Memorial Day memories and picnics

5/23/18 Cook’s Corner

Memorial Day food for thought

Memorial Day is a bitter-sweet holiday. It’s a day to fly the flag while you enjoy your holiday picnic. First and foremost it’s a day of remembrance. A day to honor the men and women in our military. It is a day to remember that when they signed up, all of them were willing to die for their country. It is a time to remember those who died in service and those who fought and survived. It’s a time to remember those who are currently serving.

In our family, we did that by attending the local Memorial Day parade. When the kids were little they would dress in red, white and blue; sit on the curb and wave their little flags as the parade passed by. They quickly learned to stand up, take their hats off, put their hands over their hearts and respectfully salute every flag. Later, in their teen years they marched in those same parades. Kathy was a cheer leader. Jeff played the trumpet and John the trombone in their high school bands.

We do this in remembrance of two of my uncles who served in WWII. Missouri farm boys, they both enlisted early on. Uncle Red served in the Air Force in England that worked on the fighter planes and endured the raids of the German Luftwaffe. His brother Lee, enlisted in the Army, and served in the Battle of Normandy. He was mentally mortally wounded and would sadly, never be the same.

So, this year, as usual, my husband will don his US Army hat and we will pay tribute to all those in the military by attending the Memorial Day Celebration in downtown Cottage Grove. It begins at 11 a.m. at the CG Armory and then a procession from the Armory to the Memorial Park at River Rd. and Main St. Members of motorcycle groups and people on foot are led by the police and a bag piper, to the park where the event ends with a speaker and a 21-gun salute. I hope to see you there.

If you miss the parade, there is also a National Moment of Remembrance that encourages Americans to stop whatever they’re doing, at 3 p.m. (local time), for a moment of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to the U.S. Founder Carmella LaSpada says, “It’s a way we can all help put the memorial back in Memorial Day.”

After that, most of us will join family and friends for a picnic bar-b-que. Today’s recipe is a side dish that can be prepared in advance to go with hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken or ribs. Enjoy! And God bless America!

FARFALLE GARDEN PASTA SALAD

1 (16 ounce) box farfalle pasta

½ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

½ pound fresh green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium zucchini, diced

2 medium carrots, shredded, rinsed, and drained well

1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1 (4 oz.) package crumbled feta cheese

2 green onions, trimmed and sliced

1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or ½ teaspoon dried)

1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped

Cook farfalle according to package directions. Drain well and put in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, tossing to coat. Set aside and prepare vinaigrette and vegetables.

Vinaigrette: Whisk together vinegar, lemon rind and mustard in a small bowl; gradually add remaining olive oil in a slow steady stream, whisking until blended. Set aside.

Cover green beans and zucchini in salted water and boil 5 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain. Mix with shredded carrots and set aside.

Toss together pasta, with vegetables. Drizzle and mix with half the vinaigrette. Add the tomatoes, feta, green onions and spices to the pasta and veggies. Add the remaining vinaigrette and mix well. Cover and chill in refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight. Serves 8-10 as a side dish.

Contact Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner email bchatty@bettykaiser.com

A tasty vegetable dish for everyone

4/25/18 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

In 1971, Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moor Lappe became a best seller. His book encouraged people to eat meatless meals and stop wasting the world’s resources. His personal research on world hunger issues had convinced him that because it took so much grain to feed cattle that eating meat was an enormous waste.

Vegetarians in other countries were common but Americans were slow to embrace this new concept. Some vegetarians are Lacto-ovo and eat no meat but will eat dairy products and eggs. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs but no meat or dairy products. Vegans eat no meat or animal products. Most of us still only eat veggies as a side dish. And statistics vary on what percentage of us identify as non-meat eaters. Some sources say that as much as 6% of the population are vegetarian or vegan.

My son, Jeff, is a vegan. Let me tell you, that diet is not for the faint of heart (pun intended). It is a complete way of living. The vegan diet and lifestyle excludes all animal products in any form. That includes meat, eggs and dairy or any other products of animal origin such as cheese, sour cream, etc. Also, no animal clothing such as leather shoes, etc.   

Jeff became a vegan many years ago because of our family history of high cholesterol and heart disease. Evidence is overwhelming that a well-balanced vegetarian diet is better for you than a meat based diet. Countless studies have shown that a nutritious, plant-based diet will result in a lower risk of obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and more.

Our family, however, is still a mixed group. We can’t give up our eggs and cheese! Most of us are meat eaters but Jeff and his wife Andrea are living proof that their vegan diet is doable and it dramatically lowered his cholesterol. However, it is a balancing act to get enough protein.

So, when they come to our house, in addition to vegetables, I stock up on soy products like tofu and tempeh, rice, beans, hummus and a multitude of other things from Trader Joes. Today, the purpose of my column was to research and find a veggie burger recipe to share with them and you. I regret to tell you that the one I found was too long to print! You can find it and other vegetarian recipes at: www.ohsheglows.com.

My next choice was to find a new way to serve two veggies that are in season right now—broccoli and Brussels sprouts. We seem to eat a lot of broccoli at our house and my husband loves sprouts. I ended up with a combination of the sprouts and broccolini (a hybrid of broccoli and kale).

This recipe is different and will really perk up your taste buds. It’s way more tasty than a run-of-the-mill steamed version of either vegetable. Try it. You’ll like it. Enjoy!

MAPLE and BALSAMIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS

1 1/2 cups Brussels sprouts

1 bunch broccolini or other seasonal veggie, such as cauliflower

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

a few handfuls of arugula

¼ cup dried cranberries

Sea salt and fresh black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

Remove the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts and cut in half. Chop the broccolini into bite-sized pieces.

Spread the vegetables on one or two large baking sheets. Roast the broccolini on a separate sheet because it takes less time. Drizzle with the olive oil, maple syrup, and balsamic and season with pinches of salt and pepper. Toss until well-coated. Drizzle a little more on the Brussels sprouts and a little less on the broccolini since it takes more to get the Brussels sprouts to tenderize.

Roast the broccolini for 20 minutes, until browned but not burnt. Toss halfway through. Roast the Brussels sprouts for 45 minutes, until browned and caramelized. Toss halfway through. Watch and adjust the timing to whenever they look done, and don’t be afraid to deeply caramelize them.

Once roasted, set aside and let cool to about room temperature. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt, pepper, maple syrup, or vinegar as needed. You can roast the veggies a few hours in advance. They improve as they sit and the flavors meld together. Warm just before serving.

Toss the warm veggies with the arugula and cranberries. Taste again, adjusting seasoning to your taste. Serves 3-4.

Note: Recipe is from Jeanine Donofrio.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner

Contact her by email bchatty@bettykaiser.com

Easter desserts: Milwaukee Schaum Torte and Mini-Cheesecakes

3/28/18 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Easter came early this year. So, my mind started wandering down the path of wondering why the date and month vary from year to year. I looked it up and of course, the explanation was complicated. I chose the following because I could understand it. It is from the Roman Catholic church’s Loyola Press:

“In the early days of our Church (like today), there were many different beliefs. The society was agricultural and many religions used the seasons to celebrate special feasts. It was important, in teaching about Jesus, to have people connect the Gospel message to their daily lives. Since Jesus' resurrection was the beginning of a whole new life and occurred so near the spring feasts, it was determined that Easter would always be calculated as the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (that is, the first day of spring).”

Got it? Me too. Now we can start thinking about what we’ll be serving for Easter dinner. Most of us don’t vary the entrée and side dishes that we serve on that day. Some families enjoy baked ham, others eat prime rib. Vegetarians might enjoy a grilled vegetable platter with Portobello mushrooms. Still others may choose not to cook and go out to dinner at a restaurant instead.

After a big meal, my family looks forward to a nap and then something special for dessert. Spring has sprung and our tastes have lightened up but we all crave a sugary treat. Our tummies may be full from dinner but we all want to know—what’s for dessert?

Now, take it from me. If you’re having company, try any new recipe before you have company. Friends recently invited us to dinner and I offered to bring dessert. I tried a quick lemon cheesecake. I still don’t know where I went wrong but it didn’t set up and was tasteless. It was too late for a do-over, I took it, we ate some and threw the rest away. Embarrassing? You bet.

Following are two tried-and-true recipes. My husband’s grandmother and her sister were great cooks. They owned a German bakery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Their maiden names were “Butter.” (That’s the truth.) Following is a Schaum Torte recipe, one of their family’s favorite desserts.  Also, if you want to feed cheese cake to a crowd, try the Philadelphia Mini-Cheesecake recipe. Delicious. Enjoy!

MILWAUKEE SCHAUM TORTE

Torte shell:

6 egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond flavoring.

Preheat oven at 250° for one hour.

Butter a 9-inch spring form pan

In large mixing bowl, beat room temperature egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and vinegar. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating on high speed until very stiff peaks form.

Pour into pan, place in oven and bake for one hour. Turn off oven, leave door shut and let stay in the oven for another hour. Remove from oven to cool.

Betty’s Pineapple filling:

½ cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch’

3/4 cup pineapple juice

1 cup crushed pineapple, well drained

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Mix sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Gradually stir in pineapple juice. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil 1 min. Remove from heat, stir in butter and lemon juice. Cool thoroughly.

Whipped cream:

1 cup whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

 Beat cream until nearly stiff, gradually add sugar and vanilla, beating until stiff.

To assemble:

Remove torte from pan. Spread filling across top and finish with whipped cream. Slice and serve 10 lucky guests.

EASTER MINI-CHEESECAKES

Kraft recipe

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons sugar, divided

3 tablespoons butter, melted

3 packages cream cheese (8 ounces each), softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 eggs

 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons coconut

54 speckled chocolate eggs

Heat oven to 325° F.

Mix graham crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar and butter; press into the bottoms of 18 paper lined muffin cups.

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and remaining sugar with mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Spoon onto crusts in pan.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon toasted coconut shaped into a nest. Fill each nest with 3 speckled chocolate eggs. Serves 18.

Contact Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner at bchatty@bettykaiser.com

1929 grocery prices and recipes

2/28/18 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Someone recently asked me where I find all my recipes. Well, some of them used to come to me in the mail. Snail mail! The hand-written kind on recipe cards mailed with postage stamps. Back in the day, I was writing this column weekly. One summer I remember asking readers for zucchini recipes. I was inundated with mail from up and down the Oregon coast and California. I still use some of those recipes.

Well, I recently received not one but two pieces of chatty news and real-mail recipes. One was from a reader thanking me for last month’s chicken pot pie recipe. She, like me, had been having trouble finding just the right combination of ingredients. My recipe (courtesy of Maryana Vollstedt and Betty Crocker) worked for her too. Yea! Thank you, my friend.

Then, a bulky letter arrived from Kitty, in So. California that said, “I was thinking of you while going through my late, great-aunt Mildred’s things and came across this.” Imagine my surprise when I unfolded a huge yellowed newspaper sheet from the Portland “Morning Oregonian,” dated Sat. April 20, 1929! The sheet is 17” wide X 23” long.

One side of the paper has West Coast and International news. The other includes tidbits similar to what a former colleague and I worked on reviving. It includes a cooking tips column, recipes, grocery ads, handy hints from readers, social news—i.e. house-guests, fashion tips and more.

So, pour yourself a cup of tea, sit down and share this blast from the past with me. Mind you, this paper was published before the Great Wall Street Crash October 24, 1929. The average family income was less than $200 per month but enough to put food on the table and set some money aside for a rainy day. Income plummeted as the Great Depression set in.

Life was good in that pre-depression era and new-fangled things like Tater Flakes were being introduced. You know, crisp, crunchy potato chips! Frye’s Meat Guide was available for 3¢ postage. If you were having a party you could order a birthday cake from the Bake Rite Bakery. On Saturday, a three-layer Strawberry filled cake (regular 45¢) was only 38¢!  

The MacMarr Stores had three locations in Portland and their prices were enticing. i.e. Libby canned milk was 3 cans for 25¢; 1 pound of coffee was 48¢ but 3 pounds was only $1.39; 19 POUNDS of sugar was $1; 2 dozen eggs were 57¢; a fresh, 3 bulk pounds of pure lard was only 45¢; a large bottle of Del Monte Catsup was 19¢ and a one-pound tall can of salmon was 20¢ each or 3 for 59¢.

Handy hints? A Grant’s Pass woman won a prize for her kitchen shears suggestion. My favorite was a way to save time when sewing buttons on a child’s coat or shoes (!). The suggestion was to pull the thread through a piece of beeswax to strengthen it and hold the buttons longer. It still works.

 In “Expert Cooking Now Made Simple” columnist Jeannette Cramer extoled the many radio programs, newspaper and magazine articles that were now available to train women to become good cooks. There were now resources and practical answers for budding homemakers.

Radio host Betty Baker was one of those sources. The Oregonian printed 15 of her recipes! Whew. Recipes in tiny print cover half of that huge page. They include Curried Spinach, Pork Threads, Baked Ham with New Potatoes in Cream and several desserts. I chose the following for their simplicity and similarity to ones that I have baked or eaten in my lifetime. Remember cooking in a double boiler? Now we use the microwave. Enjoy!

LEMON CHIFFON PIE

1 cup sugar (divided)

3 eggs, separated

5 tablespoons hot water

Juice and rind 1 lemon

1/8 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 small baked pie shell

Combine ½ cup sugar and beaten egg yolks and then add hot water. Mix thoroughly. Cook in top double boiler until thick. Add lemon juice and rind. Beat egg whites until stiff and beat in second ½ cup sugar. When thick, add baking powder and fold the first mixture into this (egg yolk mixture). Pour into baked pastry shell and bake in moderate 350° oven. Garnish with whipped cream.

CABBAGE with SAUSAGE—CREOLE

1 dozen sausages

½ pound fresh pork

1 large head cabbage

1 tablespoon oil

Salt

Red Pepper pod—1/2” long (or red pepper flakes)

(Betty’s note: Sauté some peppers and onions with the meat; add some chicken broth)

Shred cabbage and cook in boiling water 10 minutes. Drain. Sauté sausages and pork cut into very small pieces. When almost done, add cabbage, red pepper and seasonings (and broth). Simmer 5 minutes. Serve hot with rice and buttered corn bread.

Contact Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner at  bchatty@bettykaiser.com

Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

1/31/18 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

I love a good chicken pot pie but they are hard to find. I’ve tried the frozen ones in the supermarket. I’ve tried ordering them for dinner at diners and fine restaurants. Most of them are either boring, completely inedible or all hard-as-nails crust and no filling. The only solution was to make my own!

One night last week I was faced with a familiar dilemma—what to make for dinner. I had just about an hour to get it on the table. What to do? I had baked a whole chicken a couple nights before so there were leftovers in the refrigerator. I also had the usual celery, onions, carrots and frozen vegetables on hand. A light bulb went off—I’ll make a pot pie!

The problem was that I seldom make pot pies and I didn’t have a written recipe. My mother’s recipe file doesn’t even have one. I am basically starting from scratch every time I make one. This time I wrote down the ingredients and 3-step procedure.

For me, a pot pie is as much about the crust as the filling. I like a flaky top crust (no bottom) and lots of sauce covering the chicken and veggies. began with the crust. Pie dough is simple. I knew the ingredients that I wanted for the filling—chicken, celery, onion, carrots, pea and potatoes. The sauce I wasn’t so sure about.

Under the best of circumstances, I probably would use a thinned down gravy to cover the filling. But the family (Chuck and I and the dogs) had polished off the gravy. Some kind of cream sauce was in order. But what kind? In situations like this I have two references: My 1956 Betty Crocker’s Cookbook and Maryana Vollstedt’s “What’s for Dinner?” cookbook.  

Betty Crocker’s options were to extend leftover gravy with a white cream sauce or just use a white cream sauce. Her two suggestions for a crust were—a puff pastry or southern style biscuits. I didn’t like either one. So, I checked out what well known cookbook author, columnist and teacher Maryana had to say about sauces.

Maryana, who passed away last summer at the age of 91, is my very favorite cookbook author.  She lived in Eugene, Oregon, where she and her husband founded Reed and Cross, a small nursery and garden center. When I moved here in 1989, Reed and Cross was the place that you took visiting friends for lunch. Its roots were in gardening but eventually housed a gift shop, clothing, gourmet cookware, a landscape service, wine shop, a florist and a deli. It is now a shoe store but then, it was a shopper's dream!

I became acquainted with Maryana through her freelance recipe columns in the Register Guard. I not only clipped her columns but I own two of her now well-thumbed and splattered cookbooks “The Big Book of Casseroles” and “What’s for Dinner?” I used her Parmesan Cheese Sauce recipe for the filling. It was good but next time I’m going to spice it up a little. Maybe some sharp cheddar or green Tabasco. Enjoy!

 

BETTY’S CHICKEN POT PIE

Pastry

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons shortening

¼ cup ice water

Mix salt and flour; cut in shortening until pea-sized. Mix with ice water (add more if needed). Round into a ball. Roll out on a floured surface to fit pan. Set aside.

Filling

1/2 cup celery, sliced

1/2 cup onion, diced

3/4 cup carrots, sliced

1/2 cup potatoes, cooked and diced

3 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

1/2 cup corn

Season with salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon thyme

Cover with hot water and parboil celery, onion and carrots until tender-crisp. Drain off hot water. Add seasonings, chicken, peas and corn. Set aside.

Maryana’s Cheese Sauce

3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1//2 teaspoon chicken bouillon

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons white wine (or vinegar)

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup light sour cream

In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add flour and salt and stir until blended. Add broth and stir until slightly thickened. Add milk, wine and Parmesan cheese; stir until smooth and flavors are blended, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in sour cream. Makes about 2 cups.

To assemble: Grease an 8x8” size Pyrex or Corning-style baking pan (or whatever will fit ingredients). Spoon in the filling. Cover with sauce. Top with pastry and crimp edges. Pierce the crust with a sharp knife to cut vents for steam to escape during cooking. Bake @ 425° F. 25-35 min. until filling is bubbling and crust is brown. Serves 4/6 dainty appetites.

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner can be read (alternate weeks) in the CG Sentinel

Ham Bone Lima Bean and Split Pea Soup

1/03/18 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Happy New Year 2018 everyone! At our house, we’re starting off the New Year with…Leftovers! And I’ll bet your refrigerator is full of the same. Oh, sure, the pecan pie is probably all gone but there’s plenty of leftover ham or turkey to go around and around and around.

It must be time for soup! This year I’ve got leftover ham and that means lima bean or split pea soup. The problem with sharing soup recipes is that it’s hard to nail down the exact amount of ingredients to use. I make soup by the seat of my pants. A little bit of this, a little bit of that, etc.

Good soup making is not simple. You don’t just pop everything in a pot and walk away. Creating a delicious soup takes time. Most soups call for layering ingredients. The broth or liquid is your base. The veggies and meat are your center and the seasonings are your final touch. Yes, soup can be made in a crockpot but it still needs attention.

A soup’s liquid is a balancing act. Thin or thick? I start out with the recommended recipe amount but inevitably add more liquid. Seasoning also varies. I always need to add more at the end. The amount of salt is a tough call. I look for low sodium broths and love Mrs. Dash’s products. Crushed red pepper flakes and a few drops of green Tabasco Sauce really brighten up vegetable soups. I also use concentrated chicken, ham or vegetable bouillon.

At my house soup begins in the morning by sautéing the well-known Mirepoix (2 parts onion, 1 part each celery and carrots) that is then added to the broth with other liquids and seasonings. Unless it’s a stew that needs to have the meat tenderized, I add the cooked meat toward the end of the process.

The following recipes are best with ham off the bone. Place ham bone in a large kettle and cover it with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about one hour or until the meat starts to fall off the bone. Remove the bone and meat from the water and set aside. Skim the fat from the broth and return to the stove to prepare the soup. Add ingredients per recipe. While soup is simmering remove remaining ham from the bone and cut into bite-size pieces. Discard the bone.

These soups can be ready to eat in as little as 3 hours. They’re best if simmered long on low heat. I cook them all day. Don't be afraid to add more liquid as needed! Finish seasoning an hour before serving for a brighter flavor. They can also be made the day before serving. Enjoy!

HAM AND LIMA BEAN SOUP

Simmer ham bone (as above) in 3 quarts water. Remove bone. Skim broth.

Soup:

2 cups dried lima beans

1 medium onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, diced

2 large carrots, shredded

Ham broth (above); add more water as needed

1-2 pints tomatoes

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

3 whole cloves

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon thyme

Last hour additions:

1 chicken or ham bouillon cube

2 tablespoons brown sugar

3 cups chopped ham

Lima Beans: Rinse dried beans, place in pot on stove and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit for one hour. Drain and add to 3 quarts of the broth with the following:

Sauté the onion, celery and carrots in butter. Add to broth with the remaining ingredients. Simmer all afternoon to blend flavors and finish cooking beans. Thirty minutes before serving add bouillon cube, brown sugar and chopped ham. Taste to adjust seasonings. Serve with corn bread and a salad. Serves 6-8 generously.

KCD’S SPLIT PEA SOUP

This was served weekly at Kaiser's Country Diner

Simmer ham bone (as above) in 3 quarts water. Remove bone. Skim broth.

Soup:

2 cups dried split peas (or 1# bag)

Ham broth (above) or 2 32-ounce cartons chicken broth

1 large onion, minced

3 celery stalks and leaves, chopped

3 large carrots, grated

2 medium potatoes, grated

1 large bay leaf

1 teaspoon each basil and thyme

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ham or chicken base

Last hour additions:

Garlic salt and lemon pepper to taste

3 cups shredded ham

Add the split peas to 3 quarts of the ham bone broth. Bring to a boil uncovered for 2 min; remove from heat. Cover and let stand (1) hour. Sauté the onion, celery and carrots in small amount of oil. Add to broth with potatoes, and seasonings. Simmer long and low until very tender, stirring often. Add water as needed. One hour before serving add: 1 teaspoon each basil and thyme plus 2 teaspoons liquid smoke and shredded ham. Taste for more salt and pepper or other seasonings. Serves 8.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal! 

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes

 that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare. 

  

Christmas Cookies

Kids of all ages love sugar cookies

12/6/17 Cook’s Corner
Betty Kaiser

Christmas is coming! And it just wouldn’t be Christmas morning without cookies for Santa. So, whoever in your house is responsible for Santa’s snack, had better start thinking about what they’re going to bake. After all, his cookies can’t be store bought! Everyone knows that Santa and his reindeer love home baked goodies with their cups of milk.

Tradition says that leaving cookies and milk for Santa began in medieval Germany when folks decorated their (paradise) trees with apples, wafers and cookies. Later, cookies were included in the celebration of St. Nicholas day on the sixth of December and placed on the fireplace hearth.

With nearly three weeks to go until Christmas, this is a great time to get our cookie recipes organized for Santa and the entire family. I like to make a list of needed ingredients, check out the sales and stock up on everything so there won’t be any last minute super market runs. Be sure and check your butter, brown and powdered sugar, eggs and cookie cutters.

This is the only time of the year that my husband and I frost cookies. I’m the baker but he’s the decorator. I make the dough, roll it out and cut it into shapes. Once they’re baked and cooled, he chooses the colors and designs to make the angels, reindeers, stars, Santa’s and gingerbread men come to life.

Our two family favorites are sugar cookies and gingerbread men. Both are simple to make. It’s the decorating that’s tricky. The sugar cookie dough is made with cream cheese (no eggs).  It is tender and easy to handle. The gingerbread recipe makes a lot. The frosting can be used on both kinds of cookies. And since everyone loves Thumbprint cookies, I’ve included a special recipe for the kids—peanut butter in the dough with jelly on the top. Any kind will do. I like apricot but kids may prefer grape. Enjoy!

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookie Dough

1 pkg. (8 ounce) Cream Cheese, softened
3/4-cup butter (1-1/2 sticks) softened
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Beat cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add flour and baking soda; mix well. Cover. Use as base for the following two cookie recipes. Note: For a sweeter dough add ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tablespoon milk and a pinch of salt.

Sugar Cookie Cut-outs

Preheat oven to 350° F. Roll above dough to 1/8-inch thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut into assorted shapes using 3-inch cookie cutters. Place on greased baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Transfer cookies to wire rack; immediately press about 1/2-teaspoon crushed candies onto each hot cookie. Cool completely on rack. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Cookie Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Food Coloring of your choice

Frost cooled cookies lightly and put faces on gingerbread men or snow ladies. Use raisins for eyes, Red Hots for lips or decorate with your favorite sprinkles.

German Molasses Cookies or Gingerbread Men
Makes 8 dozen

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cups light molasses
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Melt butter in a saucepan; add molasses and brown sugar and heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour into a bowl; cool. Sift remaining ingredients together; add to cooled mixture in fourths, mixing until blended after each addition. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead until easy to handle, using additional flour if necessary. Cover in plastic wrap; refrigerate and allow dough to ripen one or two days.

Roll one fourth of dough at a time about 1/8 inch thick on a floured surface; cut with a 3-inch round cutter or fancy cutters. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets. Bake about 7 minutes.
Note: For gingerbread men, roll dough 1/4 inch thick and cut with a gingerbread-man cutter. Bake about 13 min. Makes a lot!

PBJ Thumbprint Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup butter softened
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350’ F.
Whisk 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt together in a small bowl.Combine in mixer: 1 egg with 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup natural peanut butter, 1/4 cup soft butter and 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix well. Add flour mixture. ROLL into tablespoon-sized balls and set on baking sheet. Make a deep indent in the center of each ball. Fill with jelly of choice. Bake in center of oven, 7 to 9 min. Makes about 18.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal with Betty’s Cook’s Corner