CANDY TRIFLES
2 pkgs. (6 oz each) semisweet chocolate, butterscotch or caramel pieces
1 cup Spanish peanuts 1 to 2 cups chow mein noodles In top of double boiler over hot water, melt chocoate pieces. Stir in nuts and noodles uuntil well coated. Drop mixture by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Chill until firm. Makes about 3 dozen Candy Trifles. QUICK COOK NOTE: When I'm in a hurry I melt my chococlate, butterscotch or caramel pieces in the microwave for 1-2 minutes max. just until softened. Then I remove bowl from microwave and add remaining ingredients.
Wife #1 uses a Dacor 30" electric convection oven. This oven will bake 6 16X24 flat cookie sheets at a time. That is 12 doz or 144 cookies. At this time she only has two hands and two arms so she only does 3 sheets or 6 doz at a time in rotation. She mixes on Friday and bakes on Sat and Sun when electric is cheaper. We bought her a 550 watt Kitchen Aid mixer that hase metal gears and sound like a rock crusher! I can't say if the oven is faster but it bakes every cookie fairly even. She beleives that if a recipe calls for 350 degrees to lower it to 325 and add a little time. That was true on her coventional oven also. She uses the best vanilla you can buy.We are going to start using Penzys next year.
Cinnamon Candied Almonds
1 1/2 cups whole almonds (shelled, of course)
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 scant tablespoon margarine
1 scant tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, lightly grease another baking sheet. In a pan over the stove on medium heat, combine all the other ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Clip a candy thermometer to pan and cook without stirring until the thermometer registers 240 degrees.
Remove from heat, add the almonds and stir until almonds are well coated and mixture starts to harden and get stiff--a good 1-2 minutes. Use a fork and spread nuts over greased baking sheet in a single layer. Let cool down and finish breaking apart any clumps of almonds. Can store in airtight container at room temp. up to 2 weeks.
Candy Cane Chocolate
1/3 cup semi-sweet morsels
1 pound white chocolate
3/4 Cup finely chopped candy canes (about 6 large canes)
Line jelly roll pan with foil. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler or in microwave (30 second bursts on high until white chocolate is melted and smooth). Stir crushed canes into white chocolate and spread onto foil. Melt morsels the same way and drizzle over pan. Cool one half hour in the fridge or 2-3 hours at room temperature. When firm, break into bite sized portions. VERY Yummy!
ENGLISH TOFFEE SQUARES
2 cups chopped walnuts
1 cup (two sticks) butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups sifted flour
1 pkg. (6 oz.) chocolate chips
finely ground nuts for topping.
Use large mixmaster bowl.
Cream butter, brown sugar. Add egg yolk, vanilla and salt.
Add flour till well blended. Add walnuts and mix in.
Pat into 15x10x1 teflon baking sheet.
Bake at 300 degrees for 12 minutes. As with all cookies, take a peek to avoid over-browning.
Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top. Let sit for a few minutes till chocolate is melty. Quickly spread chocolate all over baked dough with a butter knife.
Immediately sprinkle ground nuts over chocolate while it is still soft.
Let partially cool. Cut into squares or oblongs and remove to cookie racks to cool completely.
I line cookie tins with foil on the bottoms to store the squares.
These are soooo good with a cold glass of milk!
Easy to make, too.
Bon Apetit!
Leni
Cream butter, add sugars and eggs
Sift flour, baking powder and salt together, add to mixture
Combine milk and vanilla, add to mixture
Add oatmeal (one cup at a time)
Finally, add chocolate bits
Drop from teaspoon on ungreased cookie sheet
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes
Let cool before removing from cookie sheet
Preheat oven to 375-400
In a small bowl:
4 cups of flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
In a large bowl:
1/2 cup of wine ****
3/4 cup vegtable oil
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon anise seed
2 egg yolks----save the whites!!
Beat the wet ingredients on medium until well blended. Add the dry ingredients. Dough WILL be a little sticky.
Get 2 coffee saucers. Put sugar on one, the lightly beaten (til frothy) egg whites on the other.
Flour your hands. Take some dough and roll into a log shape. Twist into a circle, pinch the ends together. Dip into egg white, then sugar.
Bake for a bout 15 minutes. Pull one out, if not done, put back in for 2-5 minutes. ****About the wine. Traditionally, you want to use HOMEMADE red wine. Since Papa Mancicni died, we have tried everything. Store bought red turns the cookies green or purple, white isn't a heavy enough flavor. We have settled on rose, but it is up to you.
WARNING!!!! These cookies burn VERY easily, so you need to watch the temp and time like a hawk. NO FREEPING!!!! Use parchment paper on the sheets to keep them from burning.
Now, forgive me on the aprrox time and temp. Nana never wrote down anything. If you asked her for an exact amount, she'd look at you like you were nuts.
Am I too late?
MOTHER’S PFFEFFERNUSSE
½ c.butter (or half margarine and lard)
2 eggs
2 c. honey
1 c. sugar
7 c. flour
1 T. cardamon or anise seed
½ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. white pepper
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
Blend shortening, well beaten eggs, honey and sugar together. Add anise seed. Sift together the dry ingredients and slowly work into first mixture until thoroughly blended. You’ll have to use hands at the end. Cover and allow to stand in cool place overnight or until ready to use. Roll pieces of dough with just enough flour to keep from sticking into ropes ½ inch 1 inch in diameter. Then cut into pieces about ½ inch long. Press flat and top with ½ pieces of blanched almond, pressed down.
Bake in 350 degree oven until lightly browned. Maple syrup or molasses may be substituted for honey.
Get your honey from a local producer or try Manuka honey from New Zealand and let me know how it turns out.