All-American
Cookies
Apeas Cookies
Jane Smith Phillips
Nazareth, PA
When I was little, Mom and I used to go to Auntie’s house to bake these old-fashioned cookies for Christmas. The dough had to be rolled paper-thin and any cookies that weren’t cut out perfectly had to be re-rolled. I had my own little baking board, rolling pin and cutters. I would roll, cut, re-roll and cut again. Such fun!
3/4 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 T. milk
1 t. vanilla extract
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tartar
Optional: colored sugar
Beat butter until creamy; add sugar and mix well. Blend in eggs, milk and vanilla. Gradually add flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; mix well. Cover and chill dough for 30 minutes, or until firm. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Cut out dough with cookie cutters and arrange onto lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar, if desired. Bake at 350 degrees for about 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Makes 4 dozen.
Short on time? Instead of rolling out dough to make cut-out cookies, form the dough into logs, wrap in wax paper and chill. Cookies can then simply be sliced and baked.
Penn Dutch Sand Tarts
Elizabeth Blackstone
Racine, WI
These simple cookies are my husband’s absolute favorites! I got the recipe from a neighbor in 1973, when we lived near Pennsylvania Dutch country.
2 c. shortening
1/4 t. salt
3 c. sugar, divided
4 c. all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 egg white, beaten
2 t. cinnamon
Garnish: pecan halves
Blend together shortening, salt and 2-1/2 cups sugar; stir in flour gradually. Add beaten whole eggs; mix well. Cover and chill for 8 hours to overnight. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out with a 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter; place on lightly greased baking sheets. Brush cookies with egg white. Mix together remaining sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over cookies. Top each cookie with a pecan half. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 8 dozen.
If you need a round cookie cutter and there isn’t one handy, just use the open end of a clean, empty soup can to cut the dough into circles.
Sweet Fried Dough
JoAnna Nicoline-Haughey
Berwyn, PA
I can remember Grandmom frying these tasty little fritters on Christmas Eve...as soon as she put a fresh batch in the basket, they were gone! Now I carry on this tradition myself.
2 envs. active dry yeast
1-1/2 c. warm water
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
oil for frying
Garnish: sugar
Dissolve yeast in very warm water, about 110 to 115 degrees. Let stand for a few minutes. Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl. Stir in yeast mixture; blend well. Cover and let rise until double in size, about 2-1/2 to 3 hours. Add 2 inches of oil to a large skillet. Heat until hot, about 375 degrees. Drop tablespoonfuls of dough into hot oil, a few at a time; cook until lightly golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels; sprinkle with sugar while still warm. Makes 2 dozen.
Use a sugar shaker to save clean-up time in the kitchen...it’s ideal for dusting powdered sugar onto cookies and desserts warm from the oven.
Amish Buttermilk Cookies
Virginia Watson
Scranton, PA
We started producing our own buttermilk a few years ago, and I wanted to find an authentic Amish recipe for cookies to use the buttermilk. This one is a real winner...so good!
2 c. sugar
1 c. shortening
4 eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
4 c. all-purpose flour
4 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. buttermilk
Beat together sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake at 425 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, until cookies are set. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 3 dozen.
When wrapping up bake sale goodies, be sure to tuck a “Thank you” note inside.
Buttermilk Brownies
Karen Van Den Berge
Holland, MI
This recipe is one my mom made all the time. She taught me how to make these soft brownies when I was nine years old. The frosting makes the brownies extra rich...perfect for my sweet tooth!
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 c. margarine
1/3 c. baking cocoa
1 c. water
2 eggs, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 t. baking soda
Sift together flour and sugar; set aside. In a small saucepan, mix together margarine, cocoa and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Add margarine mixture to flour mixture; blend well. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Spread batter in a greased and floured 15"x10" jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Cool completely; frost with Cocoa Frosting. Cut into squares. Makes about 3 dozen.
Cocoa Frosting:
1/2 c. margarine
1/4 c. baking cocoa
6 T. milk
16-oz. pkg. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine margarine, cocoa and milk. Stir in powdered sugar; add vanilla and blend until smooth.
To me there’s nothing prettier
Than a well-filled cookie jar!
Mom’s Persimmon Cookies
Sharon Dennison
Floyds Knobs, IN
These cookies taste delicious when freshly baked, but are even better the next day or two as they darken and get sweeter. Yum!
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. cinnamon
Optional: 1 c. nuts, finely ground
Optional: 1 c. raisins or dates, finely ground
1 t. baking soda
1 c. persimmon pulp
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
Stir together flour, cinnamon and optional ingredients, if using. In a separate bowl, dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp. In a separate large bowl, blend together butter and sugar; stir in egg, then persimmon mixture. Add flour mixture; mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until firm. Makes about 4 dozen.
A hand-turned food mill works well for making persimmon pulp...it works great for homemade applesauce too! Simmer cut-up fruit in water until tender, about 10 minutes. Then add to the food mill and turn the crank to purée the fruit.
Northwest Pecan Treats
Kandy Rieth
Cleveland, WI
Whenever I bring these bar cookies to church, people ask me for the recipe. Everyone is surprised that it makes a jelly-roll size pan full. That’s really handy, with all the folks coming back for seconds!
3 c. all-purpose flour
1-3/4 c. sugar, divided
1/2 t. salt
1 c. butter, softened
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/4 c. dark corn syrup
3 T. butter, melted and cooled slightly
2 t. vanilla extract
2-1/2 c. chopped pecans
1/3 c. sweetened dried cranberries, chopped
Combine flour, 1/2 cup sugar, salt and butter; mix using a pastry blender. Press into an aluminum-foil lined, greased 15"x10" jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, corn syrup, melted butter and vanilla; set aside. Sprinkle nuts and cranberries over hot crust; pour egg mixture over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until set. Allow to cool in pan. Lift out, using aluminum foil as handles; peel off foil and cut into bars. Store bars in an airtight container, layered between pieces of wax paper. May be kept at room temperature up to 3 days, or frozen up to 3 months. Makes 4 dozen.
Spray the measuring cup with non-stick vegetable spray before measuring honey, molasses or peanut butter...the sticky stuff will slip right out!
Old-Time Amana Cookies
Kay Marone
Des Moines, IA
I got this delicious recipe for brown sugar cookies from my grandmother, who grew up near the Amana colonies here in Iowa.
1 c. brown sugar, packed
3 eggs, beaten
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. lemon extract
Stir brown sugar into eggs. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 2 dozen.
Take time to share an icy glass of milk and a favorite treat with the kids after school...it’s a terrific way to catch up and make sweet memories.
California Gold Rush Bars
Regina Wickline
Pebble Beach, CA
This recipe is chock-full of sunshiny goodness...from apricots to figs to the sweet white wine. Your whole family will rush to eat these delicious bars!
3/4 c. sweet white wine or white grape juice
3/4 c. dried apricots, chopped
1/2 c. dried figs, chopped
1/2 c. dates, chopped
2-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. almond extract
1 c. chopped walnuts
Optional: powdered sugar
In a small saucepan, heat wine or juice over medium heat until bubbly. Stir in fruit and return to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl; set aside. In a separate large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and extracts, one at a time. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix well. Line a 13"x9" baking pan with aluminum foil; grease the bottom of pan. Spread half of batter in pan; spread cooled fruit evenly over batter. Spoon remaining batter over fruit layer and gently spread to cover. Sprinkle nuts over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and center is set. Cool bars in pan on a wire rack; dust with powdered sugar. Lift bars out of pan by the aluminum foil; cut into squares. Store in an airtight container. Makes 3 dozen.
Give bar cookies a fresh new look! Instead of bars or squares, cut cookies into diamond shapes.
Lemon Hissy Fits
Sandy Bernards
Valencia, CA
I was watching TV one day when someone said she was having a hissy fit. I thought that seemed like a good name for these sweet-tart cookies!
1 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
3 T. lemon juice
1/2 t. lemon extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
2-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
3/4 c. white chocolate chips, chopped
Garnish: powdered sugar
With an electric mixer on medium speed, blend together butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in egg, lemon juice and extracts. In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Form dough into one-inch balls. Place on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack; dust with powdered sugar while still warm. Cool completely. Makes 3 to 4 dozen.
Don’t be bashful about entering your own home-baked cookies in the county fair. You never know when the shortbread cookies your family can’t get enough of, or the brownies your friends rave over at every potluck, will be a winner!
Coconut Mounds
Mary Keene
Keaau, HI
I found this simple, scrumptious recipe on the back of a sugar package when we first lived in Hawaii in the 1970s. Our small children quickly made it their favorite.
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. sweetened flaked coconut
Blend together butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture; fold in coconut. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until very lightly golden. Makes about 4 dozen.
Too cute! Top coconut bars with dried pineapple bits and mini paper umbrellas...give to friends headed off to the beach or take to the next summertime picnic.
Good Neighbor Sugar Cookies
Dianna Hamilton
Beaverton, OR
We moved from California to Oregon in 1977. I got this recipe from a neighbor who was a fantastic cook. Everyone who tastes these simple cookies asks for the recipe...they are the best ever!
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. cream of tartar
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 c. shortening
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
Mix together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients with a fork. Stir shortening mixture into flour mixture. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate for 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll out dough 1/8-inch thick; cut into shapes with cookie cutters, as desired. Arrange on lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes, until lightly golden. Makes about 4 dozen.
Bake a batch of your favorite cookies...chocolate chip, peanut butter, oatmeal, sugar...and sandwich them together in pairs with different flavors of ice cream. Yum!
Texas Cowboy Cookies
Rose Dailey
Kennard, TX
My grandchildren love to help make these! If you have small helpers too, be sure to have extra chocolate chips and pecans for nibbling.
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 T. baking soda
1 T. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1-1/2 c. butter, softened
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
3 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 c. long-cooking oats, uncooked
2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
2 c. chopped pecans
Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about one minute, until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in sugars; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until just combined. Fold in remaining ingredients. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls, 3 inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 17 to 19 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Rotate baking sheet halfway through baking time. Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes 6 dozen.
Send a taste of home to a friend who has moved away. Pack up a box of a hometown-favorite cookie for her...tuck in clippings about the high school football season, the latest church bulletin and a picture postcard or two to let her know you’re thinking of her.
Santa Fe Biscochitos
Angela Murphy
Tempe, AZ
I grew up in New Mexico, where biscochitos are the state cookie. This is my version of the classic recipe, which usually calls for brandy or sherry. So, so yummy with a big glass of milk!
2 eggs, separated
2 c. shortening or lard
1-1/2 c. sugar
6 c. all-purpose flour
1 T. baking powder
1 t. anise seed, crushed
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. orange juice
Beat together egg whites, shortening or lard and sugar. Stir in egg yolks and mix well. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients except juice; add to egg mixture. Add juice and mix well. Form dough into 3 balls. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball to 1/4-inch thick. Using a floured cookie cutter, cut into desired shapes. Arrange on parchment-paper lined baking sheets and sprinkle with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp and golden. Remove to wire racks to cool. Makes about 3 dozen.
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:
1/2 c. sugar
2 t. cinnamon
Mix together ingredients.
Fill a thermos with warm spiced cider and a basket or tin with cookies. Head out for a lazy drive down a country road...what a way to spend a sunny day.
Bananas Foster Bars
Audrey Lett
Newark, DE
Whenever we visit New Orleans, my husband and I stop to enjoy traditional Bananas Foster at our favorite restaurant. These scrumptious bars remind me of that one-of-a-kind treat!
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
1 t. rum extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. salt
1 c. bananas, diced
1/2 c. chopped pecans
Garnish: pecan halves
Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add egg and extract; mix to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir well. Stir in bananas and chopped pecans. Pour batter into a greased and floured 8"x8" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center tests clean. Remove pan to a wire rack. When cooled, spread with Brown Sugar Frosting. Cut into bars; top each bar with a pecan half. Makes 16.
Brown Sugar Frosting:
2 T. butter, softened
1/2 c. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 t. rum extract
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1 t. cinnamon
2 c. powdered sugar, divided
Combine all ingredients except powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add one cup powdered sugar; beat until smooth. Beat in additional powdered sugar to desired consistency.
Slip a paper doily onto a cookie plate for old-fashioned charm.
Pecan Praline Cookies
Betty Stewart
Paducah, KY
When I took these cookies to a Sunday school class social, they were a big hit. One man liked them so well that I surprised him with a small bag of his very own cookies. He was thrilled!
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1-1/2 t. vanilla extract
1-1/2 c. chopped pecans
Garnish: powdered sugar
Combine butter, sugars, egg, flour and vanilla; mix well. Stir in pecans. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden. Let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to a wire rack and cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes 2-1/2 dozen.
Having friends over for lunch or dinner? Simple stacks of cookies tied up in a bow look charming at each place setting. Prop a card up against each stack to display guests’ names, and print the recipe on the back.
Georgia Tea Cakes
Denise Jones
Fountain, FL
The perfect “company is coming” goodie! These are so easy to bake up in a jiffy...you probably already have all the ingredients in your kitchen. Yummy with tea or coffee and conversation.
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 t. vanilla extract
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. milk
2 to 2-1/2 c. self-rising flour
Garnish: colored sugar
Mix together sugar, butter, vanilla, egg and milk. Stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets; sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes. Center should be soft when cooled. Makes about one dozen.
You’re never too old for a tea party! Make iced cookies and sugar-dusted cakes...fill dainty teacups with soothing chamomile tea. What a delightful way to spend time with your sisters, cousins and girlfriends of all ages...and don’t forget Mom and Grandma!
Brown Sugar Pecan Cookies
Anne Tarver
Dawsonville, GA
When I was a young girl, I spent the summers on my grandmother’s farm. She would bake these cookies for me. They’re extra yummy with a double helping of Georgia pecans.
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
1 c. plus 1 T. self-rising flour
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. chopped pecans
Garnish: 1 c. pecan halves
Blend together brown sugar and butter until smooth. Add egg; mix well. Add flour; mix well. Stir in vanilla and chopped pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Press one pecan half onto each cookie. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Makes 3 dozen.
Two kinds of cookies from one batch of dough! Divide your favorite basic cookie dough into two bowls. Then add chocolate or butterscotch chips to one bowl and dried cranberries or candy-coated chocolates to the other bowl.
Sea Island Chocolate Chunk Bars
Tina Wright
Atlanta, GA
My mom used to make these for us when I got good marks on my report card. They are so tasty, I almost always got all As!
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar, packed
2 T. water
1/2 c. self-rising flour
1 egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chunks
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. sweetened flaked coconut
In a bowl, combine melted butter, sugars and water; stir in flour. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Fold in remaining ingredients; transfer to a greased 9"x9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool in pan before cutting into squares. Makes 16.
In a hurry? Instead of frosting, simply top cookies with a few chocolate chips as soon as they come out of the oven. The chocolate will soften quickly and can be spread with a small spatula. Toss on a few candy sprinkles...done!
Charleston Benne Cookies
Liz Plotnick-Snay
Gooseberry Patch
My husband is a southern historian and we often like to try recipes from down South. Benne (sesame) seeds are said to bring good luck. These are a good treat!
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar, packed
1 egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
3/4 c. toasted sesame seed
Beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg; stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix well. Stir in sesame seed. Drop by teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto well-greased baking sheets. Bake at 325 degrees for 6 to 8 minutes, until cookies spread and are lightly golden. Makes 4 dozen.
Cookie cutters make fun travel souvenirs...they’re inexpensive and don’t take up much room in a suitcase, so let the kids pick out shapes to remind you of favorite places. Later, share happy vacation memories as you bake together.
Moravian Cookies
Patti Walker
Mocksville, NC
When I was growing up, Christmas at our house meant making wafer-thin, crisp, spicy Moravian cookies. Mom put the ingredients in the big bowl and allowed me to “smush” it all together. Then my mom, grandmother, sister and I would roll out the chilled dough as thin as possible and cut it with cookie cutters. It was messy, but so much fun! I do this with my own children now and they enjoy the tradition as much as I do.
2-1/3 c. shortening
2-1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. ground ginger
1/4 c. ground cloves
1/4 c. cinnamon
2 T. baking soda
4 c. dark molasses
20 c. all-purpose flour, sifted
In a very large bowl, blend shortening and sugar together. Add spices and baking soda. Slowly add molasses, alternating with flour. Mix very well, using either your hands or a stand mixer. Cover and chill dough for several hours, until firm. Dough may be kept refrigerated or frozen for several weeks and thawed when ready to bake. Working with a small amount of dough at a time, roll out 1/8-inch thick on a floured surface. Cut out with desired cookie cutters. Place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 5 to 6 minutes, watching carefully, until golden. Allow cookies to cool completely on baking sheets. Makes about 12 dozen.
For rolling out cookie dough paper-thin, try using a stockinette rolling pin cover. It eliminates the need to use a lot of extra flour on the work surface, which can lead to tough cookies.
Sweet & Salty Peanut Bars
Amy Hunt
Traphill, NC
These caramel-filled bars have just the right amount of sweetness and saltiness...I bet you can’t eat just one!
4-1/2 sheets graham crackers
11-oz. pkg. caramel baking bits
2 T. milk
1/2 c. cocktail peanuts
1/2 c. mini marshmallows
1/2 c. pretzel twists, crushed
4 1-oz. sqs. semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
Line an 8"x8" baking pan with aluminum foil; extend ends of foil over the sides of pan. Spray with non-stick vegetable spray. Line bottom of pan with graham crackers, cutting or breaking to fit as necessary; set aside. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine caramel bits and milk. Microwave on high setting for 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until caramel bits are melted and mixture is well blended. Pour hot mixture over graham crackers; sprinkle with peanuts, marshmallows and crushed pretzels. Drizzle with melted chocolate. Cover and refrigerate for one hour. Use foil handles to lift out of pan; cut into bars. Makes one dozen.
One-bite delights! Make no-bake cookies in mini muffin tins...just spoon batter into paper-lined muffin cups.
Treasure Cookies
Kara Slaiding
Fall River, MA
I make these cookies for my son to take to school for all of his classroom parties and bake sales.
1-1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1-1/3 c. sweetened flaked coconut
12-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped walnuts
Combine graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a separate bowl, beat condensed milk and margarine until smooth; add graham cracker mixture and stir well. Mix in remaining ingredients. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 9 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Makes 2 to 3 dozen.
Apple-Walnut Squares
Carolyn Ziacoma
Skowhegan, ME
This has become my husband’s favorite treat and it is an easy recipe. To make it low-fat, just use applesauce in place of the oil.
1-3/4 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. cinnamon
2/3 c. oil
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
Optional: 1 c. chopped walnuts
Beat together sugar and eggs. Add flour, baking powder and cinnamon; mix well. Stir in oil and vanilla; fold in apples and walnuts, if using. Spread in an ungreased 13"x9" baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Makes one dozen.
Down-East Whoopie Pies
Irene Nelson
Dexter, ME
Big, soft chocolate cookies sandwiched together with creamy white filling...everyone will shout “Whoopie!” as they dig in!
2/3 c. shortening
1-1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
3 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. baking cocoa
1-1/4 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1 t. salt
1 t. vanilla extract
Blend together shortening and sugar; beat in eggs. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 1-1/2 inches apart onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool completely. Spread the flat sides of half the cookies with Vanilla Filling; sandwich with remaining cookies. Makes about 2 dozen.
Vanilla Filling:
1 c. milk
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
In a saucepan over medium heat, blend together milk and flour. Cook and stir until thick and smooth. Remove from heat; cool completely. Mixture will thicken as it cools. Add remaining ingredients; beat until creamy.
Make a family recipe book of all the best handed-down favorites. Tie it all up with a bow and tuck a sweet photo in the front...a gift to be treasured.
Virginia Crick Tea
Elsie Mellinger
Annville, PA
When I was a girl growing up in Virginia, “crick tea” was our name for the spearmint that grew wild along the banks of the nearby creek. We would “go down to the crick and pick crick tea” to make this refreshing beverage.
2 c. water
4 family-size teabags
10 5-inch sprigs fresh spearmint
1-1/2 c. sugar
ice cubes or crushed ice
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Remove from heat; add teabags and mint sprigs. Steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Place a coffee filter in a sieve or colander and strain tea, pressing gently with a wooden spoon until liquid is removed from teabags. Pour tea into a one-gallon pitcher; add sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Add enough cold water to fill pitcher. Serve over ice. Makes one gallon.
Serve chilled beverages in old-fashioned Mason jars! Setting the jars inside wire drink carriers makes it easy to tote them from kitchen to picnic table.