Welcome to my Kitchen

We missed National Cookie Day, December 4, so I am declaring February 21, Odessa Cookie Day. Make some cookies and share with your neighbors, a community- wide cookie swap. Here are some recipes to get you started.

Gwen Clavel shared two cookie recipes I requested, but she had to wait until December to share. She gave cookies to me as part of Quilt Club Secret Sewing Pals. Very Good Oatmeal Cookies need no further introduction.

Very Good

Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter or margarine

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups rolled oats

In an extra-large mixing bowl beat butter with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, baking powder, vanilla, and baking soda. Beat until combined. Beat in as much flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in remaining flour. Then stir in the oats.

Drop dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. (for large cookies, drop into scant 1/4-cup mounds 4 inches apart; for smaller cookies, drop by rounded teaspoon 2 inches apart.)

Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven until edges are golden but centers are soft, allowing 13-15 minutes for large cookies and 9-11 minutes for small cookies. Cool on cookie sheet for 1 minute. Remove cookies from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack. Store in an airtight container or plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Makes about 11 large cookies or 32 small cookies.

Note: you may add raisins or chocolate chips or butter brickle bits if you like.

Gwen’s second recipe is Peanut Butter Cookies, with plenty of peanut butter flavor but not overly sweet.

Peanut Butter Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Stir together flour, baking soda and salt. In a mixer bowl beat butter for 30 seconds. Add peanut butter and sugars; beat until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture; beat till well combined.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in extra granulated sugar, if desired. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet; crisscross with the tines of a fork. Bake in a 375 degree oven about 10 minutes. Cool about 1 minute before removing to a wire rack. Yield: 48 cookies.

Kathie Donahue brought two kinds of bar cookies to a recent quilting workday. Her Bar Cookies recipes is based on a recipe by Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. These very rich shortbread cookies lend themselves well to many variations.

Bar Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup Splenda Brown sugar Blend or, 1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups oatmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mixing until well combined. Press mixture into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35 minutes. Cut while warm and cool in pan until completely cool. Enjoy!

Maple Variation: Add 1 tsp maple flavoring and bake as directed.

Peanut Butter Variation: replace 1/2 cup of the butter with 1/2 cup peanut butter and mix as directed. Place 1/2 the mixture in baking pan. Top with a thin layer of jam. Cover with remaining cookie mixture and press down. Bake as directed.

Note: I made the peanut butter variation, omitting the jam. Yummy peanut butter shortbread. All versions make about 3 dozen bars.

If you must have cake, Emma Cloud shared the recipe for the Pumpkin Roll she brought to the Community Christmas dinner. Cut into pretty pinwheel rounds they, make a nice presentation for sharing.

Pumpkin Roll

Cake:

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Filling:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a jellyroll pan or rimmed cookie sheet and line with waxed paper. Butter the waxed paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, granulated sugar, pumpkin and flour; mix well. Add baking soda, salt and cinnamon, stirring until well combined and spice evenly distributed.

Pour mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 12-15 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched. Turn cake out onto a clean white dish towel and remove waxed paper. Flip edge of towel over narrow edge of cake and roll towel and cake up jellyroll style and cool in refrigerator.

When cake is cold, combine filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Remove cake from refrigerator and carefully unroll. Remove towel. Frost curled side of the cake with cream cheese mixture. Re-roll cake and wrap tightly in waxed paper and then foil and refrigerate until serving time. You can make a day ahead. Yield: 10-12 servings when sliced 3/4 inch thick.

Share your favorite recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, or by email: therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Take advantage of above freezing weather to turn compost piles.