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[nverland]

Cowboy Stew

Ingredients
1 lb. lean ground beef
2 Tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 15 1/4 oz. can of whole kernel corn
1 15 1/4 oz. can ranch style beans
1 small can of rotel tomatoes and green chiles
1 cup chopped onion
salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
shredded cheese
sour cream
salsa
corn or flour tortillas

Directions
Brown ground beef and drain excess fat. Add chili powder, garlic salt, salt and pepper, and onions, and cook on medium heat till onions are clear or soft. Add corn, rotel and beans, and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve in heated tortillas and garnish with cheese, salsa and sour cream.



Cookies 2 –

Ginger Drops

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon clove powder
2 tablespoons powdered ginger
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses

Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and ginger together. Then in a separate bowl, work or cream butter and shortening together until fluffy. Gradually mix in sugar; keep beating until fluffy. Add unbeaten eggs one at a time, stirring hard after each addition. Mix in molasses and flour mixture thoroughly.
Drop teaspoons of dough onto ungreased baking sheet, allowing for spreading. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cool a few minutes before removing from baking sheet.



Almond Christmas
Yield: 4 dozen

1 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup ground almonds
1 cup granulated sugar
4 dozen candied cherries

Cream butter, adding powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add flour, salt, vanilla and almonds. Mix well. Shape a teaspoon of dough around a candied cherry. Bake on greased sheet at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Roll in colored sugar before cooling.



Sugar Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen

1 cup unsalted butter plus two tablespoons
1 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
3 egg yolks (reserve whites for frosting)
1 teaspoon of pure flavored extract, your choice
2 tablespoons powdered vanilla or 1 tablespoon double-strength pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, ideally with a paddle or dough hook in an upright mixer. Add salt, egg yolks, powdered vanilla, flavor extract and heavy cream and mix on low. Add flour a cup at a time until fully incorporated (you’ll know it’s ready when the dough leaves the sides of the bowl).
Hand form dough into flat disc, wrap in plastic wrap or bag and refrigerate for a minimum of three hours.
Separate into halves before rolling and leave extra half in the refrigerator. Layer parchment and wax paper and roll dough on top to a 1/4-inch thickness.
Place in the freezer for 10 minutes to chill, remove and use cookie cutters as desired. Lift shaped cookies with a spatula and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes until the opaque shine of the butter fades. Make sure cookies do not begin to brown before they are removed to cool.

Royal Icing

3 egg whites
One pound box powdered sugar (equal to 3 3/4 to 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon butter flavored extract
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon pure extract, i.e. vanilla, almond, lemon, etc.
Food coloring
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons meringue powder

Dump everything except the water, meringue powder and food coloring in a bowl and mix slowly until fluffy. Divide into five bowls or ramekins, leaving extra frosting in the mixer.
Mix water and meringue powder in a squeeze bottle and put a little into each frosting bowl until the texture becomes like honey. Add food coloring.

Spread with the back of a spoon to the edge of each cookie.
Add embellishments like sprinkles or candy and let dry. For a more elaborate cookie, pipe reserved frosting on after base coat has dried.



Persimmon Cookies
Yield: 2 dozen

1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup persimmon pulp (see tips below)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon salt
teaspoon nutmeg
teaspoon cinnamon
teaspoon cloves
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts

Cream shortening, sugar and egg. Add persimmon pulp. Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Stir in raisins. Add nuts last.
Drop by spoonfuls on greased cookie sheet (I use parchment paper). Bake in 375-degree oven until cookies test done.
Tips
1. "Six small persimmons make about a cup of pulp. I let them ripen to quite soft for a few days prior to making pulp in a food processor."
2. "Persimmons are available at local grocery stores like Albertsons and WinCo."
3. "This recipe may take a little extra effort with the pulp, but the cookies are very moist and quite delicious."



White Dreams
Yield: 2 dozen

2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
1 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 ounces vanilla chips

Icing:

3 tablespoons butter
1 ounce vanilla chips
Powdered sugar
1 teaspoon milk or cream

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix melted butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Blend dry mix and wet mix thoroughly, adding vanilla chips slowly and mixing thoroughly. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat cookie sheet with butter or nonstick spray. Roll dough into balls, then place on cookie sheets spaced several inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.
For icing, melt butter and vanilla chips together. Add milk or cream and stir together. Add powdered sugar until thickened to taste. Place in refrigerator until cookies are ready to ice.
Tip
He suggests using Guittard Choc-Au-Lait Vanilla Milk Chips in this recipe.



Frosty Fruit Bars
Yield: 5 dozen

1/4 cup soft shortening, 1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar or 1/2 cup Splenda
1 egg
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup mixed candied fruit
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix butter and shortening, sugar, egg and orange rind. Stir in juice. Sift dry ingredients together and stir into mix. Add fruit and nuts by hand.
Divide dough in half. Roll each half on lightly floured board into a 12x7-inch rectangle. From these, cut six 7x2-inch strips.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes on lightly greased baking sheet. While warm, spread with a confectioners sugar icing and decorate with candied fruit. Cut into bars.



Chocolate Crackle Cookies
Yield: 5 dozen

1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Powdered sugar

Melt chocolate chips in large sauce pan and stir in brown sugar and oil. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Add vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and add to chocolate mixture. Stir in nuts. Chill dough at least an hour.
Roll into walnut-sized balls and then in powdered sugar, to coat. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees about 10 to 12 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cookie will be crisp on the outside and chewy inside.
Tips
1. “If you’re baking several different kinds of cookies, set aside a few hours and make all the different recipes one after the other, starting with the lightest color dough. It is not necessary to wash the beaters or bowls, just keep going. Put each batch of dough in a tightly sealed bowl or in plastic bags, keeping the recipes with each batch. Dough can be stored in the refrigerator (or at this time of year, on a table in the garage). This way you only have to wash all the bowls, measuring cups, spoons and beaters at one time.”
2. “When you’re ready to start baking, line cookie sheets with parchment and start baking one batch after another, again starting with the lightest color dough. It's easy to bake just one tray of each and have a nice variety of cookies to serve or give as gifts. Or you can bake everything and store them all baked. Now, you only have the cookie sheets to wash.”