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Molasses Crinkles…

…cause what we need right now is more SUGAR!! I know, I know. But there is one recipe that this time of year doesn’t work without…Molasses Crinkles. No, I mean it. Just the smell of these coming out your door–will bring the kids in.

But then, you don’t have to share.  :]

Molasses Crinkles

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

Cream together, then add:

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. baking soda

Roll 1 inch dough balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Leave on pan a few minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Molasses Crinkles...
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup butter
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. cloves
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
Instructions
  1. Cream together the first four ingredients, then add all the rest of the dry ingredients.
  2. Roll 1 inch dough balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  3. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
  4. Leave on pan a few minutes before moving to cooling rack.

 

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Brownie Sandwich Cookies

Brownie cookies 004

Brownie Sandwich Cookies

1-1/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups flour

3/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients slowly. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees fro 8 minutes. Allow to rest on pan for a minute or two before removing to cool.

When completely cool, spoon about 1-2 tsp. of filling on back side of one cookie and press another cookie to form a sandwich.  Note: Add a few drops of color to filling for a holiday touch.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 c. powdered sugar

4 tbsp. butter

6 oz. cream cheese

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Mix filling ingredients together till smooth.

Brownie Sandwich Cookies
 
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Ingredients
  • 1-1/4 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp. vanilla
  • 2 cups flour
  • ¾ cup cocoa
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
  1. Cream butter and sugar.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla.
  3. Add dry ingredients slowly.
  4. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees fro 8 minutes.
  5. Allow to rest on pan for a minute or two before removing to cool.
  6. When completely cool, spoon about 1-2 tsp. of filling on back side of one cookie and press another cookie to form a sandwich.
  7. Add a few drops of color to filling for a holiday touch.
Notes
Cream Cheese Filling 1 c. powdered sugar 4 tbsp. butter 6 oz. cream cheese ½ tsp. vanilla Mix filling ingredients together till smooth.

 

 

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World’s Best Caramel Popcorn Balls

So, have you been on the lookout for an incredibly good caramel popcorn recipe? This one is gonna knock you over…

No…really. These are that good. And if they were that good and a pain to make—it would still be worth the trouble. But the good news is that they are chewy and soft and have the best flavor I’ve ever tasted–for a popcorn ball–and they are fast and EASY. I’m serious.  I promise I wouldn’t make them otherwise. Are you ready?

Caramel Popcorn Balls

2 cups packed brown sugar

2 cups corn syrup

1 cup butter

2 tsp. salt

Large bowl of popcorn (about 6 quarts)

Heat brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt to simmering. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes.

Pour over popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is covered.

Allow to rest until cool enough to handle.

Cover hands with sandwich bags and form into balls. Cool completely. Wrap individually in plastic bags.

I always plan to give these away at the door to trick or treaters that I know–but it never happens. We usually don’t have any left! So I say…just eat them…

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What are YOU passing out for Halloween treats tomorrow?

5.0 from 1 reviews
World's Best Caramel Popcorn Balls
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups corn syrup
  • 1 cup butter
  • 2 tsp. salt
  • Large bowl of popcorn (about 6-8 quarts)
Instructions
  1. Heat brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt to simmering.
  2. Boil rapidly for 2 minutes.
  3. Pour over popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is covered.
  4. Allow to rest until cool enough to handle.
  5. Cover hands with sandwich bags and form into balls.
  6. Cool completely.
  7. Wrap individually in plastic bags.

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Funeral Potatoes

The weather is still fabulous here–in the high 60’s today. Hard to believe that it was snowing hard, a week and a half ago. The nice thing is that if you want to be outside, it’s crisp and wonderful. But if you need to work in the house, it feels great to throw the windows open and keep going. Perfect weather for sorting out the garage…or making pumpkin cookies…or molasses cookies…or popcorn balls. Yikes–luckily, it’s also perfect weather for taking long walks! Looks like I’m going to need them.

This is a great recipe that is just as easy to make in a large batch as it is to scale down. Any leftovers keep and reheat really well too.

 

 

Funeral Potatoes

15 lbs medium potatoes

3 small cans Cream of Chicken Soup

2 cubes butter

2 pints sour cream

3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 T. Onion flakes

2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules

2-3 cups Corn Flakes-moderately crushed

2 T. melted butter

Boil potatoes in salted water. Drain. Cut into cubes–I run them through a french fry cutter–it works great. Make sauce with the remaining ingredients–except corn flakes and 2 T butter. Pour sauce over potatoes in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer into greased roasting pan or two Pyrex 9 x 13 baking dishes. Put crushed corn flakes into a Ziploc bag with butter and mush the bag until the flakes look slightly damp. Sprinkle over potato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes for 1 large pan or 25 minutes for two smaller pans. Frightfully good!

 

What is your favorite pot luck food to bring to parties?

5.0 from 2 reviews
Funeral Potatoes
 
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Ingredients
  • 15 lbs medium potatoes
  • 3 small cans Cream of Chicken Soup
  • 2 cubes butter
  • 2 pints sour cream
  • 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 T. Onion flakes
  • 2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
  • 2-3 cups Corn Flakes-moderately crushed
  • 2 T. melted butter
Instructions
  1. Boil potatoes in salted water. Drain.
  2. Cut into cubes.
  3. Make sauce with the remaining ingredients--except corn flakes and 2 T butter.
  4. Pour sauce over potatoes in a large bowl and mix well.
  5. Transfer into greased roasting pan or two Pyrex 9 x 13 baking dishes.
  6. Put crushed corn flakes into a Ziploc bag with butter and mush the bag until the flakes look slightly damp.
  7. Sprinkle over potato mixture.
  8. Cover with foil until the last 15 minutes of baking.
  9. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes for 1 large pan or 25 minutes for two smaller pans.

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Spaghetti Sauce, etc.

 

I found this incredible spaghetti sauce recipe at Soule Mama and initially we only made a single batch—from the tomatoes in our garden–and had it for supper. But it was so good that we ended up leaving the noodles in the pan and sopping it up with an entire loaf of Italian bread.

Decadent…

That evening we bought another bushel of tomatoes and made enough sauce to last till January. The spices are just perfect–in fact, we had two neighbors come to the door to see what the fabulous smell was. One little pint was all we could spare… (snicker)

So at the end of the day, my daughter’s husband said, “Wow…you smell really goood…

…like pizza or something.”

Sheesh…

Note: The measurements for basil in this recipe are for FRESH basil. Please don’t add 1/2 cup of dried basil–that’s about 4 times too much.

 

 

Do you, or does anyone you know grow their own herbs? Which ones?