"Jessie's" Malted Milk Cookies

I came home from college one time and hung out with my little sister and her friend Jessie. We had such a blast making these cookies (and shopping for the ingredients, I believe) that we named them after Jessie! They are an adaptation of Mrs. Field's cookies of a similar name.

Mix together in a bowl and set aside:

            2 1/2 c. flour

            3/4 c. malted milk powder

            1/2 t. baking soda

            1/4 t. salt

Beat together in a mixer or with hand mixer until light and fluffy:

            1 c. sugar

            1/2 c. brown sugar

            1 c. softened butter

Add to sugar mixture and combine :

            2 large eggs

            2 t. vanilla

            2 T. sweetened condensed milk

Add flour mixture gradually to sugar mixture and combine.  Add white vanilla/white chips or chocolate chips--we added the vanilla chips.  Bake at 300* for 24-25 minutes.

Vanilla Malt Cookies

These cookies are simply delightful! They end up resembling lady fingers somewhat and are perfect for dunking or for a special occasion.

2 3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup plain malted milk powder
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup butter (softened)
3 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped and reserved
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350*. Whisk together flour, malted milk powder, baking powder and salt. In a mixer or with a hand mixer, beat butter and cream cheese until creamy. Mix in sugar and vanilla seeds. Add egg and vanilla extract; combine. On low speed, add flour mixture and mix. Place dough in a pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe 2 1/2 strips onto cookie sheets, spacing about an inch apart. Bake until bottom edges are golden brown, 11-15 minutes, rotating sheets half way through. Transfer to wire racks to cool. Can be stored in airtight container up to a week.



Adapted from "Martha Stewart's Cookies"

Snickerdoodles

Although I am very opposed to using shortening in anything I make, the only recipe that had the right texture for snickerdoodles was one containing shortening! So here it is!

2 ½ cups flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup butter, softened

½ cup shortening

1 ½ cups sugar, plus ½ cup for rolling

2 large eggs

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

Whisk flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a stand mixer, mix butter, shortening and 1 ½ cups sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. While mixer is on low, beat in flour mixture until combined. Combine ½ cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Make balls of dough using about 2 tablespoons and roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture. Place two inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375* until edges are just beginning to brown but centers are still soft, puffy and cracked, about 10-12 minutes. Let cookies cool on sheets for 10 minutes and remove to cooling rack.

Dough balls can be frozen up to a month in the freezer. Bake the frozen dough balls in 300 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.

Molasses Spice-Lemon Cookies

 I got this recipe from the book "The Perfect Cookie." People at work loved them!

Whisk together in a bowl:
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

In another bowl whisk together until combined:
12 Tbsp. melted butter (a cube and a half)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 large egg

Stir flour mixture into molasses mixture until incorporated. Cover bowl lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. Roll dough into 3/4 inch balls and roll in a small bowl containing 1/2 cup sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until tops are just beginning to crack. Cool on pans for 5 minutes.

For filling, mix together:
3 Tbsp. softened butter
2 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Spread a heaping teaspoon or so in between two cookies. Let filling set about an hour before serving.

Horner Family Chocolate Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from my baby brother's mother-in-law. It has morphed over the years, but it's only gotten better!


Blend together:
2 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs

Add:
1 1/3 cups softened butter
1 1/3 cups shortening
1 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together and add:
7 cups of flour (if 2 cups are oat flour, it's really good!)
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. salt

Stir in:
3-4 cups chocolate chips

Scoop out in 1 1/4 inch balls and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes about six dozen or so.

Spinach Enchiladas

These taste like a cross between stuffed shells and enchiladas. Got the recipe from allrecipes.com.

1 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (10 oz.) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, divided
20 (5 in.) corn tortillas
1 (19 oz.) can enchilada sauce (I used a 14 oz. can of green enchilada sauce for mine.)

Preheat oven to 375*. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook about a minute but before the garlic is browned. Add spinach and cook about 3-5 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat. Stir in ricotta cheese, sour cream and one cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. Warm up the tortillas in a frying pan on med/low heat until malleable. Put about 2-3 tablespoons of mixture in each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the rolled tortillas when completed. Sprinkle the other cup of Monterey Jack cheese on top. Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and turning slightly brown at edges. Makes 10 servings of two enchiladas, or about 6 servings of about three enchiladas. I ate three. :) I also will likely add 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the cheese mixture next time.
 

Southwest Macaroni

Okay, this isn't the best pic...I was so hungry that I was busy eating while the leftovers were cooling on the stove top so I could portion it out for lunches. I looks more aesthetically appealing when it's fresh and hasn't sat for 20 minutes!

3 cups uncooked macaroni shells
1 can chopped green chiles (4 oz.)
1 jar pimientos (2 oz.) They often come in 4 oz. jars so use half if this is the case.
1 cup canned milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I usually use 1 1/2 cups because I love cheese!)
1/2 cup sliced olives (about one small can)
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook macaroni shells in a sauce pan according to package directions and drain. Return pasta to saucepan. Stir in remaining ingredients, cooking on med-low heat until cheese is melted and sauce has thickened and is hot, about 5 minutes. makes about 6 (smallish) servings.