns too quickly.  Best served warm.

Dutch Apple Pie

9 inch Pie Crust

Pie Filling
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash salt
6 cups thinly sliced pared tart apples

Crumb Topping
1 cup flour
1/2 cup firm butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; mix with apples.  Turn into crust lined pie pan.  Prepare crumb topping by mixing all ingredients until crumbly.  Pour crumb topping on the top of the pie and bake 50 minutes.  Cover crumb topping with foil for the last ten minutes of baking if it browns too quickly.  Best served warm.

Pecan Lassies

For Crust:
1/2 cup butter
3 ounces of cream cheese
1 cup flour

Mix together and shape into 24 small balls.  Press balls into min muffin tin to form a crust.  Press out evenly.

For Filling:
1 egg
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
dash  of salt

Pour pecan filling into the cups and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool and dust with confectioner sugar.

Grandma's Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

3 cups of flour

1 cup of butter

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon baking powder

¾ cup of sugar

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg, unbeatened

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  In separate bowl cream butter.  Gradually add sugar.  Stir in egg, cream and vanilla.  Mix well.  Blend in dry ingredients.  Chill dough for one hour.

Roll out 1/3 of the dough at a time on floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness.  Cut into desired shape with a cookie cutter.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 6 – 8 minutes.  Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.

Frost with Butter Cream Frosting:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes. Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Bars

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup 11.5 ounce package semi sweet chocolate chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine flour and baking soda in a small bowl.  Beat brown sugar, peanut butter, sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy.  Beat in egg and vanilla extract.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in chunks. Press into ungreased 13 x 9 inch pan.

Bake for 18 - 22 minutes or until center is set.

Patrick's Chocolate Decadence Cookies

These are a family favorite, especially my son, Patrick.

1 cup of butter

2 cups of flour

½ cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk

1 6 oz package chocolate chips

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

½ teaspoon vanilla

In large mixing bowl, with electric mixer beat butter for 30 seconds.  Add flour, sugar and salt.  Press 2/3 of mixture on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan.

In medium saucepan combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk;.  Stir over low heat until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth.  (or melt in microwave).  Remove from heat.  Stir in nuts and vanilla.  Spread hot mixture over crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack.  Cut into squares.  Makes 48 squares.

Ricotta Cookies

Cookie Dough
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
16 ounces ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons milk

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time and mix well. Add cheese, almond extract and vanilla. Beat one minute.

Stir together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Stir into creamed ingredients and mix well.

Drop by teaspoons full onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

To prepare frosting beat together powdered sugar and milk. Spread on top of cookies.

Makes 10 dozen.

Triple Chocolate Cinnamon Cookies

These cookies do not have a lot of flour in them which makes them very light and crispy!




¼ cup flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
¼ teaspoon baking powder
6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
7 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Walnut halves
Melted semi sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease large heavy cookie sheets. Combine flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer beat butter, sugar and eggs in another bowl until smooth. Stir in 8 ounces melted chocolate. Stir in dry ingredients. Add milk chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Drop dough by tablespoons full onto prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Press walnut half onto each cookie. Bake until cookies look dry but feel soft when lightly pressed about 11 minutes. Let cookies stand on sheets for 5 minutes transfer to rack and cool completely.

Drizzle melted chocolate on top of cookies and let strand until chocolate sets.
Makes about 34 cookies

Sensational Sugar Cookies

This wonderful, soft sugar cookie recipe came from my mother in law. They melt in your mouth and are delicious. We make them for almost every holiday and use different colored sugar to press them flat. For example red and green sugar at Christmas and orange sugar at Halloween.

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup salad oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
4 ¼ cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Cream butter, oil and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and mix well with creamed sugars. Chill dough for one hour.

Roll dough into balls the size of a walnut and place on cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Press each cookie flat with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. To get sugar to adhere to glass lightly grease bottom of glass by rubbing across cookie dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 – 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Makes about 6 dozen.

Fudge Brownies

Instead of making brownies from a box mix try this simple recipe. I have made it for years and it still gets rave reviews. It is so simple and delicious especially when the brownies are still warm and you enjoy them with a nice glass of milk. As a matter of a fact years ago when I was pregnant I used to make these brownies as an excuse to drink more milk!

1 cup of butter
4 squares of unsweetened chocolate
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup semi sweet of white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan. In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter and chocolate stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat. With wire whisk beat in sugar and eggs until well blended. Stir in flour, vanilla and salt. Fold in chocolate chips and spread evenly in pan.

Bake 30 – 35 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack. When cool cut into squares.

Cherry Crisp

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
5 cups fresh or frozen pitted tart red cherries

Topping:
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup butter softened

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease square pan, 8x8x2 pan.

For filling mix cherries, flour and sugar and place in bottom of greased pan.

Mix topping ingredients thoroughly and sprinkle over the top of cherries.

Bake for 30 minutes until topping is golden brown.

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Apricot Oat Bars

Filling:

1 13 ounce jar apricot jam or perserves (about 1 1/4 cup)
8 dried apricots, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

Crust

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed light brown augar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 cup melted unsalted butter, melted
1 egg at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 x 13 inch metal baking dish with cooking spray.

Filling:  In a small bowl, mix together the jam and apricots.  Set aside.

Crust:  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.  Stir in the oats and walnuts.  Add the butter, egg and vanilla and stir until incorporated.

Using a fork or clean fingers, lightly press half of the crust mixture onto the bottom of the prepared pan.  Using spatula, spread the filling over the crust leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge of the pan.  Cover the filling with the remaining crust mixture and gently press to flatten.  Bake until light golden, about 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool for one hour.  Cut into bars and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies

These are so easy you can make them in one bowl.

Chocolate Sugar Cookies
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Microwave chocolate and butter in a large bowl at HIGH for 2 minutes
or until butter is melted.  Stir until completely melted.

Stir 1 cup sugar into melted chocolate until well blended.  Stir in
egg and vanilla until completely mixed.  Mix in flour, soda and salt
until well blended.

Chill dough until easy to handle, about 30 minutes.  Shape into one
inch balls, roll in sugar.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  If  a
flatter crispier cookie is desired flatten with bottom of a glass.
Bake a 375 degrees for 8 minutes.  Cool on rack makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Homemade Chocolate Cake with English Caramel and Buttercream Frosting



My lovely birthday buddy MaryPat enjoying the cupcake

 This cake recipe was given to me by my mother-in-law Judy who was an amazing cook.  She made this recipe as cupcakes for special occasions. My father-in-law Jerry used to hang around and wait for the ones that she did not think were presentable for company.  He was only to eager to eat them.  I also believe once you see how simple and delicious this is you will not need to purchase another chocolate cake mix.


3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 salt
1 1/3 cups water


Heat oven to 350 degrees.


Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla, beat for one minute on medium speed.  Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Add alternately with the water to the cream mixture while beating at low speed.  Pour batter into 2-8 inch cake pans that have been greased and floured.  Or pour into cupcake holder that have been placed in a muffin pan.


Bake 35 - 40 minutes for the cake and 20 - 25 minutes for cupcakes.  The cake is finished when it is poked with a toothpick and the toothpick comes out clean.


For the frosting try the below English Caramel which is absolutely delicious, or if you want something simpler, just make the Buttercream that follows.


English Caramel Frosting


2/3 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup milk


1 pound confectioner sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla


Melt butter in saucepan.  Add brown sugar and milk and heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil gently for 5  minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes. Blend in confectioner sugar, stirring until smooth.  Add vanilla and stir until spreading consistency.


Buttercream Frosting


1/2 cup butter - softened
16 ounces confectioner sugar
4 - 6 tablespoons milk or half & half
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla


In large bowl, with mixer at medium low speed beat butter, confectioner's sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla until smooth and blended.  Beat in additional milk, if needed to make frosting spreading consistency.  Increase mixture speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy.

Super Quick Hot Fudge Sauce

I love chocolate, so when I crave some I make this sauce and spoon it over ice cream, bananas or just dip pretzels or graham crackers in it.  Once you make this you will never buy another jar of hot fudge sauce.

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk

Place milk and chips in a microwave safe dish.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Stir, and if chips are not melted microwave 30 seconds, stir and if chips are still not melted microwave 30 more seconds.

Once chips are melted and the milk is hot stir thoroughly until milk and melted chips are combined.

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

Lemon Raspberry Cupcakes

¾ cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3 cups powdered sugar

4 ½ teaspoons freshly grated lemon peel

2 large eggs

1 ¼ cups self rising flour

¼ cup buttermilk

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

12 teaspoons plus one tablespoon seeded raspberry jam

Fresh raspberries (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Using electric mixture, beat butter, 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, and 3 teaspoons lemon peel in large bowl until blended, and then beat until fluffy and pale yellow.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition.  Beat in half the flour.  Add buttermilk and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, beat to blend.  Beat in remaining flour.

Drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of batter into each liner.  Spoon 1 teaspoon raspberry jam over.  Cover with remaining batter, dividing equally.

Bake cupcakes until tester comes out clean, about 23 minutes.  Cool cupcakes in pan on rack.  Meanwhile whisk remaining 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 ½ teaspoons lemon peel in small bowl.  Spoon half the frosting over six cupcakes.  Whisk 1 tablespoon raspberry jam into remaining icing.  Spoon over remaining cupcakes.  Top with raspberries.