Candy Chippers

A minty chocolate chip cookie warm from the oven and the smell of baking is a memory I have of these Christmas Cookies. I usually make a variety of cookies and put them on a plate.

1/2  cup shortening
1/4  cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp Salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy

Cream together shortening and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Sift flour, salt and soda, add add and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and peppermint candy. Drop by teaspoonfuls on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake 375 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly then remove from pan.

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses

Cream the first three ingredients together. Add and cream together:

1 egg

Then add:

2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon

Form into balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes.

Ginger Creams

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup water
2 cups flour
1 tsp. Ginger
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Vanilla Butter Frosting

Mix sugar, shortening, egg, molasses and water. Stir in remaining ingredients except frosting. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 400. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until almost no indentation remains when touched, about 8 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Cool, frost with Vanilla Butter Frosting.

Vanilla Butter Frosting

1/4 cup margarine or Butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
About 1 TBS milk

Mix margarine and powdered sugar. Beat in vanilla and milk until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Mexican Wedding Cakes

1 cup margarine, softened
1 tsp vanilla
2 TBS powdered sugar
2 cups sifted flour
1 cup chopped nuts
Powdered sugar to roll cookies in, at least 1 cup

Mix margarine, vanilla and water together, add 2 Tbs powdered sugar, flour and nuts. Mix thoroughly. Roll dough into oblongs. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet, 300 degree until lightly browned.  Roll immediately, while still hot in powdered sugar.

Choco Mint Picnic Brownies

I ran across this recipe in the Lion House Bakery Cookbook and I had this craving for mint brownies. This isn't the exact recipe in the cookbook because I did my mint variation. I thought they turned out great and wanted to share my success with everyone. I hope you enjoy them.

4 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon mint flavoring
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate and mint chips

Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 9-inch round pans.

In top of a double boiler or a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter. In a medium bowl, mix sugar, vanilla, mint flavor, and salt; add to melted chocolate mixture and blend well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and mix well. Divide batter equally into prepared pans. Spread evenly and sprinkle top of each with chopped nuts and chocolate/mint chips. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Brownies are done when a toothpick inserted an inch from center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Run a thin knife between pan and brownies and turn upside down. With knife that is longer than brownies are wide, cut brownies by pressing knife straight down through brownines; cut each round into 8 wedges. Makes 16 brownies. These brownies store and stack well, for easy portability.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

Last night Kerry and I invited family over because Janilee, my son Jonathan's wife, is here visiting and helping to decorate our home. I wanted to make something special for my company so I made a recipe that Kerry's mother had given to me. I made a little variation due to time constraints. The cookie is very rich and the marshmallow is a surprise when you bite into it. These are Kerry's favorite cookies so I hope you will enjoy them too.

1 3/4 cups sifted cake flour

1/2 tsp soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp vanilla

36 large marshmallows, cut in half

1 can chocolate frosting, or add 5 Tbs cocoa to a can of white fluffy frosting

Sift flour, measure, sift again with soda, salt and cocoa. Cream shortening. Add sugar gradually, blending thoroughly. Add egg, beat well. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beating after each addition. Add chopped nuts and vanilla, mix. Drop by level teaspoonsful, about two inches apart onto a well greased cookie sheet. Cookies will spread. Bake in moderate (350 degree) oven for eight minutes, top with marshmallow half, cut side down. Return to oven and bake two minutes, until marshmallows soften. Cool and frost with frosting.

Gifts from the Kitchen

I taught a class once on fun and easy gifts from the kitchen. My ideas were already made like making Chocolate Crinkle Cookies and putting them in a new dustpan. I attached a poem to the dustpan that went like this: I baked a batch of cookies and dropped them on the floor. I quickly scooped them up and rushed them to your door. One fun idea I found is to make mixes in a jar and give them as gifts. Here are a few to try.

Hot Chocolate Mix

3 cups powdered milk
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 cup sugar
dash of salt
Sift the ingredients into a large bowl. Pack the mix into an airtight container.

Attach this to the jar:

Hot Chocolate
Serves 1
4 Tbs. Hot Chocolate Mix
8 ounces boiling water
Marshmallows or whipped cream

Double Fudge Brownie Mix
Dense and fudgy, these are the best brownies in the world.
2 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa (not Dutch process)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Attach this to the jar:
Double Fudge Brownies
Makes 24
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
4 eggs 1 package Double-Fudge Brownie Mix
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 12 by 9 inch pan. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the Double-Fudge Brownie Mix and continue to beat the mixture until it is smooth. Spread the mixture into the greased pan, and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Cookies
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cups sugar
In a large bowl, combine the ingredients with a whisk. Store the mix in an airtight container.

Attach this to the jar:
Snickerdoodles
Makes about 5 dozen cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs
1 package Snickerdoodle Mix
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until light; add the eggs and beat on low speed until the mixture is smooth. Add the Snickerdoodle Mix and continue to beat on low speed until the dough begins to form. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls and roll in the cinnamon sugar blend. Arrange on ungreased baking sheets 2 inches apart and bake for 16 to 19 minutes or until light tan. Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Fortune Cookies

Jonathan came home one day when he was 12 with a fortune cookie recipe written in his own hand. I kept the memory of this moment by preserving the recipe as he wrote it. The cookies were fun for him to make and I hope you will have as much fun opening the fortunes.

1/2 cup of melted butter
3 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup of flour
1 tsp of vanilla
2 Tbs water

Materials
a pencil and paper
sissors
a large bowl
a saucepan
measuring cups and spoons
a cookie sheet
a clean empty egg carton
a spatula


Mix egg whites, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Then one at a time stir in flour, vanilla, butter, and water. Put batter in fridge for 30 minutes then preheat oven to 350. Write 48 fortunes. Grease cookie sheet and take batter out of the refrigerator. Put 2 tsp of batter on cookie sheet and spread into 2 small circles. Repeat until 48 cookies are made. Cook 3 to 5 minutes ot until edges turn brown. Fold (with fortune) while still soft. Put in egg carton.

Raisin Criss Cross Cookies

These cookies are like a lemon shortbread cookie with raisins. I got this recipe in Blackfoot Idaho from Dee Black. I love the lemony flavor of this cookie. I hope you will enjoy it too.

1 cube (1/2 cup) margarine or butter
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 tspsalt
3/4 tsp of cream of tartar
1 cup raisins
1 tsp lemon extract

Cream margarine and sugar, then add egg and extract, dry ingredients and last add raisins. Roll into small balls, flatten with a fork in a crosscross design on top of cookie. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

7 layer bars

When I was growing up this was a favorite to make. It contained all those good things that cookies have in them like chocolate, nuts, butterscotch chips, and coconut. These were extremely popular when my kids were little so I guess you could call this a retro recipe. It is still a good chewy cookie.

1 stick margarine
1 1/4 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 cup coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips (if desired)
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1 can Eagle Brand Milk

Melt margarine in 13 x 9 pan, sprinkle on graham cracker crumbs, then coconut, chocolate and butterscotch chips, and nuts. Pour the milk on very evenly. Bake in a 350 oven for 25 minutes. Do not stir.

Scotcharoos (Chocolate Rice Krispies Cookies)

This is a favorite family recipe and watch out because they disappear fast. My family just gobbles these up. I asked Kerry's mom, Theone Miles, for his favorite cookie recipe and she sent me this one. One advantage to this recipe is that it is fast and easy to make.

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup white corn syrup

Bring these ingredients to a boil in a heavy pan. Then remove and add:

1 cup of peanut butter

Stir until the peanut butter is melted. Pour over:

6 cups of Rice Krispies cereal
Add 1 cup of chopped pecans (if desired)

Spread mixture ina 9 x 13 pan and level. In a double boiler, melt 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 cup of butterscotch chips. Spread over first mixture. Put in freezer a few minutes until chocolate is set. Cut into bars.

Owl Cookies

My mother sent me this recipe and we used to make these cookies at Halloween time. They are fun cookies and go fast.

¾ cup chortening (part butter or margarine)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. Baking powder
1 tsp. Salt
2 square chocolate or 6 TBS cocoa mixed with 2 TBS melted butter or margarine

Mix shortening, sugar, eggs and flour thoroughly. Stir flour, baking powder and salt together. Blend in with wet mixture. Divide dough in half. Add chocolate to one half and roll out into a 12” by 9” oblong. The other half forms a roll about 8 inches long. Chill. Roll the chocolate or wrap it around the roll. Pinch seam together. Wrap with wax paper and chill one hour. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before slicing. Pinch chocolate dough to form ears for each owl face. Use two chocolate pieces for eyes and a peanut for beak. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.

Pepernooder Danish Cookies

Hannah Marie Sandberg my Great-Grandmother made these at Christmastime and sent them to all her Grandchildren so they could play this game. I remember going to her farm for a family reunion when I was about 4 years old. There were lots of things to do and Great-Grandmother was busy cooking and taking care of the farm. We went to pick the green beans in the field and played in the barn with the kittens. (I got locked in by a sneaky cousin and was later rescued after crying forever). Then we swam in the ditch and I discovered water skeeters. It was fun to sleep in the bedroom at the top of the stairs in the huge bed and listen to the crickets at night.

1 egg
½ tsp salt
1 cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 tsp. ginger
1 cup sour cream with 1 tsp soda mixed with ½ cup shortening
3-4 cups flour

Mix ingredients. Use enough flour to make a soft dough that will roll. Roll into thin snake like strips and cut into ½ in lengths. Bake at 350 until brown.

Peppernuts Game

Each player is given 12 peppernuts. The oldest player begins. Players keep nuts hidden under their hands or a cup. Captain puts any number from 0-12 nuts in his hand and asks each of the other players how many he has. After they guess, he shows them If any one guesses the correct number, he gets them. If a player guesses more, he deducts to the right number; if he guesses less, he adds to the number, and the number missing are given to the first player. Then the next player to the right has his turn, and it continues around the table. The one who has the most after the last player plays is the winner of the round. Five games are played to determine the grand winner. Between games, players may treat themselves to fresh peber noder from a bowl to eat – never the playing nuts. Any number may play the game.

Raisin Cookie Bars

Here is a recipe handed down for generations from Grandmother Bessie Olsen. My mother used to make this treat for us after school. We loved to come home to the smell of raisin bars.

4 c. flour
2 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cloves
1 tsp salt
1 t. baking powder
1 t. soda
1 c. walnuts
Mix all dry ingredients.

In a sauce pan cook on low for 30 minutes:
3 c. water
1 c. shortening
2 c. raisins
After this mixture cools add the dry ingredients and 2 eggs.

Pour on large greased cookie sheet 17x13. Bake for 30 minutes
at 350.

When the bars are still warm glaze with the following:
2 T. Margarine
4 T. Canned Milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and add powdered sugar to make a medium paste.

Let cool. Cut into bars. These keep well in the freezer.

Peanut Blossoms

I asked Aunt Dixie to give me her favorite cooky recipe once. This cooky is a delicious combination of chocolate and peanut butter.

Sift together
1 3/4 c. sifted flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. salt

Cream together
1/2 c. butter and 1/3 cup peanut butter
Gradually add
1/2 c. sugar and1/2 c. firmly paked brown sugar, creaming well.
Add 1 unbeaten egg and 1 tsp vanilla
Beat well.

Blend in the dry ingredients gradually; mix thoroughly.Shape dough into balls using a rounded teaspoonful for each.Roll balls in sugar and place on greased baking sheet.Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Top each cookie with a solid milk chocolate candy kiss (Hershey's) pressing downfirmly so the cookie cracks the cooky around the edge. Return thecookies to the oven and bake 2-5 minutes longer until golden brown.

Monster Cookies

My mother sent me this recipe and I made this when my children were growing up. If you like a big cookie this is your recipe.

2/3 c. shortening (1/3 c. Crisco, 1/3 c. margarine)
½ c. granulated sugar
½ c. brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream together and add:
1 ¾ c. flour
½ tsp. soda
½ tsp. salt
½ c. chopped nuts
6 oz. Pkg. Chocolate chips

For “Monster Cookies” use ¼ c. dough per cookie and put about 15-20 M&M’s on top of each ball of dough. Bake at 375 about 15-17 minutes.