Category Archives: Recipes

Walk Me To School Cookies

IMG_0286These are cookies my Mom used to make for me when I was a little girl. I don’t know why they’re called “Walk Me To School” cookies.

1 1/2 lbs. of butter
1 1/2 cu. sugar
6 3/4 cu. flour
1 cu. grapenuts
1 T. vanillia
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add remaining ingredients. Form into small balls (about a tablespoon). Place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Lemon Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake

1620924_10153839588595088_2096134905_nYield: 13 x 9 cake

For the filling:

  • Two 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened (light or regular)   I used regular
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 tsp lemon extract  optional

For the cake:

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup sour cream (light or regular)

For the streusel topping:

  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cubed

For the glaze:

  • ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/2 to 1 T lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease/flour or spray a 9 x 13 cake pan. Set aside.

Make the filling:  In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla and lemon extract (if using) on medium-low speed until creamy.  Set aside for the filling.  (If you have 1 bowl and paddle, you will need to put this mixture in a separate bowl, and wash them to use to make the cake batter)

Make the cake batter:  In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well combined. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-low speed.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest.  Slowly pour in the flour mixture alternating with the sour cream until it is all combined.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared cake pan with a spatula.  Spread the cream cheese filling evenly on top. Arrange as many blueberries as you like, I did about 1/2 pint, on top of the filling. Top with remaining cake batter and smooth with a spatula.  Using a butter knife, gently swirl in the batter.

Make the topping:  Add the sugar, flour and chilled butter in a small bowl.  Stir using a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly.  Sprinkle the streusel on top of cake batter.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a rack.

To make the glaze:  In a small bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice until it is the right consistency for drizzling.  Drizzle over cake.

 

Apple Coffee Cake

photoThis recipe comes from Marilyn Browne at University Baptist Church in Clear Lake, Texas from the From Our House to Yours  cookbook, compiled by: University Baptist Church.

  • 1/2 c. butter, softened
  • 2 c. sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 5 c. peeled and chopped apple (about 4 large apples)
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 T. sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Beat butter; add 2 cups sugar. Beat well. Add eggs, one at a time; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in apple and vanilla. Spoon batter into 13x9x2 inch pan. Sprinkle sugar over batter. Bake at 3500 for 45 minutes.

Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cups (3 3/4 ounces) old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) dried tart cherries
  • 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or 4 oz. of chopped bittersweet chocolate chunks
  • 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), slightly softened
  • 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) packed brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  1. Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another medium bowl, mix together dried cherries, toasted pecans, oats, and chocolate chips.
  3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix together butter and sugar until no lumps remain, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula if necessary and mix for about 30 seconds. On low-speed, slowly add the flour mixture until just combined. Then turn off the mixer and fold in the oats and cherry mixture with a rubber spatula.
  4. Roll dough into 1/4-inch balls and place on the baking sheet, lightly flattening each ball to 1-inch thickness. Place the balls 2 1/2 inches apart on the cookies sheets.
  5. Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 20-22 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through, until cookies are medium brown and the edges are set. Don’t worry, the cookies will appear a little underbaked in the middle.
  6. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

 

Chocolate Butterscotch Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

 

  • 1 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter
  • 6 cups rice krispies cereal
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
  • 1 cup butterscotch chips
  1. Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add rice krispies cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
  2. Melt chocolate for 1 minute in the microwave, then dollop the melted chocolate on the treats.
  3. Repeat with the butterscotch chips. Then swirl the chocolate and butterscotch together on top of the treats.
  4. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.

Snickerdoodles

This is an easy one to make on short notice, because you almost always have these ingredients on hand. They’re really good with a cup of coffee.
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose or unbleached flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  1. Heat oven to 400ºF.
  2. Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
  3. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
  4. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.
Makes 4 dozen cookies

Hershey Bar Pound Cake

When my son was is second grade one of their writing assignments was to write a recipe. The teacher compiled the recipes into a packet and distributed them to the parents. Some of them were pretty funny. It let you know that many of the kids had no idea what was happening in the kitchen. My son wanted to write the recipe for his fav, Hershey Bar Pound Cake. His account went like this: “First, you put all but one Hershey bar in the bowl…” I wonder what happened to that reserved Hershey bar!

Here’s the real recipe:

Hershey Bar Pound Cake

8 1 ounce Hershey bars (or 1 large bar)
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
2 sticks butter
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. soda
1 cup pecans (optional, I usually don’t add pecans)

Grease and flour bundt or tube cake pan
Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs one at a time
Sift dry ingredients
Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk to creamed mixture
Add Hershey bars (which have been melted in the microwave 1 minute)
Bake in a tube pan or bundt pan at 300 for 70 minutes
I usually ice with chocolate fudge icing, but a chocolate glaze or no icing would be fine.

Fast Fudge Frosting

1 lb. package powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
¼ tsp. salt
1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Combine sugar, cocoa, and salt.  Add water and butter; blend.  Add vanilla.

Cow Chip Cookies

I got this recipe from Maxine Yates at Hibbard Memorial Baptist Church in Houston, Texas in 1974.  She used to make goodies for the kids in the youth group. She was a great cook. Thank you Mrs. Yates!

They are called Cow Chip Cookies because they are huge and vaguely resemble cow patties, except they taste a lot better. I usually make them half-size. So this recipe makes 80 cookies.

  • 1 cu. shortening
  • 1 cu. butter
  • 2 cu. brown sugar
  • 2 cu. white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 4 cu. flour
  • 1 cu. coconut
  • 2 cu. oatmeal
  • 2 cu. corn flakes
  • 1 cu. pecans
  • 2 tsp. soda
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 6 oz. chocolate chips

Soften butter and shortening.

Cream shortening/butter with sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Sift together flour, soda, baking powder.

Add to creamed mixture.

Add remaining ingredients.

Drop onto cookie sheet with ice cream scoop.

Bake at 350o 10-15 minutes.

Makes about 40 large cookies.

Perfect Oatmeal

I never liked oatmeal as a kid. It was the texture I think. Cooked in water it became kind of slimy. Adding milk to cooked oatmeal made it too watery and slimy.

Then one day I read a column by Houston newspaper writer Leon Hale explaining how his breakfast year was divided into two seasons: cold cereal and hot cereal. He had some arbitrary low temperature that marked the move from hot to cold. He offered his recipe for oatmeal. For some reason I gave it a try and it has become one of my favorite things, even in the summer.

Use Old Fashioned Oats, not Quick Oats, One-Minute Oats, or Instant Oats. These have texture. They are not all chopped up. (Steel cut or Irish oats are even more coarse, but require a lot of cooking.)

Mix one part oats (1/3 cup or 1/2 cup per serving), one part milk, and one part water in a large microwave safe bowl. Cooking the oats in the milk rather than in water alone makes them creamy, not slimy.

Add a capful of vanilla. This is the secret ingredient.

Cook on half power for five minutes. If the bowl is not large enough it will boil over. For larger quantities you can cook the same mixture over low heat uncovered on the stove top until they are the right consistency. It still takes only about five minutes.

Add whatever toppings you like — fresh fruit, dried fruit, cinnamon, brown sugar, honey.

R. Robert Creech

Sopapilla Cheesecake

Ingredients
2 8 oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 8 oz cans refrigerated crescent rolls
½ c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ c. butter, melted
Honey to drizzle over the top

Directions
1.      1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2.      2. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and shape each piece into 9×13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish.
3.      3.  Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough.
4.     4.   Mix together 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon.  Pour melted butter over the top of the crescent dough and sprinkle on cinnamon sugar mixture.
5.      5.  Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey.

submitted by Joanna Tenta