Grandmommy's Molasses Cookies

1 1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup brer rabbit molasses
2 eggs

4 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger (generous)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Melt butter and let cool. Then add sugar, molasses, and eggs and beat well.

Sift the dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.  Chill and form in one inch balls and roll in granulated sugar.

Cook at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

Peanut Butter Puddle Bars

These are sheet bars so use a big cookie sheet.

1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

2/3 cup peanut butter
2 cups flour
2 cups oatmeal

12 oz chocolate chips

2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs peanut butter
canned milk (evaporated) (or cream)




Mix well and bake 375 for 10 minutes.  While still hot, sprinkle with chocolate chips. 

Heat powdered sugar and peanut butter and mix in just enough canned milk to thin.  When chocolate is cooled, spread this over the bars. 

Giant Chocolate Toffee Cookies

From Epicurious...

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 3/4 cups packed brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 Tablesppon vanilla extract
5 1/4 ounce chocolate covered English toffee bars (such as Heath) coarsely chopped
1 cup walnuts toasted chopped

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; whisk to blend. Stir chocolate and butter in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Cool mixture to lukewarm.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in bowl until thick, about 5 minutes. Beat in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture, then toffee and nuts. Chill batter until firm, about 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Drop batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto sheets, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake just until tops are dry and cracked but cookies are still soft to touch, about 15 minutes. Cool on sheets. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Monster Cookies

These cookies are MONSTERS!  Literally.  You have to make huge cookies so that when you eat them they feel like you're eating a meal.

6 eggs
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups white sugar
1 cup butter
3 cups peanut butter
4 tsp baking soda
1 Tbs vanilla
1 Tbs light Karo syrup
1 cup chocolate chips
2 cups M&Ms
8-10 cups oats

Mix together and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Lemon Bars That WORK!

So Lady Di has cooked quite a few Lemon Bars in her time.  In the process we have learned that not all lemon bars are created equals.  These ones work!!! They aren't too crumbly or too soft ... just perfect.

¾ cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup confectioners sugar + 1 Tbs for sifting on top

¼ cup corn starch

¼ tsp salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into small pieces

FILLING

4 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup fresh lemon juice

¼ cup all purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

350 with rack in center.  Coat a 9 inch square pan with parchment paper leaving a 2 inch overhang in all sides.  Make crust in a food processor on a pulse.  Then add cut butter and pulse until crumbly.   Press into bottom and ¾ inch up the side.  Fridge it for 15 minutes.  Bake crust until lightly brown – 20 minutes.  Let cool slightly in pan.  Reduce oven to 325. 

make filling while it is cooling.  Beat eggs with electric mixer until thick.  Beat in sugar, lemon juice, flour, baking powder and salt.  Pour over warm crust.  Bake until set about 20 minutes.  Cool to room temp.  fridge for an hour.

Lemon-glazed Butter cookies

Yields: 3 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temp)

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup corn starch

frosting

2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted

½ cup (or 1 stick) butter melted

2 Tbs fresh lemon juice

350 degrees.  With electric mixer, beat butter & 1/3 cup powdered sugar at medium speed for 1 minute.  Turn off.  Sift together flour and corn starch and add to butter.  Blend until dough is soft, about 1 minute.  Drop by tsp full on ungreased baking sheet.  Baking until VERY lightly brown (prettier white) about 5 minutes.  Transfer to racks to cool.

Meanwhile, make frosting.  While still warm, pour frosting into center. 

Rocky Road Fudge Bars

BAR

1/2 cup butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 -1 cup chopped nuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

FILLING

8 ox cream cheese, softened (reserve 2 oz for frosting)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 cup butter softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chopped nuts
6 oz (1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

FROSTING

2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
Remaining 2 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 13x9 pan.  In a large saucepan over a low heat, melt 1/2 cup butter and 1 oz chocolate.  Add remaining BAR ingredients, mix well.  Spread in prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine 6 ox cream cheese with next 5 filling ingredients.  Beat 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy, stir in nuts.  Spread over chocolate mixture.  Sprinkle with chocolate pieces.  Bake 25-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows.  Bake 2 minutes longer.  Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, over low heat, melt 1/4 cup butter, 1 oz chocolate, remaining 2 oz cream cheese and milk.  Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Immediately pour over marshmallows and swirl together.  cool and cut into bars.  Store in refrigerator.

Shortbread

This is also a Rose special.  And though this is fabulous shortbread ... I might also add some chocolate to dip the shortbread in when it's all done ... because chocolate makes everything better right?

1 lb salted butter (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup corn starch (or rice flour)
3 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar for a few minutes and then add cornstarch.  Then add the flour.  This will be a dry dough.  Form into a ball with a fork and cut into thirds.  Rose likes to make them into pie shapes and cut wedges.  You could put them in a rectangular dish as well if you prefer and cut squares.

Put out on cookie sheet and keep edges as high as the middle.  Using a fork poke some holes in the top and put in the fridge for 1/2 hour.

Bake at 275 degrees for 45 minutes.  Do not let brown and cut when they are warm so they don't crack when cut. 

Oatmeal Cookies a la mode

1 cup butter (or margarine for a crisper result)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups oatmeal
3/4 cup coconut
1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts)
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or raisins)

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy (a few minutes).  Add the egg and vanilla.  Blend thoroughly.  Add the oatmeal, coconut and pecans.  Add the flour, baking soda and pwowder.  blend well then fold in the chocolate chips.

Drop spponfuls on the ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 ish minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Who doesn't love a good Chocolate Chip Cookie?  It's the perfect dessert.  So what a great way to start my mother's recipe blog and get rid of ALL the paper recipes she has in her basket.  Oddly enough this recipe happens to be a recipe that I gave her eons ago and I have completely forgotten about it.  I think I will have to pull it out again.  So here we go ...

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 cup crisco
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup butter (1 cube)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2-3 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp salt
2+ cups chocolate chips

350 degrees for 10-12 minutes on a lightly greased cookie sheet.