Cookie Recipes From Previous Blog Post

Several people asked for the recipes of the cookies I posted . I should have included them, but really didn't know people would be that interested in them.

Italian Cherry Cookies: Bake 350 for 10-12 minutes   Makes 24 cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1t vanilla extract
1t almond extract
1T maraschino cherry juice
2 cups all purpose flour
16 drained and chopped cherries
A few drops of red food dye if you wish

Cream butter and add sugar, vanilla and almond extract. This is where I add a bit of food coloring.
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Slowly drizzle in the cherry juice and mix well.
All the flour a bit at a time and slowly beat unto a soft dough.
Add chopped cherries until disbursed.
Press the dough into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 4 hours. The dough has to be chilled or the cookies will spread.
Roll into balls and place on a parchment lined baking pan. I use about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each ball.
Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes.

These are not overly sweet cookies, but the cherries add so much. Enjoy.

Old Fashion Ginger Snaps:  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes  Makes about 3 doz

1/4 cup of molasses
2/3 cup of shortening
1 cup of sugar ( you will need a bit extra in a bowl to roll the dough balls before baking)
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 T ground ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
2 t baking soda

Sift together dry ingredients
Cream together shortening and sugar. Then add the egg and molasses.
Blend in the dry ingredients and mix well.
Form into small balls and roll in sugar.
Place on a parchment lined baking pan. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Cool on pan fro 2-4 minutes

I like this recipe because it is somewhat soft.

The last recipe is for Evelyn's Homestead cookies:  Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes  Makes about 3 doz

1/2 cup shortening
1 cups sugar plus a bit extra for flattening the cookies on the pan
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 t baking powder
1/4t salt
2  cups flour
1 t vanilla

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Mis well.
Add dry ingredients.
Drop onto a greased cookie sheet and squish with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to prevent sticking.
Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until lightly brown on the bottom. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from the pan.

ENJOY!

                                                                                

That Old Bean Pot!

Jim was digging around in the garage at an Estate Sale recently, and came across this wonderful brown bean pot! We both fell in love with it...great color and great look!.

After our fabulous summer trip to New England, we are both just so fascinated with the region and the things that we find out here in the West. I wonder how thing migrate out here from so far away. I actually found this recipe book at the bins when LaVonne was visiting. I had good intentions of selling it in Jim's booth, but once I got it home and was able to read though it, I couldn't part with it!
The cover is wood and has a paper recipe booklet inside from the 1960's.

 Love this opening page about NEW ENGLAND with it's charming vintage print. I know, a bit corny but I just soak it up.

I was hoping to find a recipe for Boston Baked Beans. Yes, there was one waiting. I have looked online too and they are pretty much the same. I haven't had a chance to bake up some beans yet, but think it would be great fun to give it a try in the bean pot!.

In the mean time, the little brown pot just likes it new home...living with the brown butter churn.
It would be interesting to chat with someone who has actually baked up a pot of beans in this type of old bean pot. Happy cooking. 

Tea Time Thursday #46~Books, Bees and Mint

Jim and I sit outside most mornings when we have out coffee and lately I have been watching the bees go crazy in my mint. I let most of my herbs flower, just for the bees. I have let the mint take over one area too where nothing else really likes to grow. I love to brush by the bushes and smell the mint.

This is an illustration by Wayne Anderson of the mint fairy in a book called THE MAGIC CIRCUS.
He is a British illustrator who does a lot of children's books. I love his work and need to explore his art.

I love that she has one foot on a lovely bee.

Look closely and you will see a bee on the mint flower. I tried to get a bee or two in each photo. My daisies are done in the front yard, but a few are still flowering in the back with the mint.

I have a pumpkin plant that has gone crazy and is growing up into the mint. It would be fun to get a couple pumpkins.

I spy a pumpkin under the rose bush! I will have to watch it. Maybe the fairies will protect it!

I picked ups some fun books a few weeks ago at an Estate sale. I was excited as I found some that I didn't own. The lady was a tea person as you can tell.

Years ago I read all of Jan Karon's Mitford books and just loved them all. I was sad when I had read all the books in the series. I not a strong reader but I so enjoyed them. If you have read her books, you know they are always talking about food, so she put out this cookbook. I have checked it out from the library but at $2 I decided to take it home. It's a lovely book and filled with great recipes...very enjoyable.

I decided to share her recipe from the book for CYNTHIA'S HEAVENLY TEA.....

3 Lipton family-size teabags, tags removed
2 sprigs fresh mint leaves, plus mint sprigs for garnish
1 cup granulated sugar
1 (6 oz can) frozen lemonade, thawed
2 (11 1/2 oz) cans apricot nectar
6 tsp almond extract

Place the teabags and the mint in a pottery or glass pitcher and pour in 2 cups of cold water. Bring a kettle with 3 cups water to a rolling boil. Pour the boiling water over the teabags and cover the pitcher with a small plate. Steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove the teabags and the mint leaves. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Stir in the lemonade, apricot nector, almond extract, and 3 more cups of cold water. Serve over ice and garnish with a fresh mint sprig.

Makes about 10 cups

There's still a bit of summer left to enjoy some ice tea and use your fresh mint leaves from your herb garden. I don't have Lipton tea in my house, so would probably just use a nice black tea.

Happy Tea Time Thursday!

Tea Time Thursday #41

Set up for the antique show is tomorrow! Jim and Duane hauled all the tubs and fixtures to the Expo today, so I had a little break. It's Tea Time Thursday already, so I am featuring a little snack set of Japanese Lusterware. It's a lovely peach color and very sweet.  I just love snack sets!  This was a good find at the Goodwill thrift store. The cake is my mom's recipe that I used to make often. I haven't made it forever but I ended up with some "dead bananas" and that always meant banana cake when I was growing up!

Yes, those are "dead bananas" and my mom's recipe. It's a simple recipe and very easy to make. It sure has a well used look!

A nice batter ready for the oven. It only takes 30 minutes to bake.

The only change I made was adding 1/2 cup of golden raisins. My mom always used walnuts, but my family prefers pecans.

I made a butter cream icing. You can used a cream cheese frosting or just dust with powdered sugar.

I keep my dessert recipes in this vintage wooden recipe box.

While I was at the Goodwill, I found a few pieces of a children's toy dish set also Japanese Lusterware. I pick up these little pieces when I find them. Just so cute.

Another little set of Japanese Lusterware~salt and pepper shakers that sit on a sweet little tray.
I love the colors. A very fun thing to collect.

The cake turned out to be quite yummy. It was fun to make a recipe from the past! The smell of the cake baking sure brought home good memories.