Peanut Blossoms

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 dozen chocolate hershey’s kisses

In large bowl, beat shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar & 1/2 cup sugar until light & fluffy. Add egg, milk & vanilla, mix well. Combine flour, baking soda & salt. Add to ingredients. Shape dough into 1” balls, roll in 1/4 c. sugar. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 8 minutes at 375 degrees.. Remove from oven & place a candy in center of each cookie. Press down until cookie cracks. Return to oven & bake 2-3 minutes more. Makes 4-5 dozen. 75 calories each.

Italian Fig Cookies (Cucidati) I use this recipe from now on.

I make a full recipe of dough and the half recipe of filling. It come out just right.

Dough

5 pounds flour
1 dozen eggs
4 cups shortening
10 tablespoons baking powder
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla
2 cups heavy cream

Beat eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla together. Mix in a large bowl the flour, baking powder and shortening. Cut the shortening with a pastry blender.   Make a well and add other ingredients. Roll out dough into strips. Fill with fig mixture pumped from pastry bag into long rows. Roll over with dough, press to seal edges and cut on diagonal. Bake 15 minutes in 375 degree oven.

Makes about 14-15 dozen.


Filling                                                                     Half Fig Filling Recipe
3 pounds kalamata crown figs,  remove stems        2 lbs kalamata crown figs, remove stems
1/2 #-1 lb raisins                                                     1/4 # golden raisins
2 - 12 oz jars orange marmalade.                             2 - 12 oz jars orange marmalade.
16 oz jar honey.                                                            8 oz honey
1/2 #-1 lb dates.                                                            1/4# dates
1 whole orange including rind.                                    1 whole orange including rind.  
2 cups walnuts, chopped and toasted                          2 cups walnuts and almonds, chopped and toasted
1/2 teaspoon black pepper                                         1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves                    2 teaspoons each of cinnamon, 

                                                                                         nutmeg, cloves
1 teaspoon salt                                                           1 teaspoon salt
                                                                                   1/4 tsp Sicilia de fiori (optional)

Cut end off figs and Boil figs and raisins for 5 minutes to soften. Save water in case you need some. Grind dates with whole orange including rind, and fig mixture. Add pepper, cinnamon, salt,  and walnuts last. Add remaining liquid from boiled fig mixture if too dry. Blend well and refrigerate in plastic zip lock bag.

Use pastry bag to pipe filling onto dough. Mixture will keep for a long time.

Frosting
2 cups confectionery sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cream of tartar

Whisk together. Add milk until you get a good consistency. Frosting should be on the thick side.
Sprinkle wet frosting with candy sprinkles and let dry completely before storing in container.

Spienges

2 pounds ricotta cheese
2 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs

Whip ricotta cheese until fluffy. Then add eggs, beat a few seconds together.

Add the sifted flour and baking powder together. Add the sifted flour and baking powder together. Mix well with the ricotta cheese and eggs.

Deep fry in hot vegetable oil until golden brown a teaspoon at a time. Oil temperature should be at 350 degrees.

Mix honey and small amount of hot water. Pour over spienges and sprinkle with toasted sliced almonds and colored sprinkles.

Buckeyes (Sam's favorite)

1 pound confectionary sugar
1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 oz. Bag chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Line cookie sheet with wax paper. Mix peanut butter, vanilla and confectionery sugar with your hands to form dough. Form into teaspoon size balls. Put on cookie sheet and refrigerate until hard.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in saucepan on low heat. Do not boil. Stick a toothpick in each ball and dip in chocolate just on the bottom and refrigerate until hard.

Dear Abby's Famous Pecan Pie

Granny's German Coffee Cake

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda

Cream sugar and butter, add eggs. Beat together and add vanilla and sour cream. Beat well. Add baking powder, baking soda to flour and add to mixture half at a time. Beat until creamy.

Topping
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
chopped walnuts

Grease and flour pan. Put half of dough in pan and spread evenly. Top with half of topping misture. Add the other half of dough on top and repeat with sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Tak a teaspoon and press nuts and sugar in dough.

Bake at 375 degrees. Test with a knife to see if it is done.

Pizza Bread

1 loaf prepared pizza dough
sandwich pepperoni
provolone cheese
hot peppers (optional)
pecorino romano cheese

Roll out dough to desired thickness. Try to roll it thin because it puffs up. Spread olive oil all over the dough with your hands, except for about an inch around the edges.

Sprinkle pepper, garlic powder, a little oregano, some red pepper flakes and grated cheese.

Lay out the provolone cheese, then pepperoni on the dough and roll into a loaf, enclosing the sides.

Poke some holes to let the steam escape. Bake at 350 degrees.

Cool, slice, and enjoy!