Choco/Raisin Brownie Cookies.

I know I know...another chocolate chip cookie recipe?!!!!

What does one do when it is a rainy Friday evening, the family is all out and you've finished your 'to do' list for the weekend ahead? You decide to create something in the kitchen. Well, you know I HAVE to have chocolate chip cookies for the next week's lunches and I am always game for something different. I found a recipe on all recipes but it just wasn't quite what I was wanting....so I experimented. YAY! It turned out rather nicely. Now...where are those boys to try them out?! Sigh..guess I will have to take a bite or two before I post.

Ingredients:
(makes about 5 doz. - I'm sorry but I tend to make big batches!
Just divide measurements in half for smaller amount)

• 5 squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 1 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butter
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking pwd.
• 8 tbsp cocoa pwd.
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup raisins

In the microwave or a double-boiler, melt the chocolate squares and butter. Meanwhile, beat together the egg, vanilla, and sugar until they thicken. Stir in the chocolate mixture. Combine the dry ingredients, then beat them into the batter just until blended. Fold in the nuts, chocolate chips, and raisins, then refrigerate the dough for an hour. Roll the dough into balls and flatten them slightly. Bake at 325 for 13 to 15 minutes, just until the puff. They get firmer as they cool...and the tops crinkle lovely!!!!! These are so good....even I had to try them...and everyone knows I would much rather sit down to a slice of good cheese and farmer's sausage than anything sweet!

Orange Chiffon Cake

I love this cake. First of all it was a favourite of my mother's. She may have gotten the recipe from an old neighbour of ours - I really couldn't say. All I know is that it is light, full of orange flavour and wonderful as dessert after a heavy meal. This recipe was one of the first I copied into my recipe binder back in high school. It bakes up best in a 9" tube pan - it won't look as nice if baked in an angelfood pan. I found mine at a garage sale but I'm sure you could buy one in a specialty kitchen store.
I also get to use two of my favourite tools - a new one to me - a zester and an old one from Mom, a juicer.

1 1/4 cup sifted cake flour

1/3 cup fresh orange juice
3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 egg yolks
2 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Sift dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Make a well and add in order,
oil, orange juice, egg yolks and orange rind. Beat with a spoon until smooth.

In another bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
Fold into orange batter. Pour into 8 or 9 inch ungreased tube pan.
Bake at 325˚ F for about 1/2 hour or top springs back when touched lightly.
Immediately invert and suspend so that cake surface does not touch anything. Cool completely.

Remove from pan. Fill with orange filling and ice with 7-minute frosting or use the pudding cream variation below.

Orange filling
1 1/2 cups boiling water

grated rind of 1 orange
2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup orange juice
6 level Tbsp. flour

2 egg yolks

1 Tbsp. lemon juice
pinch of salt

2 Tbsp. butter

Sift sugar flour and salt. In the top of a double boiler, add boiling water to sifted dry ingredients a little at a time, stirring between additions. Mix well. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly.
When thick, cover saucepan and cook for 20 minutes.
Beat egg yolks slightly, add a little of the hot mixture to the egg yolks, stirring constantly. Continue adding hot mixture, a little at a time. Return to double boiler and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from heat, add orange juice and rind and butter and mix well.

Orange Pudding Cream

Mix 1 cup orange juice with 1 pkg. vanilla instant pudding.

Blend well and let stand while you whip 1-1 1/2 cups whipping cream.

Fold pudding into whipped cream.

Cut cake into one or more layers.

To assemble cake, spread 2 Tbsp. orange marmalade between each layer and cover marmalade with some of the pudding cream.

Then ice top and sides of cake with the remaining pudding cream.

Sprinkle with grated orange rind or toasted coconut. Refrigerate until serving.

Apple Muffins

Apple muffins...hot from the oven to warm the 'inner man'...and great at breakfast, lunch or supper!


This recipe came from Betty Crocker's cookbook...copyright 1969...which happens to be one of my old favorites.

Apple Muffins

1 egg

1 cup milk

1/4 cup salad oil

1 cup coarsely grated apple

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

• Beat egg...stir in milk oil and apples.
• Mix in remaining ingredients, just until flour is moistened...batter should be lumpy.
  
  
• Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full.
  
  
  
• Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes...or until golden.
• Immediately remove from pan.
• Yield...12 muffins (or double the recipe, as I did.)

*Optional Crunch Topping...Sprinkle muffins with a mixture of 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. The topping is wonderful on fresh muffins...not quite so good later on.

Freezing Apples

This is going to be a very simple and “maybe everyone knows how to do this”post, but I thought it would be kind of fun to put this annual Fall activity to memory.
My parents bought some land by a lake 30 years ago and, besides enjoying many family gatherings there, we have enjoyed the apples, pears, plums, walnuts and hazelnuts that come free to the family that’s willing to go and pick or gather them up.

So this is what you do in order to have quick access to apples for crips or apples sauce in the winter:
1) wash, quarter, peel and slice apples, throwing them into salted water as you go
( about 1 tsp salt per 8-10 cups water in a large bowl)
2) when bowl is full, pour it into large colander and let cut up apples sit while you continue with the next bowl
3) spread apples on cookie sheets in single layer and freeze until solid, then drop frozen cookie sheet on counter to loosen apples)
4) put apples in ziplock bags, pushing out the air, and store in your own organic freezer section.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

Nothing fills the home with warmth and goodness like the smell of homemade soup. Yet another simple soup to make is Potato Leek Soup. Easy and quick, the only trick is to make sure you purchase a leek with a long white stem (the white stem and light green parts of the leek provide the best parts for cooking) and then to clean between the layers carefully. For this soup, you could slice the stem in half for easy cleaning...in other recipes you want to preserve the 'ring' for aesthetics.

There are many ways to make this yummy soup...this is mine. If you want to make it all vegetarian (as I do sometimes) just substitute the low sodium chicken broth with vegetable broth.

Creamy Potato Leek Soup

2 tbsp of butter
2 bay leaves
pinch of tarragon
1 large or two small cleaned and sliced leeks
1 medium onion coarsely chopped
4 to 6 medium potatoes, sliced
(I leave the skin on for a more healthy soup
... you may peel them if you are worried about 'looks
....the peel on lends to a more 'hearty looking' soup.)
2 cans low sodium chicken broth
(with enough water to cover)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
(you know me....please make it fresh pepper :)
about 1 cup of heavy cream
not necessary to add cream as the hand blender
will make it creamy...but if you want to 'splurge' and
add the cream....
go ahead...it won't hurt you just this once

Melt butter in heavy soup pot

1. Add bay leaves
2. Add onions and leek sauteing until limp and just turning colour
3. Add sliced potatoes
4. Add broth and water necessary to just cover the potatoes
5. Bring to a boil
6. Remove bay leaves
7. Simmer until all tender.
8. Use hand blender mash 3/4 of the soup to make creamy. Leave 1/4 as you want some 'chunkiness' when serving.
9. Add cream if you so desire, stirring to mix and warm. Add pinch of tarragon. Keep stirring occasionally for ten more minutes and then serve with Anneliese's whole wheat bread or Marg's health buns or Lovella's no knead bread just posted yesterday
   

Gluten-free Pastry

I got the following pastry recipe from my friend Joanne, who is also Celiac. It is excellent tasting pastry ( as good as regular pastry) ! I know because I ate it before I knew I was Celiac and I was amazed that I could not tell the difference. The dough is also fairly easy to handle.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
• 1 cup sweet rice flour
• dash of sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• rounded teaspoon of xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 4 tbsp ice water
• sweet rice flour for rolling

METHOD

1. Blend well together the flours, xathan gum, salt and sugar. (flours for gluten-free baking must be well-blended - either sift them several times together or I put them all in a zip-lock bag and shake the bag- no dust-method, smile)

2. Cut in butter and shortening

3. Beat egg , add vinegar and ice-water.

4. Stir into flour mixture forming a ball. (Add a little more water if too dry)

5. You may knead this a bit since rice flour crust can stand handling. Knead until you have a smooth soft ball.

6. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour or more to chill.

7. Roll out between wax paper dusted with sweet rice flour. I scotch tape the wax paper to the counter to keep from sliding. Peel off top layer of wax paper , flip over onto pie plate and then carefully peel off the other layer of wax paper and fit pastry into pie shell fluting edges -- for single crust pie or for double add filling and then top with top crust .

8. Bake at 375' until lightly browned.

recipe will make one large double crust pie , or one single crust plus one platz base (recipe for gluten-free platz to follow)

Multigrain No Knead Bread

I have posted the no knead bread on my own blog. .but we enjoy it so much, I thought I would post it on this blog as well. Originally the No knead bread gained popularity from the New York Times Newspaper and then soon everyone heard about it and it was turning up on blogs everywhere. I always make mine with half multi grain flour or whole wheat flour. . . it works just great.

.

The ingredient list is very simple but you will need one piece of critical equipment. See the heavy pot in the picture above? You must use a pot like this round or oval doesn't matter but it must have a heavy lid. My pot is oval and measure 4 inches high, 10 long and 8 inches at the widest.

The third thing you must have is patience and time. You can not decide to make this for your guests for dinner the morning of. . .you must think ahead and begin this in the afternoon at least the day before you bake it.

Multigrain No Knead Bread

• 1 1/2 cups Multigrain Flour. . . or Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 1/2 cups of All Purpose White Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of Vital Wheat Gluten. . .only needed for the Whole Wheat and Multigrain breads. .. .if you use 3 cups of White flour. . .don't add this.
• 1/4 teaspoon of yeast
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons of water
  
  

1. Stir the flours and the gluten together in a large glass mixing bowl.
   
2. Add the yeast and the salt.
   
3. Add the room temperature water.
   
4. Stir with a wooden spoon.

The dough will be shaggy. . .that is how it should be.

Cover it up with plastic wrap or a plastic cover as I do.

Leave it at room temperature for at least 12 hours and up to 15.

Lay a strip of parchment paper on your counter and sprinkle liberally with flour and some grains. .. . I use porridge oats.

Form your very soft dough into a ball and lay on top of the flour/grain and cover again with a large bowl. Leave it for another 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Take your heavy pot. . .with the lid on. . .place it in the oven.

Turn the oven on to 475 and allow to preheat.

When the oven is heated. . .use a pot holder. . take the lid off and plop your dough into the pot. . and cover again with the lid.

Bake it for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake it for another 10 minutes until it is perfectly browned. Dump it out onto a wire rack and let cool.

Chicken Almond Casserole

I have another 'function' to attend....and it is over the dinner hour. What in the world would one do without casseroles?! This is such a common casserole I almost feel silly posting it. Yet...I get asked time and time again to make this for events...I am guessing that there might be someone out there who has not made this yet...anyone?

I have made this so many times since I was first married that I don't even have a written recipe. I shall have to write it down for you as I start to put it together. If credit for my recipe goes anywhere it would go to a Mrs. Lawson in Calgary, who made this for guests after church on Sundays. Her exact recipe eludes me but this one is fairly similar.

Chicken Almond Casserole
10 - 12 servings - 2 casserole dishes
(one to serve and one small one to keep at home)

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups cooked chicken (you can buy canned in pinch but this is a good way to use up leftovers)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup (or mushroom if you want)
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 hard boiled eggs (this is a newer addition of mine....I don't think the original recipe I used had this but it seems to 'fill in the spaces' well)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (I kept changing the amount higher and higher until 1/4 cup seemed to suit my taste buds.
• 2 cups celery chopped
• 3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise....(if the whole thing is too dry...I would rather add more of this than any other ingredient. Of course, I only use Hellman's light...NOT that I am promoting any one brand but it is so much yummier. However, if you are used to the sweetness that comes with other mayonnaise....you will miss it if you use Hellman's.)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• crushed potato chips

Mix all ingredients except potato chips; refrigerate overnight or all day. Top with crushed potato chips. Bake for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Enjoy...trust me...this is so addictive! And...as the ingredients go so well with one another, you can 'mix and match' or substitute with marvelous results.

Squash and Apple Bake

My friend Dorothy submitted this recipe to our first GWG Greendale Church cookbook. It's been a favourite of ours for years. Definitely one of those comfort food recipes. It's a good dish to feed to those "fussy about veggies" kids and grandkids (and their elders).

2 lb. squash - I've used butternut, acorn and that yellow and green striped one
2-3 apples
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans (opt.)

Cut the end off the squash and peel. (I use a good potato peeler) Peel and core the apples.
Cut the squash and apples into 1 inch cubes and place in casserole dish.

Combine remaining ingredients except pecans and spread over squash and apples. top with chopped nuts if desired.

Cover with lid or foil and bake for 50-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Or you can cook it in the microwave until tender. Either way it makes a wonderful fall sidedish.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars

Okay...I was lazy today...but at the end of a long baking day I realized that I still had not made my son's usual weekend request...chocolate chip cookies. I thought, maybe a quick cookie bar similar to a chocolate chip cookie recipe would suffice. So I dug into a stack of recipe books left for me to look at by a dear friend. This recipe is from the "Insurance Women of Portland - roses and raindrops" cookbook edition 1974-1975 submitted by Ede Dunn. Ms. Dunn...thank you very much for coming to my rescue...this late Sunday evening.

Oatmeal Fudge Bars
(believe it or not...I don't have a 9 x 9 pan so I am forced to double all the recipes. This does double very well. I am giving you the version for a 9 x9 pan even though my pics show the double batch)

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp soda
• 2 cups quick cooking oatmeal

Chocolate Mixture

• 1 package chocolate chips (or in my case...equiv. block chocolate)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
  
• 
  
• 

Cream eggs, sugar, shortening and vanilla. Add flour and stir in oatmeal. Divide batter in half. Pat half mixture in 9 x 9 pan. Add the following chocolate mixture which has been melted together "in top of double boiler"...... I just put the chocolate in the micro for 1 minutes and then stirred in the butter, condensed milk, salt and vanilla. (I did not have chocolate chips but instead had a couple of bricks of Callebaut chocolate which I had purchased for a Christmas recipe coming up...oh well.)

After spreading chocolate mixture over the first layer, pat remaining mixture over top. (Now this is not as easy as it sounds. So...you can wait til the chocolate is completely cold and it should be easier. However, if you are impatient like me...simply crumble the mixture evenly over the top so that no chocolate shows through. Then pat down evenly until all combine to make a solid top layer.)

Bake at 350 for 25 min. Cool completely before cutting.

Bavarian Apple Torte

I love the combination of fruit and cream cheese, but there are those in my family who don’t care for it, so I can’t make this cake as often as I’d like to. Since that is the case, I thought I’d better post it on this rare occasion that I had an excuse to make it. I got the recipe from my friend Karin, many years ago when we used to get together for coffee while our kids played. I’ve modified the recipe somewhat.

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter
1/3 c sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 c flour
2 – 8 oz pkg.cream cheese
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
3 c thinly sliced apples
½ c sliced almonds

Base: Cream butter, sugar and vanilla. Blend in flour. Spread dough on bottom and a little up the sides, of a 9 or 10” spring-form pan.
Filling: Beat softened cream cheese and sugar. Add egg and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pastry-lined pan.
Topping: Mix together sugar and cinnamon. Toss apples in sugar mix and spoon mixture over cream layer or arrange in orderly pattern and sprinkle with sugar mixture. Top with almonds. Bake at 400F for 10 min. Reduce temp to 375F. Continue baking 45 min. Cool slightly before removing rim of pan.

Kotopoulo Rapama me Hilopites (Chicken in Tomato with Noodles).

If you haven't noticed yet, my family has a love affair with the Mediterranean...music, foods, poetry and writing, art and passion. How I would love to visit the little villages in Greece, sample the pure, pure olive oil, the cheeses, fresh yougurt...olives.....ahhhhh....sigh.

Meanwhile... I am content to read the poetry, listen to the music, dine out in good restaurants and then I try and recreate the dishes at home for our own enjoyment. This is our dinner tonight.

Chicken in Tomatoes with Noodles
(serves four to six nicely)

• 4 chicken breasts (de-boned, skinned and chopped into 1 1/2 inch cutlets)
• four cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion
• 1 medium zucchini
• about ten mini carrots (or equivalent large carrot cut into sticks)
• 1 small can sliced black olives
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes in paste
• 1 cup fresh or can chopped tomatoes (if using can...add the juice- the fresh
• 1 tbsp tomato paste (you can cheat and use spaghetti sauce but please don't use ketchup)
• pinch of tarragon
• herb goat cheese
• 1 cup cooking sherry (or wine...I had leftover red wine from the day before)
• salt, pepper to taste

• Wide egg noodles
• Chicken broth

Put butter and olive oil in deep pot and heat on low heat.Chop garlic cloves and saute. Add chicken and stir fry to light golden brown. Add sundried tomatoes, black olives and chopped onion. Stir fry lightly and then turn up heat. When sizzling add the sherry/wine and stir constantly on high heat. Turn heat to low when the wine/sherry has mostly evaporated. Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and stir. Add zucchini cut into thicker slices (you don't want to lose the colour or texture) and the small carrots. Cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile....quickly cook wide egg noodles in chicken broth (they do taste better and if you don't want to waste the broth....save it and make soup with some of the leftovers).

Drain, toss with olive oil and fresh pepper. Place noodles on serving plate with hearty helping of the chicken dish. Crumble yummy goat cheese on top. Eat with a fresh green salad.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

This is one of the recipes I made allot for care group nights. It's not healthy at all but that is why it tastes so good. The canned fruit adds moisture to the cake and the topping is just plain fattening and delicious. It is a must to heap copious amounts of whipped cream on top and forget about the calories you are consuming and enjoy your cake! A good rich cup of coffee is a must with this cake.

Cake

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs-slightly beaten

1 14oz can fruit cocktail-with juice

Combine all ingredients accept the flour and beat together well with an electric hand mixer. Add flour and blend until flour is all absorbed.

Grease a 9x13 pan or a 10-12 inch round or spring form pan. Bake cake for approx. 45 minutes @ 350.

Topping

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla (add after other ingredients have boiled)

Just before cake is done place the topping ingredients in a microwavable bowl and bring to a full boil. Watch that it does not boil over. You can also do this on the stove top stirring constantly.

Remove cake from oven and immediately poke fork holes all over the top. I make them about 2" apart over the whole cake. Pour the hot topping over the cake slowly allowing the topping to soak into the holes. This makes the cake very moist. Allow cake to cool on counter. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. It is best when served just barely warm, but keeps in the fridge for a day or two. I have never frozen this cake, but I don't think the results would be the best.

don't even bother asking about the calorie count in this one. Just eat it!

Auntie Betty's Pasta Casserole

Years ago my Auntie Betty made this casserole for us and we enjoyed it so much that it has been a favorite of mine ever since.

I have since found that there is a very similar recipe in the Best of Bridge. Their recipe is called a Casserole for a Cold Night. . .

• 1 1/2 pound ground beef


• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt


• 1 teaspoon sugar


• 1 teaspoon salt


• 6 green onion stems chopped


• 1/2 teaspoon pepper


• 2 cans tomato soup


• 4 ounces cream cheese


• 1 cup sour cream


• grated cheese for the topping


• noodles of your choice. . .8 0unces

1. In a large skillet, fry the ground beef, breaking it up and browning it.


2. Add the garlic salt, salt, sugar, chopped green onions, and pepper. Simmer a few minutes.


3. Add the two cans of tomato soup and simmer a few minutes.


4. In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and the sour cream.


5. Cook the noodles until just tender.


6. In a 9 X 13 pan, layer the meat sauce, noodles, and cream cheese/sour cream sauce.


7. Repeat and then top with grated cheese.


8. Bake at 350 for one hour.

Serve with a crisp green salad.

Lemon, Cheese and Honey Tart

You are going to LOVE these little tarts! If you like a touch of lemon and the hint of cinnamon let this middle eastern dessert tantalize your senses as it bakes and cools in your kitchen. Years ago I was treated to a slice of a delightful cheese tart...not too sweet and a cross between an egg and cheese tart. I've looked and tried similar recipes but without success....until today. I seriously modified a recipe I found on Global Gourmet and ended up with something very similar to the tart that I first tasted years ago. More importantly, it went over well with the guys at home...what more could I ask?!

I made 18 mini-tarts...but this is enough for a 'pie' which was how it was served to me. If using it in a pie I would use a deep crust and not a sweet crust. For this posting I used pre-made tart shells from the frozen section of the grocery store.

Pastry (your own but not toooooo sweet now)

Filling:

• 1 cup of cottage cheese
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• finely grated rind of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon.

Partially bake your pastry shell...about ten minutes in a 350 oven. Remove from oven

Place ingredients of filling into food processor. Blend until smooth. Fill tart cups full - they will sink in the middle later. Lower oven to 200. Bake tarts for 30 minutes or until firm and top is golden brown and puffed up. Serve plain...the simple cheese and lemon infused with the cinnamon/honey will be all that you need.

Butter Balls.......from the Mennonite Treasury Recipes Cookbook

This recipe is from my well used Mennonite Treasury Recipes Cookbook. With the first printing in 1962, and knowing that the majority of these recipes predate the book, it is comforting to pull an occasional recipe from a tried and true time tested source.

This cookie is one that mom would make from time to time...a simple cookie and a bit like a vanilla wafer without the vanilla taste...now does that make sense?

Good for tea and dipping!

Butter Balls

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg, well beaten
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp soda
• 2 cups flour

Cream butter and shortening and sugars thoroughly. Add well beaten egg. Sift dry ingredients and add. Mix well. Roll into small balls (they will flatten by themselves in the oven into perfect little dipping circles). Then bake for 15 to 20 minutes in a 350 oven. I found that 12 minutes was just right for my oven. Keep an eye on them and when they JUST turn brown, pop them out of the oven to cool on pan for two minutes and then slide them off onto a rack to finish cooling (to save the bottoms from scorching).

Macadamia Nut Cookies

This has been a family favorite over the past years.
I got this from a friend who said "they never fail."

These cookies come skiing, camping and
now the little boys are becoming more adventuresome and
help in making double batches.
They never stick around long enough.

2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. Sugar
1 C. brown sugar
1 C. margarine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. baking soda
11/2 C. oatmeal
2 C flour
1 C. white chocolate chips
1 C. Macadamia Nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Like usual
Mix the eggs, sugars, vanilla, and margarine together.
Add the salt, baking soda and mix well.
Add dry ingredients.
I use a smalll ice-cream scoop to put them on the pan.
Bake for 12 minutes. Exacto!
Do not flatten them.
When they come out of the oven,
let the pan drop on the counter or stove top.
(This procedure flattens them out naturally)
Hopefully they will be softer rather than crunchy.
I learned this trick about "slapping" a few years back from
my daughters who learned this at University.
Which course?
The course of living in dorms.

Get those little guys to help you.
Give them assistance with a motor and
you'll be surprised about productivity.

Call it a store or whatever.
Invite your parents/grandparents over and have coffee and cookies.
What better way to help build self esteem
in the lives of these little people!

Banana Coffee Cake (Crater Cake)

This is a recipe for all of you who have extra bananas in the freezer and want something more than muffins or loaves.
I got this recipe from a community church cookbook and the page were this recipe is on, is seasoned well with splatters and spills. Serve it up with some cinnamon whip cream and you have a simple tastey dessert ready for friends or family. I like making coffee cakes. Easy to store and easy to freeze. I cut my cake into pieces and freeze it and then just take out as much as we need. (Usually it doesn't make it into the freezer.)

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
3 bananas mashed
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sour milk (in bottom of cup add 1 tbsp. vinegar then top with milk)
Topping:
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Mix first 5 ingredients then add the sour milk. Add mixture to dry ingredients.
Place 1/2 the batter in a 9x13 pan and sprinkle with 1/2 of the topping. Repeat the layers and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. Or until tooth pick comes out clean in center.
Serve with a generous dollop of cinnamon whipped cream. Add as much sugar and cinnamon per personal taste. I like to add at least 1 tsp of cinnamon, perhaps a smidge more.
Happy Baking....Enjoy (this is for you Kim)

Banana Split Cake (Banana Marble Cake)

I freeze Bananas that are too ripe to eat. They are better to bake with than the fresh ones in my opinion.

I made this cake for a casual dessert for our friends this last weekend. I complained that I couldn't take a good picture, soooo our friend decided that was because he wasn't in it...

Yes you are right, this picture just takes the cake..........smile.

I got this recipe from a co-worker about 25 years ago.
We still enjoy it.

This is super simple and has just a hint of banana marbled with Chocolate, topped with vanilla ice cream, (this was butterscotch ripple.....Mmm, smothered in a lucious strawberry sauce.

.

3 cups flour

2 t. baking powder

1 t. salt

1/4 t. baking soda

1 cup butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 t. vanilla

4 eggs

1 banana mashed

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup instant cocoa mix ( I used a 1/4 cup chocolate syrup)

Grease and lightly flour a 10"tube pan. Set aside.

Stir together the flour, baking posder, baking soda and salt.

In mixing bowl beat butter on medium speed about 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla and beat until creamy and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time beating 1 minute after each addition.

In a small bowl stir together mashed banana, sour cream and milk.

Add dry ingredients and banana mixture alternately to beaten mixture, beating on low speed after ech addition until just combined.

Into 1 cup of the batter add fold in cocoa mix or syrup, stir gently.

Add batter to cake pan and pour chocolate batter over plain batter. Swirl.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes, or until cake test is done. Cool 5 minutes in the pan. Gently remove and cool completely.

Serve with the following

Strawberry Sauce-

4 cups strawberries

1 cup water

3/4 cup sugar

2 T. cornstarch

1 T. lemon juice

Thaw berries if frozen, drain . In a saucepan add water and drained liquid with sugar. Dissolve sugar, mix cornstarch with a little water and add, cook until mixture runs clear and thick. Add berries and lemon juice. Cool.

When cake and sauce are cooled, top with ice cream and sauce and voila.....dessert. Serves 12.