Common Cuisine |

I have never met such a little thing with so many names! When I was in junior high, I made these for World Foods Day in Home Ec and called them Pfeufferneusse from Austria. I don’t even know what that word means. My cookbook calls them Russian Teacakes, but then a friend saw them and commented on my Wedding Cookies. I think the simplest name of all is Snowballs, so that is what they are called here.

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup finely chopped nutes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400. Mix butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and the vanilla. Stir in flour, nuts and salt until dough holds togetehr. Shape into 1 inch balls. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set but not brown.

Roll in powdered sugar while warm; cool. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Okay, here is the recipe as it was given to me. If you decide to play with it, let me know what proportions you come up with, and I will do the same.

Submitted by Candice Kugler

• Fresh cranberries
• Frozen lemonade
• Sugar

Cook, mash and strain the cranberries. Add lemonade and sugar and stir, then freeze all. After it has frozen take it back out and use a mixer to chip and whip it up. Dish it up in dessert cups. It is a great blend of sweet and tart.

When you can’t build a campfire, perhaps this is enough to satisfy the craving for this childhood treat.

• 1 pkg brownie mix plus ingredients listed on box.
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 graham crackers, broken into small pieces
• 1 ½ C mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare brownie mix as directed for 13″ x 9″ pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

In medium bowl, gently mix chocolate chips, graham cracker bits, and marshmallows. Evenly spread over top of hot brownies. Bake 15 minutes more.

Cool completely (if possible) before cutting into bars. Makes about 2 dozen servings of childhood happiness.

Here is a delicious alternative to the traditional Pumpkin Pie, if you can give it up. Cheesecake is one of those desserts where you have to follow the directions to make sure you’re not compromising the quality of the final product. You also want to make sure you get a springform pan. You could probably bake it in a square baking dish, but it will be difficult to get out.

Filling:

• 3 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground nutmet
• dash ground cloves

Crust:

• 2 cups finely crushed ginger snaps
• ½ cup finely chopped pecans
• 6 Tbsp butter or margarine, melted

Crust: Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans, and butter; press onto bottom and 2 inches up side of 9-in springform pan.

Filling: Beat cream cheese, ¾ cup of the sugar and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Reserve 1 ½ cups of the plain batter. Stir remaining ¼ cup sugar, pumpkin, and spices into remaining batter. Spoon ½ of the pumpkin batter over crust; top with spoonfuls of ½ of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for marble effect.

Bake at 325 for 55 minutes or until center is almost set if using a silver springform pan. (Or, bake at 300 for 55 minutes if using a dark nonstick springform pan.) Loosen cake from side of pan; cool before removing side of pan. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Makes 12 servings.

• 1 (7-ounce) package caramels
• ¼ C evaporated milk
• ¾ C chopped pecans, divided
• 1 9-inch chocolate crumb pie crust
• 6 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ C sour cream
• 1 ¼ C milk
• 1 (3.9-oz) pkg chocolate instant pudding mix
• ½ C fudge topping

Place caramels and evaporated milk in a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring continually, until smooth, about 5 minutes. Stir in ½ C chopped pecans. Pour into pie crust.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream and milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Add pudding mix; process for about 30 seconds longer.

Pour pudding mixture over caramel layer, covering evenly. Chill, loosely covered, until set, about 15 minutes.

Drizzle fudge topping over pudding layer in a decorative pattern. Sprinkle top of cake with remaining pecans. Chill, loosely covered, until serving time.

Makes 12 servings.

Now we’re talking. The almond carries the apple to a higher plane of existence. Sign me up for seconds!

• 1 Pillsbuy Pie crust
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• three shakes of salt
• 8 cups thinly sliced apples (about 8 medium)

Crumb Topping:

• ½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup cold butter
• ½ cup chopped almonds

Heat oven to 425. Put pie crust in 9″ pie plate. Mix sugar, flour, salt, and almond extract in large bowl. Stir in apples. Put mixture in pie plate.

Mix Crumb Topping ingredients in medium bowl until crumbly. One way to do this is by putting all into a food processor and pulsing a few times. Sprinkle topping over apple mixture.

Bake 50 minutes. Cover with a sheet of foil during last 10 minutes.

Serves 8.

And why the name, you ask? Well try to keep a batch around for more than a few minutes, and you will understand! I am posting this recipe this week in honor of my birthday. This is my favorite, favorite. Thanks to my friend Beth Edgerton for making this for me every time I came home during my first year of college.

• ½ C butterscotch pieces
• ¼ C (½ stick) buttermilk
• 3/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/3 C firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 C mini marshmallows
• 1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¼ C chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350. Generously grease and flour bottom and sides of 9 inch square baking dish.

In 3 qt heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butterscotch pieces and butter, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.

Add flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, vanilla and egg, mixing well.

Fold in marshmallows, chocolate chips, and nuts.

Spread in greased pan and bake 20-25 minutes. Center will still be jiggly but firms upon cooling.