Merry Window Carmels - Rua J.

What a way to eat caramel.  My favorite candy.  I had never heard of using fondant for dipping candy.  It is interesting.  I tried to melt it and it seemed to get really thick and then all of a sudden it became smooth and creamy.  When I took if off of the heat to do the dipping it thickened really fast.  It says to dip the caramel quickly and I tell you they mean it.  The warm fondant starts to melt the caramel and so you get the result shown below.  Cracked fondant coating.  And guess what, the caramel does leak out of any cracks that may be in the coating.  Surprise, surprise, surprise as Barney would say.

I don't think summer is the best time to be dipping any kind of candy.  It has a hard time setting up.  I should have put it directly in the fridge after I dipped it for the fondant to harden.  The caramel is quite soft so as you can see below it tries to form it's own shape.  The nuts on the bottom are essential.  Between the fondant and the caramel they would stick to the plate and you would end up with a gooey mess when you tried to transfer them to a plate for serving.  I think keeping them cool to eat would also be wise.  If you tried to eat just half of the candy it would crumble and drip all over you.  A yummy, sticky mess and mouth full.

Merry Window Caramels - Rua J.

1  C. Ripened Fondant                                        4  drops glycerine (or 1/4 tsp. corn syrup)
1/2  tsp. Vanilla                                                   Use Cream Caramel Recipe

Melt fondant in top of double boiler, over boiling water.  Drop caramels one at a time.  Coat quickly and drop in finely chopped walnuts on waxed paper.

Cream Caramel - Rua Jones

4  C. Sugar                                                        1/4  tsp. Cream of Tarter

2  C. Karo syrup                                                1/2  tsp. Salt
4  C. Whipping Cream (un-whipped)                  2  tsp. Vanilla

Mix sugar, salt and Cream of Tarter together in heavy 4 quart pan.  Stir in  Karo and 1/3 of the cream.  Cook over medium heat stirring until sugar is dissolved and it is boiling slowly.  Cook to softball.  If this seems too hot, reduce heat so candy will not scorch.  Slowly add another 1/3 of cream.  (Heat may be turned up to med-high when adding cream if you watch it carefully and turn it down again after each cream portion has been added.)  Do not allow boiling to stop or candy will curdle.  Cook to soft ball again.  Slowly then add last 1/3 of cream keeping mixture boiling.  Cook to firm ball.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour out into buttered 9 x 13 pan.  Let cool.  Cut into squares wrap in waxed papers, individually.  Store in covered tin box or in fridge in sealed container.  Will keep 2-3 wks. 

Escalloped Potatoes by Loleen G

These were good.  Nothing too fancy, but a good basic recipe.  It has a cooking time of 45 minutes, but they potatoes were still crunchy, so I suggest closer to an hour.

Panoche by Louise M

See Pecan Log by Louise M.

Nut Caramels by Louise M.

See Pecan Logs by Louise M.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Drops by Marjorie C.

I'm not a huge fan of oatmeal cookies, but these were really good.  The name made me think they had butterscotch chips in them or something, but I think it just refers to the brown sugar.  They cook really hot, and I think I might turn the oven down a little next time.  Some of the cookies were cripy on the outside and doughy in the middle.  My oven is gas so it doesn't cook as even, it might not be a problem in an electric or convection oven.

Butterscotch Oatmeal Drops by Marjorie C.

1 1/3 c shortening
2 tsp vanilla
2 c brown sugar
3 eggs
2 c sifted flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 2/3 c rolled oats
1 c chocolate chips
1 1/3 c nuts

Cream shortening, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients together and add with the oats.  Add nuts and chocolate chips.  Drop on cookie sheet, you can top with a nut half if desired. Bake at 400 (375?) for 7-10 minutes.

Chocolate Tea Cookies - Helen J.

These were suppose to post on the 23 of Sept. with some others but I did something wrong so the other one will come later.....I chose to do two cookies because we have extra ones and I needed some to send on a backpack adventure trip that might hold up while hiking with a pack.  When I got the dough made and it reminded me of  soft tootsie rolls, I remembered tea cookies are usually hard and just bite sized to not leave a mess while eating in your fancy dress.  They definitely don't leave a mess.  They are what they say they are.
I choose to use my small cookie cutters so they would be bite sized.  As you can see on the plate I sprinkled the little cookies with sugar before baking.  The large round ones are dipped in powdered sugar before baking.  The recipe also gives you the option of just doing them as drop cookies so the front one is that.  I wondered if it would bake to the center because the dough was so stiff.  It did.  The flavor is OK, kind of like a tootsie roll.  I probably would not make these unless I was say, the nursery leader and didn't want a mess to clean up.  Little ones would enjoy the little cookies.  It is kind of like having chocolate animal crackers!  For a tea cookie it is good but we seldom use tea cookies with our lifestyle and they don't strike me as a wedding type cookie.

Chocolate Tea Cookies - Helen J.

1  C. Butter or Margarine                                            4  1/2 C. Flour
1  3/4 C. Sugar                                                           1  tsp. Baking Powder
2  Eggs                                                                       1/4  tsp. Salt
4  tsp. Vanilla                                                              4  Tbs. Cocoa

Cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla, mix well.  Gradually add sifted dry ingredients and mix until dough.  Do not over mix.  Either roll out and cut or drop by teaspoon on baking sheet.  Bake 10-12 min. at 350o F.  (You may leave them plain or dip in sugar or powdered sugar before baking.)

Snickerdoodles - Maurine G. & Chocolate Tea Cookies

I like Snickerdoodles but I am on the eternal quest to find the SOFT Snickerdoodles I have tasted somewhere.  These are not it.  These are quite hard.  The flavor is not very distinct and they are very crumbly.  I found after I tasted one it left a greasy feeling in your mouth.  For a snickerdoodle, this is what a lot of them are like, they're OK.  I guess I expect toooo much from my cookie.  I apparently had tried these before because I had written in to add extra flour.  The recipe as written must make cow pie type cookies.  You know the ones that spread out and are thin and crunchy.  The extra  flour (1/3 C.) really did not improve it very much. 

Snickerdoodles - Maurine G.

1  C. Shortening                                                      2  2/3  C. Sifted Flour
1  1/2  C. Sugar                                                      2  tsp. Cream of Tarter
2  Eggs                                                                   1/4  tsp. Salt
                                                                              1  tsp.  Baking Soda

Cream shortening and sugar.  Add eggs and mix well.  Sift dry ingredients together and Mix into the shortening sugar mixture.  Roll into balls size of walnuts.  Roll balls in a mixture of:
2  Tbs. Sugar                                                          1  tsp. Cinnamon
Place 2" apart on an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake until lightly browned 10 - 12 min. in a 400o F. oven.

Cream Pies - Loleen G.

This is your basic pudding pie.  We made banana cream pie and it was fine.  Nothing special, but not horrible.  We did think it wasn't as sweet as some pudding pies.  The pineapple version had me intrigued, but couldn't convince anyone that it was a good idea.

Cream Pies
1/3 C cornstarch
2/3 C sugar
1/2 t salt
2 1/2 C milk
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 T butter
1 t vanilla

Mix cornstarch, sugar, and salt in a saucepan.  Gradually add milk and cook on med until very thick and clear, stirring constantly.  "The filling must be thoroughly cooked or it will be starchy."  Slowly add a small amount of hot mixture to egg yolks until heated up, stirring rapidly as you add hot mixture.  Dump yolks back into mixture on stove,  Cook 2 minutes.  Add butter and vanilla.  Spread with meringue or cream,

VARIATIONS:
Banana : slice 2-3 bananas into cream filling
Coconut: add 1 C shredded coconut to filling.  sprinkle 1/2 C coconut over meringue before browning
Fruit: add 1 C pitted, chopped dates or 1/2 C crushed pineapple, drained to cooled filling
Chocolate: Increase sugar to 1 C, add two 1 oz squares of chocolate.

Pie Crust by Lillian G

I have never made a pie crust with lard before, so I was really nervous when it called for so much.   I thought it would be greasy.  I didn't need to worry, it was delicious!  The crust turned out flaky and nice. I think I would cut back on the salt a little.  We used the crust to make a fresh peach pie and sprinkled cinnamon sugar on the extras for a yummy snack while we waited.

Pie Crust by Lillian G.

3 c flour
1 tsp salt (I would use 1/2-3/4 tsp)
1 c lard (you can find it by the shortening)
approx. 2/3 c water (I don't know how much water I added, but I think it was less than 2/3 c.)

Sift together flour and salt.  Cut in lard until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle cold water over the mixture, 1 T at a time, mixing a little after each addition, until the dough will form a ball.  The more you mix it and knead it, the tougher it will be, so handle the dough as little as possible.  Roll out on a floured board, or between 2 sheets of waxed paper. For one crust, roll out and place in pie plate.  Make a fancy edge and prick the bottom with a fork to let air escape.  Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  For a 2 crust pie, follow the recipes directions, making sure there are slashes in the top, close to the edge, to let steam escape.

Custard Pie - Loleen G.

When the recipe says to set it in the oven and then pour the rest of the filling in.  She is right.  I spilled it down the stove door, into the drawer, and onto the floor.  It was a lovely mess.  I have never done that before and I hope to not do it again.  Sorry Natalie.  I think more dripped later after I cleaned it up, sorry Natalie.  .Just for the record, have you ever tasted slightly sweet and milky baked scrambled eggs in a pie crust.  If you haven't I have.  Lets just say custard pie has never been one of my favorite.  This version did not change my view.  Those who tasted it also agreed it needs something but we couldn't decide what.  Is it more sugar, more nutmeg, more vanilla, or wait, I think I will just make a plain cream pie.  Loleen was a great cook!  I loved everything I ever ate at her home.  I guess my tastes have changed or this was never served.  As you can tell I won't be making this again.

Custard Pie - Loleen G.

3  Eggs, slightly beaten                                       1/4  tsp. Salt
1/3  C. Sugar                                                     3  C. Milk, heated
1  tsp. Vanilla                                                     Ground Nutmeg
1  Unbaked Pastry for 9" pie

Combine eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt.  Gradually stir in hot milk.  Combine well, bu don't beat.  Pour half mixture into pastry shell.  Use cup to pour rest of filling into shell after pie is in oven.  It WILL spill if you don't.  Sprinkle nutmeg over top.  Bake at 375o F. about 50 min.  To test insert tip of knife in filling in middle of pie.  If custard is baked, the knife will make a clean cut.  Cool before serving.

Tossed Salad — Romaine F.

This is your basic green salad, with the addition of watercress.  I had never eaten watercress, and had to ask the produce person at the store where to find it.  I found it was really delicious in the salad and something I will start adding to my salads.

Tossed Salad

Lettuce, torn in small pieces

Watercress, chopped

Radishes, thinly sliced

Carrots, coarsely grated

1 med onion, sliced thinly

Cucumbers, sliced

Green Pepper

Celery, diced

Tomatoes, in wedges

Use amounts of each veg for the amount of salad you want.  Toss without favorite oil and vinegar dressing.  season to taste.

Macaroni and Bologna Salad by Loleen G.

When I looked at this recipe, it was similar to the macaroni salad I usually make, so it sounded good.  I also like that it tells you to use the meat you want and add any vegetable you want to.  I didn't have bologna because we don't like it, so I used ham.  I also added carrots, olives, and crookneck squash.  I added some salt, pepper, and Johnny's Season Salt to the sauce, as well as some mustard.  You could argue that I really didn't make this recipe, but it is the base and I just added to it.  Based on Loleen's instructions, I think she would like my creativity.

Macaroni and Bologna Salad by Loleen G.

1 pkg salad-roni
4 hard-boiled eggs, diced
4 slices bologna, diced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced

Cook and cool the macaroni according to package directions.  Add the eggs, meat and onions.  Mix with enough salad dressing (Miracle Whip) to make a moist salad.  Cover with foil and refrigerate several hours before serving, to allow the flavors to blend.  Serves aboud 24.  You may substitute any kind of meat for the bologna, or add additional vegetables for variation.

Uncooked Cranberry Salad - Amanda P.

This salad I really remember from Thanksgiving at Grandma's.  It is a salad I always took a small amount of but never a large serving.  I know a lot of my family really like this one, but it is not my favorite.  That is what is so fun about this blog.  Everyone has different taste buds, so unless there is something really wrong with the recipe it pays to sometimes even try # 2's as I am labeling this one.  The recipe is great because it is easy to divide to smaller amounts or increase to feed large crowds.  I chopped the cranberries in my food processor.  It worked great.  Then I chopped the nuts and celery in my food processor together.  It worked great all but the celery.  I left it in 1" pieces.  It would have chopped more even if I would have cut it in 1/2" pieces.  The apples are not as tough to chop so I did them by hand.  The recipe says to serve it with whipped cream or salad dressing, I just mixed it in.  I used the salad dressing version because the family always used the whipped cream version and I wondered how it would be.  The salad dressing gave it a smoother flavor, not such a burst of cranberries.  Either is good.  This salad would really add color to a meal if you needed to add a spark to a meal so it wasn't boring.  It is a little crunchy, not too sweet and very happy to look at.  I chose to half the recipe and I think we will be able to eat that much. 

Unbaked Cranberry Salad - Amanda P.

1  C.  Ground Cranberries                               1  C.  Chopped Celery
1  C.  Chopped Apples                                   1  C.  Chopped Nuts
1  C.  Marshmallows                                       1  C.  Sugar        
Salad Dressing or Cool Whip for dressing

Chop or grind cranberries, add sugar and let sit several hours.  Chop or grind celery, apples and nuts.  Add  marshmallows and let stand until soft.  Add nuts, mix well and serve with whipped cream or salad dressing.         

Quick Dessert - Loleen G.

When I first saw this recipe, I was not impressed.  I thought it sounded like something only kids would like.  So I made it for the after school snack.  And I was right, kids love it!  But I did too.  It reminded me a lot of apple crisp, so another name could be "Cheater Apple Crisp."  The recipe is a little confusing, so use my instructions below.

Quick Dessert
2 Graham Crackers
3 T Apple sauce
1 T sugar
Dash cinnamon
Whipped cream

Crumble a whole cracker in an individual bowl.  In a small bowl (I used a 1/2 C measuring cup) combine 3 T applesauce, 1 T sugar, and dash cinnamon, pour on top of crumbled cracker.  Crumble second cracker on top and spread with whipped cream.  Serve immediately.

Apple Turnovers by Anette W.

This recipe is really easy and really yummy.  We used the dead fall apples from my honeycrisp tree.  My 12-year-old had a friend over today and they put these turnovers together for me.   When the turnovers were fresh out of the oven, they were absolutely yummy and the crust was flaky and light.  After they cooled, the crust seemed like a lot compared to the filling.  When I make this again, I will either plan to eat them straight off the pan, or make them bigger so that there are less edge pieces of crust.

 The puff pastry came with 2 sheets, so the girls used the extra sheets to make this other yummy dessert.  I don't know where they found the recipe, so I can't tell you how to find it.  Just trust me, it was good.

Apple Turnovers by Annette W.

2 T flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1 1/3 c apples (mine ended up closer to 1 1/2 c, but it worked)
1 T melted butter
1 sheet puff pastry

Combine apples and melted butter.  Combine dry ingredients and add to apples.  Roll puff pastry into a 12"x16" rectangle and cunt into 12- 4" squares.  Place 2 T apple filling in each square and fold over and seal edges with a fork.  You can make rectangles or triangles.  Our "squares" were slightly rectangular, so we didn't think they would make good triangles.  Place on a cookie sheet and cover with 2 layers of heavy brown paper, or tin foil would probably work too.  This keeps the turnovers from burning before the apples are cooked.  Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 and bake 30-35 minutes more.

Lemon Pie — Lillian G.

I was suppose to do pie in July, but didn't get to it, so this is my catch up.  And it was a fantastic catch-up!  This was one of the best lemon pies I have ever had.  Right after I finished making the filling I tasted it and wasn't very impressed.  I didn't think it was lemony enough.  But, once it had a chance to sit and the flavor of the lemon peel infused into the pie, it was amazing.  The method used to make the pudding, is different than I have ever seen, but I really liked it.  I am curious to try this method with a regular pudding since it was very fast and easy.  For Thanksgiving, I highly recommend this pie!!!  

One note, the recipe says to whip the egg whites, but that is only necessary if you are going to make meringue.  Otherwise, save them for another recipe or toss them.  I just topped it with whipped cream because I am bad at making meringue.

Lemon Pie
1 lg or 2 sm lemons
2 eggs
1 1/2 C boiling water
1 C sugar
4 T Cornstarch
1/8 t salt
1 1/2 C boiling water
3 T butter
8-9" baked pie shell

Zest the lemons and then juice the lemons.  Separate eggs and beat yolks and whites separately.  In a med saucepan bring ter to boil.  blend sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  Pour a little if boiling water into sugar mixture to make a paste, then pour into boiling water, stirring constantly.  As soon as it boils, cover tightly and turn off heat.  Let cook 5 min.  Remove from heat and stir slowly into egg yolks.  Return to med heat and cook for 2 more min.  Remove from heat and add lemon juice, rind, and butter.  Pour into baked pie shell.  Sprinkle with coconut, if desired, to prevent crust from forming. Top with meringue or whipped cream.

Baked Carrot Pudding - Helen J.

I remember carrot pudding many times as a child.  Mom would make it and top it with a lemon sauce.  It makes my mouth water to think of it.  I know that Helen is a good cook so I wondered if this might be the recipe Mom use to use.  I think it may be.  When Mom made it she would cook it in a blue and white striped fleischmans Yeast Can.  I remember her always setting the can in a pan of water in the oven to bake the pudding.  This recipe doesn't say to do that so I didn't.  Mom's was always a little moister than this came out.  I believe the water in the oven would keep it from drying out.  The recipe says to bake it in a  9" x 13" pan.  I have changed the size of pan to bake it in.  You would have to 2 x's it to use a  9" x 13".  I also had caramel in my fridge so I just topped it with diluted warm carmel topping.  I only gave it a 3 because I know my kids probably would not eat it very well even though I thought it was good.

Baked Carrot Pudding - Helen J.

1/2  C. Butter                                                     1  1/4  C. Flour
1/2  C. Brown Sugar                                          1/2  tsp. Nutmeg
1  Egg                                                                1/2  tsp. Cinnamon                           
1  C.  Grated Carrots                                         1  tsp. Baking Powder
1/2  C. Chopped Raisins                                    1/2  tsp. Soda 
1/2  C. Chopped Nuts                                       1/2  tsp. Salt
1  T. Hot Water

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and water, beat well.  Add carrots, raisins and nuts, stir.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Add to wet ingredients.  Mix together.  Pour batter into well greased 8" x 8" pan.  Bake 1 hour in 300o F. oven.  Serve with warm caramel or lemon sauce.