Salted Nut Rolls

From Shirley Evans

2 Tbsp. butter
5 oz. marshmallows
1 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. chopped salted peanuts
7 oz. caramels
1 Tbsp. water

Melt 1 tablespoon butter; add marshmallows, stirring until melted. Beat in enough powdered sugar to make mixture workable to knead; knead until smooth. Add vanilla and 1/2 cup peanuts. Knead, using remaining sugar, until smooth. Shape into a 12-inch roll.

On a piece of plastic wrap place remaining nuts in a 12x4 inch rectangle. Melt caramels with 1 tablespoon butter and water. Pour over peanuts, spreading with knife dipped in hot water. When cool, place marshmallow roll in center. Using the plastic wrap, lift caramel around marshmallow center and seal edges. Press peanuts carefully into caramel. Refrigerate and slice when ready to serve.

Meringue Cookies

From Andie Evans
Makes 36-40

2 egg whites
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. sugar
optional ingredients

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat eggs on high speed until peaks form. Slowly add cream of tartar, salt, vanilla and sugar. Mix until the whites hold stiff peaks.

Fold in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of any combination of the yummy ingredients: small chocolate bits, finely chopped hazelnuts, peppermint candy or anything else that sounds good.

Drop by small spoonfuls onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 300 degrees about 20-25 minutes. Do not let the cookies take on color.

Chunky Beef Stew

From Shirley Evans
Makes 16 cups

3 lbs. stew meat or boneless beef chuck
vegetable oil
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large onions, cut into 1-inch dice
2 (14.5-oz.) cans beef broth
1 (28-oz.) can tomatoes, coarsely torn, including all juices
1/2 tsp. thyme
5-6 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks

Trim away any obvious fat and gristle on meat. Make sure all pieces are roughly 1-1/2 inch cubes. As you trim the beef, lay the pieces on paper towels. The meat will not brown if it is damp.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

In a large sauté pan, over fairly high heat, brown beef in just enough oil to keep the meat from sticking. This should be done in several batches to avoid crowding the meat. Regulate heat so that it browns evenly without burning meat. Do not cook until hard and crusty--just nicely browned. Add more oil, if necessary. As each piece is browned, remove to a 4-qt. oven-proof casserole.

When all the meat has been added to the casserole, toss it with flour, salt and black pepper. Set casserole, uncovered in 475 degree oven for 5 minutes. Toss meat again and return to oven for 5 more minutes. This will result in a nice brown crust on the meat.

While meat is cooking, sauté onions in the same skillet in which you browned the meat. Add a small amount of oil, if necessary.

After meat has cooked in the oven, remove casserole. Reduce over heat to 325 degrees. Add the browned onions to the meat. Then pour one of the cans of beef broth into the sauté pan and scrape up any bits of beef and onion that remain. Pour it all into meat mixture. Add second can of beef broth along with tomatoes and their liquid, and thyme. Place casserole back into oven and cook at 325 degrees for 2 hours. Regulate heat so that the liquid simmers slowly during the cooking time.

After 2 hours, add potatoes and carrots. Continue cooking 30 minutes. Test for doneness. The veggies should be tender, not mushy.

Slim Alfredo Sauce

From Shirley Evans
Makes 2 cups, enough for 5 or 6 servings

1 c. heavy cream
3/4 c. chicken stock
3 Tbsp. butter
3 grinds black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Place cream, stock, butter, black pepper and nutmeg in a heavy 12-inch sauté pan (a pan with a nonstick finish is most desirable). Bring mixture to a simmer. Let simmer 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Posted by Shirley Evans
From Serendipity 3, New York
Makes 2 servings

1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/3 c. nonfat dry milk powder
3 Tbsp. Ghirardelli (or other Dutch process) cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. Hershey's cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 c. milk
3 c. ice

Combine the sugar, dry milk powder, cocoas and salt in a small bowl. Pour the milk into a blender. Add the dry mix and ice. Blend until all the ice is crushed and the drink is smooth. Pour into a large goblet or 2 16-oz. glasses. Optional topping: whipped cream and semi-sweet chocolate shavings.

Baked Potato Soup

From Shirley Evans

4 large baking potatoes
5 slices bacon, plus more for garnish
1/2 c. butter
1 large onion, diced
1/2 c. AP flour
6 c. milk
2 tsp. coarse salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 c. (6 oz.) grated cheddar cheese, divided
1 c. sour cream
sliced green onions for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Scrub potatoes, prick several times with a fork and bake 1 1/2 hours until soft. Remove from oven and let cool. When cool, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out potato pulp, set aside. Discard skins.

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, crumble and set aside. Add butter to pan with bacon drippings, melt. Add onions and saute approximately 4 to 5 minutes until soft. Stir in flour until well combined, cook for several minutes but do not let it brown. Gradually add milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Pour into crock pot and add potato pulp, salt, pepper, crumbled bacon and 1 c. grated cheese. Stir in sour cream. Warm in crock pot a couple hours or more at low heat until ready to serve. Add extra milk if necessary for desired thickness.

Serve in individual soup bowls garnished with the remaining 1/2 c. cheese, additional crumbled bacon and sliced green onions.

Amaretti Cookies

From Andie Evans

2 egg whites
1 8-oz. can almond paste (1 c.)
1 c. sugar

Place egg whites in a small bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper, set aside.

In a free-standing electric mixer, break up and crumble almond paste. Add the sugar. Beat or process until combined. Add egg whites, about half at a time, beating or processing until mixture is stiff (but will not form peaks) and sugar is dissolved.

Spoon egg-white mixture into a pastry bag fitted with an 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe into 1-inch rounds 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle each cookie with additional sugar, if you like.

Bake a cookie sheet at a time in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven. Cool on cookie sheet. Carefully peel cookies from paper or foil. (To store, layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container.)

Beef Stroganoff

From Shirley Evans

1/4 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 lbs. beef stew meat, cubed
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. mushroom soup
2 c. sliced mushrooms
1 c. shallots
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. ketchup
3/4 c. buttermilk
egg noodles

Mix flour, salt and pepper in large, covered skillet and coat meat. Brown meat. Stir the butter, mushroom soup, mushrooms, shallots, water, Worchestershire sauce, and ketchup into meat, cover and simmer for at least 2 hours or until tender. When meat is tender, stir in buttermilk. Heat through and serve on egg noodles.

Chocolate Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies

From Andie Evans

1 batch sugar cookies (recipe below)
3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. peppermint extract
1/2 c. crushed candy canes or peppermint candies

Divide the dough in half and add chocolate and vanilla to one half and incorporate with hands. Add egg yolk, peppermint extract and crushed candy to other half of dough and incorporate with hands. Cover both with plastic and chill for approximately 5 minutes. Roll out doughs separately to approximately 1/4-inch thickness. Place peppermint dough on top of chocolate and press together around the edges. Using waxed paper or flexible cutting board underneath, roll dough into log. Wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove dough from the refrigerator and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place cookies 1 inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment or silicone baking mat and bake for 12 to 13 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Sugar Cookie
3 c. AP flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 c. sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. milk
Powdered sugar, for rolling out dough

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl.

To make this Joe-safe, use dairy-free butter, almond milk and vegan chocolate chips.

Chicken Stew with Lemon and Rosemary

From Dana Schrader

8 chicken thighs, about 2-1/2 lbs.
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
4 carrots, sliced into 1-inch bias cut (about 1-1/2 c.)
4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch bias cut (about 1-1/2 c.)
2 sprigs rosemary
1 lemon, juiced
2-1/2 c. chicken broth, low-sodium
3/4 c. frozen pearl onions, thawed
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Buttered noodles, accompaniment

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and 1 Tbsp. butter in a Dutch oven (12-inch diameter) over medium-high heat. Lay half of the chicken pieces skin-side down in the skillet. Cook the chicken, until golden-brown on both sides, turning once, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the carrots and celery, and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add the rosemary, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the lemon juice, and scrape up any browned bits that cling to the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the broth, onions, lemon zest, and 1 tsp. salt and bring just to a boil.

Return the chicken skin-side up to the pot, taking care that the skin is just over the surface of the liquid, and then put the stew in the oven. Cook, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, tender and lightly glazed and brown, about 40 minutes. Baste the chicken occasionally in the last 20 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, use a fork to work the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter into the 2 Tbsp. flour to make a paste.

Remove the stew from the oven. Remove and discard the rosemary and arrange the vegetables and chicken (reserving the juices in the pan) in the servings dish. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat and whisk the butter/flour mixture into the juices until dissolved. Bring to a boil and simmer until thickened. Pour sauce over the chicken and serve immediately over buttered noodles.


To make this Joe-safe, use dairy-free butter.

Electric Lemonade (Blue Drink)

From Karl Schrader

Use Caution - Adults Only!

I'll try to avoid the quantity issues and just use generic quantities. This is an excellent drink in large quantities, but can be mixed individually.

1 part Bacardi Rum
1 part Bacardi Razz (Raspberry Flavored Rum)
1/3 part Blue Curacao
1/3 part Malibu Rum
1/2 part Lemon Juice
4 part Lemonade
2 part Lemon/Lime Soda (7 up, Sprite, Sierra Mist, etc...)
Lots of ice

For reference, the first time this was made, we made this using Liters as a means of measuring. I have made this using much smaller values as well.

Steak Soup

From Shirley Evans
Makes 4 servings

Note from Mom:
This steak soup is very easy once you get the hang of it. The secret is cutting the steak in thinner pieces than the recipe says and browning it VERY WELL. Put the basil in BEFORE you add the liquids.

1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into very small, thin pieces
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) tomatoes, undrained
2 c. ready-to-serve beef broth
carrots, chopped (to taste)
potatoes, diced (to taste)
Cut beef steak into 1/4-inch thick strips; cut each strip into 1-inch pieces. Combine garlic with 1 Tbs. oil; stir into beef and reserve. Saute onion in remaining oil in large sacepan for 3 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and pepper; cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, beef broth and veggies. Bring to a boil; cover and reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef 1 to 2 minutes; add to sauce. Sprinkle with grated cheese, if desired.

Broccoli Salad

From Shirley Evans
Makes 8 servings

1 bunch (1-1/2 lb.) broccoli, in small pieces                             
1 c. raisins

1 c. red onion, finely chopped                                                    
1 c. sunflower seeds

7 strips bacon, crisply broiled and crumbled                                  
1 c. mayonnaise

1/2 c. sugar                                                                                   
2 Tbs. vinegar

In large bowl, combine broccoli, raisins, onion, sunflower seeds and bacon. Refrigerate. In small bowl, combine mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar. Refrigerate. Just before serving, stir dressing into salad mixture.

Monster Cookies

From Shirley Evans

Makes 300 cookies

12 eggs                                                        

2 lb. (5 c.) packed brown sugar

4 c. granulated sugar                              

2 c. butter, softened

3 lb. (4-1/2 c.) peanut butter                 

18 c. rolled oats

8 tsp. baking soda                                   

2 Tbs. corn syrup

2 Tbs. vanilla                                            

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

16 ox. M&Ms

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a very large bowl, cream eggs, sugars, butter and peanut butter; stir in oats, soda, corn syrup and vanilla. (Use hands when mixing becomes too stiff.) Mix in chocolate chips and M&Ms. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes.

Toad in a Hole

From Shirley Evans

Makes 1 serving

1 slice of bread                       

1 egg                                  

1 Tbs. butter

Cut out the center of the bread with a biscuit cutter or the top of a glass. Spread both sides of bread with softened butter. Crack the egg into the hole in the bread and cook over medium heat until firm enough to be flipped. Flip egg and bread and cook until done.

Modifications: Top with a slice of jack cheese and it's called a One-Eyed Jack. I do the same thing with a slice of American cheese and call it a One-Eyed American. Gruesome, but tasty.

To make Joe-safe, use dairy-free butter and bread.

The Italian Scramble

From Shirley Evans

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 Tbs. olive oil                                          

1 medium potato, cubed

1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage                 

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped                 

1 small red pepper, chopped

8 eggs                                                          

2 Tbs. milk

1/8 tsp. oregano                                        

1 firm, ripe tomato, seeded and chopped

1/4 c. shredded mozzarella 

1/4 c. grated cheese

chopped fresh parsley for garnish
hot Italian bread

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan and add the potato; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove sausage casings and crumble meat into the frying pan, cooking and stirring until lightly browned. Add onion and peppers and cook until onion is limp and the potato cubes are done.

Beat the eggs together with the milk and oregano. All at once, add the tomatoes, egg mixture and mozzarella to the frying pan. Lower the heat and cook, stirring lightly until eggs are soft and fluffy, and I do mean soft and fluffy … not hard and stiff. The mozzarella should stretch and bring you great happiness. Top with grated cheese and parsley and serve with hot Italian bread.

Eggs Benedict

Posted by Shirley Evans 

From Canterbury Inn, Rochester, MN

Makes 6 servings

6 English muffins                  

1 dozen eggs                               

12 very thin slices ham

3 egg yolks                              

2 Tbs. lemon juice           

1/2 tsp. salt

dash hot pepper sauce          

1/2 c. melted butter         

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Blend egg yolks, lemon juice, salt and hot sauce in blender briefly. Add hot butter while blender is still running, with Dijon mustard. The Hollandaise can be made ahead and frozen or refrigerated. It never fails. To reheat, heat only to lukewarm or it will stiffen and seize up.

Toast English muffins, top with a slice of ham, a poached egg and Hollandaise sauce.

To make Joe-safe, use dairy-free butter.

Spinach and Mushroom Strata (Overnight Casserole)

From Shirley Evans

Makes 6 to 8 servings

6 to 8 slices bacon                                  

2 to 3 Tbs. butter                    

1/4 c. finely chopped shallots                 

10 slices white bread

2-1/2 c. shredded Swiss cheese                 

9 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 c. milk                                                      

2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. dried thyme                                   

salt

freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking dish or two shallow 1-1/2-quart casseroles.

In a skillet or microwave, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain it and let cool. Break the bacon into 1-inch pieces and put into a large zip-type plastic bag.

In a small skillet, melt the butter, add the shallots, and sauté. Set aside to cool slightly.

Trim the crusts from the bread slices and cut the slices into 1-inch pieces. Add to the plastic bag.

Add to cooled shallots and the cheese to the plastic bag and shake to combine.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Pour the egg mixture into the plastic bag and seal, carefully squeezing out the excess air. For safety, slide this bag, zipper end first, into a second zip-type plastic bag and seal. If possible, refrigerate overnight.

An hour before serving, pour the mixture into the baking dish or casseroles and spread evenly. Bake, covered with a lid or foil for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. May be refrigerated several days or frozen up to 3 months.

To make Joe-safe, use dairy-free butter and cheese, or skip the cheese.

Lemon-Ricotta Hotcakes

Posted by Shirley Evans
From Hell’s Kitchen, Minneapolis

Makes 16

6 egg whites                            
9 egg yolks                        
1/3 c. melted butter

1/2 c. granulated sugar        
1 c. whole milk ricotta                
4 Tbs. lemon zest

1 Tbs.  fresh lemon juice    
1 tsp. kosher salt                               
1/3 c. AP flour 

melted butter (for skillet)

Pour egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a wire whisk attachment and whisk on high speed until firm peaks form. Reduce the speed to low. Slowly add egg yolks, and then gradually add melted butter. Continue whisking on low speed until well incorporated. Stop the mixer, and add sugar, ricotta, lemon zest, lemon  juice, and salt. Whisk on medium speed for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula. Return the mixer to medium speed, and mix for about 1 minute. Makes about 4 cups.

Refrigerate the batter for a few hours prior to making the hotcakes. This allows the melted butter to firm up slightly in the mix and keeps the batter from spreading out too thin on a hot griddle. Refrigerated in a covered container, this batter will keep safely for up to 3 days.

To cook hotcakes, heat a large skillet over medium high. Brush skillet with melted butter, and drop batter into the hot skillet in 1/4-cup portions. Leave about 2 inches between hotcakes to allow them to spread. Cook until bubbles appear and bottoms are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip hotcakes and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the skillet.

Garnish the cooked hotcakes with a handful of fresh blackberries, blueberries and quartered strawberries, dust with vanilla powdered sugar and serve with a side of butter and warm maple syrup.

Creamy Basil Parmesan Chicken & Pasta

From Shirley Evans

chicken pieces                         

buttermilk                         

flour

1 c. milk                                    

basil                                                    

paprika

garlic powder                          

onion powder                    

Alfredo sauce

sun-dried tomatoes                 

Romano cheese                      

linguine

parmesan cheese

Coat chicken pieces in buttermilk and dredge in flour. Brown chicken in skillet.

Remove from pan. Put in oven-safe dish and bake at 350 degrees until done.

In chicken pan add milk  and seasonings. Add Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and Romano cheese. Simmer. Serve over linguine pasta. Grate on parmesan cheese.

Au Gratin Potatoes

From Shirley Evans 

Makes 8 servings

1-1/2 lbs. potatoes, sliced 1/8” thick        

1-3/4 c. chicken broth                 

1-3/4 c. whole milk                                                 

3 Tbs. melted butter

2 Tbs. flour                                                                

2 c. grated Gruyere cheese

3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese                                  

1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

Heat oven to 325 degrees. In saucepan, bring potatoes, chicken broth and milk to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes more. Drain, reserving liquid. Layer potatoes in greased 2 qt. baking dish.

In same saucepan over medium heat, cook butter and flour 1 minute, stirring often. Slowly whisk in reserved liquid. Bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute more, whisking constantly.

Stir in remaining ingredients; pour over potatoes. Bake 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Ooey-Gooey Monkey Bread

From Shirley Evans

Makes 15 servings

1/2 c. sugar            

1 tsp. cinnamon                 

3 7.5-ounce refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1/2 c. butter           

1 c. brown sugar

Generously grease a 10-inch tube pan. Cover outside bottom of pan tightly with aluminum foil; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. With kitchen shears, cut biscuits into quarters. Toss several biscuit pieces at a time in sugar mixture to coat. Layer biscuits in prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar mixture; set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar. Bring to boiling and boil for 1 minute. Pour over biscuits.

Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden. Let stand in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a large serving platter. Serve warm.

Chocolate Bread

From Club Med
Posted by Shirley Evans

Makes 4 loaves (20 servings)

4-1/3 c. flour         

1 tsp. yeast                 

1 tsp. sugar            

2 tsp. salt               

2-1/2 c. water                 

2-1/3 c. chocolate chips (milk or white)

Mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt together with an electric mixer. Add water and mix on medium speed for 12 minutes. Add chocolate chips and mix another two to three minutes.

Take dough out of bowl and knead lightly into a ball. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put a small dish of water in the oven to create steam.

Cut dough into four portions and knead into French bread shapes.

Bake on baking pan lined with parchment paper approximately 20 minutes or until nicely brown.

To make Joe-safe, use vegan chocolate chips.

Light Crisp Waffles

From Shirley Evans

3/4 c. AP flour                        

1/4 c. cornstarch                                

1/2 tsp. salt           

1/2 tsp. baking powder        

1/4 tsp. soda                         

3/4 c. buttermilk        

1/4 c. milk                               

3 Tbs. vegetable oil          

4 eggs

1 Tbs. sugar                             

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Heat the oven to 200 degrees and heat the waffle iron. Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Measure the buttermilk, milk, and vegetable oil in a Pyrex measuring cup; mix in the egg yolk and set aside.

In another bowl, beat the egg white almost to soft peaks. Sprinkle in the sugar and continue to beat until the peaks are firm and glossy. Beat in the vanilla.

Pour the buttermilk mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until just mixed. Drop the whipped egg white onto the batter in dollops and fold in with a spatula until just incorporated.

Pour the batter onto the hot waffle iron and cook until the waffle is crisp and nutty brown. Set the waffle directly on the oven rack to keep it warm and crisp. Repeat with the remaining batter, holding the waffles in the oven (don’t stack them). When all the waffles are cooked, serve immediately.

English Breakfast Scones

From Dana Schrader

Makes 16

2-3/4 c. flour                           

1-1/2 Tbs. baking powder

6 Tbs. sugar                             

1/2 c. chilled unsalted butter, diced

1 tsp. salt                                 

1 c. cold whipping cream or half and half

2 eggs                                        

coarse sugar for tops

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Using pastry cutter, cut butter into flour mixture until like coarse meal.

Whisk cream and eggs together in a small bowl. Pour over crumb mixture and stir just until combined.

Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface. Form into 2 circles 1 inch thick. Cut into triangles. Transfer to baking sheet. Brush tops with cream. Sprinkle coarse sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees until light brown for 12-18 minutes depending on size.

Perfect Raisin Drop Cookies

From Arlene Evans

2 c. raisins             

1 c. water                 

1 tsp. soda              

1 c. butter

2 c. sugar               

3 eggs                       

1 tsp. vanilla          

4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. salt            

1 tsp. cinnamon                 

1/4 tsp. nutmeg     

1 tsp. baking powder

1 c. chopped walnuts

Boil raisins and water briskly for 5 minutes. Cool and stir in baking soda.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and cream together.

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg together and add to butter mixture.

Stir in raisins and water. Add chopped walnuts. Drop by spoon and bake in 375 degree oven.

To make Joe-safe, use dairy-free butter instead of regular butter.