The Lady and Sons (21 page)
Authors: Paula Deen
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks. Sift flour and salt; blend into butter mixture. Add vanilla. Chill dough thoroughly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on an ungreased
cookie sheet. Make indentation in center of each with thumb; fill with preserves (jelly or pecan halves will also work). Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly; remove to rack to finish cooling. These keep well in a tightly closed container.
YIELDS 6 TO 7 DOZEN
| 3 cups sugar ¾pound (3 sticks) butter 2 egg yolks | 1 tablespoon vanilla 3 cups bread flour |
Gradually cream 1 cup sugar into butter. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Mix well. Add flour, gradually. Decide whether you want to use the dough in a cookie press, roll it out and use cookie cutters, or slice cookies. Shape the dough accordingly. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until ready to bake. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Form dough into cookies, using whatever method you chose, and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not let them get brown. Use spatula to remove and place on rack to cool. When cool, dip in remaining sugar.
YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 20
| ¼cup sugar 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 1 egg 1 cup all-purpose flour | ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cream of tartar Pinch of salt |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together sugar, butter, and egg. Sift dry ingredients together; add to egg mixture. Pour into greased 13
×
9
×
2-inch baking pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool. Prepare icing.
ICING
| 1 cup powdered sugar 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter | ½ teaspoon vanilla Small amount of milk |
Combine sugar and butter; add vanilla. Add just enough milk for desired consistency. Pour onto cooled baked batter. Cut into squares.
YIELDS 36 SLICES
| One 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips One 6-ounce package butterscotch morsels One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk | 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, plus 1 cup walnut halves ½ teaspoon vanilla |
In top of double boiler, melt chocolate and butterscotch together with milk. Stir occasionally until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat; add chopped walnuts and vanilla. Blend well. Chill for 1 hour until mixture thickens. Line bottom of a 9-inch pan with a 12-inch square of foil. Place ¾ cup walnut halves in bottom of pan, forming a 2-inch-wide flat ring. Spoon chocolate mixture in small mounds on top of walnuts to form a ring. Garnish with remaining walnut halves. Chill until firm enough to slice.
YIELDS 15 TO 20
| 2 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 4 eggs 6 tablespoons cocoa | 1 teaspoon vanilla 1½ cups self-rising flour 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans |
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Blend together sugar, oil, eggs, cocoa, and vanilla. Add flour; mix. Add nuts; spread into greased 13
×
9-inch baking dish. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
The Lady & Sons
YIELDS 15 TO 20
Use Lady Brownies recipe above. Pour half the batter into a greased pan. Layer with this cream cheese mixture, then top with remaining batter, swirling it with a knife.
| 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened | ½ cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans |
Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add remaining ingredients; blend well. Swirl into brownie batter with knife edge.
The Lady & Sons
YIELDS 15 TO 20
| 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter ½ cup peanut butter 1½ cups sugar | 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup self-rising flour |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13
×
9
×
2-inch pan. Melt butter and peanut butter in bowl over hot water. Add remaining ingredients. Stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.
YIELDS 15 TO 20
| 3 eggs 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter One 16-ounce box brown sugar 2 cups self-rising flour 1 tablespoon vanilla | 2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans 1 cup or 3½-ounce can shredded coconut (optional) One 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips |
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat eggs and butter together; add sugar. Gradually add flour; mix well. Stir in vanilla. Fold in nuts, coconut, and chocolate chips. Bake in greased and floured 13
×
9-inch sheet pan for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool and cut into squares.
The Lady & Sons
YIELDS 6 TO 7 DOZEN
| One 12-ounce jar crunchy peanut butter (1½ cups) One 16-ounce box powdered sugar ½ pound (2 sticks) butter | One 12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips 1 bar paraffin |
Mix together peanut butter, sugar, and butter and form into small balls; chill. Over medium heat in the top of a double boiler, melt together the chocolate and paraffin. Using a toothpick, dip each ball into chocolate and cover about three-quarters of the ball, leaving a brown round eye. Place on wax paper to cool.
YIELDS 12 DOZEN
| One 7-ounce jar marshmallow fluff 1½ pounds chocolate kisses 5 cups sugar | One 12-ounce can evaporated milk 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 6 cups pecan halves |
Place marshmallow fluff and kisses into a large bowl. Set aside. Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 8 minutes. Pour over marshmallow and chocolate, stirring until well blended. Stir in pecans. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto wax paper.
YIELDS 18 TO 24
| 1 cup peanut butter cup honey cups powdered milk | 1½ cups crushed cornflakes, 1½ cups finely chopped walnuts or pecans, or 1 cup powdered sugar |
Mix peanut butter, honey, and milk together to form very thick mixture. Roll out in small balls about the size of a walnut. Then roll in crushed cornflakes, finely chopped nuts, or powdered sugar. Place on wax paper and refrigerate.
YIELDS 36 PIECES
| cups sugar heaping tablespoons cocoa 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 1 cup evaporated milk | 6 tablespoons butter 1 cup chopped pecans 1½ teaspoons vanilla |
Mix sugar and cocoa; add syrup and milk. Cook in saucepan over medium heat until a small drop forms a soft ball in cold water (234 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat. Add butter, pecans, and vanilla. Beat with mixer or by hand. Pour into a slightly buttered oblong glass dish and cut into squares. Work fast, as mixture thickens quickly.
YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 16 TO 24 PIECES, OR ABOUT 2½ POUNDS OF CANDY
| 1⅔ cups sugar ⅔ cup evaporated milk 1 tablespoon butter ½ teaspoon salt One 6-ounce bag semisweet chocolate chips | 16 large marshmallows 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup chopped pecans |
Combine sugar, milk, butter, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add chocolate chips and continue to heat until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows, vanilla, and nuts; mix well. Pour into shallow 8-inch square pan to cool; cut into squares.
YIELDS 6 APPLES
Baked apples are so very good and can be served along with baked ham or roasted turkey as part of the meal. They may also be served as a dessert with caramel sauce.
| 6 same-size Granny Smith apples 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup sugar | 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup apple juice 6 sprigs fresh mint |
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Core apples, being sure not to puncture bottom of apples, so the juices will remain. Skin ½ inch around top of apples at the opening. Fill each cavity with a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar. Top each apple with a teaspoon of butter. Place apples in casserole dish and pour apple juice around them. Bake for approximately 1½ hours.
CARAMEL SAUCE
| 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 1 cup light brown sugar | ¼ cup evaporated milk ½ teaspoon vanilla |
Melt butter; add brown sugar and evaporated milk in saucepan over medium heat. Cook until bubbly, stirring constantly. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Place apples in individual compote dishes and top each with an ample amount of caramel sauce and a sprig of mint. Serve immediately.
The Lady & Sons