My Only Recipe Book

Ingridients:

1/2 lb. butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup finely chopped pecans (not ground)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Procedure:

Cream butter, then slowly add sugar. Cream until light, then add vanilla, flour and pecans. Roll into 1" balls. Bake on an ungreased sheet for about 12 minutes at 350°. Don't brown. Roll in sifted confectioner's sugar while still warm and when cool, pack in an airtight container for 2 - 4 weeks. Pack each layer of cookies with confectioner's sugar between layers.

Ingridients:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 eggs
1 cup brown sugar
5 Tbsp. flour
1/8 tsp. baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure:

Melt butter in a 9" square pan over low heat, then remove from stovetop. In a bowl beat eggs slightly; combine sugar, flour, baking soda and nuts and stir into the beaten eggs. Stir in vanilla. Pour this mixture over the melted butter in the pan - do not stir. Bake 20 minutes at 350°. Turn out of pan onto plate and dust the bottom (now the top!) with confectioner's sugar.

Ingridients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
optional food color paste

Procedure:

Cream butter and sugar until light. Mix in almond extract and food color paste, if desired.

Mix in the flour until dough stops clinging to the sides of the bowl and forms a rough ball. Shape as desired, chill for 30 minutes and bake, at 300 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Do not brown these cookies.

Makes about 4 dozen.

Ingridients:

3 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoons citrus oil or almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 3/4 - 3 cups powdered sugar
gel or paste food coloring

Procedure:

Mix water, extracts and salt in small bowl. Whisk in enough powdered sugar to form icing thick enough to pipe.

For the most successful color, use a paste or gel color rather than a liquid food color which may make the icing too runny and doesn't provide as intense of a color. Divide icing into several cups and stir in colors as desired. Pipe onto cookies with the small tip of a pastry tube. Quickly sprinkle the wet icing with desired decorations and allow to dry thoroughly before storing in an airtight container.

Ingridients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
4 cups flour, sifted
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar together in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla - beat until fluffy. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt. At low speed, add the dry mixture to the creamed mixer and mix until incorporated.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8" thickness and cut into desired shapes with a cookie cutter. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake approximately 8 minutes or until edges of cookies are just beginning to turn a light brown. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack (or just slide the cookies, parchment and all!) and cool completely before decorating.

Ingridients:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia*
1 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
granulated sugar or decorative sugar

Procedure:

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar till smooth. Add the egg and the Fiori di Sicilia, again beating till smooth.

Add the flour, baking soda and salt to the wet ingredients, and beat until the mixture forms a cohesive dough. Shape the dough into walnut-sized balls, and shake them in a plastic bag (or roll them in a pan) with granulated sugar or coarse sugar, until they're thoroughly coated. Place the balls, 2 inches apart, on lightly greased cookie sheets. Using the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar, flatten the balls to about 2 inches in diameter, about 3/8-inch thick. If you want a more shiny-sugary, cracked appearance atop the cookies, flatten them out, brush them with a bit of water, then sprinkle with additional sugar.

Bake the cookies in a preheated 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they're a VERY light golden brown around the edges. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a wire rack. As they cool, they'll become crisp. If you want them to remain crisp, store them in an airtight container when they're totally cool. If you want them to get a bit chewy, leave them uncovered, or store in a bag with a slice of apple or a brown sugar softener.

Yield about 20 to 24 large (3-inch) cookies.

Ingridients:

3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 cups (12 ounce) semisweet chocolate morsels

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Melt the chocolate in a small cup or bowl set in a pan of simmering water, stirring often until smooth. Set aside to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and powdered instant coffee and mix well. Beat in the melted chocolate. Stir and toss the flour, soda, and salt together and add them to the chocolate mixture, beating until completely blended. Stir in the chocolate morsels.

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes, until they have spread slightly and the tops look dry. Remove from the oven and transfer to racks to cool.

Ingridients

1 (9-inch) prepared Graham Cracker Pie Crust*
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
3 medium-size very ripe Hass avocados**
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream

Procedure

* Check out my Graham Cracker Pie Crust Recipe.

** If an avocado is ripe, it will yield to a gentle pressure.

Refrigerate graham cracker crust until well chilled.

In a small bowl, combine lime juice, lemon juice, and unflavored gelatin; let stand 4 to 5 minutes or until softened.

In a large bowl or the food processor, combine gelatin mixture, avocados, and sweetened condensed milk. Pour mixture into prepared graham cracker pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until the filling is firm. In a small bowl, whip heavy cream and sour cream together until stiff peaks form. Serve pie topped with prepared whipped cream mixture.

Makes 8 servings.

One of the most wonderful books I ever found at an estate sale was Cook, My Darling Daughter by Mildred Knopf. The book is a total joy to read, written for her daughter who was just beginning to entertain in her own home. A version of her banana bread recipe is the only one I make now. It is perfect - tender, flavorful, and works every time. It isn't your typical quick bread, but is made like a cake. Try it in any case, and be sure to look at Step by Step: Banana Bread before you start.


Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hours,
Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 very ripe bananas)
1 Tbsp. buttermilk (yes, 1 tablespoon)
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbsp. sugar

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x5" loaf pan and set aside. Cream butter with 1/2 cup sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well. Sift flour with baking soda, salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and baking powder. Mix banana with the buttermilk in small bowl.
Add flour alternately with the banana/buttermilk mixture to the butter mixture, stirring after each addition until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Combine 1/2 tsp. cinnamon with 2 Tbsp. sugar, mix well, and sprinkle over batter.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour. Remove from oven, then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack. Store in plastic bag. This actually gets better the next day, if you have any left! 12 servings

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 35 Minutes

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup milk, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
6 oz. white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to temperature 375°F. Butter a 12-muffin pan and set aside. Combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Combine milk, butter, egg and vanilla in another bowl and mix thoroughly. Form a well in the center of dry ingredients. Stir milk and egg mixture into dry ingredients until just combined. Add half the white chocolate chips and continue to stir. Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with remaining white chocolate. Bake 20-25 minutes or until tester comes out clean when inserted in center. Cool muffins in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes before turning out.