Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

(Adapted from “Mom’s Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies”) 8 ½ cups flour6 cups sugar2 cups Crisco1 ½ cups milk3 cups cocoa3 eggs2 teaspoons baking soda1 teaspoon salt4 teaspoons vanilla In a large bowl, make a nest out of the flour. Combine all other ingredients in a separate bowl and pour into the center of the nest. Stir… Continue reading Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies

Mom’s Chocolate Cake

This is one of those old family recipes, handed down from my spouse’s mother. It is from before the time when science discovered that trans-fats are no good for you, and before the reformulation of Crisco to exclude them from the product. This new formula has not proved to be a problem for any of… Continue reading Mom’s Chocolate Cake

Banana Bread (Laurel’s Kitchen)

This is a recipe that came out of a book and, slightly altered, has persisted as a regular part of our family’s cooking repertoire. It’s a really good banana bread, and has a far, far better flavor than any banana bread mix available in supermarkets. Juice of 1 lemon3 very ripe bananas½ cup brown sugar½… Continue reading Banana Bread (Laurel’s Kitchen)

Hershey’s Chocolate Cheesecake

For Crust:1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs¼ cup butter For Cake:3 packages, 8 ounces each, cream cheese, softened1 ¼ cups sugar8 ounces sour cream2 teaspoons vanilla½ cup cocoa2 tablespoons flour3 eggs For Drizzle:½ cup chocolate chips2 teaspoons Crisco Combine crumbs with butter; press onto bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Heat oven to 450°. Beat… Continue reading Hershey’s Chocolate Cheesecake

Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins (Ocean Spray)

2 cups flour½ cup brown sugar1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground nutmeg½ teaspoon salt1 cup pumpkin pie filling2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, coarsely chopped½ cup oil¼ cup milk¼ cup molasses1 egg Preheat oven to 350°. Grease muffin pans. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon,… Continue reading Cranberry Pumpkin Muffins (Ocean Spray)

Damp Gingerbread

9 tablespoons butter1 ½ cups golden syrup2 cups +2 tablespoons flour½ teaspoon salt1 ¾ teaspoons baking soda1 tablespoon ground ginger½ teaspoon ground cloves¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon1 egg, beaten1 cup milk Preheat oven to 350°. Butter a nine-inch round pan, and lined with parchment paper. Melt butter with golden syrup.  Sift flour and other dry ingredients… Continue reading Damp Gingerbread

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

There do not appear to be many brands of syrup made from sugarcane only, not combined with corn syrup – Steen’s. is one of them. From what I gather at their website and elsewhere, cane syrup is more like maple syrup than conventional molasses, in that it contains the boiled-down juice of the sugarcane, including… Continue reading Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

For cake:6 tablespoons butter, softened½ cup molasses1 egg½ cup sugar2 cups flour1 teaspoon baking powder1 teaspoon baking soda1 teaspoon cinnamon½ teaspoon salt¾ cup boiling water For icing:6 ounces Neuchâtel cheese1 tablespoon skim milk¼ cup sugar1 teaspoon vanilla1 teaspoon grated orange zest Heat oven to 375°. Lightly coat an 8" x 8" or 9" x 13"… Continue reading Gingerbread Cake with Orange Cream Cheese Icing

Cran-Apple Crumble Pie

1 9 inch frozen piecrust, thawed4-5 medium apples¾ cup fresh or thawed cranberries½ cup sugar1 tablespoon flour¾ teaspoon ground cinnamonpinch of salt For crumble:¾ cup oatmeal¼ cup sugar½ teaspoon vanilla2 tablespoons flour1 teaspoon ground cinnamonpinch of salt2 tablespoons butter 1. Heat oven to 400°.2. Peel, core and cut the apples into ¼ inch slices. Chopped… Continue reading Cran-Apple Crumble Pie

Chewy Cranberry Cookies

Cookie:½ cup butter, softened1 cup sugar¾ cup brown sugar, packed¼ cup milk2 tablespoons orange juice1 egg3 cups flour1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon baking soda2 ½ cups chopped cranberries, either fresh or frozen1 cup chopped pecans Glaze:1/3 cup butter2 cups confectioners’ sugar1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract2-4 tablespoons hot water Heat oven to 375°. Grease… Continue reading Chewy Cranberry Cookies