Amy's Best Ever Sugar Cookies

2 cups butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
6 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder

Combine butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla.  Add rest of ingredients.  Roll out dough to 1/4-inch and cut out shapes.  Cook on ungreased baking sheet for 5-8 minutes at 350 degrees.


Amy Mitchell

Michele's Nanaimo Bars

1st layer:
     1/2 cup butter
     1/4 cup white sugar
     5 Tbs cocoa
     1 egg, beaten
     1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
     1 cup fine coconut (put in blender or food processor to make angel flake finer)
     1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

Mix 1st 3 ingredients in top of double boiler or heavy saucepan.  Add egg and stir and cook until thickened.  Remove from heat.  Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts.  Press firmly into ungreased 9 x 9 inch pan.

2nd layer:
     1/2 cup butter
     3 Tbs milk
     2 Tbs vanilla custard powder (Bird's -- available at World Market)
     2 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter, milk, custard powder, and powdered sugar together well.  Beat until light.  Spread over bottom layer.

3rd layer:
     3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz each)
     2 Tbs butter

(Chocolate hint:  if chocolate has been stored in fridge or freezer, let come to room temp before melting or it may seize.  Best melted in double boiler)

Melt chips and butter over low heat.  Cool.  When cool but still runny, spread over 2nd layer.  Chill in frig.  Use sharp knife to cut.  Makes 36 squares.

Karren Mitchell (shared by Michele Braithwaite)

   
   

Waffles of Insane Greatness

3/4 cup flour (can use whole wheat)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

2 Tbs sugar

1/2 tsp salt 

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla

Whisk together dry ingredients, then mix wet ingredients.  Combine both together and let stand 15-20 minutes.  Bake in Belgian waffle maker.  Makes 2 big waffles; recipe can be double or tripled with great results.

Submitted by Karren Mitchell

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Salad Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dry pasta (I used farfalle)
• 1 English (hot house) cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2/3 cup sliced kalamata olives
• 4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• half of a medium red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• lemon-herb vinaigrette (see below)

Lemon-Herb Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoons freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta al dente in a large stockpot of salted water according to package directions. Drain pasta, then rinse under cold water for about 20-30 seconds until no longer hot. Transfer the pasta to a large mixing bowl.
2. Add cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and red onion to the mixing bowl, then drizzle all the vinaigrette evenly on top.  Toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.
3. Serve immediately, garnished with extra feta and black pepper if desired.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Shared by Karren Mitchell (from:  gimmesomeoven.com)

Better Than Anything Brownies

1 (15.25-ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
3/4 cups butter, melted
1 (5 3/4-ounce) can evaporated milk, divided
1 (14-ounce) bag caramels
1 (8-ounce) bag Heath toffee bits, divided
1 (12-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips, divided

Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 cup evaporated milk.  Press half of this mixture into prepared pan. Bake 6 minutes.  Meanwhile, melt together caramels and remaining evaporated milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often. Remove brownies from oven after 6 minutes and sprinkle on half of the bag of Heath toffee bits.  Pour melted caramel over toffee bits.  Sprinkle on half the bag of chocolate chips.  Spread the remaining batter on top (this is easiest if you take pieces of the batter, flatten each individual piece in your hands and place on top).  Sprinkle remaining toffee bits and chocolate chips on top.  Bake 20 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate for 3 hours before serving.

Notes:

Bags of caramels are now smaller than 14-ounces.  I buy 2 bags and use a few from 2nd bag.  Stefani uses the caramel bits instead.

Evaporated milk is now only 5 ounces, but seems to work okay with recipe.

It is helpful to cut the brownies before they are refrigerated.


Recipe from Six Sisters

Karren Mitchell and Stefani Hooper

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 sticks butter
4 Tbs baking cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Put flour and sugar in large bowl; set aside.  Bring to boil in saucepan, water, butter, and cocoa.  Pour this mixture over flour and sugar.  Add buttermilk or sour cream, eggs, soda, and vanilla.  Pour into greased and floured sheet pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Test with toothpick for doneness.  Prepare frosting during last 3 minutes the cake is baking.

Frosting:

4 Tbs cocoa
1 stick butter
6 Tbs evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 heaping cup chopped walnuts
1 1-lb box powdered sugar

Bring the cocoa, milk, and butter to a boil in a saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar; beat with mixer until smooth. Add nuts.  Pour hot frosting over hot cake.  Cool completely before cutting.


Karren Mitchell

Oatmeal Crispies

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups quick-cooking oatmeal
raisins and/or nuts

Instructions

Cream shortening and sugars, add eggs and vanilla.  Beat well and add the dry ingredients that have been mixed together.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen cookies.

(These are the cookies that won Dad's heart)