My mom gave me my Betty Crocker cookbook back in 1972. It didn't contain all of her secret recipes, but there were enough in there to get me started. What I love most is how my cookbook looks. Every ragged edge reflects how much it's been used. Many of the pages have new reinforcement hole stickers and some of them had to be gingerly taped together to preserve the favorite recipe on that page. All the grease, egg, flour and other miscellaneous splatters have a story all their own. You will find major and minor recipe adjustments, added or deleted ingredients posted on the pages my kids call my 'doctoring' techniques. The most used sections are cookies, cakes and pies. The heaviest hit pages contain my Christmas cookies. My favorite of all is the Deluxe Sugar Cookies. The secret ingredient in this cookie is the cream of tartar. It makes the cookie light and crispy. And if you ever worked with me, you've had my iced Christmas cookies. The icing I use is a modification of a recipe from my old friend Butch. We worked together back in the day at the Stock Market Foods bakery in Silverdale, WA. Bakeries use high ratio shortening in the icing. My twist? I use good old butter. Are you ready to try your hand at these? The sugar cookie recipe is available on the web -- they call them Classic Sugar Cookies but it's the same recipe I have in my cookbook. And here's my recipe for icing. If you use butter, the icing will have a slight yellow tint. I never let that bother me. I go more for the flavor. Also, you'll be tinting the icing for decorating. Buttercream Icing 1 pound butter 2 pounds powdered sugar 2 TBSP REAL vanilla (not the cheap imitation, the real stuff!) 1/4 cup milk, half-n-half or cream NOTE: You have to use a really good mixer -- like a KitchenAid. 1. Place the butter in the mixer and beat until it's fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, a couple cups at a time. Add the vanilla and milk. 2. Now you're going to beat the crap out of it. Put that mixer on medium to medium high and beat it until it is light and fluffy. If it's too thick, you can add more milk, but add it a tablespoon at a time. You'll notice that the more you mix it the lighter the color is as well. If you don't have shamrock cookie cutters, go and buy some right now. These will be the best Saint Patrick's Day cookies you've ever made!
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AuthorMy favorite food is chocolate. My least favorite? Liver and onions. Makes me cringe thinking about them! ArchivesCategories |