Homemade Granola Bars

Being hunting season, this is a big hit with the hunters. I don't remember where I found the original recipe, but here it is with my tweaks. You do not need to be precise with the ingredient amounts.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Honey
2/3 cups Peanut Butter
3 cups Granola-I used a homemade soaked granola that was very plain
Your choice of Mix-ins: dried fruit, nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, etc

Butter 9" x 9" pan (or equivalent size)

Heat honey in a heavy sauce pan on medium-low. Let boil one minute. This will make it thick enough to be the glue for holding your granola together.

Stir in the peanut butter. (Personally, I only use *real* peanut butter. You know the kind that is only peanuts and salt!) Mix well.

Next stir in the granola. I turn the heat off after the first cup has been added. Keep mixing until all the granola is coated with the honey-peanut butter.

Now stir in your mix-ins. If you want your chocolate melted throughout mix it in right away. If you want chunks of chocolate, just put the chocolate on top of the mix in the pan immediately before scooping out the granola into the square pan. (Milk chocolate will melt easier than the darker chocolates.)

If you want a layer of goodies on the bottom of your granola bars-put the goodies into your pan before cooking the honey-peanut butter mixture.

Press the mixture firmly into the pan. Cool in refrigerator. Cut into bars (I usually opt for 8-10). Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Keep in refrigerator or freeze.

By running hot water immediately into your pan, clean up will be much easier.

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Chocolate Chip Butter Cookies

These will remind you of melt in your mouth butter cookies from a good bakery. We usually make them for our Christmas Cookie Trays.

350°F about 65 cookies

1 pound of butter
Powdered Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
4 1/2 cups flour
2 cups or 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate pieces.

Cream butter, 2 cups of powdered sugar. Add salt, vanilla, and flour. Mix well. Stir in pieces.

Roll into 1” balls and flatten with fork dipped in powdered sugar on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes at 350°F. Sprinkle with additional powdered sugar while hot.

These are such a favorite at Christmas I decided to re-publish the post.

Snickerdoodles

A classic home-made cookie. The original recipe came from a very dear friend…Nancy. I've teaked it a bit to all butter and sometimes use part whole-wheat pastry flour.

Cream together:
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs

Mix into creamed mixture:
Up to 3 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt

Shape into balls 1 - 1 1/2" diameter. Roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. We like lots of cinnamon, hence my mix is heavy on cinnamon and light on sugar. Bake at 400°F for 8 - 10 minutes. Remove to cooling rack.

Sugar Cookies–"Cut-out Cookies"

This is the best sugar cookie recipe I have ever tried. 

The recipe is about 95-100 years old!

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup shortening, (half butter, half lard or shortening)
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Flour to thicken (approximately 3 3/4 cups) (dough should be slightly sticky)

Mix well, cover and place in refrigerator until chilled at least 4 hours. Roll out on floured board. Cut. Place on cookie sheet. Bake in slow oven 275-350°F. (I use between 325° and 340° for 12 minutes.) Time will depend some on size of cookie. Temperature on how hot your oven runs. Makes about 60 cookies.

I do not roll these out thin; it is probably between 1/8" and 1/4". They will puff some when baking. I bake until the bottoms are golden-brown and they no longer look moist on top. The edges are just tu

Chocolate Sourdough Cookies

This a cakelike cookie. It is good frosted with a chocolate glaze too.

Oven 350°F

Mix together:
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
1/2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
1/8 tsp salt

In larger bowl mix:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
3/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sourdough starter
 
1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional

Stir in flour mixture to wet mixture. Add nuts if desired.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2" apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are just lightly browned. Cool slightly on pan, then remove to rack to finish cooling. Frost if desired.

Peanut Blossoms

Peanut Blossoms are the peanut butter cookie that you put a chocolate kiss in the center after baking.
These also make the best plain peanut butter cookies. Just press slightly with a fork before baking if you want a flatter cookie.

1 cup peanut butter (I prefer crunchy)
1 cup shortening
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar

Cream together.

Add 2 eggs

3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
3-4 Tbsp. Milk

Mix well. Roll into balls, smaller than a walnut. Roll balls in granulated sugar. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 375° F. for 10-12 minutes. Immediately top with unwrapped kiss. Press kiss until sides start to crack. Let set for 1-2 minutes. Then remove from pan to cool.

Munger Mom’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are my most popular cookies. As a matter of fact, I have try to make these when no one is around or the dough goes by handfuls before it even makes it to the pans. And many a cookie never makes it to the container for storage.

A large batch of moist, soft chocolate chip cookies.



Mix in large mixer bowl until creamy:
2 cups softened butter or 1 cup each softened butter and shortening
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup fructose or 1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup additional granulated sugar

Add three eggs, beat until light and fluffy, on medium speed.

On low speed slowly add in the following order:
4 1/2 cups Natural White flour (unbleached flour)
3 tsp. Baking soda
1 tsp. Salt
3 tsp. Vanilla
1-1 3/4 cups more flour

The dough should be sticky but trying to form a ball. Stir in 2 cups chocolate chips.

Place balls of cookie dough on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 9-11 minutes at 375°F. (Time will depend on your oven and the size you make your cookies.) Edges should be just starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and let cookies rest on cookie sheet for another 1-2 minutes. This will help finish cooking the bottom of the cookies. Remove to cooling racks.