Chewy Molasses Cookies*

*I found this recipe on Page 97 in the December 2014 issue of Cooking Light. It was marked as the "Staff Fave"--I think it's now mine, too!  It reminds me of the "trimmings" I had when I made up gingerbread houses--  now, I can have that taste without the work of assembling/decorating houses.

Yield:  24 Cookies (If you make use just 1.5 tablespoons dough to form each cookie.)

After I made these cookies the first time, I knew I would want to make more cookies at a time-- so the number in parenthesis below is the quantity I used to "4 X" this recipe today.

INGREDIENTS:

1 and 3/4 cups fluffed/leveled all-purpose flour (7 cups)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (4 tsp.)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2 tsp.)

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (2 tsp.)

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves (2 tsp.)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder (1 tsp.)

1/4 teaspoon salt (1 tsp.)

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6 tablespoons butter, softened (3/4 lb., or 3 sticks)

5 tablespoons granulated sugar (20 tablespoons)

1/4 cup dark brown sugar (1 cup)

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1 large egg (4 eggs)

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1/4 cup molasses (1 cup)

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3 tablespoons granulated sugar to roll dough balls in before baking (12 tablespoons, but 10 Tbsp. was plenty)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  
2. Combine the flour and next 6 ingredients (through the salt) in a bowl, stirring with a whisk.
3. Place butter, first amount of granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 5 minutes or until fluffy. 
4. Add egg; beat 30-seconds.
5. Add molasses; beat just until combined.
6. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; beat at low speed or just until combines.  
7. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine!)
8. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
9. Shape dough into balls and roll in the second amount of granulated sugar (my dough balls were about 1.5 inches across.
10. Place 2-inches apart on baking sheets covered with parchment paper.  
11. Bake at 350-degrees for 12-13 minutes or just until set. 

      12.  Cool 3 minutes on pan; remove to a wire rack.

Some part of me wanted to drizzle some 

icing on the tops of these

tasty gems-- for "just because".  BUT,... I 

managed to RESIST that urge!!!!

(They do NOT need any extra goodness 

added to what they already are!)

After they cooled, I put them in my

"usual" cookie place-- my enameled

cast iron cookware and covered them.

Eclair Pan Dessert

Some call this "Cream Puff Dessert".

Honestly, the FIRST time I tasted this dessert, I hesitated before getting the recipe!!!  Why?  Well, because it was just THAT good--  I was afraid to have it around for fear of being toooooooo tempted to enjoy one serving after the other.  Yes, ... it is a great tasting dessert.  It "goes down" way too easily and smoothly!!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup (or one stick) butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs

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• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
• 1/2 cup milk

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• 3.4 ounce box of INSTANT French Vanilla Pudding*
• Another 1 and 1/2 cups of milk

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• 8 ounces whipped topping, defrosted (whipped cream, or something like Cool Whip)
• Chocolate OR Hot Fudge topping to be drizzled over top before serving.  (I used Caramel topping, and I think I liked it better.)

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 400-degrees F.  Lightly coat a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with a non-stick cooking spray.

Making the Cream Puff Pastry:

1. Add the butter to the water in a heavy saucepan and place over MEDIUM heat.  Cook until the butter has melted and then bring the mixture to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan and forms a soft ball.
2. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl and let it rest for about 5 minutes to cool slightly.  
3. Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly with an electric mixer in between additions.  
4. Once all four eggs have been added, continue to mix for a minute or two or until the mixture is smooth.  
5. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan.  Spread the sticky dough out evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  To make it easier, spray the backside of an offset spatula with non-stick cooking spray and use it to spread the dough.
6. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until puffed up the sides of the pan and golden brown.  
7. Remove from the oven and cool completely.

Making the filling:

1. Place softened cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat it for about a minute to make it smooth-- then add 1/2 cup milk  and beat thoroughly with an electric mixer until the mixture is mixed well.  IF there are small bits of cream cheese that don't completely incorporate, it's okay.  Just beat the mixture so that it is as smooth as possible (starting with room temperature cream cheese will make this step SO much easier).  
2. Add 1 and 1/2 cups milk and the pudding mix-- beat again for several minutes on high speed until thickened.  
3. Spread the pudding mixture over the completely cooled crust. 
4. Spread the whipped topping over the pudding mixture-- use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to smooth it out.  
5. Chill for about two hours, or overnight.  But, if you chill it overnight, the crust will become "damp" and also be "tougher".
6. Drizzle with thin streams of chocolate sauce or hot fudge or caramel topping.
7. Serve. (Refrigerate any left-over dessert.)

EXTRA NOTES:

* IF you can't find French Vanilla Pudding you can use regular instant vanilla pudding and add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract.  It is also good prepared with a variety of different flavored instant puddings-- Cheesecake, White Chocolate, or Coconut Cream are good choices.

Nadine's Fruit Cake

Jokes are made about fruit cake-- 

how it makes for a good door stop, etc.

In my opinion, this fruit cake is 

nothing to joke about-- for sure, I will

never joke about it.  It's a real treat to/for 

me.  It's not a "cheap" cake to make, but, 

again, in my opinion, it is so worth 

whatever it costs to make it.

 My favorite FRUIT CAKE!!!, 

made by my sister Nadine!!!

Years ago, my sister Nadine got this recipe out of an issue of Farm Journal which many farmers subscribed to back them.  She makes this and shares with me.  It is my FAVORITE fruit cake.  I like it so much that I just cut off 1/4" slices at a time in order to make it last longer. 

Just lately, my daughter Cheryl made two variations of Fruit Cake-- both were very good, too.  She wants to try baking this recipe.  She WILL succeed, and I'm so happy about that!!!!!!!!!

Note:  This recipe has no Vanilla, no

other flavoring, and no spices in it.

Mix together, and beat vigorously with a spoon OR electric mixer for 2 minutes:  
1 cup cooking oil (such as Wesson oil, etc.)
l and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
Set aside for a little while.

 Sift together:
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon salt

Stir this dry combination into the above oil/sugar/egg mixture, ALTERNATELY with the next two "combined" ingredients:

1 cup pineapple OR 1 cup apple juice
1 cup more sifted flour

Set aside this batter until the following fruits are combined.

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Mix together:

1 cup thinly sliced citron (6 oz.)
1 cup candied pineapple (1-inch pieces) ... about 4 slices
2 cups whole candied cherries 
3 cups seedless white raisins (1 lb.)
2 cups nuts left in large pieces

Now, pour the  "set aside" BATTER at the top over this assortment of  combined/mixed fruit, stirring evenly and thoroughly.

Now:  Oil the empty pans, first.  Next, line the two "oiled" loaf pans, 8.5"long x 4.5" wide x 2.5"deep (measured from the open top). with "oiled" brown paper.  Yes, oil the lining paper very well, too. It will look "dark" when it is well oiled.  (You can use the brown paper from brown paper grocery bags to line the pans, but do not use any brown paper with printing on it.  Cut and bend another piece of brown paper to cover  the side/bottom/side; another piece to cover end/bottom/end.  You can let the oiled brown lining paper stick up higher than the pan by about 1/2".)

Pour thick batter into the prepared pans.  

Place a pan of water on the lowest oven rack.  

PRE-HEAT OVEN TO 275-degrees.

Bake cakes 2.5 to 3.0 hours in a very "slow oven" (275-degrees), on the middle rack. 

After baking, let cakes stand 15 minutes before lifting from pan while in the paper liner.  Cool on racks without removing the paper.  Carefully remove the oiled  brown paper liners after the cakes are almost cool.  

Store by wrapping tightly in aluminum foil (I prefer to wrap in something else ahead of the aluminum foil) and THEN add the foil to wrap tightly).  

Place in a covered jar (?) in a cool place to "ripen".  By storing it in the freezer, I can enjoy this fruit cake a year later and think it's freshly made.  

This recipe makes a combined total of 3.25 lbs. of fruit/nut cake(s).

The recipe won FIRST PLACE for a baker at the fair.