Snowball Cookies. Oldfashioned, and Delicious!

Snowball Cookies, just like your grandmother use to make, and they are surprisingly easy and quick to make, and sure to bring big smiles to many faces!

Ingredients:
1 cup Butter,softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
Powdered sugar for rolling.

Directions:
Cream butter and sugar in medium bowl until creamy. Add vanilla; beat until well mixed.
Add flour and pecans; beat at low speed, scraping bowl occasionally, until well mixed.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 16-18 minutes or until very lightly browned. Cool 5 minutes; roll in powdered sugar while still warm and again when cool.

Be sure to let me know if you tried these, and how they turned out for you.

Recipe for the long lost Davey Crockett Bars

Davy Crockett Bars

Known as a school cafeteria favorite of days gone by. These bars are dense, use more eggs than most recipes, and have chocolate chips, and oatmeal.

Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cup flour sifted with 1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cup oats
1 cup oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 cup nuts

Directions:
Mix together ingredients, the dough will be very stiff. It has to be pushed or patted into an ungreased pan.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes in 350 a degree oven. Do not over bake or it will be hard and dry. TRemove from oven when it is still puffed in the middle. Cut into bars or squares while warm, and watch for the look of delight from your unsuspecting guest!

Anytime I have made these, everyone who has tried them has absolutely loved them. I don't remember this treat being made at any school I went to, so those children who did have them were a very lucky bunch.

Old Fashioned Valentine's Day Brownies you'll LOVE

Old Fashioned Valentine's Day Brownies
These are incredibly good! Rich and chocolatey!!!

Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup butter or 1⁄2 cup margarine
1⁄4 cup cocoa
2 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3⁄4 cup flour
1⁄2 cup walnuts (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Melt butter in microwave.
Add the cocoa and stir.
In medium bowl beat eggs until frothy.
Add sugar, flour, salt, and vanilla (also nuts if you are using them).
Pour cocoa mixture over egg mixture and stir all together.
Put into a greased 8 x 8 pan. Preferably a heart shaped one. Bake for 30 minutes.

Old Fashioned Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients:
1 cup butter (room temperature
3 cups sugar (confectioners')
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, combine the butter with confectioners' sugar. Beat on low speed until sugar is moistened, then beat on medium to high speed for about 2 minutes.
Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk or cream and beat until smooth. Beat in more milk or cream, as needed for spreading consistency. Add a few drops of red food coloring as well, to set the mood!

My Own Sweet Valentine

Like the sweetly budding rose,
Freshened by the gentle rain
Like the Evening Star that glows,
Brightest of the starry train

Like a well arranged Bouquet,
Where the fairest flowers combine,
Odours rich and colours gay,
Is my own Sweet Valentine

A Fantastic M & M Toffee Bark Recipe

It's the perfect treat for any holiday, but especially at Christmas time. The bark is graham cracker based mixed with a layer of hard and brittle toffee, a layer of peanut butter, then a layer chocolate and an extra special layer of M&M's® and red and green sprinkles for the topping. You cannot fail with this extra special treat. Your friends and family will eat this up in no time at all. You may have to make more.

We begin by buttering the pan, or cooking spray if you prefer. Add 1 cup each of butter and brown sugar to a pot, and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Next you layer the bottom of the pan with Graham Crackers, and pour in your boiled butter/brown sugar mixture. Bake for 4 minutes at 400 F.

Remove from oven and add 3/4 cup of peanut butter. You can spread it with a spatula, but as you can see...I did not. I'll leave that up to you. Place back into the oven for a minute, until the peanut butter is melted (about 1 minute).

Remove from oven and layer your chocolate on top (2 cups, and I used milk chocolate chips), and place back in oven until melted. This will probably take a minute or two. When the chocolate is melted you can then spread it out with a spatula.

When you are finished spreading the chocolate, sprinkle the M % M candies over the top, and add red and green sprinkles...just for fun. Cool at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill completely. Once it is chilled completely you will be able to break the toffee bark into pieces. Then it's time to enjoy your work!

Blackberry Coffee Cake

A Very Good, and Old Fashioned Blackberry Coffee Cake.
Light and fluffy, crisp on the top, and filled with blackberries!

Ingredients:
Cake:
5 tablespoons salted butter, cubed, plus more for greasing the pan
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup whole milk
2 cups fresh Blackberries

Topping:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Sugar, for sprinkling over top (before placing in oven)

Directions:
For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 9inch baking pan with butter.
Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Add the egg and mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and milk alternately and mix until totally incorporated. Do not over-beat. Stir in the blackberries until evenly distributed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

For the topping: Mix the flour, sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and spoon evenly over the batter. Sprinkle a little suger over the top of that. Bake until the cake is golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes. Until toothpick comes out clean.

No Butter Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookie

Chewy Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar (or brown sugar)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven at 350 Fahrenheit.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, combine the vegetable oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Mix well until smooth.
Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture and blend. Fold in the chocolate chips. Take about one teaspoon of dough and drop the dough on a baking sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Not only are they chewy on the inside, but the outside is crispy. You will love these!

Cherry Pie Bars

Cherry Pie Bars
You can bake up a pan of these cheery Cherry Bars in just 30 minutes with staple ingredients and pie filling.

A classic cherry dessert is almost like pie. Just a couple of cans of cherry pie filling and you have a delicious, and tasty treat.

Ingredients:
For the bars:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 (21 oz.) cans cherry pie filling For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 to 3 tablespoons milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Gradually add flour.
Spread 3 cups dough into a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Spread with pie filling.
Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over filling. Bake 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, extracts and enough milk to reach desired consistency; drizzle over top.

The Best White/Chocolate Cake Ever!

An Old Fashioned, Vintage White Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe
Wouldn't you just love a good old white/chocolate cake just like grandma use to make right now?

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar.
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, melted.
2 tablespoons water.
2 large eggs.
2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour.
1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

Instructions:
PREHEAT oven to 350º F. Grease baking pan(s).
COMBINE granulated sugar, butter and water in large bowl. Stir in eggs and vanilla extract. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; stir into sugar mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread into prepared baking pan(s).
BAKE for 18 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool completely in pan(s) on wire rack. Frost when cooled, and enjoy.

Frosting
Ingredients:
3 cups sifted powdered sugar, divided
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
5 to 6 tablespoons milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
BEAT 1 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until creamy. Gradually beat in remaining sugar and milk until smooth. Makes 2 cups total.

Easy Old Fashioned Apple Bread

Don't like bananas... don't fear, there is a bread for you too!

Old Fashioned Apple Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups chopped Apples

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and salt.
In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar.
Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended.
Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

The Best Pumpkin Muffins

Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

The name is first found in print in 1703, spelled moofin, it is of uncertain origin but possibly derived from the Low German Muffen, the plural of Muffe meaning a small cake, or possibly with some connection to the Old French moufflet meaning soft as said of bread.
The type of English muffin sold today was popularized in the late 1800s by English-American baker Samuel Beth Thomas (whose baked-goods company Thomas' survives to this day).

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cooking oil
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375° F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Whisk to combine and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, milk, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold to combine. The batter will be thick.
Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Bake for 22-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the pan.

Make an Old Fashioned Plum Pudding for Christmas

Old Fashioned Plum Pudding

Plum pudding, a Christmas pudding, has been served on Christmas day for centuries. The traditional plum pudding is served in a blaze, with a sprig of holly stuck on top. For the plum pudding sauce, a little brandy is poured over the Christmas pudding and lighted at the last moment to produce the desired effect.

Plum pudding is best when made four or five weeks prior to Christmas and can be stored for months. During the Victorian era, a silver coin was baked in the pudding, with a promise of wealth in the coming year.
Many households have their own recipe for Christmas pudding, some handed down through families for generations. Essentially the recipe brings together what traditionally were expensive or luxurious ingredients, notably the sweet spices, that are so important in developing its distinctive rich aroma, and usually made with suet.

Ingredients:
1 Cup light molasses
3/4 Cup melted butter
1/2 Cup warm milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 Cup all-purpose flour, plus more to toss fruit
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 pint candied mixed fruit
1 Cup raisins
1 1/2 oz. brandy, plus 1 oz. for sauce
Holly sprig, for garnish
1/4 lb. butter
1 Cup sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Prepare wet and dry ingredients
In a mixing bowl, combine the molasses with the melted butter, milk and eggs. In another, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Add one third of the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture at a time, combining thoroughly. Add fruit and bake

Coat the candied fruit and raisins with a little flour by tossing, then add them to the batter, along with the one and a half ounces of brandy. Mix well and pour the batter into a greased, sugared steamed pudding mold. Place a rack into a large pot of water and stand the pudding mold on it. The mold should be half submerged in the water. Cover the pot and steam for 2 hours, adding more water if necessary. Prepare the hard sauce and serve

Allow the pudding to cool in the mold for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, beat together the quarter-pound of butter, the sugar, a pinch of salt, the vanilla extract and the remaining ounce of brandy. Turn out the pudding and garnish with powdered sugar and the holly sprig before serving with the hard sauce.

Wonderful Gooey Butter Cookies

Gooey Butter Cookies

A clever twist on Gooey Butter Cake is making it into cookies. Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Stir in the egg and vanilla. Add cake mix, and stir until well blended. Roll into 1inch balls and roll the balls in the confectioners' sugar. Place 1 inch apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

Alternate Recipe that I used.
Ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Beat together with an electric mixer until fluffy, about 30 seconds.
Slowly add the sugar to the cream cheese mixture while continuously beating. Beat the sugar into the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy, 1 minute.
Next, add the vanilla, whole egg, and egg yolk. Beat until combined.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the cream cheese mixture in three increments, beating in between each addition.
Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes. This should not be optional.
Preheat the oven to 325-degrees, and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Have the powdered sugar ready in a shallow bowl nearby.
Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of dough, roll it in your hands to form a ball. Roll the dough into the powdered sugar before placing them evenly on the baking sheet.
Bake for 14 minutes. Keeping a close eye on these cookies, they should not brown in the oven. The top of the cookies will be puffed and slightly wet.
I think, no matter the recipe, you will be very pleased with these cookies. As will your guest.