Becca's Honey Butter Popovers

I made these for the first time as a little girl from a cookbook my Grandma gave me entitled " Winnie the Pooh's Cookbook". The original recipe was called "Popovers for Piglet" and once we made these with Mom in the kitchen, our family was hooked. My brother makes variations on these such as Parmesan cheese popovers, cinnamon popovers, and garlic popovers. I've tried various recipes and combined a few together to come up with my own version that I like the best!

1 T. melted butter for greasing cups
3 beaten eggs
1 C. milk
2 T. melted butter
3 T. honey (slightly warmed in microwave so it can be poured into batter)
1 C. all-purpose flour

1. Using 1/2 tsp. butter for each cup, grease the bottoms and sides of six 6-oz. custard cups or cups of a popover pan. (Or, lightly coat cups with cooking spray.) Place the cups on a baking sheet and set aside.

2. In a bowl, beat eggs, milk, 2 T. melted butter, honey (warmed slightly in microwave) until combined. Add flour and beat until smooth.

3. Fill the prepared cups half full with batter. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes turn the oven down to 325 degrees and continue baking for 15 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN or popovers will fall.

4. When popovers are golden brown, remove from oven and prick each popover to let the steam escape. For crisper popovers, you can return them to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes more. Serve while still warm with butter, jam, or honey.

Linda Beck's Texas Sheet Cake

Linda brings this to every faculty event we have at our school! The key to this moist cake is the frosting! Thanks for sharing this recipe Linda!

Mix together in a bowl:
2 C. flour
2 C. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
1 T vinegar plus enough milk added to vinegar to make 1/2 cup

In a sauce pan bring the following ingredients to a boil while stirring over medium heat:
2 sticks margarine
4 T. cocoa
1 C. water

Add sauce pan mixture to bowl mixture. You can add 1-2 T. flour if needed.
Spray jelly roll pan with Pam oil and spead cake over pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Frost while cake is still warm.

Frosting:
1 1/2 sicks margarine
3 T cocoa
1 bag powdered sugar
2 T. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Stir together over medium heat until it comes to a boil. Let boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add 1 bag of powdered sugar (add gradually...if you put too much in, the frosting will separate and look "greasy"), milk, vanilla. Mix until smooth. Pour over entire cake.

Trish's Cinnamon Rolls

Yet another great recipe from my neighbor, Trish Nichols. Her mother used to make these for her when she was growing up, so this recipe is tried and true! This is my all-time favorite recipe for soft, melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls. They rank up there next to Cinnabon's! Once you see the ingredients you'll know why! But hey, they are worth making every once in a while! Great for Valentine's Day!

1 3/4 T. yeast
1 C. warm water
1/3 C. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 C. melted butter
3/4 C. evaporated milk
1 egg, beaten
4 1/2 C flour

1 stick of butter
2 C. brown sugar
4 tsp. cinnamon

Dissolve yeast in warm water.
Mix together sugar and salt. Add to yeast.
Add butter, evaporated milk, egg and flour.
Knead and let rise until double.
Roll out and rub an entire stick of butter over the top of rolled out dough.
Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Sprinkle cinnamon mixture over the top of rolled out dough.
Pinch edges to seal.
Let rise again until double. (About 30-45 minutes)
Bake @ 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Frost with your favorite white icing or frosting.

Mom's Chocolate Mousse

This recipe is another one of my childhood favorites. I requested this time and again! This is a rather challenging recipe- not for a beginner!

1 C. semi-sweet chips or 6 sq. semi-sweet baking choc.
4 T. coffe (2 T. instant coffee with water) or orange juice can be used instead of coffee

1) Microwave choc and coffee (can substitute orange juice for coffee)
and melt together. Stir.

4 egg yolks (save the egg whites)
3.4 C. sugar
1/2 C. orange juice

2) Beat yolks, gradually pour in sugar until mixture falls back onto surface. Add juice and set mixing bowl in a pan of almost simmering water until foamy and warm. (4-5 minutes) Remove pan from water and beat until it's cool and thick again.

3) 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter or margarine- very soft. Stir chocolate micture until perfectly smooth. Gradually beat softened butter into chocolate mixture. Next, stir chocolate butter mixture into egg yolk and butter mixture.

4 egg whites-room temperature
2 T. sugar
Pinch of salt

4) Beat slowly until it is foamy. Add salt and increase to fast speed until soft peaks form. Sprinkle on sugar and beat until peakes are stiff peaks form. Sprinkle on sugar and beat until peaks are stiff.

Take 1/4 egg whites and stir into chocolate mixture. Take the rest of the egg whites and fold in with a rubber scraper, cutting down and up, until blended. Refrigerate over night.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies

If you love chocolate, these are for you!

1 1/2 C. firmly packed light brown sugar
2/3 C. vegetable shortening
1 T. water
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/3 C. unsweetened baking cocoa
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 C. (12 oz. package) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees
Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.
Combine brown sugar, shortening, water and vanilla in large bowl.
Beat at medium speed until well-blended.
Beat eggs into creamed mixture.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Mix into creamed mixture at low speed just until blended.
Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by rounded tablespoonful of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake one baking sheet at a time at 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes, or until cookies are set.
Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet.
Remove cookies to foil to cool completely.

Soft Chocolate Drop Cookies

These are another one of my favorites from Grandma Hume's Christmas cookie plate!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour, sifted before measuring
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa, unsweetened
1 cup chopped walnuts, optional
butterscotch, white chocolate, or chocolate chips, optional

Icing:
3 T. butter or margarine softened
3 T. Hershey's cocoa
3/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 C. powdered sugar
1 to 2 T milk
1 T. light corn syrup (careful with the liquids- add gradually to proper consistency)

PREPARATION:
Cream shortening, butter and sugar; beat in egg. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Into another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa. Stir into the first batter. Stir in walnuts and/or chips if using.

Chill for an hour; drop by teaspoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake at 350° for 8 to 12 minutes, or until no imprint remains when lightly touched with finger.

Ice with chocolate icing.

Makes about 3 to 4 dozen chocolate cookies, depending on additions.

Mounds Bars

These were one of my favorite cookie bars that Grandma Humes would put on her Christmas cookie plate.
Crust:
2 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C. melted butter
1/4 C. brown sugar.

Topping:
Combine 1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk
2 C. coconut
3 Hershey chocolate bars or 1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Combine 2 C graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 C. melted butter and 1/2 C.. brown sugar. Press into 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
2. Combine 1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk and 2 C. coconut. Pour over baked crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees 10-15 minutes longer.
3. While still hot, place 6 Hershey bars over the top, spriading as they melt to cover.
4. Optional: spinkle with chopped nuts.

Lemon Squares

This is a childhood favorite from Mom's Betty Crocker's Cooky Book (a MUST have for any family that loves to bake cookies!). And lucky for my generation, they reprinted this 1963 cookbook in 2002, so it is available to buy at any bookstore or amazon.com! Yeah! This is from page13. Of all the lemon squares recipes I've tasted, this is by far my favorite!

1 C. flour
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1/4 C. confectioners' sugar
2 eggs
1 C. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. lemon juice

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Blend flour, butter, and songectioners' sugar thoroughly.
3. Press evenly in square pan, 8 x 8 x 2.
4. Bake 20 min.
5. Beat rest of ingredients together.
6. Pour over crust and bake 20 to 25 min. more. Do not overbake! (The filling puffs during baking but flattens when cooled.)

I like to dust with powdered sugar once they are cooled!
Makes 16 squares.

Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats

This is another recipe from my neighor, Trish Nichols. I could eat a whole pan of these in one sitting! (That is, if I had plenty of milk to go with them!)

Boil together:
1 C. Karo syrup
1 C. sugar

Add: 1 C. peanut butter
Stir together off of heat until it melts.

Pour over 5 1/2 C. rice crispies and mix together. Press into greased 9 x 13 pan.

Melt together: 1 C. milk chocolate chips and 1 C. butterscotch chips.
Pour over the top of rice crispies.

My Favorite Sugar Cookies

This was given to me by a neighbor, Trish Nichols (of Centerville, Utah). We used to have fun swapping our favorite baked goods and trying out new ones on her 4 little boys! One bite and these became my all-time favorite sugar cookies.

3 eggs
3/8 C. butter
3/8 C. shortening
1 1/3 C. sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 C. flour
pinch of salt
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. sour cream

1. Combine all ingredients.
2. Chill 1 hour
3. Allow to sit at room temperature to soften.
4. Roll to 1/4 inch thickness.
5. Bake @ 375 degreesfor 8-10 min.

Sugar N' Spice Cookies

These are my favorite cold winter night cookie! Mom made these when I was little and they are still a family favorite!

3/4 C shortening
1 C. granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 C molasses
2 C flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp cloves
3/4 tsp ginger
confectioners sugar

1. Heat over to 375 degrees
2. Mix: shortening, sugar, egg, molasses thoroughly.
3. Blend dry ingredients. Stir into shortening.
4. Form 1 inch balls. Place on greased baking sheets (or on parchment paper covered sheets)
5. Bake 10-12 minutes
6. Roll in confectioners sugar while still warm.

Grammy's New York Cheesecake

Ok...I think the story goes that my grandma (Grammy), who was a buyer for children's clothes, would frequently eat this cheesecake when she visited New York back in the 1940s or 50s. She loved this cheesecake so much she asked for the recipe. I know, sounds a bit like the whole email thing for Mrs. Field's cookies or something, but this one really happened! And if you need proof, well, it's in the cheesecake! ha ha! Try it! This is a family family favorite that gets requested over and over.

1. Line a 9” or 10”springform pan with graham cracker crust. Bake for 8 minutes or recommend time on box
2. Beat until fluffy:
3/4 C white sugar
1 lb. cream cheese, softened (I use 1/2 low fat &1/2 regular)
3 eggs
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla.

3. Bake for 25-35 min. or until set at 300°
4. Let cool completely
5. Beat together:
1 pt. Sour cream;
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6. Pour over cheese cake mixture and bake for 7 minutes at 450°
7. When completely cool remove from pan and refrigerate for 24 hrs.

Thumbprint Cookies

My sister gave me this recipe over Christmas and I've been addicted to them ever since! I make the butter cookie recipe, roll it into little balls and push a thumbprint in each, then fill with my favorite preserves (I like apricot pineapple or raspberry preserves the best!) Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until just lightly brown and cool! Drizzle with icing or sprinkle with powdered sugar. Yummm!

You can view the complete recipe online at: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/108915

BASIC BUTTER COOKIES
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes in a standing mixer (preferably fitted with paddle attachment) or 6 with a handheld. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Form dough into a 12-inch log (2 inches in diameter) on a sheet of plastic wrap and roll up dough in plastic wrap. Chill dough on a baking sheet until firm, at least 4 hours. (To roll cookies into balls, see cooks' note, below.)

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.

Cut enough 1/8- to 1/4-inch-thick slices from log with a heavy knife to fill 2 ungreased large baking sheets, arranging slices about 1 inch apart (chill remainder of log, wrapped in plastic wrap). If garnishing with coarse sugar, sprinkle slices with it.

Bake cookies, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes total. Cool on sheets 3 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough on cooled baking sheets.

Cooks' notes:
• Dough log can be chilled up to 5 days or frozen, wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap, 1 month. If frozen, thaw dough in refrigerator just until it can be sliced.
• Instead of forming dough into a log and chilling, you can roll tablespoons of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls, then roll balls in finely chopped nuts (about 1 cup) and coarse sugar. Bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until bottoms are browned, about 15 minutes total.
• To garnish cookies with chocolate, melt 3 1/2 oz chocolate and cool slightly. Transfer to a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag and snip a 1/16-inch opening in 1 corner. Pipe chocolate evenly back and forth over cookies. Let chocolate set before storing cookies.
• Cookies keep, layered between sheets of wax paper or parchment, in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.


Gourmet
December 2003

Snickers Bar Cheesecake

This cheesecake gets rave reviews everywhere I take it. It tastes like it comes from an expensive restaurant and is sure to impress your family and friends!

Crust Ingredients:
35 Oreo cookies
4 T butter melted & cooled slightly
2 T water
1/4 C sugar


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cover bottom (outside) of a 10 inch springform pan tightly with aluminum foil to catch cookie drippings.
3. Using a food processor, finely crush all of the cookies.
4. Add the melted butter, water and sugar to the cookie crumbs and continue processing until mixture is well blended.
5. Turn the cookie mixture out into the pan and using fingers, gently work the cookie mixture until the bottom of the pan is covered. Cover 1 inch up the sides.
6. Bake for only 5-7 minutes (or crust will get too hard). If crust rises, use the bottom of glass to press down, set aside to cool.

Filling Ingredients:
3 - 8oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature (softened)
2 eggs
8 oz (3/4 C) sour cream
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 full-size Snickers bars coarsely chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Using large bowl and electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.
3. Add 1 egg and mix well. Add second egg and mix well.
4. Add sour cream and sugar.
5. Gently fold in chocolate chips and chopped snickers bars.
6. Pour batter into crust and spread the mixture out from the middle to all sides.
7. Place spring-form pan, still covered with foil on the bottom, into oven and bake 65 minutes.
8. Transfer to rack and to cool. Place a piece of plastic wrap on top to cool and refrigerate over night.

Glaze Ingredients:
1 C. chocolate chips
2 T butter
5 oz. whipping cream

Directions:
1. Melt chocolate, butter and 1/3 of whipping cream in double boiler or microwave.
2. Stir until smooth off of the heat.
3. Stir in remaining whipping cream.
4. Use sharp knife and run around pan. Release and remove cheesecake onto serving dish.
5. Pour glaze over entire cake.
6. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably longer (2-3 hours) before serving.

Apricot Bars

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
8 oz apricot preserves (or I like to use apricot pineapple preserves)
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter, sugar, egg and vanilla.
3. Mix in salt, flour, baking powder and coconut. Stir well.
4. Reserve 3/4 cup for topping. Spread rest in greased 9x11-inch pan.
5. Spread apricot preserves over mixture. Sprinkle nuts over preserves.
6. Crumble reserved 3/4 cup dough over top.
7. Bake for 30 minutes.
8. Cool slightly and cut into squares

Russian Tea Cake Cookies (Kimmy's favorite!)

1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts
Powdered sugar


In a large bowl, cream butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Sift in flour and salt; stir until well mixed. Mix in nuts. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll dough into 1-inch balls. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown. Remove from oven and cool slightly on wire racks. While cookies are baking place the powdered sugar in a shallow dish.

While still warm, roll cookies in powdered sugar. When cookies have cooled, roll them again in the confectioners sugar to give them a nice even coating of sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Variation: Melt 1 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips and drizzle over the tops of cookies.
Yields 4 dozen cookies.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE PIE

Crust
21 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

Mousse
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
3 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
Chocolate shavings (optional)


For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Finely grind cookies in processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan to form thin crust. Bake crust 5 minutes. Transfer crust to rack and cool completely.

For Mousse:
Combine chocolate, vanilla and salt in processor. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. With processor running, gradually pour hot cream through feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.
Beat 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)
Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in medium bowl to firm peaks. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around edge of cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Serves 8.
Bon Appétit
November 1992
James Cratin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Gingerbread Houses

I love sharing my favorite recipes with those who want them! Enjoy!


Gingerbread Houses

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. gruund ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/ tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup molasses
1 egg
1 tablespppn vinegar
2 1/2 cups all-pupose flour

(You will prbably need to make the recipe twice if you are making several small houses.)
1. In a large bowl beat shortening on high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in molasses, egg, and vinegar. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour.

2. Cover and chill about 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle.

3. Roll some of the dough to 1/4-inch thickness on greased pan. Place some pattern pieces 1 inch apart on dough. Cut around patterns with a sharp knife. Remove excess dough (save for rerolling), leaving dough cutouts on pan.

4. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and centers are just firm. Leaving warm baked gingerbread on the pan, replace pattern pieces and trim edges exactly. Return gingerbread to oven and bake 3 minutes more or until very firm. Cool 3 minutes on pan. Loosen bottoms of gingerbread pieces with a spatula. Cool completely on pan. Transfer to wire racks. Repeat with remaining dough and pattern pieces.

5. If you allow gingerbread pieces to dry overnight, they will be even firmer and better for constuction. Cover gingerbread pieces loosely with a towel.
Better Homes and Gradens Chrstmas Cookies page192)

Construct using Royal Icing:
Royal Icing
3 egg whites
1 pould powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. Cream of tarter
Combine. Beat at high speed for 10 minutes, until stiff white peaks form. Keep covered with a damp towel or saran wrap (touching the icing) to keep from hardening before using.