Angel Food Cake Frosting

An absolutely divine way to dress up a little angel food cake. Sweet and crunchy. 

ANGEL FOOD CAKE TOPPING

2 1/2 T flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup soft shortening (aka margarine or margarine/butter) 

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup grated nuts

Cook the milk and flour to a paste, whisk constantly to avoid lumps.  Cool.  Cream the shortening, then add the sugar and salt. Cream again.  Add in the cooled paste mixture and beat until light.  Add the vanilla, powdered sugar - mix again.  Once completely mixed, add in the nuts.  Spread on an angel food cake. 

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Ranger Cookies II

Ranger Cookies II.  The name may imply second best - hardly.  D-e-v-o-u-r-e-d by my family. 

Better than Ranger Cookies I?  You decide.  I prefer to adore them equally.  

RANGER COOKIES II

1 3/4 cup flour 

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar 

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup coconut flakes

1 cup rolled oats

2 cups lightly crushed cornflakes

12 oz. butterscotch chips

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in bowl; mix well.  Cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, mix after each addition.  Add vanilla; mix.  Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing after each addition.  Add the coconut and oats; mix well.  Add the cornflakes and butterscotch chips; mix well.  

Drop by rounded teaspoon onto parchment lined or greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes (lightly browned). 

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Ranger Cookies I

My grandmother had a Tupperware container that sat on her counter, about baking pan-sized with domed lid.  It was always there.  Always filled with cookies.  On the rare occasion it was opened and no goody to be found one did not need to worry - a walk down the stairs to the chest freezer yielded your choice of cookie to replenish.  

These cookies were an absolute staple in her cookie repertoire.  My grandfather must have loved them due to their frequent appearance in the container, quite frankly, we all did.   The handwritten recipe has a notation that says "(our favorite)".  Now they are being introduced to the next generation of Ranger Cookie fans.  

Why are they called Ranger Cookies?  Supposedly they originated in Texas and were called "Lone Ranger Cookies".  Why do I call them Ranger Cookies I? Stay tuned...it turns out there was lesser known Ranger Cookie recipe. A long-lost cousin....  

RANGER COOKIES I

1 cup margarine or butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup oatmeal

2 cups Rice Krispie cereal

1 cup shredded coconut

Cream butter or margarine with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla; cream well.  Sift flour with soda, salt and baking powder.   Combine oatmeal, Rice Krispies and coconut. Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixtures.   Mix well. 

Drop by rounded teaspoonful onto parchment lined or greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 mins or until lightly browned.

Yield:  4 - 5 dozen cookies

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Betty's Chocolate Cake

Betty was a sister-in-law to one of my grandmothers; Grandma baked her cake for years.  It's one of the recipes that is jotted down with one simple line of instructions:  mix.  Consider this to be the little black dress of chocolate cakes - versatile, always right.  Dress it up (double layers, frosted) or dress it down (cupcakes), bake it in a half-sheet or 9"x13" pan - the choice is yours.  The outcome is delicious.  

BETTY'S CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cup sugar

1 cup oil

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp soda

1 cup buttermilk

1 T vanilla

Mix the above together, then add:

1 cup boiling water (slowly add and mix)

Mix. 

[Bake at 350 - time will vary depending upon choice of pan.  It was ~ 15 mins for cupcakes.]

 

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING (recipe from The Cake Doctor cookbook)

3 T butter

3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup confectioner's sugar

2 T milk

1 tsp vanilla

Blend the butter and cocoa on low speed with electric mixer.  Add the confectioner's sugar, milk and vanilla.  Slowly increase the mixer speed to medium.  Beat until fluffy (about 1 minute more). 

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Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

The real recipe is called "Delicious Cookies" - and they are.  I've simply renamed them for the sake of clarity.  Don't like coconut?  Have no fear; these little morsels tend to create coconut converts. 

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup butter or margarine

1 cup oil

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cream of tartar

1 cup coconut

1 cup oats

3 1/2 cup flour

1 cup Rice Krispies

6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

Mix sugars, butter, oil, egg and vanilla - beat together.  Add dry ingredients and mix.  Add coconut, oats, Rice Krispies and chocolate chips.  Drop by rounded teaspoon on cookie sheet.  Bake 350 for approx. 12 mins. 

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Peanut Bars

Peanut bars

A big fat pan of salted nut roll-esque bars. Delicious!  

PEANUT BARS

Base layer. 

1 package, yellow cake mix

1/3 cup butter or margarine

1 egg

Combine and press into 9" x 13" pan.  Bake at 350 for 12-18 minutes.  Remove from oven and spring with 3 cups of miniature marshmallows.   Return to oven until marshmallows are puffy.

Top layer. 

2/3 cup corn syrup

1/4 cup butter or margarine

2 T vanilla

12 oz peanut butter chips

In large saucepan, heat until chips melt and mixture is smooth.  Remove from heat and add:

2 cup Rice Krispies

2 cup salted peanuts

Spread peanut mixture over the marshmallow layer on bars.  Allow to cool.  Then chill and cut into bars. 

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Butterscotch Chiffon Pie

The pie section in the recipe box is thick especially to somebody that makes pies once a year on Thanksgiving.  

My grandmother's crust truly was the best.  I've tried numerous recipes...cutting in butter, adding a splash of vinegar, chilling, etc.  Why didn't I simply look in the recipe box for the Perfect Pie Crust? You will notice the brief instructions so a quick search yielded the appropriate baking temperature--and a discovery.  My grandma's Perfect Pie Crust is also one of Alton Brown's recipes.  Sorry, Alton, I think her recipe came first.  His instructions are way more detailed, makes me smile.  

This pie is my mother's all-time favorite.  So, it was a perfect reason to make it on her birthday...a little gift from her mother and her daughter.  

PERFECT PIE CRUST

Recipe makes enough for a double crust. 

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup Crisco

1/2 cup cold water

Mix until flour, salt and Crisco until it resembles cornmeal.  Add 1/2 cup water and stir.  Roll out (in between parchment paper is best).   [A few notes:  The dough is moist so rolling out between parchment paper made it easy to work with.  Put the dough between the parchment sheets in the freezer for a bit to make dough easier to work with.  To bake, I covered with foil and filled bottom with pie weights, removed part way through to finish baking the crust until browned].  Bake at 400 degrees. 

BUTTERSCOTCH CHIFFON PIE 

1 baked 9" pie shell (1/2 recipe from above)

1 envelope plain gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

3 eggs, separated

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup scalded milk

2 T butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp burnt sugar flavoring

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup white sugar

Soak gelatin in water for 5 minutes; stir from time to time.  Beat 3 egg yolks until thick and lemony, gradually beat in 1 cup brown sugar and scalded milk.  Add butter, salt and cook over water [double boiler] until it coats back of spoon.  [Stir constantly].   Stir in gelatin and cool.  Add vanilla and burnt sugar flavoring.  Beat egg whites until stiff; add white sugar gradually.  Fold the egg whites into cooked custard, pour into shell and chill until firm. 

Top with meringue if you wish! 

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Sour Cream Banana Bars

This recipe is typed and appears to be cut out from a newsletter - YWCA? Church? The heading is called "LADIES CORNER."  It must have been a small group because at the bottom after the recipe it says "If Lola would stop in, we have a gift for her." Adorable. 

The original recipe calls for Browned Butter Frosting (recipe below).  However, in handwritten notes there is also a recipe for a cream cheese frosting. Can you really go wrong with either?  Apparently so.  One family member begged to have the bars go unfrosted.  They are darn good either way. 

SOUR CREAM BANANA BARS

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter 

1 1/2 cup mashed banana

3/4 tsp salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional) 

Heat over to 375.  Grease and flour jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 x 10 1/2x 1.  Mix sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs in large bowl on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally for about 1 minute.  Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed for 30 seconds.  Beat in flour, baking soda and salt on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally for 1 minute.  Stir in nuts.  Spread batter in pan.  Bake until light brown, 15-20 minutes. Cool.  Frost and cut into 2x1 1/2" bars.  Makes 48 bars. 

BROWNED BUTTER FROSTING

Heat 1/4 cup margarine or butter over medium heat until delicate brown; remove from heat.  Mix in 2 cups powdered sugar. Beat in 1 tsp of vanilla and 3 T of milk until smooth and of spreading consistency. 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

3 oz. cream cheese, softened 

1/4 cup butter, softened 

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Beat first three ingredients together then add powdered sugar. 

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Oatmeal Sugar Cookies

This is one of many recipes that has a little (good) written in the corner.  After my husband ate the last cookie of the batch he said, "Well, I've grown rather fond of those cookies."  

OATMEAL SUGAR COOKIES

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups oatmeal

1 1/2 cup flour

Cream sugars with shortening.  Add eggs and cream again.  Sift baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and flour together.  Combine sifted dry ingredients with creamed mixture.  Stir in oatmeal and vanilla last.  Form dough into balls the size of walnuts, roll in granulated sugar.  Bake at 350 on greased cookie sheet [or parchment paper] until cookies are browned. 

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