Welsh Cakes

    As a child and on into adulthood, these simple, not very sweet, yet tasty treats were often in our home.  They were almost always in the cookie jar at Nana's when we went to visit too.  At home, my mom usually cooked them around Christmas to go to neighbors along with other treats such as, lemon bars, Michigan Rocks, peanut butter kiss cookies and raisin bread.  In my youthful days, I despised the welsh cakes with raisins!  I once thought they were chocolate chips in the cake, and it ruined those for me until well into adulthood.  I'm glad my mom taught me to make these before her stroke.  I can't make a batch without thinking of her now, and even as I prepare this post.  Miss you mom!

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 cup of shortening 
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1½ tsp nutmeg
• 1 egg, room temp and beaten with the milk below
• 1½ cup milk (room temp)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients with your hands as if making a pie crust.  Next add the beaten egg and milk combination.  Stir with a spoon, don't beat.  Once blended, drop from a teaspoon onto greased cookie sheets.

My cousin, Kathy Peter, recently taught me to try a few cookies as a trial run to make sure the oven temp is right.  If it's right, you will bake the batches for about 13-15 minutes.  Browned, crisp bottoms are what you're looking for.

** after I cook half the batch, I add raisins to the batter and fold in.  Cook the same, but the teaspoon drops are a little bigger for these.

Enjoy!

Ginger Snaps

Ginger Snaps

One of my dad's favorite cookies was a ginger snap.  Although it took me many years to appreciate the flavor of a good ginger snap, my eldest son had affinity to these baked goods at a very young age.  This recipe is one that my father would have enjoyed immensely.  

Ingredients:

• ⅔ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ¼ cup molasses (No moles are harmed in the making of these cookies)
• 1 egg, room temp
• 2 tsp. fresh gingerroot, peeled, minced
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole wheat flour
• 3⅓ tsp ground ginger 
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, cream brown sugar with butter until light and fluffy.  Beat in molasses, egg and fresh ginger. 
2. In another bowl, combine flours, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cloves; gradually add to the creamed butter bowl and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle (1 to 1½ hours) 
3. Preheat oven to 350◦F.  In a small bowl, mix sugar and cinnamon.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar/cinnamon mixture.  Place dough balls 3in apart on parchment lined baking sheets
4. Bake until set, 10-12 minutes.  Cool for a couple of minutes before removing from the pans to wire racks to finish cooling.  Store in airtight containers.

Enjoy!

Welsh Tea Biscuits

 The tea wafers are perfect for a holiday confection, or an anytime treat!  

Welshies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 Tbsp cognac, brandy, or apple juice (I prefer Hennessey's cognac!)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 
• 1¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 2¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2½ tsp ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp ground cloves
• ⅓ cup (approximately) sliced almonds (I just stick a two or three into the top of each cookie prior to baking)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven - 375*F.   In a medium bowl combine cognac (or choice of liquid) with raisins to soak for about ten minutes.  Stir every couple minutes to soak up the "juice".

2. In a medium bowl add dry ingredients of- flour, 1½ teaspoons cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cloves.  Stir to combine.

3. In a large bowl add 1 cup of sugar and butter.  Beat until light and fluffy, then beat in egg.  Gradually add the flour mixture a little at a time until well blended.  Stir/fold in fruit and cognac mixture with a spoon using a spoon - not the beaters! 

4. In a small bowl or saucer combine the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and teaspoon of cinnamon.  Shape teaspoonfuls of dough into 1 inch balls; roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture to coat.  Place balls on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

5. Using a smooth bottomed glass dipped into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, press each ball to ¼ inch thickness.  Press almond slices into the flattened cookie dough. 

6. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks to cool completely, then store in air tight containers.  These treats can be frozen for up to three months.

Enjoy!

Candy Cane Christmas Kiss Cookies

      The most wonderful time of the year can also be a very stressful time of the year - shopping, cleaning, decorating, wrapping, children underfoot, traffic, should I go on?  These simple cookies will help with the baking stress!  These scrumptious treats are simple and fun to make which makes a great combination when you have a sweet helper like I do!

Ingredients:

1 box of Devil's Food cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup of oil
30-40 Hershey Kisses (Candy Cane striped are the best, but the dark chocolate were good as well)

Yes, that's right - just four ingredients.  I told you simple and easy.

Directions:

Dump the box of mix in a large bowl.  Crack and beat the eggs in a small bowl then add to the mix with the oil.  Using a spoon, mix until blended smooth.

Take little pinches in your hands and roll into balls the size of a walnut.  Place the cookies on a baking sheet with either parchment paper or silicon baking mat.

Bake in preheated oven (350 degrees) for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for a minute or two, then top with a Kiss and allow to cool completely.

ENJOY!!

** Sorry about the picture quality... we didn't pull out the good camera for this baking.  :)