Recipe : Extra Good and Crisp Sugar Cookies

Many thanks to my cousin, Shan, for sharing this recipe from her Grandmother (and my great-Grandmother) Mrs. Fred Thompson.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine :

1 c (2 sticks) oleo or butter

2 c white sugar

Beat well.

Add :

2 eggs

½ c salad oil (aka vegetable oil)

Beat after each addition.

Add :

¼ tsp salt

2 or 3 tsp vanilla

Beat well.

5 c unsifted flour

2 tsp soda

2 tsp Cream of tartar

Beat well.

Roll a teaspoonful into a ball.  

Place on a greased cookie sheet.  Dip small glass in sugar and press cookie ¼ inch think.  

Bake 10 minutes in 350° or until slightly brown around the edge.  Do not over brown.  Cool.

Recipe : Grandmother's Sugar Cookies

I remember these sugar cookies from my childhood summers in Augusta, Kansas, with visitors to Grandmother and Grandfather Thompson's little pink house.  Grandmother was always in her apron and magically there were always sugar cookies when we visited.  

In a mixing bowl, cream together :

1 c shortening
1 1/3 c sugar

Add in and beat :

2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla

In another bowl, combine :

2 1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt

Add the flour mixture to the liquids mixture and mix together.

Drop by teaspoons-ful on a greased cookie sheet.  Flatten with a glass bottom, dipped in sugar (press into cookie dough first to make the glass sticky, then dip into sugar before pressing the cookie).  

Bake at 350 degress for 8 minutes.  Do not overbake, just until light brown on the edges.

Notes :

You can add 1 c chopped nuts or coconut, or place a pecan half for maraschino cherries on top.

Grandmother's note :  "Good and easy".  7/79, 4/80, 10/80.  6 dozen.

Thanks to Aunt Charlene for saving the recipe!

Recipe : Slutty Brownies

I found this recipe on Pinterest, got excited about making them and then heard Jessica Simpson was talking about making them - I loathe that girl.  But it didn't stop me from giving these a try.  There are a ton of sites with this recipe, but this is the site I got the recipe from.

For the Brownie layer:

10 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups white sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 cup flour

For the Oreo layer:

1 package of Oreos (regular stuffed or double stuffed)

For the Cookie Dough layer:

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

For the Brownie layer:

In a medium sauce pan, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the sugar and cocoa powder once the butter is melted. Whisk to combine and remove from heat. Add the salt, vanilla and eggs and continuously whisk until the eggs are combined. Add the flour and continue to mix. Set batter aside.

For the Cookie Dough layer:

Cream together the butter and sugars in a mixer. Add the eggs and vanilla, making sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl. Add the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder and mix on low until everything is incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips. Set dough aside.

Assembly:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan with tin foil and then spray the tin foil with a layer of baking spray.
Layer 1/2 of the cookie dough on the bottom of a 9x9 baking pan, pressing down to form the bottom of the slutty brownies. Reserve the remaining cookie dough to be used to make cookies later in the day.
Layer as many Oreos that will fit on top of the cookie dough. No need to overlap. One single layer will do.

Pour the brownie batter on top of the oreo layer and make sure it's evenly layers on top.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Test with a knife to see if the center is done. If the knife comes out clean, let the brownies rest before serving. If the knife comes out with batter still on it, allow the brownies to bake about 5 minutes more.

Notes :  I like this version of the recipe better, because I thought the chocolate chip cookie base was a little dry and too salty.  WAY easier to to use the boxed variety!!

I will also make sure to crush up the Oreos next time.  I think it will make for easier biting.

Updated 09/25/13 :

So, I am too lazy to making cookie dough and brownie dough from scratch :).  

Here's an easier way :

You will need :

1 large size chocolate chip cookie dough*
24 Oreos
1 box brownie mix, prepared according to directions

Spray 24 muffin tin wells with cooking spray.

Cut the wrapper off of the cookie dough and cut into 24 slices.  Smush one slice of cookie dough into the bottom of each well.  Place one Oreo on top and push down slightly.  Scoop brownie batter into each well and make sure that the batter covers the top of the Oreo completely.

Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes.  This is a lot easier than cutting the brownies later.

Notes : 

*I found the "large size" cookie dough at Wal-Mart.

-I am going to try a mini muffin tin and a bag of mini Oreos next!

Recipe : Best Bar None Bars

This was in The Burbs magazine, sometime last year.

I fondly call them Diabetic Coma Bars :)

Spray a 9x13” pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together :

1 box yellow cake mix

1/3 c vegetable oil

2 eggs

Stir until combine. 

Add:

1 – 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c white chips

¾ c toffee bits

Stir together.  This will be really hard to do. J

Divide in half.  Press ½ into the bottom of the pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 min. 

While you are baking the bottom crust, in a large saucepan combine:

½ c butter

32 caramels (unwrapped) or 6 oz Kraft Caramel bits (bits are by FAR easier!)

1 – 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Cook over medium heat until caramels are melted. 

Slowly pour hot caramel mixture over the top of baked crust.  Top with remaining dough mixture (I take small handfuls and press them into a 1” thick blob then place on top of caramel). 

Make for 25-30 minutes or until top is set.  Cool 20 min.  Run a knife around the edges to loosen. 

Cool 40 minutes.  Refrigerate 1 hour or until caramel layer is set.

Store in the refrigerator.

**Make sure to cut no larger than 2x2” pieces – too sweet for most people if larger than that.

Enjoy!

Recipe : Key Lime Pie

Our friend, Terry, can tell you that I appear to be obsessed with Key Lime.  Even when we aren't in the Keys....

So, I decided to make Key Lime pie for dinner with our friends a few weeks ago.  Let's not talk too much about the crust...I ended up pressing too high up the side of the pan, so when I took it out of the pan, the sides crumbled :)

For the crust you will need:

One 9" graham cracker shell or

1 1/2 c graham crackers, finely ground (I used Triple Ginger Snaps from Trader Joe's)

1/3 c white sugar

6 tbsp butter, melted

1.  Mix graham crackers crumbs, sugar and melted butter together until well blended.  Press into an 8" or 9" springform pan.

2.  Bake at 375 degrees for 7 minutes and cool.

For the filling you will need:

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks

1/2 c Key Lime juice (either fresh squeezed or a good quality Key Lime juice like Nellie and Joe's)

1.  Mix all ingredients together until well blended.

2.  Pour into pie filling.  

3.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.  Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating.  

4.  Serve with whipped cream.

Adapted from a recipe from Nellie and Joe.

Recipe : Pan Handy Cake

I made this recipe in a Girl Scout cooking evening many, many, many moons ago.  I ran across the recipe a few weeks ago and decided to make it again to see if it was as good as I remember!

In a mixing bowl, measure:

1 1/2 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cocoa
1/2 tsp salt

I used a whisk to combine and distribute the dry ingredients.

Then add:

6 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 c cold water

Mix together.

Pour into an ungreased 9x9" pan.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

We didn't put a frosting/glaze on our cakes in Girl Scouts, so I didn't put either on this one!

I used Pampered Chef's Easy Read Mini Measuring Cup to measure my liquids - love it!!  Jeff even uses it to measure out wing sauce when he takes his lunch to work! 

Recipe : Aunt Betsy's Zucchini (or Banana) Bread

I didn't make zucchini bread this time - I had an overripe banana that needed a new purpose.  But this is a good base for either summer's zucchini bumper crop or bananas past their prime :)



In a mixing bowl, combine:

2 c sugar
1 c oil (I use canola)
3 eggs
2 c finely chopped or shredded zucchini or 2 ripe bananas
3 tsp cinnamon
3 tsp vanilla

Add to this mixture:

2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c nuts or raisins (optional)

Pour into 2 loaf pans and bake at 350 degrees for 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Note - I was lazy this time and poured into one 7x10" pan. 

Updated : I have tried this with whole wheat flour and it comes it just as tasty!  Also, to "clean" this up a bit, try using coconut oil instead of vegetable oil.