Butterscotch Thumbprints

(A takeoff of the chocolate thumbprint recipe from the last blog entry)

There's a holiday air to these nut-rich cookies with their gay tinted centers.

1/2 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sifted bread flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350º.
Mix well shortening, brown sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Mix flour and salt and stir in.
Roll 1 teaspoon dough into balls.
Dip in slightly beaten egg white and roll in finely chopped nuts (about 3/4 cup) or granulated sugar.
Place on baking sheet and press thumb into center of each.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Fill cooled thumbprints with tinted confectioner's sugar icing, candied cherries, or jelly.

Makes about 3 dozen

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

There's a holiday air to these nut-rich cookies with their gay tinted centers.

1/2 cup soft shortening (part butter)
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 square unsweetened chocolate (1 oz.), melted
1 cup sifted bread flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350º.
Mix well shortening, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla, and melted chocolate.
Mix flour and salt and stir in.
Roll 1 teaspoon dough into balls.
Dip in slightly beaten egg white and roll in finely chopped nuts (about 3/4 cup) or granulated sugar.
Place on baking sheet and press thumb into center of each.
Bake 10-12 minutes.
Fill cooled thumbprints with tinted confectioner's sugar icing, candied cherries, or jelly.

Makes about 3 dozen

Chocolate Fruit Drops

Fruits and nuts and chocolate, too.

1/2 cup soft shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 squares unsweetened chocolate (2 oz.) melted and cooled
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups sifted bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup cut-up dates
1 cup cut candied cherries

Mix well the shortening, sugar and egg
Add chocolate
Stir in buttermilk and vanilla
Sift together and stir in flour, salt, and soda
Stir in nuts, dates and cherries
Chill
Heat oven to 375 degrees
Drop teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet
Bake 10-12 minutes, just until the light touch with finger leaves no imprint
Frost cool cookies
Makes 5-6 dozen

Pride of Minnesota Cookies

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup shortening
2 eggs
1 cup coconut
3 cups rolled oats
2 coups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup nutmeats

• Beat eggs
• Add sugar and softened shortening
• Mix well
• Add coconut, nutmeats and vanilla
• Sift and measure flour and add soda, salt, and baking powder
• Sift together and add to first mixture
• Add rolled oats and mix thoroughly
• Roll into small balls the size of walnuts
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes

Aunt Kitty's Kocoa Koffee Bars

1 Tablespoon instant coffee
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa (unsweetened)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup nuts, chopped

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Grease an 8x8 inch pan.
• Melt butter or margarine in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in sugar and vanilla until blended.
• Beat in egg.
• Gradually add flour, instant coffee, cocoa, and baking powder.
• Stir until well blended.
• Add nuts.
• Spread batter in pan.
• Bake 30 minutes.
• Makes 16 2-inch Kocoa Koffee Bars

Chocolate Halfway Cookies

1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon shortening
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, separated
1 Tablespoon cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 package (6 oz) chocolate chips
1 cup more brown sugar

Cream shortening and first two sugars
Add egg yolks, water and vanilla
Then add dry ingredients
Press into a 9x13 pan
Sprinkle with chocolate chips
Beat egg whites until stiff Add 1 cup brown sugar, beat into egg whites until stiff and pour over the chocolate chips

Bake at 375 degrees (350) for 25 minutes

Graham Cracker Bars

24 graham crackers, crushed
1 can sweetened evaporated milk
1 package chocolate chips
1 package coconut flakes

Put in a 9x9 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

Butter Cookies

1 c sugar (or brown sugar ground up)
1 c shortening
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 c nuts
3 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together
Drop on tin and flatten with a fork

Creamy Apple Squares

1 yellow cake mix
1/2 c butter, softened
1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon together. Set aside 2/3 c of brown sugar/cinnamon mixture aside for later.

Combine and mix the rest of the brown sugar/winnathe above ingredients until crumbly

Oatmeal Bars from Camp Arrowhead

4 c quick oatmeal
2/3 c melted butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c dark Karo syrup

Mix and put in a loaf pan (9x13)
Bake for 20 minutes

1 c chocolate chips
add 3/4 c peanut butter, crunchy style

Melt the chocolate chips over hot water and spread over the top of the first mixture in the pan.

Basic Cookie Recipe

This recipe is used to make cookie cakes

[Made for Jim's cookie]

Work in as for a pie:

• 4 c flour
• 1/2 pound butter

Beat:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1 c sugar
• after beating those together
• add 1/3 c sour cream (can use whip cream, too)
• 1/2 tsp soda

Next:

• Add flour to the butter mixture
• Refrigerate to bake the next day
• Roll out in a pan and bake 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Topping option:

• melt a bag of caramel chips with a little butter
• Stir until melted
• Cut with a crinkler into diamond shapes
• Put a spoon of caramel mixture over top top of each diamond and lay a pecan on top

or  

• cut into squares and put a chocolate star or a mint in the center and turn up the corners