As I was reading Joanne Fluke's books on Hannah Swensen's Mysteries, I came across a whole bunch of delicious recipes that I would like to share with all of you. These first four came from her book called 'Christmas Cake Murder'.
Honey Apple Crisp
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Graham crackers to line the baking pan
8 to 9 cups thinly sliced apples ( I used a combination of Granny Smith and Gala, peeled, cored, and sliced as thin as a quarter.)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 cup honey ( I used orange honey, but clover is also good - spray inside of measuring cup with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray to keep the honey from sticking to the inside of the cup.)
1/2 cup brown sugar ( Pack it down when you measure it.)
1 cup all-purpose flour ( Pack it down when you measure it.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ( 1 stick, 4 ounces, 1/4 pound) salted butter
1. Prepare a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan by spraying the inside with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or buttering it. Line the bottom with graham crackers.
2. Spread the apple slices over the bottom of a baking dish.
3. Sprinkle the apples with the lemon juice.
4. Mix the white sugar with the cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.
5. Drizzle the honey over the top of the apples as evenly as possible.
6. In a separate bowl, mix the brown sugar with the flour and the salt.
7. Melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup for 30 seconds on HIGH. Leave it in the microwave for an additional minute and then check it to see if it's melted. If it's not, heat it on HIGH for increments of 20 seconds, followed by 20-second standing times until it is.
Michelle's Note: You can also melt the butter over LOW heat on the stove top if you prefer, but stir it constantly, and be careful not to brown it.
8. Let the butter cool on a cold burner or a towel on the counter for 5 minutes and then pour it over the brown sugar, flour, and salt mixture in your bowl.
9. Use your impeccably clean hands to mix everything together until the mixture resembles coarse gravel.
10. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of your pan as evenly as possible.
11. Bake your Honey Apple Crisp at 350 degrees F. for 50 minutes, or until the apples are tender. You can test for tenderness by sticking a fork into the center of the baking pan. If you encounter resistance from the apple slices, bake it for another 10 minutes and then test again. When your fork goes all the way to the bottom of the pan and the crust on top is a deep golden brown, your Honey Apple Crisp is done.
12. Honey Apple Crisp is wonderful served either warm or cold. Serve in dessert dishes.
13. If you'd like to dress up your Honey Apple Crisp a bit, top each dessert bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a generous dollop of sweetened whipped cream.
Yield: Serves at least 12 unless everyone at the table wants more.
Cashew Butter Blossom Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
1 cup salted butter (2 sticks) softened
1/2 cup cashew butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 cup (2 Tablespoons) molasses ( I used Grandma's Molasses)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped salted cashews
2 large eggs, beaten ( just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
4 cups all-purpose flour ( Pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
13-ounce bag Hershey's Kisses (or milk chocolate stars)
1. Prepare your cookie sheets by spraying them with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray or lining them with parchment paper.
Hannah's 1st Note: This recipe is easiest to make if you use an electric mixer to prepare this dough.
2. Place the white sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer.
3. Add the softened butter and mix on LOW until it's well blended, then beat on MEDIUM speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
4. Mix in the half-cup of cashew butter and beat on MEDIUM speed until it is well incorporated.
Hannah's 2nd Note: Cashew butter is easier to measure if you spray the inside of the measuring cup with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray and also spray the blade of your rubber spatula. Pack the cashew butter down in the cup and level it off with the prepared spatula. The cooking spray makes it easier to get all the cashew butter out of your measuring cup. You can also use this pre-sprayed cup to measure the molasses.
5. Mix in the vanilla extract and the molasses. Beat until they are well incorporated.
6. With the mixer running on LOW speed, sprinkle in the baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix well.
7. Add the finely chopped cashews to the bowl and mix them in on LOW.
8. Add the beaten eggs and mix those in thoroughly.
9. Mix in the all-purpose flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition.
Hannah's 3rd Note: If you mix in your 4 cups of flour all at once, you may find it spews out of the bowl when you turn on your mixer and you end up with flour all over your kitchen floor!
10. Mix until all your ingredients are thoroughly blended and then shut off your mixer and scrape down the bowl.
11. Take the bowl out of the mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your rubber spatula and give your Cashew Butter Blossom Cookie dough a final stir by hand.
12. Let the dough firm up for a few minutes on your kitchen counter as you sit down and enjoy a couple of the Hershey's Kisses or chocolate stars.
13. Form the dough into walnut-sized balls and arrange them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard-size sheet.
14. Press the Hershey's Kisses or chocolate stars, point up, into the middle of your cookie balls, flat side down. They'll look like flowers or blossoms after they're baked, and that's why they're called Cashew Butter Blossom Cookies.
15. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to turn golden. (Don't worry - the chocolate won't melt in that length of time.)
16. Cool your cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then remove them to wire racks to finish cooling.
Hannah's 4th Note: If you used parchment paper on your cookie sheets, just pull it off the cookie sheet, cookies and all, and onto a wire rack. The cookies can cool right on the paper.
Yield: Makes approximately 8 dozen delicious cookies, depending on the size of the cookie dough You can cut this recipe in half, but if you do, use 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.
Hannah's 5th Note: If you have any chocolate stars or Hershey's Kisses left over, the baker deserves another treat!
Ultimate Butterscotch Bundt Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
4 large eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cold whole milk
8-ounce (by weight) tub of sour cream ( I used Knudsen)
1 box of white cake mix with or without pudding in the mix, the kind that makes a 9-inch by 13-inch cake or a 2-layer cake ( I used Duncan Hines)
5.1-ounce package of instant butterscotch pudding mix ( I used Jell-O, the kind that makes 6 half-cup servings)
12-ounce (by weight) bag of butterscotch chips (11-ounce package will do, too - I used Nestle.)
1. Prepare your cake pan. You'll need a Bundt pan that has been sprayed with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray and then floured. To flour a pan, put some flour in the bottom, hold it over your kitchen wastebasket, and tap the pan to move the flour all over the inside of the pan.
2. Crack the eggs into the bowl of an electric mixer. Mix them up on LOW speed until they are a uniform color.
3. Pour in the half-cup of vegetable oil and mix it in with the eggs on LOW speed.
4. Add the half-cup of whole milk and mix it in on LOW speed.
5. Scoop out the container of sour cream, and add the sour cream to your bowl. Mix that in on LOW speed.
6. When everything is well combined, open the box of dry cake mix and sprinkle it on top of the liquid ingredients in the bowl of the mixer. Mix that in on LOW speed.
7. Add the package of instant butterscotch pudding and mix that in, again, on LOW speed.
8. Finally, chop up the butterscotch chips in a food processor or blender and then sprinkle them into the mixer. Mix in the chips on LOW speed.
9. Shut off your mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give your batter a final stir by hand.
10. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the cake batter to the prepared Bundt pan.
11. Smooth the top of your cake with the rubber spatula and place it in the oven.
12. Bake your Ultimate Butterscotch Bundt Cake at 350 degrees F. for 55 minutes.
13. Before you take your cake out of the oven, test it for doneness by inserting a cake tester, thin wooden skewer, long toothpick midway between the sides of the circular ring. (You can't insert it in the center of the cake because that's where the crater is!)
14. If the tester comes out clean, your cake is done. If there is still unbaked batter clinging to the tester, shut the oven door and bake your cake in 5-minute increments until it tests done.
15. Once your cake is done, take it out of the oven and set it on a cold stove top burner or a wire rack.
16. Let your cake cool for 20 minutes in the pan, but no longer than that.
17. Use your impeccably clean fingers to pull the sides of the cake away from the pan. Don't forget to do the same for the crater in the middle.
18. Tip the Bundt pan upside down on a platter and drop it gently on a towel on the kitchen counter. Do this until the cake falls out of the pan and rests on the platter.
19. Cover your Ultimate Butterscotch Bundt Cake loosely with foil and refrigerate it for at least one hour. Overnight is even better.
20. Frost your cake with Cool Whip Butterscotch Frosting. ( Recipe and instructions follow.)
Yield: At least 10 pieces of decadent butterscotch cake. Serve with tall glasses of ice-cold milk or cups of strong coffee.
Cool Whip Butterscotch Frosting
This recipe is made in the microwave.
6-ounce (by weight) bag of butterscotch chips (or measure one cup of chips, which is roughly half of an 11-ounce by weight bag)
8-ounce (by weight) tub of FROZEN Cool Whip ( Do Not Thaw!)
Hannah's 1st Note: Make sure you use the original Cool Whip, not the sugar free or the real whipped cream type of Cool Whip.
1. Place the cup of butterscotch chips in your food processor or blender. Chop them into smaller pieces so that they will melt faster.
2. Place the Cool Whip in a microwave-safe bowl.
3. Add the chopped butterscotch chips to the bowl.
4. Microwave the bowl on HIGH for 1 minute and then let it sit in the microwave for an additional minute.
5. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir to see if the butterscotch chips have melted. If they haven't, heat in 30-second intervals with 1-minute standing times until you succeed in melting the chips.
6. Take the bowl out of the microwave and let it sit on the counter top or on a cold stove top burner for 15 minutes. This standing time will thicken the icing.
7. When the time is up, give the bowl a stir and remove your cake from the refrigerator. Frost your Ultimate Butterscotch Bundt Cake with the frosting and don't forget the crater in the middle. You don't need to frost all of the way inside the crater. That's almost impossible. Just frost an inch or so down the cavity.
8. Return your cake to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before cutting it and serving it to your guests.
Hannah's 2nd Note: You can also use this icing on cookies. It would be wonderful on any cookie with a vanilla, chocolate, or butterscotch taste. I especially like it on Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies and Cocoa-Crunch Cookies. Just make sure that the cookies are cool when you frost them.
Yield: This frosting will frost a batch of cookies, a 9-inch by 13-inch flat cake, a Bundt cake, or a round two-tier layer cake.
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These next recipes come from Hannah Swensen's Mysteries. I think these four recipes are some of the most decadent I have ever heard of. They are from Joanne Fluke's book 'Christmas Caramel Murder'. Hannah has a shop called The Cookie Jar.
Gingerbread Pancakes
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses (Michelle used Grandma's)
1 and 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (if you don't have it, just add a little more cinnamon)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best, of course)
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. In a small bowl, whisk a large egg with the vanilla extract.
2. Add the quarter-cup of molasses and whisk that in.
3. Add the cup and a half of water and whisk that in.
Hannah's 1st Note: You'll be adding the spices next, but Michelle says that easier if you mix them together first. She uses a disposable paper bowl. Then you can add the spice mixture to your egg mixture all at once.
4. Combine the ground ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg. Stir them around until they're mixed.
5. Add the spice mixture to your egg mixture and whisk everything together until they're thoroughly combined.
Hannah's 2nd Note: Michelle says to remind you to rinse off your whisk and put it in the sink. If you let the egg dry on the whisk, it's really difficult to get clean.
6. Get out your favorite stirring spoon. You'll be using it from here on out.
7. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix them until they're well incorporated.
8. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just incorporated. The batter may be a little lumpy. That's okay. You'll stir it again before you fry it.
Hannah's 3rd Note: If you've made pancakes from scratch before, you know that they're tastier if you "season" them by covering the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerating and batter overnight. This is why I always mix my batter the night before.
9. When you are ready to fry your pancakes, prepare your griddle or your frying pan by oiling it before you heat it, or using a mixture with equal parts of oil and butter.
10. Set your heat at MEDIUM-HIGH. You can test your frying surface to see when it's ready by putting a few drops of water on the surface. If the droplets of water skitter around and then evaporate, your pan is the right temperature to fry pancakes.
11. If you're using a griddle, you may want to pour on your pancakes rather than use a spoon. Simply transfer the batter to a pitcher and use that to pour. If you'd prefer to dip the large spoon or a small cup into the bowl and transfer the batter to the griddle or the frying pan that way, that's fine, too. (Michelle used my quarter-cup plastic measure that has a little spout on the side. I measured this once, and when she empties the cup of batter in the frying pan, approximately 3 Tablespoons come out of the measuring cup.)
12. Fry your pancakes until they're puffed and they look a bit dry around the edges. If you look closely, little bubbles will form at the edges. If you're not sure they're done, lift one edge with a spatula a take a peek. It will be golden brown on the bottom when it's ready to flip.
13. Turn your pancakes and wait for the other side to fry. Again, you can test your pancake by lifting it slightly with a spatula and peeking to see if it's golden brown.
14. If you don't have people sitting at your table waiting to eat breakfast, you can fry all your pancakes now and keep them warm until everyone comes to the table by separating them with layers of foil or paper towels, placing them in a 9-inch by 13-inch cake pan, covering the pan loosely with another piece of foil, and keeping them in a warm oven set at the lowest temperature.
15. Serve with plenty of soft butter, and your choice of honey, dark Karo syrup, or molasses. These Gingerbread Pancakes are also good buttered, spread with jam, and topped with a dollop of sour cream.
Red Raspberry Muffins
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Muffin Batter:
3/4 cup (1 and 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) salted butter
1 cup white (granulated) sugar
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 cup fresh OR frozen raspberries
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) salted butter, softened
1. Grease the bottom only of a 12-cup muffin pan (or line the cups with double cupcake papers - that's what I do at The Cookie Jar.)
2. Melt the butter in a bowl or measuring cup in the microwave. (This takes me about a minute in the microwave on HIGH.)
3. Set the melted butter on the kitchen counter to cool.
4. Measure out the sugar in a large bowl.
5. Mix in the beaten eggs.
6. Add the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Mix thoroughly.
7. Cup your hands around the bowl containing the melted butter. If it's cool enough so it won't cook the eggs, stir it into your mixing bowl with the rest of your ingredients.
8. Add half of the flour to your bowl and mix it in.
9. Add the whole milk to your bowl and mix that in.
10. Add the other half of the flour to your bowl ad mix until everything is incorporated.
11. Mix in the half cup of seedless raspberry jam.
12. If you're using a mixer, take the bowl out of the mixer, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give the contents a stir with a spoon by hand.
13. Add the raspberries and mix them in by hand.
14. Fill the prepared muffin cups three-quarters full and set them aside. If you have muffin batter left over, grease the bottom of a small tea-bread loaf pan and fill it with your remaining batter.
15. Make the crumb topping by mixing the sugar, cinnamon, and flour in a small bowl with a fork. Add the softened butter and cut it in until it's crumbly. (You can also do this in a food processor with chilled butter that you've cut into chunks. Use the steel blade in an on-and-off motion until the resulting mixture resembles coarse gravel.)
16. Fill the remaining space in the muffin cups with the crumb topping. If you had batter left over and used a tea-bread pan, reserve some topping to sprinkle over that.
17. Bake the muffins at 375 degrees F. degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes. The tea-bread muffin should bake from 5 to 10 minutes longer than the muffins, but test it with a cake tester or long toothpick when your muffins are done. Insert the tester of your loaf. If your tester comes out clean, your tea-bread is done.)
18. When your muffins are baked, take them out of the oven and set the muffin pan on a wire rack or a cold stove top burner to cool for at least 30 minutes. (The muffins need to cool in the pan for easy removal.) Then just tip them out of the cups, or lift them out by the edges of the cupcake papers. Serve with salted butter for those who want it, and enjoy.
19. These muffins are wonderful when they're slightly warm, but the raspberry flavor with intensify if you store them in a covered container overnight.
Yield: 12 delicious muffins with a little batter left over for several more muffins or a small loaf of tea-bread.
Butterscotch Crunch Candy
You do NOT need a candy thermometer to make this candy.
half of a 15-ounce bag of salted stick pretzels (the thin stick kind - I used Snyder's)
14-ounce can of sweetened condensed milk ( I used Eagle Brand - do NOT use Evaporated Milk)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounces) butterscotch chips ( I use Nestle)
Hannah's 1st Note: You can make this candy in a heavy saucepan on the stove over MEDIUM heat or in a large, microwave-safe bowl in the microwave on HIGH. Either will work just fine.
1. Put the pretzels into a bowl, and break them into pieces. You don't have to be exact, but try to make sure each pretzel is broken into at least 4 pieces.
Hannah's 2nd Note: When Lisa and I made this candy at The Cookie Jar, we put the pretzels in a large, seal-able, plastic bag and crush them up with a rolling pin until there are no large pieces left.
2. Prepare an 8-inch square brownie pan by lining it with a piece of heavy-duty foil that is large enough to stick up at least 2 inches above the sides of your pan.
3. You will use these "ears" of foil to lift out your candy after it has cooled and hardened.
4. Spray the inside of the foil with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray.
5. Open the can of sweetened, condensed milk and pour it into another microwave-safe bowl.
6. Place the 2 cups of butterscotch chips on the top.
7. Stir everything up with a heat-resistant rubber spatula.
8. Set aside your spatula and microwave the contents of the bowl on HIGH for 2 minutes.
9. Let the bowl and its contents sit inside the microwave for 1 minute to cool.
10. Stir the contents of the bowl with your heat-resistant spatula to see if the chips are melted. If you can stir the mixture smooth, you're ready to complete your candy. If you can't stir the mixture smooth, microwave it on HIGH in 20-second increments followed by a 1-minute standing time until you can stir it smooth.
11. Quickly add your broken pieces of pretzels to the mixture in your bowl and stir them in.
12. Spread your Butterscotch |Crunch Candy out in your prepared pan. Smooth it out on top with your heat-resistant spatula.
Hannah's 3rd Note: This is going to look lumpy. That's because of the pretzels.
13. Place the pan in the refrigerator, uncovered, for at least 2 hours.
14. Take the pan out of the refrigerator, lift out the foil with the candy inside, and peel off the foil.
15. Cut your Butterscotch Crunch Candy into fudge-sized pieces.
16. Store the pieces in a covered container in the refrigerator.
17. Take the container out approximately 20 minutes before you want to serve your Butterscotch Crunch Candy.
Yield: 2 to 3 dozen pieces of delicious candy that both adults and children will love. The number of pieces depends, of course, on how large you cut them.
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These next five recipes come from Joanne Fluke's book 'Wedding Cake Murder' where Hannah Swensen says, "I Do."
Easy Lemon Pie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
Note from Grandma Knudson: I got this recipe from my friend, Lois Brown, who lives in Phoenix, AZ. She has a lemon tree in her backyard so she always has lemons to make this pie.
Hannah's 1st Note: You can make this recipe in a food processor or a blender. We use a food processor down at The Cookie Jar.
1 frozen 9-inch piecrust (or one you've made yourself)
1 whole medium-size lemon
1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick, 4 ounces, 1/4 pound)
1 cup white (granulated) sugar
4 large eggs
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Sweetened whipped cream to put on top of your pie before serving
1. If you used a frozen pie crust, take it out of the package and set it on a cookie sheet with sides while you make the filling for the pie.
2. If you made your own pie crust, roll it out, put it in a 9-inch pan, cut it to fit the pie pan, and crimp the edges so it looks nice. Then set it on a cookie sheet with sides to wait for its filling.
3. Cut the tough ends off your lemon. Cut it in half and then cut each half into 4 slices. (The slices should be round like wagon wheels.)
4. Cut the other half-lemon into 4 similar slices to make 8 slices in all.
5. Examine the slices and pick out any seeds. Throw the seeds away.
6. Place all 8 seedless slices in a blender (or a food processor.)
7. Turn on the blender or food processor and process the lemon slices until they are mush. (This is not a regular cooking term, but I bet you know what I mean!)
8. Melt the half-cup of butter in the microwave or on the stove top. (If you'd rather do it in the microwave, this should take about 50 seconds on HIGH.)
9. Pour the melted butter over the lemon mush in the blender.
10. Add the cup of white sugar.
11. Crack open the 4 eggs and add them one by one.
12. Turn on the blender or food processor and blend everything until it is a homogeneous mush. (Another non-regulation cooking term.)
13. Pour the lemon mixture into the crust.
14. Bake your Easy Lemon Pie at 350 degrees F. for 40 minutes or until the mixture turns solid and the top is brown.
15. Take your pie out of the oven and cool it on a cold stove burner or a wire rack. Once it is cool, cover it with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve.
Hannah's 2nd Note: I like to use my Creme Fraiche on this pie. Here's the recipe just in case you don't have it handy.
Hannah's Whipped Creme Fraiche
(This will hold for several hours. Make it ahead of time and refrigerate it.)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup white (granulated) sugar
1/2 cup sour cream (you can substitute unflavored yogurt, but it won't hold as well and you'll have to do it at the last minute)
1/2 cup brown sugar (to sprinkle on top after you cut your pie into pieces)
1. Whip the cream with the white sugar until it holds a firm peak. Test for this by shutting off the mixer, and "dotting" the surface with your spatula. Once you have firm peaks, gently fold in the sour cream. You can do this by hand or by using the slowest speed on the mixer.
2. Transfer the mixture to a covered bowl and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve your Easy Lemon Pie.
3. To serve your pie, cut it into 6 generous pieces or 8 smaller pieces and put each piece on a pretty dessert plate.
4. Top each slice with a generous dollop or two of Hannah's Whipped Creme Fraiche.
5. Sprinkle the top of the Whipped Creme Fraiche with brown sugar.
Hannah's 3rd Note: If you want to get really fancy, cut a paper thin slice of lemon, dip it in granulated sugar, and put it on top of each slice of pie.
Butterscotch Sugar Cookies
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
2 cups salted butter (4 sticks, 16 ounces, 1 pound)
1 cup butterscotch chips (I used Nestle Butterscotch Chips)
2 cups powdered (confectioner's) sugar (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
1 cup white (granulated) sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar (critical!)
1 teaspoon salt
4 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (not-sifted - pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
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1/2 cup white sugar in a bowl for coating the cookie dough balls that you will make.
1. Melt the butter and butterscotch chips in a microwave-safe bowl by putting the chips on the bottom of the bowl and the butter on top of that. Heat for one minute on HIGH, let the bowl sit in the microwave for one minute, and then try to stir it smooth. If you can, you're done. If you can't, continue to heat in 30-second increments followed by a standing time of one minute, until you can stir the mixture smooth. (You can also do this in a saucepan on the stove top at LOW heat.)
2. After you have stirred the mixture smooth, set it on the kitchen counter or on a cold burner to cool.
3. When the mixture has cooled to slightly above room temperature, pour it into a mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer.
4. Add the powdered sugar and the white sugar. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
6. Mix in the vanilla extract. Make sure it's well combined.
7. Add the baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
8. Add the flour in half-cup increments, mixing after each addition. You don't have to be precise - just divide your flour into roughly 4 parts. (One very important reason for adding the flour in increments is so that the whole mountain of flour won't sit there on top of your bowl and erupt like a volcano all over your kitchen when you try to combine it with all the other ingredients.)
9. Once the dough has been thoroughly mixed, prepare your cookie sheets by spraying them with Pam or another non-stick cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line them with parchment paper.
10. Place a half-cup of white sugar in a shallow bowl.
11. Roll one-inch cookie dough balls with your fingers. (You can also use a 2-teaspoon scooper to form the dough balls.)
12. Dip the dough balls in the bowl with the sugar and roll them around until they're coated.
Hannah's 1st Note: Work with only two or three cookie dough balls at a time. If you put more than that in the sugar at a time, they may stick together.
13. Place the dough balls on the cookie sheet, 12 dough balls to a standard-size sheet.
14. Flatten the dough balls with the back of a metal spatula. This will make them bake evenly. If you leave them on the cookie sheet as dough balls, they will flatten out during the baking process, but the insides will be chewy instead of melt-in-your-mouth crispy.
15. Bake the Butterscotch Sugar Cookies at 325 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes. (Mine took 14 minutes.)
Yield: approximately 5 to 7 dozen fudgy Butterscotch Sugar Cookies.
Lisa's Note: Herb says these cookies are like potato chips. You can't eat just one. They also hold up really well if you stick several in around the sides of a dish of vanilla or chocolate ice cream.
Peanut Butter Potato Chip Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., rack in the middle position.
The following recipe can be doubled if you wish. Do not, however, double the baking soda. Use one and a half teaspoons.
1 cup softened butter (2 sticks, 1/2 pound, 8 ounces)
2 cups white (granulated) sugar
3 Tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 beaten eggs (just whip them up in a glass with a fork)
2 cups crushed salted potato chips (measure AFTER crushing) (I used regular thin unflavored Lay's potato chips)
2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (pack it down in the cup when you measure it)
1 and 1/2 cups peanut butter chips (I used Reese's, a 10-ounce by weight bag. I know that's close to 2 cups, but I like lots of peanut butter chips in these cookies)
Lisa's Note: The butter in this recipe should be at room temperature unless you have an un-insulated kitchen and it's winter in Minnesota. In that case, you'd better soften it a little.
Hannah's 1st Note: 5 to 6 whole cups of whole potato chips will crush down into about 2 cups. Crush them by hand in a plastic bag, not with a food processor. They should be the size of coarse gravel when they're crushed.
1. Mix the softened butter with the white sugar and the molasses. Beat them until the mixture is light and fluffy, and the molasses is completely mixed in.
2. Add the vanilla and baking soda. Mix them in thoroughly.
3. Break the eggs into a glass and when them up with a fork. Add them to your bowl and mix until they're thoroughly incorporated.
4. Put your potato chips in a closeable plastic bag. Seal it carefully (you don't want crumbs all over your counter) and place the bag on a flat surface. Get out your rolling pin and roll it over the bag, crushing the potato chips inside. Do this until the pieces resemble coarse gravel. (If you crush them too much, you won't have any crunch - crunch is good in these cookies.)
5. Measure out 2 cups of crushed potato chips and mix them into the dough in your bowl.
6. Add one cup of flour and mix it in.
7. Then add the second cup of flour and mix thoroughly.
8. Add the final half cup of flour and mix that in.
9. Measure out a cup and a half of peanut butter chips and add them to your cookie dough. If you're using an electric mixer, mix them in at the slowest speed. You can also take the bowl out of the mixer and stir in the chips by hand.
10. Let the dough sit on the counter while you prepare your cookie sheets.
11. Spray your cookie sheets with Pam or another nonstick cooking spray, or line them with parchment paper, leaving little "ears" at the top and bottom. That way, when your cookies are baked, you can pull the paper, baked cookies and all, onto a wire rack to cool.
12. Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons onto your cookie sheets. 12 cookies on each standard-sized sheet.
Hannah's 2nd Note: I used a 2-teaspoon cookie scoop at The Cookie Jar. It's faster than doing it with a spoon.
13. Bake your Peanut Butter Potato Chip Cookies at 350 degrees F. for 10 to 12 minutes or until nicely browned. (Mine took 11 minutes.)
14. Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then remove them with a metal spatula. Transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Yield: Approximately 5 dozen wonderfully chewy, salty, and soft cookies that are sure to please everyone who tastes them.
Hannah's 3rd Note: DO NOT bake these for anyone with a peanut allergy!
Lisa's Note: These cookies travel well. If you want to send them to a friend, just stack them, roll them up like coins in foil, and cushion the cookie rolls between layers of Styrofoam peanuts, or bubble wrap.
I loved writing this blog and I hoped you enjoyed reading it. All of the credit goes to Joanne Fluke and her award winning Hannah Swensen's Murder Mystery books with recipes. Go check them out at your local library and you'll see what I mean! If you happen to try one or more of these recipes out, leave a comment below, letting me know how it went. I would love to know! Thank you so much!
