Christmas Cookie #3: Cream Cheese Cookies

These cookies are so beautiful to look at, and so rich that one tiny mouthful is enough to satisfy. As they bake, the dough turns a gorgeous white that contrasts so beautifully with the cherry. They are my favorite cookies of the season.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter, softened
1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 cup splenda
2 tsp. vanilla
2 egg yolks
5 cups flour
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 jar maraschino cherries

Cream butter, cheese, sugar, and splenda. Blend in egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour gradually, followed by nuts. Roll dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter. Cut each cherry in fourths. Press 1/4 cherry into the top of each cookie. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.

Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie #2: Fresh Ginger-Lemon Cookies

I love the taste of these gentle ginger cookies. They are a far cry from the heavily spiced taste of ginger snaps or gingerbread. I love to eat them with a nice, hot cup of Earl Grey. They are a crisp mouthful of buttery ginger-lemon goodness -- a great taste of the holidays.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon white vinegar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 tbs fresh ginger, finely ground in the food processor
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure lemon extract

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the sugar and butter, add vinegar and mix thoroughly. Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, beating after each addition. The dough should be thick, but not stiff or dry. Roll dough in 1-inch balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Gently press into 1/2 inch rounds with your fingers or the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar. Bake 14-16 minutes, until golden. Cool completely.

Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie #1: Surprise Sugar Cookies

My family is crazy over Christmas cookies. We bake them. We exchange them with friends. We use and re-use old recipes, adapt recipes, and try new recipes. Because Christmas cookies are such a fun and important part of our holiday celebration, I thought I'd spend December posting old stand-bys and new favorites.

The first is Surprise Sugar Cookies -- they are crisp and tasty and they disappear fast! And the surprise is just how easy they are to make! We made a batch today (my three-year-old and I) in about a half hour. With her helping. A lot. (Get the picture?)

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. white vinegar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Red and green colored sugar sprinkles, mixed together

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine butter and 3/4 cups sugar and beat until light and creamy. Add baking soda and mix until incorporated. Add vinegar. Gradually mix in flour and vanilla. (The dough should be quite thick.) Roll dough into 1 inch balls.

Roll the balls in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, mixed with the colored sugar sprinkles -- this is a great job for the kids. Place cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet (cookie will spread quite a bit, so leave plenty of room). To make it easier to bring the cookies from the sheet to a cooling rack, I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Bake 12-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool 3-5 minutes on the baking sheet before moving to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Julia's Pumpkin Cake

I made this cake for my family last night and they loved it! It has a moist texture and just enough sweetness without being too sweet. I used fresh pumpkin puree (from my Perfect Baked Pumpkin recipe), but you can use canned if you need to. This is one of my favorite fall sweets and it's so easy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pumpkin puree

Mix brown sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs. Sift in the flour, soda, salt, and spices. Mix well with an electric mixer until there are no lumps (3-4 minutes on medium). Add pumpkin puree. Mix again for one minute. Bake in greased and floured 9x13 cake pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out completely clean. Cool completely and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. (so yummy!)

Enjoy!

Megan's Cranberry Bread

Megan bakes this bread every year and gives it away as gifts. It is so tasty and moist, with a hint of citrus and those tangy, tart cranberries. We look forward to it every November!

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp fresh orange zest
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbs water
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup raw cranberries

Mix dry ingredients and add egg. In a saucepan, melt butter and add water and orange juice. Pour wet ingredients into batter and mix well. Fold in pecans and cranberries. Bake in greased loaf pans at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

"Impossible" Coconut Custard Pie

This is a recipe from my childhood. We called "Impossible Pie" because it is crustless. I can think of no circumstance in which it could be considered healthy. It is decadent and wonderful and best in small slices.

Ingredients

4 eggs
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients until fully incorporated. Pour into a 10 inch greased and floured pie pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

NanaJane's Pumpkin Pie

The secret ingredients of this classic recipe are honey and molasses. They give NanaJane's pumpkin pie a flavor that's just different enough to set it apart at Thanksgiving time.

Ingredients:

One 8-9 inch pie crust, unbaked

2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/4 cup mashed pumpkin
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1 Tbs molasses
1 Tbs honey
1 can of evaporated milk

Blend together the eggs and pumpkin. Add sugar, salt, spices, molasses and honey. Mix well. Stir in evaporated milk. Pour custard carefully into crust and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and continue baking for 40-45 minutes. If crust starts to get too brown, cover the edge with foil for the last 15 minutes of baking.

Enjoy!

NanaJane's Pumpkin Muffins

When I was a girl, my mother would serve these muffins as a surprise addition to her oven-fried chicken dinners. I looked forward to their moist texture and perfect sweet-spiciness. Pumpkin muffins were a welcome sign that Fall had arrived. I am so blessed to be able to pass on this recipe to my own children. I love to see their delighted eyes when they spy this delicious treat on our supper table.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
(see Perfect Baked Pumpkin)
1/4 cup melted butter, cooled slightly
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped nuts or raisins (optional)

Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add wet ingredients. Mix gently with a wooden spoon or spatula until the batter is just moistened and lumpy. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. (Sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar if you like.) Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Remove from pan immediately and serve piping hot.

Enjoy!

Jeff & Katie's Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

Jeff and Katie stopped by our house earlier this week, and I made them these cookies. As our children played with them and their young daughter, the heaping plate I brought to the table was reduced to crumbs. Fortunately, I had set some aside for Jeff and Katie to bring home! (I wonder whether Katie decided to share.) Well, with this recipe, I guess she can just make more!

Ingredients

2 cups flour
2/3 cup cocoa (I use Droste)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup Splenda for baking (or white sugar)
2 eggs
1 tbs vanilla
1 tbs milk
1 bag peanut butter chips (12 ounces)

Mix together the flour, cocoa, soda, and salt. Set the dry ingredients aside. In a large mixing bowl, blend the butter and shortening for about 2 minutes. Add the sugars and blend until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, blending after each addition. Add vanilla. Gradually blend in dry ingredients, scraping the bowl as you go. Add milk and mix thoroughly. The batter should be very light-textured. Add chips and mix in gently.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop from a teaspoon about 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool 1 minute in place and then move to a cooling rack. This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Enjoy!

Banana Nut Bread

When the weather turns cooler, I love to start baking. The warm oven heats up the kitchen, making it a natural place for my family to gather. And what calls to them more than the wonderful smell of baking bread? I make our banana nut bread in mini-loaves, with nuts on the inside and outside. They make wonderful gifts for neighbors, or a delicious snack, sliced with a light spread of cream cheese.

Ingredients

3 overripe bananas, well mashed.
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tbs. oil
2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a loaf pan, or mini-loaves. Mix bananas, oil, and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl.

(Tip: for perfect mashed bananas, place overripe bananas in the freezer overnight. Allow them to thaw in a bowl on the counter top. Snip off the end of the peel with a pair of scissors and squeeze the banana out through the opening.)

Stir together the dry ingredients and add to the banana mixture. Mix thoroughly. Add half of the nuts to the batter and stir. Pour the batter in prepared pan(s) and sprinkle remaining nuts on top. Bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean (mini-loaves will take less time). Cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

Tart Cherry Cobbler

Michigan tart cherries are the best in the world (in my humble opinion.) We have used thawed frozen cherries in this recipe, a great alternative to fresh if you have missed the short June-July cherry season. Our cobbler contains no starchy thickener, so the cherry layer remains juicy and delicious.

Ingredients:

5 cups tart cherries, pitted (with juice)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. almond extract

1/2 cup sugar

3 sticks butter, divided

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3 cups flour

4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup additional sugar

1/2 tsp. additional salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Measure cherries and juice into a large bowl. Add salt, almond extract, and sugar. Mix thoroughly and set aside. Melt one stick of butter (8 tbs.) and pour it into a 9X13 glass baking dish. Swish the butter around to coat the dish. Pour the cherry mixture into a buttered pan, using a spatula to spread the cherries in an even layer.

Melt the remaining 2 sticks (16 tbs.) butter. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Slowly drizzle warm butter into egg mixture, whisking constantly so the eggs don't curdle. Set wet ingredients aside.

In a large mixing bowl, blend remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients into center. Using a wooden spoon or sturdy spatula, gently mix the dry into the wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Evenly drop large spoonfuls of dough (like dumplings) overtop of the cherry mixture. The cherries should not be entirely covered.

To catch any overspill during baking, place a large cookie sheet onto the oven rack where you will bake your cobbler. Rest cobbler on the baking sheet and slide into preheated oven. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the dumpling layer comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Buttery Homemade Biscuits

We love these biscuits for breakfast or with soups and stews. My children break them open and eat them with honey. They are flaky and light and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbs. shortening
3 tbs cold salted butter
2/3 to 2/4 cups cold milk

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the shortening and butter with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture has lumps the size of peas. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in 1/2 cup milk. Mix it in quickly with a fork, distributing the liquid to as much of the mixture as possible. Gradually add more milk as you mix until the dough will just start to hold together. Turn the dough onto a floured pastry cloth or board and knead, very gently, only 6-8 times. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut biscuits into desired shape. Try to get them all the same height and size for even cooking. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, no more than 1/2 inch apart. Bake 12-14 minutes, until they are golden-brown. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Robert's Stromboli

This easy recipe is made with store bought dough from the frozen food section at the grocery store. It is great for parties because it can be made with a variety of fillings. The first time I made it, my friend Robert hugged me and said, "Stromboli! My favorite! You are a wonderful woman!" You don't get higher praise than that -- especially from Robert.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen bread dough (4 loaves)

sliced pepperoni
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 lb. shaved honey ham
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbs. honey Dijon mustard

1 tbs. horseradish sauce
1/2 lb. thinly sliced garlic roast beef
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly

2 tbs. thousand island dressing
1/2 lb. corned beef
1/2 lb. sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained

1 egg
2 tbs. water

Thaw bread dough until soft, but not risen. On a lightly floured board, roll each loaf into a 12x16 rectangle. Spread first Stromboli with tomato sauce, top with pepperoni and cheeses. Beginning with the long side, roll jelly-roll style and pinch end to seal. Spread next with mustard and top with ham and cheese. Third roll begins with horseradish sauce, topped with roast beef and fresh tomato. Finally, spread dressing on fourth roll, top with corned beef, cheese, and well-drained sauerkraut. Roll and seal each as you did the first and let rise in a warm place. Before baking, brush on egg wash (one egg beaten with 2 tbs. water) for a glossy crust. Bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet according to package directions, adding 10-15 minutes onto baking time. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Allow Stromboli to cool 10-15 minutes before slicing with a sharp serrated knife. Place slices on a platter for your guests.

Enjoy!

Crispy Sugar Surprise Cookies

Here's another of our family's favorites. You'll never guess these cookies are eggless or that their secret ingredient is vinegar. They come out crispy and delicious every time and truly melt in your mouth. Make them -- they're sure to disappear!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. white vinegar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Colored sugar sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine butter and 3/4 cups sugar and beat until light and creamy. Add baking soda and mix until incorporated. Add vinegar. Gradually mix in flour and vanilla. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, mixed with your favorite colored sugar sprinkles -- this is a great job for the kids. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet (cookie will spread quite a bit, so leave plenty of room). Flatten to 1/4 inch thickness with the bottom of a glass, dipped in sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Carrot Cake

This is a family recipe for my husband's favorite cake. He asks for it as his birthday cake every year! It is moist and delicious.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

1/2 cup vegetable oil (I use Canola.)

1/2 cup applesauce

4 eggs

2 cups carrots, grated

1 cup gerber carrot baby food

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Mix first six ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add oil and applesauce, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add carrots and pecans, mix until distributed throughout batter. Pour into prepared baking pans (greased & floured). Bake at 350 degrees for 32-37 minutes. Cool completely. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Pie

I have a well-worn cookbook from decades ago with an hilarious introduction to the chapter on pies. "If you care about pleasing a man," it reads, "learn to make pie." It is sad to say, but in my household, it rings true. This was one of my father's day gifts to my husband, and it is a recipe worth sharing. It makes a 9 or 10 inch pie.

Ingredients:

For the Crust,

2 2/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
8 tablespoons water

For the Filling,

5 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 tbs. butter

To make the crust, mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles crumbs -- I leave pieces of shortening as large as a pencil eraser, to make the crust nice and flaky. Sprinkle the water over the mixture, 1-2 tbs. at a time, tossing with a fork to distribute the moisture. Once all 8 tbs. are in, divide it in two equal portions on pieces of plastic wrap. Wrap crust mixture and shape into disks. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, place diced rhubarb into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix flour and sugar. Sprinkle over the rhubarb as you mix, getting an even coating on all the pieces. There will be some dry ingredients that pool at the bottom of the bowl. Don't worry about that.

Remove crusts from fridge and roll out lower crust on floured board or pastry cloth. Rolled pastry should measure about 1 1/2 inches larger than your pie plate on all sides. Use rolling pin to pick pastry up and carefully transfer to pie plate. Place 1/2 filling into crust. Gather dry ingredients that have pooled at the bottom of your rhubarb bowl and sprinkle over filling. Top with remaining rhubarb mixture. Dot filling with butter. Roll out top crust and place on top of filling. Pinch edges of two crusts together to seal. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Use a strip of foil to cover the edge of the crust and prevent it from burning. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Pie is done when crust is golden brown and filling bubbles up through slits.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Apple Crisp

My children's grandfather has a weakness for anything with apples in it. His account of a good restaurant meal always ends with, "and they had this great apple dessert..." This recipe is his wife's answer to her husband's apple craving. Served over a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, it is a sweet way to end a home-cooked meal.

Ingredients:

4 cups apples, peeled and sliced (Granny Smith or Jonathan work best)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter

Butter a 10" x 13" glass baking dish. Combine apple slices, cinnamon, salt, and water and spread evenly along the bottom. In a mixing bowl, cut together flour, sugar, and butter with two knives or a pastry blender until the mixture resembles crumbs. Sprinkle crumb topping evenly over apple mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve warm.

Butterscotch Haystacks

This is such a simple cookie to do with the kids. It requires no baking (so you don't have to heat up the oven in hot weather) and it's a great activity for rainy days on summer vacation! Hint: make lots! These will disappear!

Ingredients:

2 cups butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky as you prefer
1 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
4 cups crispy chow mein noodles

Combine the butterscotch chips and peanut butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 3-5 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Stir again until smooth. Place peanuts and chow mein noodles in a large mixing bowl. Pour warm butterscotch mixture over noodles as you stir, coating them thoroughly. Place by spoonfuls on wax paper and allow to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Summercake

This is one of the best (easiest) cakes. It is a crowd-pleaser and looks simply amazing!

Ingredients:

1 store-bought (or homemade) Angel Food Cake
1 pkg. raspberry jello
1 small bag frozen raspberries
1 8 oz. tub of cool whip
1 1/2 cups water
fresh raspberries and mint leaves to garnish

Instructions:

Slice the angel food cake into 3 layers. Set aside. Mix jell-o with 1 cup boiling water. Stir until dissolved. Mix in 1/2 cup cold water and frozen raspberries. Chill in refridgerator for 15 minutes, until semi-soft. Fold jell-o/berry mixture into cool whip. Frost between the angel food layers. Mix frosting again until smooth. Chill frosting and cake 15 more minutes. Frost top and sides of cake. Fill center hole and top with fresh raspberries. Fresh mint gives some nice color to garnish.