Jumbo Raisin Cookies

These are my all time favorite cookies.  I love the texture!  I love the taste!  They are absolutely perfect.
Recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup water
1 cup raisins

       1 cup shortening

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs, beaten

4 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the water and raisins in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Boil slowly for 5 minutes.  Set aside. Do not drain!
Cream together the shortening and sugar.
Add the vanilla and beaten eggs; beat until light and fluffy.
Mix  the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg lightly.

Add the raisins with the water and the flour mixture alternately to the sugar mixture.  Mix well.

(If you want you may add one cup nuts of your choice.)

Drop by teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

Place on rack to cool. 

Store in covered container in dry place.

Snowball Cake

This stuff is so yummy! I took it to work and it went fast. Fairly light, chocolatey deliciousness. Easy to make with no cooking involved. Just make and enjoy. Be sure to plan ahead. It takes some time for the mousse to set up in the refrigerator.

Makes 12 to 18 servings

1 loaf angel food cake, sliced into 1/2 to 1 inch slices (You can also use part of a round angel food cake.)

1 package of semi-sweet baking chocolate, 8 ounces

3 Tablespoons water

3 Tablespoons powdered sugar

5 large eggs, separated (room temperature)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 pint whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

Line the inside bottom and sides of a 4 quart bowl with waxed paper. Line the bottom and sides of the bowl with slices of angel food cake. Set aside.

Break up chocolate into a double boiler. Melt on low heat. When chocolate is mostly melted, add water and 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add egg yolks one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Add vanilla. Carefully fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, stirring until combined. Stir carefully to maintain the volume. Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl into the center of the sliced cake. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate 12 to 24 hours.

An hour or so before serving, carefully invert the bowl onto a large platter. Remove the waxed paper.

Whip whipping cream until stiff. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar. Use this to frost the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve. (Leftovers will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.)

Basic Scones (Sinkers)

 My family loves Sinkers.  We used to have these on Sunday evenings.  So fun.  These are often called scones.  My dad always called them sinkers and my grandmother hated that name for them.  She would always say, "Don't call my scones sinkers!"  It's funny now. So here's my grandmother's recipe as closely as I could get it, since she didn't measure the ingredients.

You'll get about a dozen sinkers with this recipe.

 Ingredients:

1/4 cup milk

4 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 1/2 teaspoons butter or margarine

1 package yeast

3/4 cup warm water

2 1/2 to 3 cups flour

Directions:

Place milk, sugar, salt, and butter in small saucepan.  Heat over low heat until butter melts and sugar dissolves.  Cool to lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in warmed mixer bowl.  Add lukewarm milk mixture and 2 cups flour.  Attach bowl and dough hook to mixer.  Turn to speed 2 and mix about 1 minute.

Continuing on speed 2, add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix until dough clings to hook and cleans sides of bowl, about 2 minutes.  Knead on speed 2 about 2 minutes longer, or until dough is smooth and elastic.  Dough will be slightly sticky to the touch.

Place dough in greased bowl, turning to grease top.  Cover.  Let rise in warm place, free from draft, about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down and divide into 12 equal pieces.  Shape each piece into a round flat shape.  Place on a plate covered with plastic wrap which has been sprayed with non stick spray. Cover.  Let rise in a warm place, free from draft, about 15 minutes.

Heat oil in deep fryer or large deep pan to 375 degrees.  Using tongs place in single layer, 2 or 3 at a time into oil.  Fry 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown.  Remove and place on paper towel lined tray.  Eat hot with butter and honey.

*You can make these by hand and knead for about 10 minutes.  Or you can make in your bread maker using the dough cycle.  Place ingredients in pan in order recommended by the manufacturer.

Scones with Butter

Boo Bark

Halloween will soon be here.  It's time to plan some fun treats. 

This Halloween Bark is soooo yummy.  It's the easiest thing to make and only takes a few minutes.  It looks great, but the taste makes it.  Great to package up and  give to friends and family.

Boo Bark

Ingredients:

1 package white Almond Bark (Find this in any grocery store by the baking chocolates.)

1/2 package orange candy melts (You can find this in any craft store.)

4 to 8 cups seasonal candies and treats—such as:

            Oreos, broken into fourths                                       Pretzels

            Candy corn                                                                 Saltine crackers, broken in half

            Mini marshmallows                                                   Kiss candies

            Reese’s Pieces                                                            Graham crackers, broken in half

            M&Ms

Peanut butter cups, chopped                                       Peanuts

Use whatever sounds good.  I like a good mix of sweet and salty.

Directions:

Put all candies and treats in a large bowl.

Melt the Almond Bark in the microwave for 1 minute.  Stir, then melt for additional 20 seconds at a time, until the Almond Bark is melted and smooth.  Stir after each 20 seconds. (Or melt it in a double boiler.)

Pour the melted Almond Bark over the candies and stir well.  Don’t stir too vigorously.  You don’t want to break up the candies too much.

Spread mixture onto a foil lined cookie sheet. Place it in the fridge to cool for a few minutes--about 10 minutes.

Place the candy melts in a quart size Ziploc bag.  Melt in 20 second intervals in the microwave, kneading after each  20 seconds, until the candy is melted and smooth with NO lumps. 

Use scissors and snip off one corner of the bag.  Squeeze the bag to drizzle the candy melt over the mixture on the cookie sheet.   

You can sprinkle on some cake decorating candies, coconut, or chocolate chips if you want.  Sprinkles look great!

Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for 15 to 30 minutes to set up.  Make sure it is hardened before you try to break it.  Break into pieces and store in a covered container. You can break it with your hands, rolling pin, or even a clean hammer.

 

(I like lots of goodies in mine.  I usually use about 8 cups of treats.)

Go make some now and share with your friends and family.  They'll love it.

Lemon Rolls

I love the flavor of lemon!  These rolls are absolutely incredible.  I took a shortcut and used a can of lemon pie filling, but feel free to make your own lemon curd or lemon pie filling. 

 This recipe makes 2 dozen luscious rolls.

Ingredients:

Rolls:

1 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F.)

2 packages active dry yeast

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon salt

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Additional melted butter (optional)

1 can lemon pie filling (21 ounces)

Glaze:
            1 Tablespoon butter, softened
            3 cups powdered sugar
            2 to 4 Tablespoons lemon juice 

        

Combine the warm water and yeast in a large bowl.  Let the mixture stand until yeast is foamy, about 5 minutes.

Stir in butter, sugar, eggs and salt.  Beat in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough is too stiff to mix (some flour may not be needed). You want a soft slightly sticky dough.  If you add too much flour your rolls will be heavy.  A soft dough will produce light and flaky rolls.  Cover with a piece of plastic wrap that you've sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 4 days. I like to make the dough the night before; then it takes less time in the morning to finish up the rolls.

Grease a 15 x 17 inch baking pan.  Turn the chilled dough out onto a lightly floured board.  Roll into a large thin (about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick) rectangle.  Brush on the additional melted butter, if desired.  Spoon a thin layer of pie filling over melted butter on dough. Spread it just barely to the edges and leave about 1/4 inch of the edge bare near one side so you can pinch it together and seal your dough after rolling. Starting at the edge opposite the bare side, roll the dough into a roll.  Pinch the edge into the side of the roll to seal the edge. Cut into sections about 1 inch thick.  Place cut rolls, cut side down, into greased pan. I had a little lemon pie filling left over, so I just spooned a small dollop on the top of each roll in the pan. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and let rolls rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Bake until rolls are golden brown, about 15 minutes.  While rolls are baking, mix up the lemon glaze.

In a small bowl place 1 Tablespoon butter.  Add 3 cups powdered sugar, one cup at a time, and mix well.  Add lemon juice 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.  You don't want it to be as thick as frosting, but it should be too thick to pour. When the rolls are done.  Remove them from the oven and while they are still hot drizzle the glaze over the tops.  It will melt down into the rolls.  If you have enough glaze, drizzle a second time. Let rolls sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Break rolls apart and serve.

YUM!