Category Archives: Desserts

Cookies

Chocolate Pinwheels

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1-3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • (1) 1-ounce square unsweetened chocolate, melted. *NOTE:  3 level tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon shortening or oil equals a 1 ounce square of unsweetened chocolate.

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar and  vanilla till light and fluffy; beat in egg.  Sift together dry ingredients; mix into creamed mixture.  Divide dough in half; mix chocolate into one part. Make pinwheels or other shapes. Wrap in waxed paper. Chill thoroughly. Slice thin; bake on ungreased cookie sheet in moderate oven(375 degrees) 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4-6 dozen

Pinwheels:

On waxed paper, roll each half of dough into 12×10 inch rectangle. (piece dough together if necessary, to make rectangle. Brush one layer with milk; place other layer on top; peel off waxed paper. Roll as for jelly roll. Slice and bake as directed above.

Half-and-half:

Make two rolls, 2 inches thick- one plain and one chocolate. Wrap in waxed paper; chill. Cut each roll in half lengthwise. Brush cut surfaces with milk. Press plain and chocolate halves together to make rolls. Wrap in waxed paper; chill again. Slice thin. Bake as directed.

Checkerboards:

Slice chilled half-and-half rolls of dough lengthwise through both plain and chocolate.  Brush cut surfaces with milk. Turn one half end for end; seal the two halves together. Slice and bake as directed above.

Ribbons:

On waxed paper, roll plain and chocolate dough each into 8×7 inch rectangle. Cut each in half lengthwise.  Peel off waxed paper. Stack plain and chocolate strips in alternate layers, brushing between layers with milk. Press together; wrap in waxed paper; chill 2 1/2 hours or overnight. Slice crosswise and bake.

Desserts

Mom’s Caramel Corn

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 6 quarts of popped corn

Directions

Melt butter, stir in syrup, sugar into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add soda, vanilla and pour over popped corn. Stir well. Bake on a cookie sheet (I use a disposable foil roasting pan) at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool-break apart. Store in an airtight container.

Cookies

Cowboy Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 1/3 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, (Use Gluten Free baking flour for Gluten Free cookies!)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or you can substitute 1/2 cup coconut sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. in a large bowl mix the oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, white sugar, baking soda, pecans, salt and chocolate chips In a medium bowl mix together melted butter, egg and teaspoon of vanilla. Pour butter mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until mixed. You may have to use your hands to finish mixing. Shape into walnut-sized balls. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Transfer from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

 

Desserts

Mom’s Cheesecake

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup graham-cracker crumbs, (Use gluten free graham crackers for a yummy gluten free cheesecake)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 3 packages (8 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup  sugar
  • 2 cups sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Make crust: In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and butter, mixing well. Spread evenly over bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan, pressing lightly with fingertips. Refrigerate while filling is prepared.
Make filling: In a large bowl with electric mixer, at medium speed, beat cheese until light. Add eggs, vanilla, and sugar: continue beating until creamy and light. Pour into crust in pan, Bake 35 minutes.
Make topping: In medium bowl, with wooden spoon, beat together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Set aside until cheesecake is done.
Remove cheesecake from oven, spread topping evenly over surface; bake 5 minutes. Cool in pan, or a wire rack. Then refrigerate 5 hours, or overnight. To serve: Remove side of spring form pan and cut cheesecake into wedges. Makes 10-12 servings

For different flavor cheesecakes:

Lemon:   Add the zest of 1 large lemon to batter when you are adding in the vanilla. Top and bake the same as regular cheesecake.

Pumpkin: Add 1 cup canned pumpkin, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves to the batter. Top and bake the same as regular cheesecake.

Desserts

My Favorite Pie Crust

Ingredients

  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 12 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 14 tablespoons ice water

Directions

Makes 2 (9-10) inch crusts

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half the ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moistened. It will go from being a mess to coming together.  Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.) While
rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Divide dough in half .Turn one half of dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place remaining half on another piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close it in wrap.  Place both in coldest part of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.