I stumbled upon this recipe in the local newspaper over ten years ago. We sometimes refer to it as a cardiologist’s nightmare.

Pecan Pound Cake

2 cups shortening
¼ cup evaporated milk
3 cups sugar
10 eggs
3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla butternut flavoring
2 cups chopped pecans
1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Mix shortening and sugar – let stand overnight. Cream mixture and add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Reserve ¼ cup of flour to dredge pecans. Then add flour, flavorings and milk to other mixing blend. Add pecans last. Pour into a large greased tube pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until done at 325º.

Notes: I use Baker’s Joy to “grease” the tube pan. It will take something longer than a toothpick to test the cake’s doneness.

I found this recipe in a magazine years ago. I think the may have been called Chocolate Bon Bons but I’ve always called them Kiss Cookies because of the Hershey’s Kiss in the middle of them.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 Cup Crisco
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar (firmly packed)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Tsp Almond Extract
• 1 3/4 Cup Flour (plain)
• 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 1/2 Cup finely chopped Pecans
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3-4 dozen Hershey’s Kisses

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using electric mixer, cream Crisco and sugars until fluffy. Add egg, extracts; beat well. Add flour, baking powder, salt and nuts. Mix until blended. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Press each ball around a kiss so the kiss is completely enclosed like a chocolate covered cherry. Bake 10-12 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. (Do not overbake). Cool on wire racks. Frost/decorate as desired.

For the decorating, I’ve used tubes of green and red frosting. Then dip the frosted cookie into little bowl with Nonpareils.

Seems I have an older version of the Quaker Oat’s Oatmeal Cookie recipe. This one has a “bit” more margarine.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups margarine
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 3 cups Quaker Oats

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Beat together margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to margarine mixture, mixing well. Stir in oats. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet (I like to use parchment paper). Bake 8 to 9 minutes for chewy cookies, 10 to 11 minutes for a crisp cookie. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove and enjoy.

I tend to make my cookies a little larger, my batch turns out about 2 dozen cookies. It also means I have to increase my baking time a touch. I’m going to test a batch that uses a newer recipe that uses less margarine, but one additional egg.

This is a very unique recipe given to me by my mother. I started baking these while in high school. Then I didn’t appreciate the need to cream the sugar and shortening together. I actually melted the shortening into the hot coffee! For years I also used instant coffee because I wasn’t a coffee drinker. Now through the magic of a Keurig coffee brewer, I can make just the right amount needed for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup molasses
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsps baking soda mixed in 1 cup (8 ounces) hot coffee
• 5 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Add molasses, mix until smooth. Add spices, mix until smooth. Beat in eggs. Add coffee/baking soda mix until smooth. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Drop about  tablespoon size of dough onto cookie sheets. Makes about 4-5 dozen. Bake at 350 degree F for 10-12 minutes.

TIP: Use parchment paper. It makes clean up soooo much easier.

I tend to undercook these ever so slightly, makes them very yummy.

Good cinnamon rolls have 3 key components; the dough, the filling and the frosting. Two of these can be fiddle with just a bit for your own personal taste, but the dough needs to be made as outlined.

The Dough

• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, divided

Scald milk; stir in sugar, salt, and margarine; cool to lukewarm. Put warm water in large warm bowl, sprinkle in yeast, stirring until dissolved. Stir in lukewarm milk mixture, egg, and half the flour; beat until smooth. Stir in remaining flour to make a stiff batter.
Cover tightly with waxed paper or aluminum foil. Refrigerate dough at least 2 hours. Dough may be kept in refrigerator up to 3 days.

The Filling

The filling is nothing more than a combination of brown sugar, cinnamon and the “right” amount of butter. I prefer softened butter instead of melted butter because you end up using a bit more. I use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar. These measurements are approximate – feel free to improvise here, include raisins if you are so inclined.

• 1/2 cup softened margarine or butter (I like unsalted butter)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons of cinnamon

Roll dough into an 18 x 12 inch rectangle and spread the softened butter. Cover butter with the filling mixture. Roll up, seal the ends up, cut into 12 slices. Place in a buttered 9 x 13 rectangular pan. Cover and let rise until doubled. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Baking time is about 25-30 minutes but can vary.

The Frosting

You can leave these naked, or drizzle with a simple powdered sugar and milk mixture. I like a Cream Cheese frosting.

• 8 ounces of cream cheese
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 3 cups confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Combine all ingredients, mixing until smooth. Frost rolls while still warm.