Spritz Cookies--Oh Yeah!

With this recipe you need one of those cookie press thingies--I've handed mine off to 

blonded daughter and she makes these cookies now.

Assembly the following:

1 Cup butter--yummy butter!

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

2 teaspoons of vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups flour

1. Heat oven to 400°F.
2. Combine all ingredients except flour in bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add flour; beat at low speed until well mixed. Prepare dough as directed by variations below, if desired. (If dough is too soft, cover and refrigerate, 30-45 minutes.)
3. Place dough into cookie press fitted with template. Form desired shapes, 1 inch apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets.
4. Bake 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.

No Bake Cookies?!

When I asked hubby which was his favorite cookie, he thought for a while and then said,

"those drop chocolate cookies you made".  I said 'those sugary cookies?' and he nodded!

I asked the son the same question and his answer--"those chocolate no bake cookies!"

I can't believe!  All these years, I've been working away on fancy cookies and they

like these no bake ones--gee whiz!  Well, he does have a point though--

no bake chocolate oatmeal cookies are delicious and easy to make.

Sometimes, I'll add some peanut butter.  The kids could hardly wait for the cookies to firm up and sometimes were wiping the cookies off the paper with a spoon!  And everyone wants to lick the pan!

Here goes--the recipe

No Bake Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Cook time:  5 mins

Total time:  5 mins

Makes: 2 Dozen

Ingredients

• 2 cups granulate sugar
• 8 tbsp. (or 1 stick) butter or soft trans-fat free margarine
• ½ cup milk
• ⅓ cup baking cocoa
• 3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)

Supplies Needed:

• Measuring Cups
• Large Saucepan
• Rubber Spatula
• Tablespoon
• Stainless Steel Bowl (to mix hot chocolate mixture with oats)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine sugar, margarine, milk, and cocoa.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently.
3. (Total of about 5 minutes stove time)
4. Remove bowl / pan from heat. Stir in the oats.
5. Use a tablespoon to drop batter onto waxed paper or foil.
6. Let stand until firm. Allow about 30 minutes to form and cool.
7. Store tightly covered.

Bite Size Pecan Pies--

Can't eat a whole pecan pie--well, I could, but that's a different story!

These little pecan pies are perfect for parties or special occasions.  I would 

make them to freeze--when needed--there they were.

Of course, you need those little tiny muffin tins--you know, those little 

tins are so worth the price to create bite size tidbits of anything!

2--3 Oz cream cheese

2 sticks butter

2 cups flour

Let butter/cheese stand at room temperature.  Mix good--then add

flour--best to let sit in refrigerator for 1.5 hours covered.  Okay,

we ready to place in tins:  make small balls and place into muffin tin,

press around to cover the sides and bottoms.  Now, you're ready

for the filling!

1.5 Cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons softened butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

1.5 cups pecans (slightly chopped)

1/8 teaspoon salt _funny how this little bit of salt gives pecans taste

Stir together thoroughly to fill your

shells about 3/4 full.

bake 25 minutes in 375* oven

Enjoy, my friends and think of me as you savour!

Fig Cakes--From a Friend!

Many years ago when we lived in Louisiana, we enjoyed the fellowship of  great folks, who shared so many of their life styles, especially food!  And with the sharing of food came the recipes for the dishes that we ate.  Louisiana is known for good Cajun food--but, here is one recipe that I thoroughly enjoyed making and eating--and it doesn't have anything to do with seafood or spices or the holy trinity (celery, onion, bell pepper).

If you have ever eaten a Fig Newton cookie--this is ten times better!  Of course, it takes some preparation but oh so worth it!  Thanks to my dear Lousiana friend Helen, as she shared with me, I share with you!

Here we go with the dough recipe:
                      1 Cup shortening (it's that shortening thing again)
                      1 Cup sugar
                      3 eggs
                      1 teaspoon vanilla
                      7 Cups flour (could be more, could be less)
                      7 teaspoons of baking powder
                      1 Cup milk
                      1 teaspoon salt
 Cream shortening, sugar, add eggs, vanilla till fluffy.  Sift flour with baking powder and salt into shortening/sugar mixture; gradually add milk till stiff dough is moist--not too dry--not too wet!
Form into ball--at this point, you can let dough rest in refrigerator while you mix up the filling.

Filling:           2 packages of dried figs
                       1/2 cup raisins
                       1/2 cup pecans
                       1/2 pint fig preserves
                       dash of black pepper
                       juice of orange and grated rind.
Soak the dried figs about an hour or until soft.  Grind figs, pecans and orange rind.  Add this to the fig preserves and raisins.  Mix.

Now, take the dough and roll out till about 1/4" thick; cut into 2" strips across the dough.  In each section add a Tablespoon full of the fig mixture.  Fold over the dough, place on baking sheet and bake at 400* for 20 minutes or till brown.
While the fig cakes are cooling, sift one box of powdered sugar with little milk to pour over the cakes.  Traditionally, you can add sprinkles--but, in our house, these little delights were gobbled up quicker than I could add the sprinkles--

Just yummy goodness coming to your mouth!  I think I'm off to the grocery to pick up some shortening and dried figs!

Sugar Cookies Or Take Out the Christmas Cookie Cutters!

Here is the Bestest Christmas cookie recipe--in my book anyway!

I would make up this dough and let it sit in refrigerator till there was

plenty of time for the kids to gather around the table so we could all 

play with the cookie cutters.

2 Cups shortening (does anyone use shortening anymore?!)

3 Cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (don't leave this out!  makes all the difference in the world)

1 teaspoon vanilla

6-7 Cups of all purpose flour

Cream shortening and sugar till fluffy; add eggs one at a time, beat till

incorporated (I love saying that!)

Add flavoring, nutmeg and flour (enough to form still dough--use your good 

judgement on this)

Gather up into ball and chill at least one hour.

When ready, roll out at least 1/4" thick, use powdered sugar on your cutting board--

trust me--this is super delicious and no floury taste to the cookie!

Cut into desired shape.  Bake 400* at least 8-10 minutes--but check to make

sure nothing is burning--No one likes burnt sugar cookies!

Usually, I didn't take the time to frost, but you can if you have the energy and time.

Of course, in today's market, you can find all kinds of prepared frostings.

A glass of cold milk with your cookie is perfect!!

Gingerbread Boys And Girls--

This is a must for the holidays--only because of a funny story!

I have a set of big and little ginger people cutters and I like to make the smaller ones

as it's just a pop in the mouth for a bite of deliciousness!

One year when I was baking the little ginger people, brown headed daughter had a (boy)

friend over to the house to visit.  They were sitting in the front room talking--

I took out a pan of the ginger people from the oven and holy moly, one of the little boys had

jumped right on top of the little girls!  It was so funny I just had to share with

BHD and her friend!  Guess what, she didn't think it was funny!!  And I don't think he ever came back to the house!

So here is the recipe for those gals and guys:

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup butter

3 Tablespoons of molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Combine sugar, butter, egg, molasses and vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add all remaining cookie ingredients; beat at low speed until well mixed.
2. Divide dough in half; wrap in plastic food wrap. Refrigerate 1-2 hours or until firm.
3. Heat oven to 375°F.
4. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface, one-half at a time (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut with 4-inch cookie cutter. Place cookies, 1 inch apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 6-9 minutes or until set. Let stand 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
5. Combine powdered sugar, 1/3 cup butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla in bowl. Beat at low speed, adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency. Decorate cooled cookies with frosting as desired.

Texas Whiskey Balls--You Bet!

December 1--This is the Day!  To make those whiskey balls--you want them to sit and mellow in all that good whiskey--so with each bite you get a burst of flavor.  Don't open the tin until

Christmas Eve--well, maybe you can sneak one or two before then.  After all, someone needs to be

the tester.

In Texas we use good whiskey, especially this one from Garrison Brothers Distillery in Hye, Texas.

We met Dan Garrison right at the creation of his distillery back in November, 2009--

If you are near Hye (west of Johnson City, TX) sometime be sure to stop in to see the

distillery and have a sample of some mighty fine whiskey.

Anyway, back to making those whiskey balls--they have got to age and I mean if you can mix them up earlier than December 1--do it!

1 Box of Vanilla wafers

1 Cup powdered sugar

1 cup pecans

1/2 teaspoon cocoa

2 Tablespoons of syrup

1/4 Cup whiskey

grate pecans and wafers--mix all ingredients

roll into balls--you can roll the balls into powdered sugar or cocoa

Mellow out those suckers!