SOFT SUGAR COOKIES
From Billie Reid
4 cups unsifted flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. soda
1 cup lard
2 1/2
cups sugar
2 eggs, unbeaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 t. vanilla
sugar for sprinkling
Sift together flour, salt and soda.
With pastry blender, cut in lard until mixture resembles corn meal. Be careful to keep the mixture cold.
Mix in the sugar. Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and mix quickly.
Knead slightly to blend this soft dough.
Roll medium thick, cut into large cookies and sprinkle with sugar.
Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake in a hot oven of 450 F. for about 12 minutes.
Cool cookies. Store in tightly covered container.
ALMOND CRESCENTS
From Billie Reid (Mrs. Howells, McKees Rocks, PA)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
2 t. water
1 t. vanilla
1 t. almond extract
1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Cream butter to soften; add shortening and sugar.
Mix in water and flavors, then add flour and nuts.
Mix well. Chill.
Form in a long roll, cut in short lengths. Bend ends to form crescents.
Tip: I find by taking small amounts of the chilled dough and rolling it, it works better. Roll like a pencil back and forth under your hand.
Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 15 minutes at 325. Cool.
Note: They don't look baked at the end of 15 minutes but they are.
BROWNIES
From Billie Reid (Better Homes, Gardens)
2/3 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
4 well-beaten eggs
4 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1 cup nuts, broken
2 t. vanilla extract
Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and beat well.
Add chocolate and blend thoroughly.
Add sifted ingredients and beat until smooth.
Stir in nut meats and vanilla extract.
Pour into waxed paper-lined 8" square pan.
Bake at 350 about 30-35 minutes. Watch - and when they pull away from the sides, they're done. Check doneness with toothpick.
Cut in bars.
Makes about 1 and 1/2 dozen brownies.
See below for half recipe.
Brownie ingredients for making a half recipe:
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 well-beaten eggs
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup cake flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 cup nut meats, broken
1 t. vanilla extract
GLAZED DOUGHNUTS
From Billie Reid (Ruth Bobbitt, Xenia, Ohio)
2 cups milk
2 cakes yeast
2 t. salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
about 5 cups flour
nutmeg and cinnamon, if desired
Tip: Yeast doughnuts that have a small amount of baking powder are much lighter and nicer shaped than without.
Mix above ingredients and add flour to good dough consistency (about 5 cups).
Let rise overnight.
Work dough again and cut out doughnuts. Let stand for about 2 hours.
Fry in deep fat.
Glaze doughnuts while they are warm. Makes 60 doughnuts.
Glaze Recipe
1 box powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon
coffee (1/4 to 1/2 cup)
To cut the recipe for doughnuts in one-half:
1 cup milk
1 pkg. yeast
1 t. salt
1 egg
3/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups flour
nutmeg, cinnamon
Mom's tip: yeast doughnuts that have a small amount of baking powder are much lighter and nicer shaped than without.
PIMENTO CHEESE SPREAD
From Billie Reid (Grandma Swearingen, Xenia, Ohio)
4 hard-boiled eggs
sweet and dill pickles, mixed
1 large can pimentos
1/2 lb. cheese (colby or longhorn, etc.)
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar
Put eggs and cheese through food chopper. Mix with Miracle Whip Salad Dressing.
CARROT CAKE
From Judi Troyer (Linda Nolte)
Mix: 1 1/4 cup oil with 2 cups sugar
Add: 4 eggs
Add the following dry ingredients to above:
2 cups flour
1 t. salt
2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
Next: add 3 cups grated carrots (food processor or grated by hand)
1 cup nuts
1 cup raisins
Grease jelly roll pan or mini baking pans.
Pour mix in pans and bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
BUTTERMILK ROLLS
From Billie Reid
2 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
2 t. salt
1/4 cup melted shortening
1/2 t. soda
1 cake yeast
about 4 1/2 cups sifted flour
Scald buttermilk. Add sugar, salt, shortening and soda.
Cool to lukewarm, crumble in yeast, stir well.
Add flour.
Knead until smooth.
Shape into rolls.
Place in greased pan. Brush tops with melted fat.
Cover; let rise.
Bake in hot oven 15-20 minutes.
