Maple Walnut Shortbread Bars

Maple Walnut Shortbread Bars

COOKIE BASE:

1-1/2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cups packed brown sugar

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pats

TOPPING:

2 eggs

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° F; grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Put the flour, salt and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process to combine. Add the butter and process until the mixture begins to clump, scraping down the bowl several times. Spread mixture into pan and press down with bottom of measuring cup or with fingertips. Bake for 12 minutes, until dry-looking and firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, make the topping: put the eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla in the food processor bowl (no need to wash after making the base) and process until well blended. Add the walnuts and pulse several times to combine and chop the walnuts into pea-size pieces. Do not over process or the walnut pieces will be too small.

Pour the topping over the cookie base and bake for an additional 18 to 22 minutes, until the topping is set, crisp and brown. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pan, then cut into squares or bars.

Teena & Treeva with friend Tarry, Nahcotta, WA

Joyfully Almond Chippers

Joyfully Almond Chippers

1 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk *

1 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups flaked coconut

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup sliced almonds

Heat oven to 375 F. Combine butter and sugars in large bowl. Beat at medium speed until well blended. Combine egg, milk, extracts and mix into creamed mixture at low speed until blended. Combine dry ingredients and mix into creamed mixture at low speed until just blended. Stir in, one at a time, coconut, chocolate chips and almonds.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls 2 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 10 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Do not overbake. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

* Note: since this requires so little of a can of sweetened condensed milk, instead of wasting the remainder one good recipe to use it on is Soft and Chewy Caramels.

Aunt Peggy & Uncle Lee at Nahcotta Dock

Toffee Bars

Toffee Bars

These chewy, nutty cookies are the result of modifying a recipe that was supposed to make a "Praline Pie." An added bonus: they're easy to make!

Base:

6 Tbs margarine, melted

1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup sugar

Filling:

1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine, melted

2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans, divided

1-1/2 to 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Mix margarine, crumbs and sugar in a 9x13 pan.  Press into bottom of pan.  Bake at 350° F for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl mix, using an electric mixer at low speed, mix melted margarine and brown sugar until blended.  Mix in flour, baking powder, eggs and vanilla until well combined.  Stir in 1-1/2 cups of the pecans and the chocolate chips.  Spread mixture on base and sprinkle remaining pecans over top.  Gentle press pecans into surface.  Bake at 350° F for about 30 minutes.  Cut into bars.

Bro

Grandma Maude's Oatmeal Cookies

Grandma Maude's Oatmeal Cookies

Okay, this is probably a pretty standard oatmeal cookie, but it is the only recipe I’ve found so far that was passed down by Grandma Maude McQuoid.

Grandma Maude (McQuoid)

1-1/2 cups butter, softened 

(original recipe called for shortening)

2 cups sugar

2 eggs, well beaten

3 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp allspice

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 cups oatmeal

2/3 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugar; then add the eggs.  Sift flour, soda, salt and spices together; stir in oats.  Add milk and flour mixture alternately to the butter mixture until it is well blended.  Stir in walnuts and raisins.

Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet and press down with glass which has been dipped in flour.  Bake until done (no time given--assume 10 to 12 minutes).

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

Treeva

Plain, simple cookies, but totally delicious

2-2/3 cup flour

2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 egg

Cinnamon Sugar

1/3 cup sugar

3 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.  Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Stir together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt to combine thoroughly; set aside.  In shallow bowl or pan, stir cinnamon with the 1/4 cup sugar.

Combine butter and 1-1/2 cup sugar in mixing bowl; beat until fluffy.  Blend in vanilla, then beat in egg until well combined.  Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until well combined.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, six to eight at a time, into Cinnamon Sugar and roll to coat well, shaping into balls as you roll.  Place about 1-1/2 inches apart on baking sheets.

Bake about 10 minutes until edges are golden brown.  Transfer to rack to cool.  Makes about 36 cookies.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Aunt Peggy and Uncle Lee - Nahcotta, WA
(uncle Lee was a big fan of ginger cookies)

The first time I made these I mistakenly measured three tablespoons of ginger. The cookies were spicy-hot, but actually quite delicious.

Ginger Molasses Cookies

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

3 tsp ground ginger *

1/4 cup raw (turbinado) sugar

Preheat oven to 300 F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. In a medium bowl, cream the butter with 1 cup sugar.  Add the molasses and egg and beat well.  Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and stir to combine well.

Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls (about the size of an unshelled walnut) into raw sugar and gently roll to coat; place about 2 inches apart onto baking sheets--they will spread.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until cookies are beginning to brown--Cookies should look slightly underbaked.  Remove to wire rack to cool.

* If you like VERY strongly flavored (i.e. HOT) ginger cookies, you can add more! If you are truly daring try adding some chopped candied ginger.

Almond-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

Christmas card photo 1955

Almond-Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies

The first time I made these cookies I mistakenly used Almond Paste instead of the Almond Filling--the batter was much stiffer, instead of spreading the cookies maintained their pre-baked shape and they were not as sweet--but they were tasty anyway! 

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 can Solo Almond Filling

2 egg yolks

1 tsp almond extract

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Raspberry Jelly or Jam (seedless is preferrd)

Powdered sugar

Beat butter and sugar in medium bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Add almond filling, egg yolks and almond extract; beat until blended.  Mix flour, baking powder and salt in separate bowl--stir into butter mixture with wooden spoon to make soft dough.  Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls, placing on parchment-covered baking sheets about 1-1/2 inches apart.  Press thumb into center of each ball to make indentation.  Spoon Raspberry Jelly or seedless jam into a decorator’s tube with a large tip and fill indentations (this method is much quicker and easier than trying to spoon it into ech cookie). Bake 11 to 13 minutes or until edges of cookies are golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets for 1 minute, then transfer cookies on parchment to wire rack.  Sift powdered sugar lightly over tops of cookies, if desired.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

Notes: the dough will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week, so you don't have to bake all the cookies at one time. I have also found one easy way to sift the powdered sugar directly onto each cookie is by using an individual wire-mesh tea strainer.

Cherry‑Almond Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Mom & Cousin Terri, ca 1949
(both cookie lovers!)

The chocolate-cherry-almond combination in these cookies makes them delicious and a little out of the ordinary for chocolate chip cookies. They won a blue ribbon at the 2013 Clatsop County fair in the Chocolate Chip division (the first time I'd entered anything in a fair).

Cherry‑Almond Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 Tbs (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup old‑fashioned oats
1 to 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 to 1 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat oven to 325° F. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar in large bowl until well blended. Mix in egg and both extracts. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in oats, then chocolate chips, cherries and almonds.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake cookies 12 to 14 minutes. Dough can be prepared ahead, formed into “logs” wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated. Then slice and bake.

Makes 2 dozen.

Pecan Pie Bars

These bars were another popular cookie we sold at Mom's Seafood Market--and since I made all the cookies we sold and these are pretty easy to make they were one of my favorites. The eponymous name gives it away: they do taste like little pecan pies--but not quite as cloyingly sweet.

Mom and Rick, ca. 1954

Pecan Pie Bars

2 cups flour

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup Karo Dark Corn Syrup

2 Tbs butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

1-1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix flour, sugar and salt in food processor; add butter pieces and process until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press into bottom and 1/4 inch up sides of prepared pan and bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

In a large bowl, beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, margarine and vanilla until well blended.  Stir in pecans.  Pour over hot crust and spread evenly.

Bake 20 additional minutes or until filling is firm around edges and slightly firm in center.  Cool completely.  Cut into 1-1/2 x 2-inch bars.

PB Scotcharoos

I received this recipe from my friend (and boss) at Fort Stevens, Teri Wing. They are simple and quick to make, which is one of the reasons I used to make them to sell at Mom's store (Ocean Park Crab and Seafood). They're also pretty tasty!

PB Scotcharoos

Cousin Terri

1 cup sugar

1 cup white Karo™ Syrup

1 cup peanut butter

7 cups Special-K™ cereal

some margarine to grease pan

1/2 11-oz pkg Butterscotch Chips

about 1-1/4 cup Chocolate Chips

Stir sugar, syrup and peanut butter in a very LARGE pan over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Remove from heat and quickly* stir in Special-K cereal. Quickly use margarine to grease a 9x13 inch pan. Do not clean off your hands! Spread mixture into pan and use your hands to press into place.

Melt chips in bowl (I use microwave at about power 4, stirring every 1-1/2  minutes until smooth).  Spread over cereal mixture and let stand until firm.

*Note: you should measure the cereal out ahead of time so you can stir it in quickly, as the mixture becomes hard to spread as it cools. When I used to make these for Mom's store I found it easiest to measure in a 2-quart pitcher.

Number 1 Peanut Butter Cookies

Yes, the recipe is correct--there is NO flour in these cookies! For those who doubt if the recipe works let me assure you that it does. I have made these cookies for years and they were a favorite when we sold them at Mom's store (Ocean Park Crab and Seafood). I use Jif™ Peanut Butter for these cookies--I don't think the healthier organic types would work for this recipe.

I call these "Number 1" for three reasons: all the ingredients are measured in equivalents of one (so it is easy to remember), it is super quick and easy (who doesn't like that?), and because of the great peanut-butter flavor (because there is no flour or margarine/butter to dilute the PB).

Number 1 Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit.  Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper. Mix all of the above ingredients together thoroughly.  Drop by well-rounded spoonfuls 2 inches apart.  Flatten in criss-cross pattern with fork dipped in sugar (I also usually sprinkle a little extra sugar on top to make them sweet and sparkly!). 

Bake 14 to 16 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool on rack. Makes about 16 good-sized cookies.

Note: trying to double this recipe doesn't seem to work that well--maybe because it is harder to mix all the ingredients together thoroughly (dough is pretty stiff). However, it is easy enough to just measure the ingredients into the bowl a second time to make more cookies.

Dad with Mom on his left & friend Yvonne on right

Bird Nest Cookies

For some reason in my family we only seem to make these cookies around Christmas, but they are too good to be reserved for just one season. There are other similar recipes out there which call these "Jam Thumbprints" but we always called them Bird Nest Cookies. A food processor speeds the process by quickly and more finely chopping the nuts. Back in the 1960s when Mom made these cookies she used to fiddle about using a teaspoon to fill the center of the cookies with jelly. It is so much easier to just spoon the jam or jelly into a decorator's tube with a medium to large tip and pipe it into the cookies. If you don't own one, it is well worth the investment to just buy a cheap plastic one.

Rick, Sherrie, Terri 12-25-1954

Bird Nest Cookies

1 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 egg yolks

2 cup flour

2 egg white, slightly beaten

2+ cup very finely chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg yolks and mix well.  Add flour and mix.  Shape into small balls (about 1‑1/4" in diameter). Dip cookies in beaten egg white and roll in nuts to cover. Place on cookie sheet and press indentation in center. 

Bake in 350  oven for 8 minutes; remove, press center again (use end of a wooden spoon or some other implement so you don't burn your fingers) and fill with a tart jelly (currant or red raspberry).  Bake an additional 10 minutes.

Coconut & Macadamia Nut Cookies

Back in the late 1970s or early 1980s there was a fabulous cookie shop in Long Beach, Washington named "Plain Jane's" which sold huge, delcious cookies. Unfortunately Jane moved away, leaving me no recourse but to try to reinvent these soft and chewy cookies to which I had become addicted. 

Nieces Teena & Treeva, June 1979
on Carousel in Long Beach, WA

Coconut & Macadamia Nut Cookies

1 cup butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1‑1/3 cup brown sugar

3 eggs

1‑1/2 tsp vanilla

2/3 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp Brandy
(optional; can also use Frangelico or Rum)

2 cups flour (can include some Oat flour)

1‑1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

7 oz flaked coconut

1 cup macadamia nuts , coarsely chopped

Cream softened margarine together with sugars.  Add eggs, beating well after each.  Add vanilla, lemon juice & brandy. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together; stir into butter mixture. Add coconut and nuts to dough.  Chill for about 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit.  Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Drop by heaping soup spoonfuls onto cookie sheet to make large cookies.  Bake 14 to 16 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Hazelnut Balls

These cookies are quite similar to Russian Tea Cakes (aka Mexican Wedding Cakes), but with the more distinctive flavor of hazelnuts.

Uncle Lee and Aunt Peggy
South San Francisco, Jan 1959

Hazelnut Balls

1-1/2 cups hazelnuts

1 cup sifted flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 Tbs sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Powdered sugar, to coat

Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.  Line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.

Blender-grind hazelnuts until very fine; combine with flour and salt and set aside.  Cream butter, sugar and vanilla together. Add flour mixture and stir until combined.  Refrigerate dough at least one-half hour.  Form dough into 1-inch balls and place one inch apart on cookie sheet.  Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until set but not brown.  Cool partially on wire rack and roll in powdered sugar while still warm.  Re-roll in sugar just before serving.  Makes 24.