Cookies and Candies

[Guardian Angel]

Coconut Date Nut Chews

2 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar, add gradually
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp vanilla
1/8-1/4 tsp almond

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all ingredients well and bake in 8x8 greased pan for 20-30 minutes.  When done, they will look like brownies.  Stir while hot. Stir several times while cooling.  While still a little warm, roll into balls (grease hands) the size of walnuts and then roll in sugar.  Store in airtight container.

[Guardian Angel]

Mincemeat Cookies

1 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, beaten
3 cups unsifted flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 9 oz pkg None Such Condensed Mincemeat, crumbled

Preheat oven to 375.  In a large bowl, beat shortening and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, beat well.  Stir together dry ingredients and add gradually to the mixture.  Mix well.  Stir in mincemeat.  Drop by rounded spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes until slightly browned.  Cool, ice if desired.  For a more cake like cookie substitute 1 jar of ready to use None Such Mincemeat in place of the condensed.

[Guardian Angel]

Walnut Brittle

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 
Butter a baking sheet; set aside. In a 2-qt. microwave-safe bowl, combine sugar and corn syrup. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 3 minutes; stir. Cook, uncovered, on high 2-1/2 minutes longer. Stir in walnuts, butter and cinnamon. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 2 minutes or until mixture turns a light amber color (mixture will be very hot). Quickly stir in baking soda and vanilla until light and foamy. Immediately pour onto prepared pan; spread with a metal spatula. Cool; break into pieces.

[Bingo]

That sounds so good!

[Guardian Angel]

It is.  I had forgotten about it until someone on another forum ask if I had a microwave recipe for it.......  It's almost identical to the peanut brittle recipe.  I usually leave the butter and cinnamon out.

[Guardian Angel]

Easy Coconut Macaroons


2 & 2/3 cups flaked coconut
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix coconut, milk and vanilla in a large bowl.  Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls about 1 inch apart on a well-greased cookie sheet.  Press down ends of coconut with the back of a spoon.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Immediately remove for cookie sheet, and cool completely on a wire rack.

[Guardian Angel]

Pumpkin Cookies you can roll and cut into shapes

3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange zest
1/2 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch salt

In a medium bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and orange zest. Stir in the pumpkin. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt; stir into the pumpkin mixture. Chill dough for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375.   On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and place onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Decorate with frosting or candy.

[Guardian Angel]

Peanut Butter Bars


1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Icing
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
3 & 1/2 tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spay a 13x9 inch baking pan with non-stick spray.

Cream together butter, white sugar and brown sugar.  Blend in 1/3 cup peanut butter, egg, vanilla, and baking soda.  Add flour and oatmeal.  Mix well.  Spread in prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips.  Return to oven and bake for eight minutes.  Spread to smooth out chocolate chips.  Cool completely.

To make icing:  mix together 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 1/4 cup peanut butter and 3 & 1/2 tablespoons milk until it makes a spreadable consistency.  Spread over bars.  Refrigerate to set. 

[Guardian Angel]

White Chocolate Cranberry Candy


1 (16 ounce) package white chocolate chips
1 & 1/2 cups dried cranberries
1 & 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Melt white chocolate chips in the top of a double boiler until smooth, remove from heat  Add cranberries and walnuts, stirring to coat.

Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper.  Allow to cool and harden

[Guardian Angel]

Candy Cane Fudge

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips
1 (12 ounce) bag mint chocolate chips
1/4 cup crushed candy cane (or crushed starlight mints)

Heat sweetened condensed milk in a medium saucepan, stirring constantly until mixture bubbles.  Remove from heat, add chocolates, cover and let sit 5 minutes.  Stir until smooth and pour into a foil lined 8 inch pan.  Sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Chill until firm and cut into squares.

[Guardian Angel]

Cashew Brittle

2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1 cup butter
3 cups cashews
1 teaspoon baking soda

In a large saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil; blend in butter. Begin to stir frequently when syrup reaches the thread stage, about 230.  When temperature is 280, or soft-crack stage, add cashews. Stir constantly until hard-crack stage, 300, is reached.  Remove from heat and quickly stir in baking soda. Mix well. Pour onto two buttered baking sheets or jelly roll-size baking pans. As the candy cools, stretch it out thinner by lifting and pulling at edges with forks. Loosen from the pans as soon as possible and turn over. Break hardened candy up and store in an airtight container.

[Guardian Angel]

Sour Cream Pecans


1 cup sour cream
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups pecan halves

Combine sour cream and sugar in a large saucepan.  Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until mixture reaches 245 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat, add vanilla, baking soda and butter.  Beat for 2-3 minutes.  Add pecans, stirring to coat.  Turn onto lightly butter baking sheet.  Cool and separate pecan halves.

Also good using walnuts or almonds

[SpiritMan]

Does anyone have Mom's recipe for Berliner Kranz?

[Guardian Angel]

I don't know if this was mom's recipe, but this is one I had written down....  I haven't made them for years.

Berliner Kranz

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 eggs
4 cups flour

Glaze
1 egg white
2 Tbsp. sugar
 
Cream butter, shortening and sugar. Add orange peel and eggs. Mix in flour. Roll dough by rounded teaspoonfuls into ropes. Form each rope into a circle, bringing one over and through into a single knot.  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

For Glaze:

Beat egg white until foamy, adding sugar 1 Tbsp. at a time.  Brush tops of cookies with egg white mixture. Decorate with bits of red and green cherries. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until set. Do not let brown. Immediately transfer to wire racks.

[SpiritMan]

Yes, that's it. The ones I found online seemed to have something missing. It was the grated orange peel.