Nutty Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

My family loves these cookies so much, even a double batch can disappear in a few days. They are hearty and satisfying from the cookie jar or still warm from the oven. These Oatmeal Raisin cookies are the perfect snack for a cold winter afternoon. This recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

2 cups butter or margerine
2 cups brown sugar, packed
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
6 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cups finely chopped pecans
2 1/4 cups raisins


Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars. Beat eggs slightly and add to sugar-cream mixture. Add vanilla and blend until batter is uniformly smooth. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Stir until combined and add gradually to batter, mixing well after each addition. Stir in oats, raisins and nuts.

Drop teaspoonfuls of batter onto ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart. Cookie will spread as it bakes. Bake in center of oven, 12-14 minutes. Allow to cool 1-2 minutes before transferring from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Christmas Sweets: Sugar & Spice Pecans

This recipe always gets raves from my neighbors. The secret to it is the salt and periodic stirring as the pecans bake. Even when I make a large batch, I run out!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of pecans (32 ounces)

2 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Beat egg whites to a light froth. In a large bowl, mix with pecans and toss to coat. Mix sugar, salt, and spices separately and pour over pecans, tossing again to distribute evenly over the nuts. Place in a single layer on a parchment paper-covered cookie sheet (I divide the mixture between two sheets). Bake at 225 degrees for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.

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!

Michigan Cherry Pecan Salad

I first had a salad like this at Seva, a vegetarian restaurant in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It is such a simple treat, named after the state that is the largest producer of cherries in the U.S. The Traverse City Cherry Festival every June is fun for the whole family! Whether you get your cherries there or at your local market, be sure to try this tasty salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup Pecan halves
Red leaf lettuce
Spinach
Parsley
One scallion
Two Roma tomatoes
1 cup Dried cherries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecan halves on a cookie sheet and bake 10 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Wash and dry the lettuce and spinach. Tear into salad-size pieces. Snip the green portion of one scallion into the lettuce. Toss. Dice the tomatoes and give one handful of parsley a rough chop. Sprinkle tomato and parsley on top of the tossed lettuce. Top with cherries and pecans. Serve with your favorite viniagrette.