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1 package (8 oz250 g ) non-spreadable cream cheese
½ cup 125 ml butter/margerine
¼ cup63 ml brown sugar
Options:
½ tsp 3ml maple extract

Bring cheese and butter to room temperature (or microwave 30 seconds)
In a bowl, CREAM TOGETHER cheese and butter.
MIX in sugar and maple extract. MIX well.
ICE cake or squares when cool.

Notes:
This will remain creamy at room temperature, or harden in the refrigerator.

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1 cup 250 ml sugar
2 Tbsp30 ml butter
2 eggs
2 large cups 275 ml rolled oats
½ tsp 3 ml salt
4 Tbsp 60 ml flour
2 tsp 10 ml baking powder
3 ml 500 g almond extract

PREHEAT oven to 325 F160 C .
In a medium sized bowl, CREAM TOGETHER sugar and butter, add eggs.
MIX WELL.
ADD all other ingredients. MIX WELL.
Using a teaspoon, DROP onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
LEAVE ROOM for macaroons to spread.
BAKE 15-18 minutes, until golden.
COOL on cookie sheet for 1 minute.
REMOVE from parchment using a spatula.

Notes: Makes about 24 macaroons. Store covered on the counter for one week, or freeze for 1 month.

So glad I tried these! Super easy and tasty!

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2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
½ cup 125 ml sugar
½ cup 125 ml chopped walnuts/nuts
2 cups 500 ml cornflakes
Options:
½ tsp 3 ml vanilla extract
½ cup 125 ml dried, flaked coconut

PREHEAT oven to 300°F. 150 C
In a medium sized bowl, BEAT egg whites and salt until stiff.
Gradually ADD sugar, beating constantly.
(BEAT IN vanilla.)
FOLD IN nuts, cornflakes (and coconut.)
Using a teaspoon, DROP onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
BAKE at 275°F. 135 C for 10 - 12 minutes.
COOL for 1 minute.
REMOVE from sheet with spatula.

Notes: Makes about 2 dozen kisses. Keeps for 1 week on the counter, in an airtight container.

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1/3 cup83 ml milk
½ cup125 ml butter
7 oz200 g unsweetened/semisweet chocolate
2¼ cups563 ml icing sugar

Don’t start making the frosting until the cake is cooled a bit. This is very fast to make, and too long over the heat will crystallize it.
Over medium-high heat, in a medium-sized pot, BRING TO BOIL milk and butter.
SIFT icing sugar while you are waiting for the boil.
ADD chocolate, vanilla and icing sugar.
BEAT well.
REMOVE from heat.
This frosting can be poured (or oozed) over a cake, or add more sugar to make it a bit thicker to spread over a cake.

Nicole’s family made this recipe often. She said that it would be stored in the cooking pan, that had a lid that could be slid on. I have since heard someone else mention these metal baking pans with slide-on lids. Where does one find them?

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White ribbon mixture:
2 Tbsp30 ml butter
¼ cup63 ml sugar
1 Tbsp15 ml corn flour
9 oz250 g cream cheese
1 egg
2 Tbsp30 ml milk
½ tsp3 ml vanilla extract
Cake batter:
2 cups500 ml wheat flour
2 cups500 ml sugar
1 tsp5 ml salt
1 tsp5 ml baking powder
1 tsp5 ml baking soda
½ cup125 ml soft butter
1½ cups375 ml milk
2 eggs
4.5 oz125 g unsweetened chocolate
1 tsp5 ml vanilla extract
Frosting:
See Chocolate Frosting recipe


SOFTEN ½ cup125 ml and 2 Tbsp30 ml butter at room temperature for ½ hour.
START chocolate melting over a double boiler.
PREHEAT oven to 350 F175 C.
BUTTER and FLOUR/COCOA 9” X 12”23 X 30 cm or 10”25 cm round (nothing smaller) pan
In a medium-sized bowl, CREAM together 2 Tbsp30 ml butter, ¼ cup63 ml sugar and 1 Tbsp15 ml corn flour.
ADD cream cheese and beat until fluffy (about 2 minutes.)
ADD 1 egg, 2 Tbsp30 ml milk and ½ tsp3 ml vanilla. BEAT well (another 2 minutes)
In a larger bowl, SIFT together: 2 cups500 ml wheat flour, 2 cups sugar500 ml, salt, baking powder and baking soda.
ADD ½ cup125 ml butter and 1 cup250 ml milk. BEAT 1½ minutes.
ADD ½ cup125 ml milk, 2 eggs, melted chocolate and 1 tsp5 ml vanilla. BEAT for another 1½ minutes.
POUR ½ the cake batter pan. SPOON on all the cheese mixture. POUR the remaining cake batter over cheese mixture.
BAKE for 55 - 65 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
COOL cake for 30 minutes.
MAKE Chocolate Frosting.
POUR FROSTING OVER CAKE in pan.
Notes: Serve cake warm or cold directly from pan. Keep on counter for 3 days. Can be frozen for 1 month.

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2 Tbsp30 ml Instant Coffee crystals
3 Tbsp 45 mllight cream/half and half
1 cup 250 mlsoftened butter/margarine
2/3 cup 167 mlgranulated white sugar
2/3 cup 167 mlpacked brown sugar
1 tsp 5 mlbaking soda
¼ tsp 1 mlsalt
1 egg
1 tsp 5 mlvanilla
2 ¼ cups 563 mlall purpose flour
¼ cup 63 mlunsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup 125 mlchopped walnuts/pecans
½ cup 125 mlminiature semi- sweet chocolate chips
PRE HEAT oven to 375°F190°C.
In a small bowl, DISSOLVE coffee crystals in 1 Tbsp 15 mlof light cream. SET ASIDE.
 In a large mixing bowl, BEAT butter until very soft.
ADD granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. BEAT until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
BEAT IN coffee mixture, egg and vanilla until combined.
BEAT IN as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. STIR in any remaining flour.
 DIVIDE the dough in half. REMOVE one portion from bowl and SET ASIDE in another bowl.
STIR in the remaining 2 Tbsp 30 mlof light cream and the cocoa powder into the remaining portion.
STIR nuts into the chocolate portion.
STIR chocolate chips into the plain dough.
DROP scant teaspoons of each dough, side by side, onto an un-greased cookie sheet (for best results, line the cookie sheet with parchment paper before cooking).
PRESS dough pairs together.
BAKE for 8 or 9 minutes or until just set.
LET STAND on cookie sheet for 1 minute after removing from oven.
TRANSFER to a wire rack and let cool.

Notes:
Makes ? dozen cookies. Keep unrefrigerated for 2 weeks or frozen 1 month.

Perfect for the office cookie exchange.

I have a poor memory, but I remember the first time I tried these little round sweet and tender delights. Mrs. Kickbush was always so generous, it was no surprise that she would share her recipe with me.
I also remember the phone call to Mrs. K the first time I tried the recipe. “It is just all crumbly and floury - are you sure I have added all the ingredients?” “DON’T add anything! Just keep working it, the dough will come together.” Which it did, and always has - it takes longer if the ingredients are colder.
Once, I was in a hurry to get one more batch done the day before the cookie exchange at work. Instead of refrigerating the rolls and then slicing, I rolled/patted the dough directly onto a parchment-lined cooking sheet. I sliced the slab into wafers before baking the solid mass. It worked really well, the slab broke apart at the slices perfectly and left me with rectangular, very lightly coloured cookies. The slab only browned slightly around the edges.

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1 cup250 ml butter
¾ cup190 ml rice flour
1¾ cup440 ml white flour
½ cup125 ml icing sugar
½ tsp3 ml salt

Options:
½ tsp3 ml maple/walnut/pecan/almond extract/syrup
Try substituting corn masa harina (not meal) for the rice flour.
Or whole wheat for white wheat flour.

MEASURE butter when it is cold.
In a mediums-sized bowl, ALLOW butter to WARM to room temperature.
SIFT over butter, flours, sugar and salt. (ADD extract/syrups)
CREAM together. CONTUNUE until well combined.
KNEAD with your hands for 5 minutes. It will all come together to form a nice dough.
DIVIDE dough in ½ and make 2 rolls about 1”3 cm in diameter.
CHILL at least 2 hours. (can also be frozen for 1 month at this stage, then defrosted in the refrigerator)
PREHEAT oven to 325°F160 C.
SLICE rolls into ¼“6 mm cookies.
PLACE on 2 ungreased pans lined with parchment paper. (the cookies only spread slightly, so can be well within ½"1 cm from each other)
BAKE at 325°F160 C for 12-18 minutes.
WATCH carefully after 10 minutes. Cookies should hardly golden at all.
COOL on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring.
COOKIES are best when aged for 1 week in an airtight container.

Notes: Makes 48 cookies. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks, or freeze for 1 month. Recipe can be doubled, but then knead it for longer.

Adapted from “Better Homes and Gardens Old-Fashioned Home Baking”. This recipe is double the original - because they are that good.
A lifetime ago, when I was in college, and did such things, I would add “pot, the size of 2 thumbs - well crumbled” and subtract 1/4 cup of the four. The overall effect was not bad. But not as good as Nettie’s Chocolate Chip and Green Cookies - which I will one day get you the recipe for.

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1 cup250 ml shortening/lard
1 cup250 ml butter/margarine
5 cups1 1/4 litre white/whole wheat flour
2 cups500 ml packed brown sugar
1 cup250 ml white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp10 ml vanilla
1 tsp5 ml baking soda
2 - 12 oz340 g packages/4 cups1 litre semisweet chocolate pieces/candy-coated milk chocolate pieces
2 cups500 ml chopped pecans/walnuts/hazelnuts

ADD shortening and butter to a very large bowl. ALLOW to reach room temperature (it takes about 1/2 an hour on the counter or about 40 seconds in the microwave.)
BEAT shortening and butter until softened.
ADD about ½ of the flour and MIX.
ADD sugars, eggs, vanilla and baking soda and MIX well.
ADD remaining flour, chocolate and nuts.
PREHEAT oven to 375F190C.
LINE cookie sheet with parchment paper.
DROP dough from a rounded teaspoon 1 "2 cm apart onto cookie sheet.
BAKE at 375F190C for 10 – 12 minutes, until edges are lightly browned.
REMOVE from the cookie sheet and COOL on a wire rack.


Notes:
Makes about 4 dozen cookies. The original recipe was ½ this one, but that was never enough!

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1 cup250 ml white or packed brown sugar
1/2 cup125 ml cup water
3 large egg whites
1/8 tsp1 ml cream of tartar
1 tsp5 ml vanilla

Options:
1/2 tsp2.5 ml maple/walnut/pecan extract/syrup


ALLOW cake to cool to room temperature.
STIR sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.
BRING to BOIL over high heat.
REDUCE heat to low.
COVER and SIMMER to allow the steam to wash down any sugar crystals (2 minutes).
UNCOVER and COOK to about 234F112C. The soft ball stage.

Meanwhile:
In a large bowl at medium-high speed, BEAT egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.
REDUCE speed to low and continue to BEAT until syrup is ready.

DIP the bottom of the syrup pan in cold water for 1 second to stop the cooking.
In a thin stream, ADD syrup to egg whites while BEATING on high.
ADD vanilla.
BEAT on high until the icing has cooled (about 4 minutes.)
REDUCE speed to medium and BEAT 1 more minute.
USE at once.

Notes: Boiled Icing made with brown sugar and maple extract is very good on Rose’s Spice Cake.

Grandpa’s favourite - and mine too.

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Wet:
1 cup250 ml sugar
1/2 cup125 ml butter/shortening
2 egg yolks
1 egg white
1/2 cup125 ml molasses
1 tsp5 ml baking soda
1 cup250 ml water

Dry:
2 cups450 g flour
1/2 tsp2.5 ml ground cloves
1/2 tsp2.5 ml ground cinnamon
1/4 cup60 ml chopped walnuts/pecans etc...
Options:
1/4 tsp1 ml nutmeg
1/4 cup60 ml raisins

PREHEAT oven to 350F175C.
In large bowl, CREAM TOGETHER sugar and butter.
ADD eggs, molasses, baking soda and water. MIX well.
SIFT TOGETHER dry ingredients.
ADD dry to wet in 3 stages, mixing well after each addition.
POUR into greased and floured 8” or 9” pans.
BAKE 30-35 minutes at 350F175C.
LET COOL 5 minutes.
LOOSEN sides and REMOVE from pans.
LET COOL and ICE with Boiled Icing made with brown sugar and maple extract.

Notes:
Serves 8-10. Can be refrigerated for 3 days.
Reduce cooking time for cupcakes.

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1 cake/1 package/2 1/4 tsp11 ml yeast
1 Tbsp15 ml white sugar
1 1/4 cup280 ml luke warm milk
2 Tbsp30 ml melted shortening
approx. 4 cups1 litre sifted flour
1 well-beaten egg
1 tsp5 ml salt
another well-beaten egg
another 2 Tbsp30 ml milk

HEAT milk over the stove, or in microwave. Make sure it is only luke warm.
DISSOLVE yeast and sugar in milk.
ADD shortening and 2 cups500 ml flour. BEAT thoroughly.
ADD 1 egg.
GRADUALLY ADD rest of flour (enough to make a dough that can be handled easily) and salt.
TURN ONTO board and
KNEAD LIGHTLY and thoroughly, using as little flour as possible (about 5 minutes.)
PLACE in well-greased bowl.
COVER and SET ASIDE in a warm place free from draught to rise about 2 hours.
FORM into walnut-sized biscuits. PLACE 1 "2 cm apart in well-buttered, shallow pan.
LET RISE ‘til double in bulk (about half an hour.)
PREHEAT oven to 375F190C.
BRUSH with 1 egg and 2 Tbsp30 ml milk (if desired - this puts a nice finish on the rolls.)
BAKE at 375F190C about 9 minutes.
Serve while still warm.

Notes:
Click here for an external link with tips on breadmaking and working with yeast.
This recipe will enable you to start your rolls as late as 9:30 am and serve at noon.
You can also make larger buns and bake them about 11 minutes.
Once cooled to room temperature, rolls can be stored in a plastic bag on the counter for 3 days, or frozen for 1 month.