The Way to a Man's Heart~ Basic Spritz #Cookies #recipes #goodeats

 The Way to a Man's ♥~

Basic Spritz Cookies

 My grandma makes these cookies around Christmas time, but they're a fine little nibble for the sweet tooth of your Sweetie!

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened (I find that real butter works better than margarine)
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract (or almond also works good)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375º

1. Place butter & shortening in large mixing bowl. Cream together on medium high speed.
2. Add sugar gradually. Beat until light & fluffy, about 5 minutes.
3. Add egg & vanilla; mix well using medium speed.
4. Combine flour, baking powder & salt in separate bowl. Add to butter/sugar mixture in 3 additions; mixing well after each addition. Dough will be stiff.
5. Assemble & fill cookie press with dough. Use desired disc.
6. Press cookies on ungreased, uncoated cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Do not overbake.

Yields: 6-7 dozen cookies.

 Sweets for the Sweet!

The Way to a Man's Heart~ Aunt Mary Lee's Yeast #Rolls #goodeats #recipes

 The Way to a Man's ♥~

Aunt Mary Lee's Yeast Rolls

This recipe comes from the kitchen of one my my great aunts. Though no longer with us, I think of her every time I make these. Finding the way to a man's heart is often through his stomach and a hearty buttery rolls can often do the trip. This is a recipe that does take time and is done in "parts."
 
Part 1: Mix together in cup and let set-
1 package yeast
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 2: Bring to boil and set aside to mix with dry ingredients
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup water
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 3: Mix these ingredients-
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part 4:

1. Mix boiled water & butter with dry ingredients
2. Add 1/2 cup COLD water
3. Add yeast water mixture
4. Mix well
5. Add 1 egg at end 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Once all ingredients are mixed, COVER (I usually use a warm damp kitchen towel that I've wetted and wrung out)
Let sit for 1 HOUR (it should double in size)
Place on floured surface and knead
Shape into sizes you like- be that folded/rounded rolls or, like me, I tend to make the cloverleaf pattern (cut well kneaded dough into even amounts of 3 small balls each and portion them out into lightly buttered/oiled muffin tins)
Cover again and let sit for 1-2 additional hours (I set mine inside the oven on the racks- though not with the oven on)
When ready to prepare
Set rolls aside (or take them out of oven if that's where the dough has been resting)
Preheat oven to 425º
Brush tops with melted butter
Bake for up to 30 minutes or so.

(It usually only takes about 12 minutes for my oven, so when attempting these the first time, you might want to bake in 10 minute increments until golden brown and done)

The longer they sit, the lighter and airier they should be. :)

Enjoy!

(especially good with beef stew or pot roast)

The Way to a Man's Heart~ Momma's Sugar #Cookies #recipe #sweetsforthesweet

The Way to a Man's ♥-

Momma's Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup part butter, part shortening- softened

1 Cup sugar

2 Eggs

1- teaspoon Vanilla

2 1/2 Cups of Flour (self-rising)

 

1. Pre-heat oven to 400º
2. Mix all ingredients, adding vanilla last
3. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour
4. Flour countertop, roll out and cut with favorite cookie cutters (mine happen to be butterflies)
5. Bake for 6-8 minutes, keeping a close eye on them as they brown QUICKLY

Frosting options-
BEFORE BAKING- Brush with egg whites and sprinkle with colored sugar or favorite sprinkles
~OR~
Forgo egg white wash and sugar and use Powered Sugar Icing recipe AFTER baking the cookies, recipe listed below—

POWDERED SUGAR ICING

1-2 Tablespoons Milk
2 Tablespoons Butter
Powdered Sugar until desired consistency is achieved.

The Way to a Man's Heart~ Broccoli & Cauliflower Slaw #recipe

The Way to a Man's Heart ♥

Broccoli & Cauliflower Slaw

Ingredients-

1 head of Cauliflower

1 head of Broccoli

½ red onion

Five Bacon slices (or you can use a few Tablespoons of Bacon Bits)

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar

1 Cup Miracle Whip

½ cup Sugar

2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

Directions-

Chop up cauliflower, broccoli florets and onion, set aside in large bowl

Mix together Miracle Whip, Sugar and Red Wine Vinegar and then combine all ingredients until well blended and chill in covered container in fridge for a few hours before serving to let the flavors marry.

The Way to a Man's Heart~ Applesauce Cake & Caramel Drizzle #recipe

Applesauce Cake & Caramel Drizzle

Happy Derby Day! I'm running late again this weekend as I seem to be doing a LOT here lately in all aspects of my daily routines. Today, here in Kentucky it's the Run for the Roses, wonderfully big and beautiful hats and sipping mint juleps at the racetrack.

I've never attended the Derby and this year will mark the first time ever in my life I won't get to watch it because our switch from satellite to using just a converter box cut us off from having an NBC station we can pull in (plus hubby and I are going to see Iron Man 3~ SQUEE!)— but today I will leave you with something sweet and decadent to enjoy- a double recipe- cake AND topping!

It's not a mint julep, but it's some good southern style decadence in it's own right. ENJOY!

Ingredients-

½ cup butter

1 cup white sugar
1 cup chilled applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ cup raisins

½ cup chopped walnuts

Directions-

1. Cream butter or margarine with sugar.
2. Add applesauce and beat well.
3. Stir in flour, baking soda, and spices.
4. Add nuts and raisins.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8 inch square pan. Back at 350º for 40 minutes or until done. Serve warm with Brown Sugar/Caramel Icing (recipe follows)

***

Brown Sugar Icing (aka Caramel Icing)

Ingredients-

Stick butter

1 cup packed Brown Sugar

2 cups Powdered Sugar

¼ cup Milk

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1. Melt butter in saucepan
2. Add Brown Sugar, boil for 2 minutes
3. Add Milk and bring back to a boil
4. Remove from heat and cool until lukewarm
5. Beat in Powdered Sugar and Vanilla
6. Drizzle over cake (poke small holes in cake if you wish)

(this icing is also good over nutty cakes or yellow cake)

The Way to a Man's Heart~ My Momma's Mustard Potato Salad #recipe

The Way to a Man's ♥

Mustard Potato Salad

This is not technically one of my husband's favorites, but it's a great companion to grilled out burgers, hot dogs, chicken or steak and can generally be found on the table at many a cookout. Some would even say that it's a backyard necessity if you're going to be cooking out. This is my mom's recipe for Mustard Potato Salad, one of my favorites, which I recently discovered is actually called Amish Potato Salad.

Ingredients-

4-5 medium to large potatoes
1 small onion
1-2 stalks of celery
2-4 sweet pickles
Miracle Whip
Yellow Mustard
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
Dash of Paprika


Directions-

1. Peel and cube potatoes into bite size. Steam until tender (about 35-40 minutes in a steamer)
2. Meanwhile, dice onions, celery and pickles
3. Mix Miracle Whip, Mustard and Sugar together until well blended
4. Stir in diced raw veggies
5. Let potatoes cool for a bit and then stir in the rest of ingredients
6. Place in dish with lid and lightly dash with paprika. Refrigerate until cold and ready to serve.

The Way to a Man's Heart~ Overnight #Slaw #recipe

Overnight Slaw

(updated to add a pic of the overnight slaw I made)

This is a recipe my mom and grandmother have made before and it's a pretty refreshing twist on an old favorite. I might have to make some soon.

(half the recipe for less)

1st part of Ingredients-
Medium Size Head of Cabbage
2 Shredded Carrots
Small Onion
Green Pepper (optional)
1 Cup Sugar (Combine these ingredients and pour sugar over veggies, set aside)

2nd part of Ingredients
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon dry mustard (yellow mustard if you don’t have dry)
1 Teaspoon Celery Seeds (optional)
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup White Vinegar
¾ Cup Vegetable Oil

Directions-

1. Combine 2nd set of Ingredients in sauce pan and bring to boil

2. Remove from heat

3. Pour over and stir into 1st set of Ingredients (the veggie list above)

Cover and refrigerate OVERNIGHT

The Way To a Man's Heart- Chocolate Fudge Sauce

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Sauce

This recipe is one I remember my grandmother making for a warm rich chocolate sauce you pour over cake, usually plain chocolate cake. You can also pour it over vanilla ice cream. It takes 10 minutes and makes 1 ½ cups.

Ingredients-

¼ cup Cocoa

1 cup Sugar

½ cup Milk (or canned evaporated milk to make it richer)

2 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup or Pancake Syrup

3 Tablespoons Butter or Margarine

¼-teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions-

1. Measure all but vanilla into 1 ½ quart sauce pan
2. Stir until blended 
3. Bring to boil over moderate high heat (med high) 
4. Boil 1 minutes, stirring constantly
5. Remove from heat and add Vanilla
6. To reheat, stir in pan 5-8 minutes on low or 2-3 minutes on high in microwave, covered, stirring ½ way through.

The Way to a Man's Heart- Pecan Sandies

Pecan Sandies

Not too sweet, but with a wonderfully buttery and nutty flavor, this cookie, I've often heard called a "Wedding" cookie, is a suitable treat anytime and disappear quickly!

Ingredients-

1 Cup of Butter (2 sticks)

1/3 Cup Sugar

2 Teaspoons Vanilla

2 Cups All Purpose or Self-Rising Flour (either)

1 Cup Chopped Pecans

¼ Cup Powdered Sugar (confectioner’s sugar)

2 Teaspoons Water

Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 325º

2. Beat Butter for 30 seconds

3. Add Sugar and beat until fluffy

4. Add Vanilla and 2 teaspoons water; beat well

5. Stir in flour and pecans

6. Shape into balls(about 1 inch balls)

7. Place on ungreased cookie sheets

8. Bake for about 20 minutes

9. Cool completely and shake a few at a time in a Ziploc bag with powdered sugar