Cream Cheese Cookies

Cream Cheese Cookies


Preheat oven to 350*

Cream together:
1/2 C butter, softened to room temperature
8oz cream cheese, softened

Add:
1/2 C granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg yolk
1/4 tsp salt
1 C flour

Mix well, drop small teaspoons of dough on cookies sheets (cookies do not spread much at all).
Bake 10-12 minutes.

Sweet Potato Pie

Step 1 - Mix 4oz softened butter, 2 cups cooked/mashed sweet potatoes and 2 cups granulated sugar together.

Step 2 - Add 5oz of evaporated milk, 1 tsp vanilla, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 3 beaten eggs to the mixture.

Step 3 - Pour mixture evenly into two pie crusts (I use graham cracker crusts but use what you like)

Step 5 - Cook in preheated 350* oven for 1 hour (rotate 1/2 way through to ensure even baking)

Let cool.

And enjoy!

Frosted Date Creams

Frosted Date Creams

Heat oven to 375*

Sift together:
2 1/4 C Flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt

Cream together:
1/2 C butter, softened to room temp
1 1/4 C packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1 t vanilla

Blend in the dry mix.

Stir in 1 C chopped dates and 1 C chopped nuts (pecans and/or walnuts).
Drop teaspoons onto cookie sheet and bake 10-14 minutes.
Frost warm (Brown Butter Frosting below)

Makes 4 dozen

Brown Butter Frosting:


Brown 1/2 C butter, remove from heat.
Add 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
Add 3 to 4 Tablespoons hot water.
Mix (reheat if needed) until smooth

Apple Lattice Pie

This was the third pie I made for my family Thanksgiving.

It's an Apple, Raisin and Nut pie inside a latticed crust.

The family just went crazy about it.

APPLE LATTICE PIE:

Pie Dough:
2 C all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
pinch of salt
1/4 C superfine sugar
9oz butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 T water

Directions:

• To make pie dough, sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add the superfine sugar, butter, egg, egg yolk and water. Mix together to form a smooth dough, adding more water if necessary. Wrap the dough and let chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. 
• Preheat oven to 400*. Shape about three-quarters of the dough into a ball and roll out on a lightly floured counter into a circle large enough to line a shallow 10-inch pie pan. Fit it into the pan and trim the edge. Roll out the remaining pie dough and cut into long strips about 1/2 inch wide. 

Filling:

3 T black currant or plum preserves
1 C chopped toasted nuts (mixed, pecans and/or walnuts)
2 lb cooking apples (I used Granny Smiths)
1 T lemon juice
1 t apple pie spice
1/2 C golden raisins
1/2 C regular raisins
1/3 C packed brown sugar
Granulated sugar for dusting

Directions:

• Spread the preserves evenly over the base of the pastry shell. 
• Peel and core apples, cut into thin slices (add to iced water to keep from turning brown)
• Place them in a bowl with lemon juice, apple pie spice, both types of raisins and brown sugar. Mix together gently. Spread the mixture into the pastry shell, spreading it out evenly. 
• Arrange the pie dough strips in a lattice over the top of the pie. Moisten with a little water, seal and trim the edges. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar to add shine. 
• Bake 50 minutes until golden. Serve immediately or at room temperature. 

Fyne Cakes

"Fyne Cakes" is what my family's recipe for "Shortbread" is called.

F-Y-N-E just being the old English spelling of "Fine"... actually when trying to find a little history on why this was called "fyne cake" instead of just "shortbread" - I came across an little Scottish bakery called Fyne Cakes. They make and ship all types of Christmas puddings and cakes. Yum Yum.

I also found (almost) the exact recipe my family uses on a website dedicated to Elizabethan recipes and food. Better believe I'm keeping that website handy.

Anyway back to the recipe I was going to share with all of you.

I remember having this ever since I was a little girl. My favorite part was always the way the top layer is golden and crispy and comes off in a thin wafer-like layer. It's a traditional must-bake recipe in my house during the holidays.

And I can't wait to make it again this year 

Fyne Cakes:

1 1/2 sticks butter
1/2 C sugar
1 egg yolk (save the white)
1 3/4 C sifted flour
1/2 t. clove
1/8 t. mace
pinch ground saffron (if you don't have don't worry)

Heat oven to 400*

1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
2. Add yolk and beat until well combined.
3. Mix all the dry ingredients together in another bowl or measuring cup
4. Add to wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Put mixture into greased 9in pan.
6. Brush top with egg white (this is what gives it that wafer top)

Bake 1 hour and cut hot but then let cool completely.