HEART TO HEART NEWSLETTER
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for YOU with LOVE by Lois Breneman
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12/9/04 COOKIES, CANDY, CRANBERRIES AND POTPOURRI
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IN THIS ISSUE:
SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES
THE BEST ROLLED GINGERBREAD COOKIES EVER!
ROLLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
BROWNIE COOKIES
DATE-NUT COOKIES
HARVEY CEDARS' OATMEAL COOKIES
COCONUT CRISPS
LEMON SQUARES
COOKIE EXCHANGES
RECIPES HANDED DOWN FROM MY PARENTS
DADDY'S PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE
MOTHER'S PEANUT BUTTER PINWHEEL SWIRLS
PERSONALIZED FAMILY COOKBOOK
TURTLES
QUICK AND EASY TURTLES
PRETZEL WREATHS
WAFFLED HUGS & KISSES
SALTINE CANDY WITH CHOCOLATE AND NUTS
KRISPY PEANUT BUTTER BALLS
EASY APRICOT CANDY
CHRISTMAS MICE
CRANBERRY-ORANGE NUT BREAD
CRANBERRY SALAD
POTPOURRI SPICE MIX TO SIMMER IN A POT OR GIVE TO FRIENDS
Note from Lois: All of these cookies, the cranberry bread and most of the candy recipes freeze well. Reducing the sugar by half a cup will not ruin the recipe and we will be better off with less. Too much sugar breaks down the immune system and we don't want to get sick!
All of these recipes make great gifts! You can even give rolls of unbaked cookie dough, wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbons as a welcome gift!
SWEDISH GINGER COOKIES
(This is our family's absolute favorite cookie! If I bake only one type of cookie, this is it! Christmas never has gone by without these favorite cookies for our family. This recipe came from John Brown University in Arkansas. It was passed down by the wife of Dr. Pearson, an engineering professor at our senior party.)
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. each of ginger, cloves and cinnamon
2 cups unbleached flour
Mix in order given. Roll in balls the size desired, then roll in sugar to coat. Do not pat down. Bake at 325. I don't have an exact time for baking, because it depends on the size. This dough makes nice tiny tea cookies, as well as medium or large. I also like to freeze this recipe in rolls and slice off to bake without extra sugar on top. Remove cookies from the oven just before you think they might be done, because you do not want to overbake these.
THE BEST ROLLED GINGERBREAD COOKIES EVER!
(I have tried many rolled gingerbread cookie recipes and have found this one to be excellent. Try it and see what you think. You may want to at least double the recipe.)
1 cup butter or shortening
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
Beat butter and sugar together.
1 egg
3 Tbsp. orange juice
4 tsp. grated orange rind
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
a dash of salt
Mix all ingredients well and chill dough for 3 hours. Roll 1/4" thick. Cut cookies in various shapes. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake.
ROLLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES
(Delicious, moist and soft!)
2 cups shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
5 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Cream the first 4 ingredients. Add eggs and vanilla. Blend in dry ingredients. Chill dough 3 hours. Roll to 1/8-1/4" thickness on floured surface. Cut out shapes and bake on ungreased sheet at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake.
PEANUT BUTTER-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
Spread peanut butter on Ritz Crackers and top with another cracker. Dip into melted chocolate and place on waxed paper to harden. Wonderful and not as sweet as some cookies!
BROWNIE COOKIES
(Through experimentation, I came up with this recipe quite a few years ago. It makes a large batch, but the dough freezes very well. It works great to freeze it in rolls to slice and bake when needed - or to bake all the cookies before freezing.)
2 cups shortening 2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugar 1 chocolate cake mix
2 1/2 cups brown sugar 5 cups unbleached flour
7 eggs 2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
Mix and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Do not overbake.
DATE-NUT COOKIES
Recipe from my mother-in-law, Miriam Breneman in Pennsylvania
1 cup butter 1 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs 1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp. vanilla 1 cup chopped dates
2 1/2 cup unbleached flour 1 cup crushed corn flakes
Cream first 4 ingredients. Mix in flour, salt and soda. Stir in nuts and dates. Drop by teaspoon in crushed corn flakes, rolling to coat completely. Place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes.
HARVEY CEDARS' OATMEAL COOKIESRecipe from Jonathan Oldham, Harvey Cedars, NJ, when our family and my parents spent a week at Harvey Cedars in NJ in 1982 ~~ Makes 100 large cookies
2 cups shortening 1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups brown sugar 1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar 8 cups rolled oats
5 eggs 2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
2 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt raisins, if desired
Mix wet ingredients, then add the dry. Mix well.
Use a #24 ice cream scoop -- 375 degrees -- Bake 10 - 12 minutes.
COCONUT CRISPS
These are wonderful and melt in your mouth!
1 1/2 cups shortening 2 tsp. baking powder
3 1/3 cups sugar 2 tsp. salt
4 eggs 1 tsp. baking soda
3 tsp. vanilla 5 cups rolled oats
2 cups unbleached flour 2 cups coconut
Mix well and drop by teaspoon on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Note: One cup oats can be replaced by an additional cup of coconut for extra "melt in the mouth flavor!"
LEMON SQUARES
Recipe from my sister-in-law, Linda Walker in Pennsylvania
2 cups unbleached flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
Mix like pie crust and pat into a 9 X 13" pan.
Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees. While this bakes, prepare:
4 whole eggs, beaten 1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups sugar 7 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup flour Rind of 1 lemon
1/4 tsp. salt
Mix and pour over hot crust. Bake 25 minutes more at 350 degrees or until lightly browned. Cool, dust with confectioner's sugar. Cut into squares. Store in refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.
COOKIE EXCHANGES
Other recipes such as chocolate chip cookies, wedding tea cakes and many others are good choices for Christmas. You may want to be involved with your close friends in a cookie exchange, where you each bake a large volume of one or two types of cookies, box them in groups of one or two dozen, meet together and swap. This gives you a variety without so much work. On the other hand, if your children are involved in the baking process, making the rolled and cutout cookies is something you won't want to miss doing with them!
PEANUT BUTTER CANDY RECIPES HANDED DOWN FROM MY PARENTS
By Lois Breneman, © 2004, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
When I think of my parents in the kitchen, not only do I remember how Daddy helped Mother with the dishes and always boned the turkey or chicken as he sat at the kitchen table. He helped to make homemade applesauce, cream bushels of sweet corn from a contraption he designed and made for the job. Daddy always worked with Mother and us kids while we were growing up, to freeze or can many different foods harvested from the large garden. He also helped to bake pies and made delicious soup. But one of the most precious memories I have of my parents in the kitchen is of Daddy sneaking up behind Mom and giving her a big hug! Knowing of their great love for each other gave us four children security to the end of their lives!
DADDY'S PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE ~ Using medium heat, boil the following mixture until almost soft ball stage: 1/2 cup evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup brown sugar
Immediately add: 1 cup marshmallow cream and 1 cup peanut butter. Quickly pour into an already buttered pan. Let cool and cut into squares. I treasure this recipe, written out in my Dad's own handwriting on a worn recipe card!
MOTHER'S PEANUT BUTTER PINWHEEL SWIRLS ~ Mix in food processor or by hand: 1 to 1 1/4 stick softened butter, 4 cups confectioner's sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Roll out dough in a rectangular form (8" x 16"). It should be about 1/4" thick. Spread 3/4 cup peanut butter evenly over the dough. Roll carefully, so the finished roll is 16" long. Slice evenly using a thread to cut pieces about 1/2 to 3/4" in thickness.
PERSONALIZED FAMILY COOKBOOK ~ I have plans to type out lots of favorite recipes from our family some day and give it to each of our children and their spouses in the form of a personalized family cookbook. That will be a treasured gift that I'm sure they will all enjoy. Little stories like the one above would add a special personal touch to the cookbook!
TURTLES Real Food for Real People ~ Exported from MasterCook ~ Yield: 30 servings
1/2 pound caramel candies, plain
2 tablespoons whipping cream
1 1/2 cups pecans, broken
6 ounces chocolate chips
1. In the top half of a double boiler, combine caramel candies and whipping cream. Cook over simmering water, stirring often, until melted. Remove pan of caramel from heat. Let cool 10 minutes.
2. Line two baking sheets with foil and lightly grease the foil (or use wax paper). Mound pecans by the tablespoonful onto the greased foil, forming about 30 mounds. Leave about 1" of space between. Spoon quarter-sized dollops of melted caramel onto pecan pieces. Let stand until firm -- about 30 min.
3. Spoon melted chocolate over caramel and cool until chocolate is set -- about 1 hour.
QUICK AND EASY TURTLES
Contributed by Ruth Huffman in Virginia
Place small pretzels on a baking sheet. Lay a Rolo on top of each one and heat in a slow oven until melted. Immediately place a pecan half on each one. Note: If you don't want to spend a lot of time unwrapping each Rolo, use the long Rolos and slice.
PRETZEL WREATHS
Using small round Snyder's Pretzels of Hanover, PA, pipe melted chocolate around the ring OR dip the pretzels in melted chocolate and place on waxed paper. Promptly press Christmas M&M's around the wreaths.
WAFFLED HUGS & KISSES
Place small waffle pretzels on a baking sheet. Lay a unwrapped hugs and kisses on each one. Melt in a slow oven and place an M&M on each one.
SALTINE CANDY WITH CHOCOLATE AND NUTS 40 saltine crackers
1 cup butter, don't use margarine
1 cup light brown sugar, not dark
12-oz chocolate chips
1 cup nuts; chopped, your choice
Line up the saltines on a jelly roll pan ( rolls of 8) that has been
lined with foil that makes a bigger rim than the pan. Melt butter and add light brown sugar. Stir often and bring to a full rolling boil for
exactly 3 minutes. Pour over the saltines and bake in 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and wait until they are almost melted. Spread over all the saltines. Drop nuts over top as evenly as possible. Refrigerate 2 hours and break up. Can be stored in jar.
(Note: I think Club Crackers would be good in this recipe too, maybe with less butter. You might also want to experiment with this recipe by adding 1/2 -3/4 cup of peanut butter to the melted butter and brown sugar. Mmmm!)
KRISPY PEANUT BUTTER BALLSRecipe from my sister, Nancy Marlow in Pennsylvania
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup powered sugar
2 Tbsp. melted butter
2 cups Rice Krispies
Mix together. Use hands to mix in the Rice Krispies.
Form balls about 1" or smaller. Dip in white chocolate. Delicious and they freeze well!
EASY APRICOT CANDY
Recipe from Elinor Wright, Roanoke, VA
1 8 oz. pkg. dried apricots, diced fine
2 1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup finely chopped nuts
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
Shape into balls on wax paper.
CHRISTMAS MICE
Recipe by Kaylin Cherry of Real Food for Real People
Serving Size: 24
8 ounces Dipping Chocolate -- or Almond Bark
24 large Maraschino Cherries -- with stems
24 roasted Peanuts -- unbroken
24 Hershey's Kisses candies -- unwrapped
Round Candy Sprinkles
Tweezers
Line two baking sheets with waxed paper, then set aside. Remove cherries from jar/juice, and drain well on paper towels, making sure stem stays firmly attached to each cherry. Set aside. Carefully separate peanut halves from each other, making sure not to break the individual halves - place these in a small bowl and set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, melt dipping chocolate or almond bark in microwave oven, on low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve lumps. Place bowl of melted chocolate on your work surface (I prefer the kitchen table for this), and arrange other ingredients, and baking sheets on work surface so they are all within easy reach. Now you are ready to dip your mouse bodies! Take a cherry by the stem, and dip into melted chocolate, covering entire cherry and stem. Carefully lay dipped cherry onto waxed paper lined baking sheet, so stem (tail) turns upward. Place one unwrapped Hershey's Kiss, flat side next to the 'body' so it forms a head for your mouse. Hold it in place until chocolate is set enough to hold by itself. Add two peanut halve 'ears' by cementing them on with small dots of melted chocolate- then using tweezers and round candy sprinkles, add a tiny nose to the pointed end of the head, and place eyes in appropriate area, also cementing with melted chocolate. (A toothpick is handy to use for adding chocolate 'cement'). You now have one Christmas Mouse completed! Repeat process until all 24 mice are assembled. Store mice in reshaped paper cup cake liners, in a cool, dry place - do not refrigerate because this will cause the mice to get white streaks.
CRANBERRY-ORANGE NUT BREAD
Note from Lois: This is a recipe that I've been using every year for 33 years, a family favorite, especially of my daughter, Joy's. I like to make enough for Thanksgiving and Christmas all at once--it freezes very well. One year I made 14 loaves and gave most as gifts wrapped in foil. I only get 6 large loaves from the 8 batch recipe, because I use the larger loaf pans, so don't feel like you did something wrong, if you don't get 8. No doubt the smaller pans will yield 8. This is wonderful toasted too!
(1 batch) (8 batches)
2 cups flour 16 cups
1 cup sugar 8 cups
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 cup
1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.
1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.
2 Tbsp. shortening 1 cup
1 egg 8
1 tsp. zest of orange 2 Tbsp. + 2 tsp.
3/4 cup orange juice 6 cups
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped 2 cups
1 cup raw ground cranberries 8 cups
Blend the dry ingredients. Mix in shortening, orange zest, juice and eggs. Fold in the nuts and cranberries. Pour into greased bread pans. Before baking, sprinkle the tops with cinnamon sugar and additional chopped nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until light brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
CRANBERRY SALAD
Recipe from my daughter's mother-in-law, Brenda Clark of Virginia
1 lb. cranberries ground
2 cups sugar
Grind cranberries and put sugar over them while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
2 - 3 oz. boxes red cherry Jello and 2 cups of hot water.
Let cool and add the rest of the ingredients:
1 cup celery cut fine
3 oranges cut fine (or canned mandarin oranges)
1 cup apples cut fine
1 cup broken pecans
Combine all of these ingredients with the cooled Jello. Put in pans and freeze. I take it out of the freezer the day I am going to serve it. It really keeps a long time.
Note: Did you know that cranberries were first grown in the USA in Massachusetts, but today more are grown in Wisconsin, mostly because of the available space?
POTPOURRI SPICE MIX TO SIMMER IN A POT OR GIVE TO FRIENDS
This is a great gift idea that I sent in the mail to special friends and family with Christmas cards one year. Four packages can be sent in an envelope with directions (nothing else) using just one stamp. I weighed it on my postal scales. This is also a nice little remembrance for neighbors. I cut four rectangles from a cellophane corsage bag, found in the floral department or Walmart. The seams of the bag were removed first. Four spices are used to make this as wonderfully fragrant potpourri - 1/4 teaspoon each of ground cloves, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon. (I purchase spices in bulk at our local natural foods co-op for very economical prices.)
Place spices in the center of the rectangle and simply gather up the sides of the rectangle (shorter ends first) and tie a secure bow with a narrow red or green ribbon. I wrote out the contents and directions on the computer, then copied and pasted until I had the desired amount and printed them on green paper. Since the directions only used the left side of the paper, I turned the paper around to print on the right side as well, then used a paper cutter to cut them. I have a basket in the family room filled with extras to give to guests, along with the printed instructions. Below are the instructions that you could copy and paste if you decide to do this little project. Be sure to write in your name before you print it.
POTPOURRI SPICE MIX
Contents of package:
1/4 tsp. or more of each spice ~~
Cloves, ginger, nutmeg & cinnamon.
Directions:
Simmer contents in a potpourri pot
or in a small saucepan on the stove,
along with about 1 tsp. cooking oil
and a cup or so of water. Continue
adding water as it evaporates.
Merry Christmas!
(Your Name)
Have a blessed Christmas season! Don't try to "do it all" this season. Hopefully my sending all these recipes will not make you feel like baking is the most important activity this month. When you do bake, do it with your children, your mother or friends. Remember that relationships are the most important thing -- first with the Lord then with your husband, children, other family and friends.
God bless you and your family!
Your "Heart to Heart" friend,
Lois
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to bring godly and practical encouragement to women through creative ideas for the Christian family – regarding homemaking, marriage, children and much more. You may receive this bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, country and the name of the person who referred you to Lois Breneman at [email protected].
