My son, John, made molasses cookies Thanksgiving recipe from the recipe on the back of this bottle of Grandma's Molasses.

For years we have made Silver Palate Molasses Cookies, it's our family favorite, and the recipe is in the Tried 'n True archives on this site, but after tasting these, we have a new favorite.

They are moist, fat, plump chewy cookies, the tops are dusted with sugar, they crackle when they bake and the taste is amazing.  My Silver Palate recipe is a flatter, oilier cookie, these are just better.

I never thought I would say this, we have used our Silver Palate recipe since the 80's, but this one is just far superior.

Hope you all enjoy these as much as we do.  Oh my, they are so good!

~ jan

 

These cookies should be soft, so watch them carefully when baking. They will look very moist and underdone, but I promise you they're fine and will set up completely while cooling. I found one recipe in my research that called for sliding the parchment paper onto the counter top to cool the cookies rather than transferring them to a cooling rack. Supposedly, this would keep them optimally soft. For cookie baking, I prefer insulated cookie sheets to prevent undersides from over browning.  I used a SiloPat baking liner when I baked these.

 

Grandma's Molasses Cookies

Makes 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. (generous) salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
3/4 cup shortening, at room temperature (Crisco)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup molasses, preferably Grandma's (not blackstrap)
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the shortening, brown sugar, egg and molasses on medium high speed until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on lowest speed to moisten. Increase speed to medium and beat until combined, scraping down bowl as needed. Chill dough in freezer for about an hour or in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 and line baking sheets with parchment paper or place on SiloPat. Place 1/4 cup sugar in a shallow bowl. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons and roll between your palms into 1 1/4 to 1 1/2-inch balls. Dip tops of balls in sugar and place on baking sheet about 2 1/2 inches apart.

Fill a glass with cold water. Dip your fingertips in the water and sprinkle each ball of dough with a few drops (this makes the crinkles). Bake one sheet at a time in the center of the oven for 8 to 9 minutes, or until cookies have spread, but still appear quite moist (they will not look "set" or done, but they are). Slide parchment onto counter top and cool completely.

NOTE:  I think these cookies are so moist and soft because you use shortening (Crisco) instead of butter.  We used to use shortening a lot years ago, but now so many cookies are made with butter instead...

Much better than a hot toddy, my friend Carlene swears by this recipe...

1-2 teaspoons of brown sugar

1 Tablespoon of vanilla ice cream

Mix together and put in a mug of hot water, add a jigger or more of rum, a pat of butter on top and a cinnamon stick to stir with.

Enjoy and feel better soon ;o)

Okay, so the poor ole feller has a bit of trouble with one of his ears turning loose, but this is so cool!

My friend, Barb was telling me earlier this week about Creole Burgers.  When she was a little girl there was a local drive-in called the Sani-Cream and they served these burgers.  When they closed, the owner gave her dad the recipe, and her family has made them ever since.

You all know about how crazy we are about my Sloppy Joes, and the Creole Burgers are, for me, a new twist on an old favorite.  I thought they were amazing, and I’ll make them again and again.  She couldn’t remember exactly how much ketchup and mustard to use, she just tastes it and knows when it’s right.  Since I had nothing to gauge them by, I found a recipe online, altered it a bit, and think it’s really close to what she makes.  Hope you all enjoy these as much as we do.

~ jan

1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 can of Campbell’s Chicken Gumbo Soup
4-5 tablespoons Heinz Ketchup
3 tablespoons mustard, I use Plochmann’s because it’s my favorite
2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
salt to taste

Brown hamburger and onions breaking it up and crumble as it cooks, drain, add soup and condiments and simmer 15-20 minutes.  It thickens as it cooks.

So easy, and SO good!

Note:  I added salt very sparingly as the soup gives you a salty base to begin with, next time I think I will sprinkle the hamburger with Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning when I brown it.

Last week on Jan’s Daily Dish I told you about my FoodSaver not working and my eBay purchase of another one.  It arrived yesterday, brand new with tape and cardboard still intact, so of course I fired it up immediately and it worked perfectly.

So this morning I got up, assembled my ingredients and I was off to the races. 

I used two heads of iceberg lettuce that I washed, chopped and spun dry in the salad spinner.  They don’t recommend you use baby bibb or spring greens, they’re too tender and don’t last as well,  romaine and iceberg work best.  Then I used the slicing blade of the salad shooter to quickly shred all of the other veggies.

Then I gave it all a quick toss to combine all the ingredients in the mixing bowl, which by the way is the greatest, cheapest thing ever.  This huge stainless bowl came from a local restaurant supply house, cost less than $10 and I use it so much, it’s awesome!

I started using a funnel to fill the jars, quickly realized that it was a pain, it was easier to just position the jar over the salad bowl and scoop the greens with a measuring cup.  Hubby doesn’t like green peppers, so I only added them to some of the jars and I didn’t add soft ingredients like cucumbers, tomatoes, or mushrooms as I’ve read that they don’t hold well.  I also used a regular stainless knife to chop my lettuce, even though I have a plastic lettuce knife, there is “supposedly” no need to use it as the lettuce doesn’t turn brown and I’m not a fan of tearing it because I like a finer texture and it’s hard to achieve when tearing it.

Then I wiped off the tops of the jars to make sure they were dry so that the seal would hold and I was ready to vacuum seal them.  It was really fast, really easy, it only took twenty seconds per jar to seal.  And no, there is nothing running down the front of the FoodSaver, it’s just shadows from the jars ;o)

And how long did this take?  From the time I started assembling my ingredients until I put them in the fridge, thirty-five minutes start to finish and I have enough salad to last me for seven days.  And this was the first try, I’m thinking next time it won’t take as long as today because I’ll know what I’m doing.  One mess per week and enough salad to last for days, works for me…

These little plastic tulip sundae dishes are a great find.  They are usually in stock at Walgreens, and at holiday time they have them in red and green.

You’re probably wondering why I’m showing you these, what’s so special about plastic bowls?  Well, first of all they are like $.49 apiece, and they are the best thing ever when I’m in the kitchen baking.  I guess I’ve watched too much FoodTV, but I always measure my different ingredients into little containers before stirring whatever I’m baking together. 

Okay, I confess, it’s not entirely FoodTV, it’s mainly so that I don’t forget to add something. I have glass ramekins, and FiestaWare ramekins, but they’re bulky and heavy, these are lightweight, stack easily, grab one and you’re good to go.  I have a ton of them, and I use them for all kinds of things.  They’re the perfect size for little hands when you are fixing a snack for little people, I use them for coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans, and they’re perfect for a scoop of ice cream, or a serving of pudding or Jello. They’re unbreakable, dishwasher safe, you’ll find a boatload of uses for them.  You won’t want to trot them out when Aunt Martha comes to visit, save the cut glass for when she comes, but for everyday use, you can’t beat these!

You might want to check the seasonal aisle next time you are in Walgreens, I think I’ve seem them at Wally World, too.  I know, they’re plastic, but they’re goodies, pinky swear they are…

~ jan

Prep time: 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted, plus additional for pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) chocolate cake mix
3 large eggs
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 box (1 pound) confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. and place rack in center. Lightly butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan. 
2. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, 1 egg, and 1/2 cup butter until combined well; evenly pat into prepared pan and set aside. 
3. In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Beat in remaining 2 eggs and the cocoa powder until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add sugar; beat until combined well. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup butter and the extract; beat until smooth. Fold in nuts with a rubber spatula and spread over cake mixture in pan. 
4. Bake until set around edges but center is a little gooey, 40 to 50 minutes (do not overbake). 
5. Transfer cake in pan to a wire rack and let cool slightly before cutting.

Nutrition facts per serving (based on 20 servings): 
Calories: 365
Total fat: 20g
Saturated fat: 9.5g
Sodium: 342mg
Carbohydrate: 45g
Calcium: 56mg
Cholesterol: 69mg
Protein: 4g
Fiber: 2g

Source:  Ladies Home Journal

The Deen's List
Use a candy thermometer to keep oil temperature between 325 and 350 degrees F. (see Where to Find It).

Cool, filter, and reuse the peanut oil up to three times. For folks with peanut allergies, use corn oil instead.

Paula says: "Remember whenever you're fryin' a turkey you have to exercise all the cautions, 'cause you don't want the fire department for lunch."

Makes 12 to 15 servings
Prep time: 30 minutes 
Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes

 

 

Ingredients
1 10-pound turkey (neck and giblets removed), thawed if frozen
2 tablespoons favorite dry rub
3 to 5 gallons peanut oil
Rosemary, thyme, and oregano sprigs, for garnish
Apple slices, for garnish

Directions
1. Rinse turkey inside and out; pat dry. Coat with dry rub. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour. 
2. Heat oil in a turkey fryer (see Where to Find It), following manufacturer's safety instructions, to 350 degrees F., checking temperature with a candy thermometer. Slowly lower turkey into oil, making sure it is fully submerged. 
3. Fry until an instant-read thermometer inserted 2 inches into the inner thigh of turkey (without touching bone) registers 165 degrees F., carefully removing turkey from oil to check temperature, about 35 minutes. 
4. Carefully remove turkey from oil and drain on paper towels; let stand 10 to 15 minutes before carving. Transfer to a platter and garnish with herb sprigs and apple slices, if desired.

Nutrition facts per serving (based on 15 servings):
Calories: 370 
Total fat: 20g
Saturated fat: 4g
Sodium: 260mg
Carbohydrate: 0
Calcium: 28mg
Cholesterol: 132mg
Protein: 44g
Fiber: 0

 

Source:  FoodTV

Ingredients

1 pound dried red beans
3/4 pound smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
Hot cooked long-grain rice
Hot sauce (optional)
Garnish: finely chopped green onions, finely chopped red onion

Preparation

1. Combine first 8 ingredients and 7 cups water in a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender.

2. Serve red bean mixture with hot cooked rice, and, if desired, hot sauce. Garnish, if desired.
Try These Twists!

Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice: Substitute frozen meatless smoked sausage, thawed and thinly sliced, for turkey sausage.

Per cup (with 1 cup rice): Calories 422; Fat 3.5g (sat 0.4g, mono 0.2g, poly 0.2g); Protein 21.5g; Carb 76.4g; Fiber 12.2g; Chol 0mg; Iron 6.1mg; Sodium 530mg; Calc 113mg
Quick Skillet Red Beans and Rice: Substitute 2 (16-oz.) cans light kidney beans, drained and rinsed, for dried beans. Reduce Creole Seasoning to 2 tsp. Cook sausage and next 4 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until sausage browns. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Stir in 2 tsp. seasoning, beans, and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with hot cooked rice and, if desired, hot sauce. Garnish, if desired. Makes 8 cups. Hands-on Time: 26 min., Total Time: 46 min.
Per cup (with 1 cup rice): Calories 424; Fat 3.2g (sat 1.1g, mono 0.2g, poly 0.4g); Protein 17.2g; Carb 79.5g; Fiber 7.6g; Chol 25mg; Iron 4.3mg; Sodium 804mg; Calc 76mg

Source:  Southern Living

Lori at Pugsplace posted this recipe for carbless pizza, just had to share.  This is AWESOME, Lori!

You can find the recipe on Lori’s Blog…