Welcome to My Kitchen

You never know what you will find hid among the zucchini. To make a long story short, the cookie recipes that we had been waiting for were in with a packet of at least a hundred zucchini recipes, which I filed away until zucchini season.

So for all who have been waiting for Cindi Bell’s Ginger Snap recipe, here it is.

Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/4 cup black strap molasses

2 cups flour, sifted

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp each ground ginger, cinnamon and cloves

Granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease cookie sheets and set aside.

In large mixer bowl, combine shortening, sugar and eggs. Beat until light and fluffy. Add molasses and beat well.

In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Add to shortening mixture, blending well.

Shape mixture into small balls (about 1 inch) and roll in granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12-15 minutes until cookies are set and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Cooking with kids is a great way to keep math and reading skills honed during the summer months. Substituting various ingredients can become science experiments. Some cookie recipes call for shortening, others butter or margarine. Each of these ingredients makes the end product bake differently.

Cindi’s recipe for Snickerdoodles calls for shortening, my recipe calls for butter and my 1964 edition Pillsbury Cookbook calls for margarine.

The fat called for is the only difference in the three recipes. Kids all seem to like snickerdoodles so have them try this baking science experiment.

First bake Cindi’s recipe as printed in this column, then bake them with butter and then with margarine. Conduct a taste test to find your family favorite.

Snickerdoodles

1 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 3/4 cup flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Rolling mixture:

6 Tbsp granulated sugar

6 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cookies sheets with cooking spray or lightly grease; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl cream together, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Stir into creamed mixture until well combined.

In a small dish, combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Shape cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.

Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Cindi didn’t specify the yield on these recipes but my test yielded about 4 dozen.

Share your results from your summer baking experience by sending your comments and photos to the address at this columns end.

Three batches of cookies all at once may fill your cookie jar to overflowing. Use some of your cookie abundance to make ice cream sandwiches. Following is an easy way to form ice cream into rounds to fit your cookies.

You will need a half gallon brick of your favorite ice cream. Two sheets of freezer paper and a sharp long blade knife.

Open ice cream carton so ice cream is completely exposed and cut brick in half the long way. Place each half on a sheet of freezer paper and thaw 20-30 minutes. Carefully fold up one edge of the freezer paper and gently roll ice cream until a cylinder is formed the size of your cookies.

Wrap tightly in the freezer paper and re-freeze until firm. Cut into half inch slices and place each slice between two cookies. Eat immediately or freeze for later.

Summer temperatures may cause one to push the slow-cooker to the back of the cupboard. Though we think of the slow-cooker as a wintertime appliance, it can greatly reduce kitchen cooking heat. A seasoned chicken or chicken parts can be cooked overnight then chilled the next day for evening meal supper salads.

Chilled, cooked chicken may also be used in numerous sandwich fillings. Garden Herb Chicken is easy to prepare and a flavorful way to use home grown dill, chives, oregano, basil, thyme and tarragon.

Garden Herb Chicken

3-5 pound chicken or the equivalent in chicken parts.

Sprigs of your favorite fresh herbs.

Coarsely ground black pepper

Salt (optional)

Rinse and drain chicken. Pat dry with paper towels. Rinse and drain fresh herbs. Place herb sprigs in whole chicken cavity and place in slow-cooker crock. If using chicken parts, nestle herb sprigs among the chicken parts. Sprinkle with black pepper, and salt if desired.

Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours or high 6-7 hours. Turn slow-cooker to off, uncover crock and let stand 30 minutes. Remove chicken, de-bone, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Strain the flavorful broth and freeze for next winters soup.

If you have an outdoor space, safe from pets and night roaming animals, set up your slower-cooker in that area, and keep all the cooking heat outside.

Meatloaf for sandwiches, spaghetti and tomato sauces for freezing are other recipes that make summer use of your slow cooker.

Share your favorite summer recipes by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Odessa Record, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159 or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. Does anyone know where you can buy un-sulfured molasses within a hundred miles of Odessa?