Along
with the usual chores. Then getting the grandkids on the bus some
mornings and getting them off the bus some evenings and watching them
until their mom gets off work, I've been a very busy guy.
Friday
I made Oatmeal Raisin and Plain Oatmeal cookies. About six dozen
cookies in each recipe.
The
plain Oatmeal is the same as on the Oatmeal boxes from Quaker. My
Oatmeal Raisin cookie recipe is already here on the blog at
Saturday
I made three and a half dozen Tea Balls and two and a half pounds of
Potato Candy.
Tea Balls
Mix
1 Cup
Softened Butter
1/2 Cup Sifted
Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon
Vanilla or Black Walnut Flavoring
Mix
2 1/2 Cup
Sifted Flour
1/4 Teaspoon
Salt
3/4 Cup
Chopped walnuts
Add that to the
first mix and mix to a dough.
Chill the
dough.
Roll the
dough into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 400
degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until set and light brown.
While still
warm roll in Powdered sugar and set aside to cool.
When cool
roll in powdered sugar again.
Potato
Candy
Mix
1/2 Cup Mashed Potatoes
4 teaspoons Vanilla extract
about "1" - 2 pound bag Powdered Sugar
Mix to dough like consistency – mix in a little powdered sugar at a time. I start with half the bag and then keep adding until it gets to a thick dough. (When you first start it looks like a failure, but don't worry it will thicken.)
If it gets too thick add more potatoes. But just a very little at a time.
Roll about a third of the dough at a time out on waxed paper - I dust the waxed paper with more powdered sugar to keep it from sticking so bad. I also use a piece of waxed paper over the candy when rolling so it doesn't make my roller so messy.
Roll it longer than wide. I start by making it more of a log shape with my hands before rolling.
I try to roll it to about a 12 inch by 6 inch shape.
Spread it with Peanut butter. Leave some space near the edges or the peanut butter will mush out when you roll it into a log shape.
Roll up into a log shape. Use the waxed paper to help you roll it up and peel the paper away while rolling.
Then cut into about 1/4 inch pieces.
I then let it dry a little on the waxed paper and then put it in a metal tin to store it in with waxed paper between the layers.
It makes about two and a half pounds of candy which never seems to last very long around here. Everyone enjoys it, friends and family. I add some to all the cookie platters and boxes I give as gifts.
One word of warning though.
Mix
1/2 Cup Mashed Potatoes
4 teaspoons Vanilla extract
about "1" - 2 pound bag Powdered Sugar
Mix to dough like consistency – mix in a little powdered sugar at a time. I start with half the bag and then keep adding until it gets to a thick dough. (When you first start it looks like a failure, but don't worry it will thicken.)
If it gets too thick add more potatoes. But just a very little at a time.
Roll about a third of the dough at a time out on waxed paper - I dust the waxed paper with more powdered sugar to keep it from sticking so bad. I also use a piece of waxed paper over the candy when rolling so it doesn't make my roller so messy.
Roll it longer than wide. I start by making it more of a log shape with my hands before rolling.
I try to roll it to about a 12 inch by 6 inch shape.
Spread it with Peanut butter. Leave some space near the edges or the peanut butter will mush out when you roll it into a log shape.
Roll up into a log shape. Use the waxed paper to help you roll it up and peel the paper away while rolling.
Then cut into about 1/4 inch pieces.
I then let it dry a little on the waxed paper and then put it in a metal tin to store it in with waxed paper between the layers.
It makes about two and a half pounds of candy which never seems to last very long around here. Everyone enjoys it, friends and family. I add some to all the cookie platters and boxes I give as gifts.
One word of warning though.
This
“IS CANDY”.
If
you eat too much at one time you will get a belly ache.
I
know this from way too much experience.
For
those that can not eat peanut butter there is a old Amish recipe for
potato candy.
That
recipe is exactly the same except for the peanut butter.
Instead
of rolling the dough out and spreading peanut butter on, they only
roll the dough into balls.
I've
tried it and it's great, but I'm just spoiled to the way my grandma
and mom made it.
Monday
afternoon after the electricity came back on I made eight dozen
Peanut Butter cookies and two batches of Anzac cookies or nine dozen.
I hadn't planned on making two batches, but my brain went on vacation
and I forgot to take the first sheet of cookies out of the oven on
time and kinda overcooked almost half the cookies. They weren't
really burned, but were very super crunchy.
That
Anzac cookie is an Australian cookie that one of the members here on
the blog and who is a friend, told me about. She even sent me the
Golden Syrup which is a part of the recipe. I've been looking all
over in the stores for that and still can't find it anywhere. I have
found it on line though and will have to order some.
Everyone
I have given some to seems to love them and asks about them. They
have become another on my Christmas cookie list to make every year
and include on my gift plates and boxes of cookies.
The
peanut butter cookie recipe I use is the one on the Jiff jar.
The
Anzac recipe is really not mine to give out, but should I get
permission from my friend I will. There are some Anzac recipes on the
web that I've found though.
I
had intended on taking two days off from baking to get other work
done and finishing my cookie making on Thursday, but we had a very
wild weather day on Tuesday.
Seriously!
We had rain, high winds mixed with rain, then snow flurries and
finished up later in the day with sun and calm.
So
since I didn't want to contend with the weather I made cookies.
I
made Chocolate Chip cookies, which I use the recipe on the Nestle's
bag.
I
also made the Sugar cookies which made me famous around these parts
when my children took them to school for snack days. One little girl
actually told me they were better than her mom's right in front of
her mom.
Sugar Cookies
1
Cup (2 Sticks) Softened Butter
1 Cup Sugar
Beat these in a
large bowl at high speed.
Add: 2
Eggs
2 1/2
teaspoons Vanilla
Beat until
light and fluffy.
Sift: 3 1/2
Cup Flour
2 1/4
teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4
teaspoon Salt
Stir the flour
mixture into the butter sugar mixture.
Shape into 1 inch
balls and place on a cookie sheet
Butter the bottom
of a glass and dip into sugar. Flatten cookies to 1/4 inch with the
bottom of the glass. (I have flattened them with only butter on the
bottom of a glass and did away with the extra sugar with great
results)
Bake at 375
degrees about 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned.
Makes
about 4 1/2 Dozen
* This
dough can be rolled to 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters.
You can also
use the red and green colored sugars for the holidays.
I
found this recipe in a very old cookbook years ago and for the life
of me I can't recall the name of the book. I tried it and liked it
enough to add it to my recipe collection. And like I said it's very
popular with kids and it's also popular with adults.
In
an adult version of this cookie I followed this recipe and I replaced
the vanilla with bourbon and that was fantastic!
I've
also used almond extract which was great also.
Over
the years I've found that following recipes is a great way to learn.
Once
you have it figured out though it's fun to try different spices and
flavorings and come up with your own delicacies.
Well
should you try any of these I certainly hope you enjoy them as much
as we do.
Have
fun and have a great smiling day!
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