Rosette Cookies

Rosette cookies are a cookie made from very light batter that is deep fried. A rosette iron is used to make them. They are of Norwegian origin, and are made as a Christmas treat.  Rosette irons come in many shapes and sizes. The more expensive ones are made from cast iron while the less expensive ones are made from cast aluminum. Mine is aluminum and works very well.

The most important thing with making rosettes is the temperature of the oil. It must be kept between 350-375 degrees. Any cooler and the cookie won't cook quickly and evenly as it should, any hotter and the cookie may burn or stick to the iron.  You can use an electric fryer with a thermostat, but I use a cast iron skillet and a thermometer.  The picture on the right shows my setup with a cast iron skillet filled half way with vegetable oil and a probe thermometer hanging halfway into the oil to keep tabs on the temperature.  If you do it this way, keep your eye on the thermometer. You'll probably have to make slight heat adjustments to keep the temperature within the 365-375 degree range.

Rosette Cookie Batter

• 2 eggs
• 1 TBSP sugar
• small pinch of salt
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Beat together eggs, salt and sugar. Add rest of ingredients and beat until smooth. 

Pour oil into pan or fryer, making sure to fill no more than half way to allow for expansion of hot oil when food is placed into it. Make sure you have the lid for the pan or fryer close by.  There is always a risk of oil catching on fire (although it is minimal if you keep it below 375 degrees) and the best way to douse an oil fire is by placing a lid on it.  Safety first!

Make sure rosette iron is clean and dry. After oil comes to temperature. put iron in oil for a minute or two so that it heats up.

Shake off excess oil, and dip iron into batter, but not all the way to the top. Leave a quarter inch or so from the top of the iron, otherwise the batter will cook over the iron and the cookie will be difficult to remove.

Place batter-coated iron into hot oil and cook for about 30 seconds or until brown.  

The cookie may slip off the iron when still in the oil. Just remove it with a metal turner.  If the cookie doesn't come off the iron in the hot oil, give it a gentle shake and it usually will fall off, or gently remove it by putting a metal turner edge alongside one of the edges of the cookie. Place it on a wire rack with paper towels underneath to drain.



Continue this procedure until all the batter is used up.  It may take a few tries to get a perfect cookie, but with practice you'll be cranking them out in good order. Just remember to keep that temperature between 365-375 degrees and you'll be rewarded with some of the lightest, crispiest cookies you've ever eaten! Once the cookies are done, dust them with powdered sugar and enjoy.

Apple Crisp

For those who like apple pie (and who doesn't) here's a recipe that makes a very good apple crisp without the hassle of pie crust.

I use a handy dandy piece of equipment that peels, cores and slices the apple all with a turn of the handle. It does a pretty good job, unless the apples are too much out of round. Then it leaves some of the peel. But all in all, it is a lot easier and faster than peeling, coring and slicing by hand:



Apple Crisp
This recipe makes enough to fill a 12 x 8 baking pan.

• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup white flour
• 8 TBS butter
• 6 large apples

Place 1/2 cup of the sugar, water, lemon juice and cinnamon in bottom of the pan. Mix ingredients well. Add sliced apples to mixture.  Blend in the rest of the sugar (3/4 cup) with the flour and butter. Blend until mixture becomes crumbly.  Put over apples and pat down until smooth.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until apples are soft and crust is brown and crispy.

Peanut Butter Cake

Peanuts are thought to have originated in South America, known as early as 950 B.C.E. The Inca Indians of South America made a paste out of peanuts, thus the origins of peanut butter go back a long time. 

The following recipe is a cake made from peanut butter and other ingredients, and is topped with a peanut butter and honey frosting.  Reference to the recipe was given to me on the internet. I have no idea who devised the recipe, but it sure is a keeper! 

Peanut Butter Cake

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup room-temperature butter
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs

Peanut Butter - Honey Frosting

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 5 Tablespoons milk
• 1 cup mini-chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 x 15 cake pan. In a large bowl, slowly mix first four

ingredients with electric mixer until crumbly. Add the rest of the ingredients, blend at slow speed until mixed well, then beat at medium speed for three minutes. 

Pour into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cake cool in the pan for ten minutes and make frosting.

Warm peanut butter and honey in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to make it easy to stir, add the rest of the frosting ingredients with electric mixer until smooth. 

After cake has sat for ten minutes, spread the frosting on the warm cake and sprinkle with the mini-chocolate chips.  

Yogurt, Walnut and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here's a great recipe that uses yogurt and no eggs to make some of the best chocolate chip cookies I've ever tasted.

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cream together sugars, shortening and butter until thoroughly combined. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. In a separate bowl combine salt, flour and baking soda. Stir into creamed mixture until thoroughly combined, mix in chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.  allow to cool for a few minutes on cookie sheet after taking out of oven, remove cookies to a wire rack to cool. Makes about 36 cookies.

Bundt Cake Neapolitan

A cake that has three different flavors baked into it; vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Just like Neapolitan ice cream!

• 1 package (18.25 ounce) yellow cake mix
• 1 cup water
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup
• 1 TBS cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup strawberry jelly
• 8 drops red food coloring

Add water, eggs, oil and cake mix in large bowl and mix on medium speed for two minutes. After batter is thoroughly mixed, divide it into three equal portions. Use oil spray in a bundt cake pan and pour one of the portions into it. Take one of the other portions and mix in the chocolate sauce and cocoa powder. Carefully spoon this mixture into the cake pan.  Take the last portion and mix in the strawberry jelly and food coloring. Carefully spoon this mixture into the pan. Do not swirl the mixtures together.

Put in a preheated 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. When done, let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Use a thin rubber or plastic spatula (a metal one will scratch the cake pan) and gently run it down each fluted side of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a large bowl over the pan, turn it over and let sit until the cake comes out of the pan.  Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle glaze over the cake:

White Glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 TBS milk
• 2 TBS softened butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Pour over cake as desired.

Chocolate Coffee Cookies

Photo by Josh Goodwin

A flour-free, light and crispy cookie that's easy to make. Be sure to store them in an air-tight container so they stay fresh longer.

• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar*
• 3 TBSP cocoa powder
• 1 TBSP instant coffee
• 3 TBSP mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Separate three eggs, put whites in large bowl. Add cream of tartar and salt, whip with mixer until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar a tablespoon at a time, whip until firm peaks form.  Sift coffee and cocoa powder into egg white mixture and fold in. Add mini chocolate chips and fold in.

Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet, and drop tablespoonfuls of the mixture onto the paper, or fill a pastry bag and pipe approximately a tablespoon of the mixture onto the paper.  Bake for 40 minutes or until cookies get crispy.

Place on rack and allow to cool completely. 

*Cream of tartar, or potassium bitartrate, is a natural occurring crystal that forms during the fermentation of grape juice in making wine and can also form behind the cork of wine already bottled. The crystals also will form in grape juice that is chilled.  These crystals are collected and purified to be used in many culinary applications.  It is used with egg whites to help stabilize the whites, make them more heat tolerant and maintain a greater volume when they are whipped.

Cow Pie Cookies

A simple, easy and quick recipe that makes a really good chocolate cookie. It's the perfect dessert to go with a good mess of Cowboy Beans!

• 1/2 cup room temperature butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup walnut pieces
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.  In a separate bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to the sugar and egg mixture,  mix until well blended. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.

Drop spoonfuls of batter onto greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing. Substitute unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts instead of the walnuts for a great taste variation. Cocoa powder is cocoa solids minus the cocoa fat or cocoa butter.

Cocoa solids hold all the chocolate flavor, are low in calories and carry all of the beneficial antioxidants that have been found to help prevent many diseases.   The solids and fat are separated by pressing, which can lead to an acidic taste tin the chocolate.  Solids that have been produced by the Dutch process are less acidic and have the traditional brown color associated with chocolate.

Coconut and Chocolate Macaroons

This recipe is quick and easy with a minimum of ingredients and a maximum of sweet flavor. 

3 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 bag (4 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine  coconut and flour. Add vanilla and condensed milk to coconut mixture and blend well. It will be very thick and sticky. Add chocolate chips and blend until combined well.

Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto an oiled cookie sheet.  I like to leave them rather gnarly. That way  when they cook there will be differing degrees of doneness, from crispy around the edges to chewy in the middle. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until they are brown around the edges.  The chocolate chips may be omitted to make plain coconut macaroons.

Coconut facts:

• The first documented mention of the word coconut in English was in 1555
• The name coconut was derived from a Portuguese word that means monkey face from the three indentations in the end of it
• The coconut is not a nut at all, but a seed

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Another sweet memory from my youth! This recipe is pretty easy, as it uses a boxed yellow cake mix and canned pineapple. Of course you can substitute your favorite yellow cake from scratch recipe if you wish and fresh pineapple.  I make this recipe in a 10" cast iron skillet and it works great.

• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 can pineapple rings
• 1 small jar maraschino cherries
• 1 box yellow cake mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Put the cast iron skillet on medium heat, and place butter and brown sugar in it. When both have melted, place pineapple rings on the bottom of the skillet, and cut the rings in half and line the sides of the skillet standing up on edge. Put a maraschino cherry in the center of each pineapple ring.

Prepare the yellow cake mix per the instructions on the box, but substitute all or part of the water called for with pineapple juice from the can of pineapple rings. Pour the cake batter over the pineapple rings in the skillet and place in oven.  Cook for length of time suggested on the cake mix box, and use the toothpick test to make sure it is done. Insert a wooden toothpick into the center of the cake and when it comes out clean the cake is done.

When done, remove the cake and run a butter knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the skillet. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, then comes the trickiest part of the whole recipe; turn it upside down on a serving platter.

Blonde Brownies

What's better than a gooey, rich Chocolate Brownie? A Blonde Brownie! Maybe not better, but darned good in their own right. My Mom used to make Blonde Brownies for her seven kids, and they certainly didn't last long! Blonde Brownies are made without chocolate (for the most part, although my Mom always sprinkled chocolate chips on the top of hers) and are made sweet and chewy with brown sugar.

Blonde Brownies

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs beaten
• 2 tsp vanilla
• chocolate chips (optional)

Combine flour, soda, baking powder and salt. Add the chopped nuts to this mixture. Melt butter and add brown sugar in separate bowl. Mix well, and add eggs and vanilla to brown sugar mixture. Slowly add flour mixture and mix together thoroughly. Pour into greased 13 x 9 pan, sprinkle chocolate chips on the top if desired. Bake at 325 degree oven for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Lemon Fluff

Childhood memories involve a lot of things, not least of all the scents and flavors of foods we were raised on. I've been on a quest to recreate some of those scents and flavors I remember so well. I grew up in the 1950's, and there's a lot of folks out there that have some of the same food memories I have, as a quick search of the internet has shown. So I've managed to piece together a few of Mom's recipes.
One of these recipes was Lemon fluff, made with whipped lemon gelatin dessert and whipped evaporated milk.


Lemon Fluff

1 can chilled evaporated milk

1 (4 oz) package lemon gelatin dessert

1 ¾ cups boiling water

¼ cup lemon juice

1 cup sugar

graham cracker crumbs

Chill unopened can of milk in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours. Dissolve Jello in boiling water, chill until partially set. Whip partially set Jello until light and fluffy. Add lemon juice and sugar. Whip chilled milk until fluffy and fold into Jello mixture. Line bottom of 13 x 9 pan with graham cracker crumbs, reserving some for on top. Pour Jello mixture over crumbs, top with remaining crumbs. Chill until firm.

To make Orange Fluff, substitute Orange Jello and ¼ orange juice concentrate.