Got a hankerin' for somethin' sweet?

 

Ginger Snaps

When I think about having something sweet to eat, ginger snaps don't often come to mind. But, these beauties are nothing like the store-bought kind. Chewy out of the oven, these ginger snaps are delicious. The sugar coating gives it a little crunch and they're totally dunkable. Plus, they're a snap to make :)  

Thanks go to my sister Marcia for this recipe. 

Ginger Snaps

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1 c. sugar

1 egg

1/4 c. molasses

2 c. flour*

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

* I've also made these cookies with 1 cup of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of white flour, 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/2 tsp. cloves and they were very good.

Beat oil, sugar, and egg until well-mixed. Add in molasses. 

 At this point, have a cute dog right under your feet to impede the cookie-making progress.

Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.

 

Roll mixture into 1 inch sized balls and roll in sugar. 

Place on ungreased cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Marcia recommends Airbake cookie sheets and they've been working out much better for my baking needs than my 25 year old pans. :)  The first photo shows the underside of the pan. In the second, the top appears to be a bit scratched but it still works well.

Bake at 350 F for 8-10 minutes.

If you like the potholders pictured here, you can also make those! When my kids were little we used to make them with a loom that we purchased at Harrisville Designs in Harrisville, New Hampshire. My son (now 22) remembered making them and wanted to get a loom to make some more. 

We drove to their wonderful store and bought looms and loops. They have a wide selection of materials for weaving, knitting, etc. in their beautiful old mill in Harrisville or online at www.harrisville.com. It's worth a visit! 

Harrisville Designs

Happy baking and weaving!

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies...Hello!

These sinful beauties go way back. I got this recipe from my mother 50 years ago! How is that even possible? I also have a notation on the recipe card that says "David's recipe, too". I met my neighbors David and Marilyn about 38 years ago and I'm happy to say that we are still friends. We've had some great times, delicious meals, and a lot of laughs together. 

I bought a bag of Nestle's milk chocolate chips last week. Always a good idea. 

Because I simply don't eat enough, I felt the urge to have something with caramel and chocolate. I looked through my recipes and found this one that, lo and behold, I never blogged about. TA DA! Even more reason to make them!

Butter Pecan Turtle Cookies

Crust

2 cups flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

In a 3 quart bowl (that's what it says), combine all ingredients. Mix at medium speed 2-3 minutes or until particles are fine. Pat into an ungreased 9 x 13 pan.

Caramel layer

2/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 cup pecan halves (I used walnuts and more than a cup)

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Mix butter and brown sugar together. Sprinkle pecans over crust, then add butter & brown sugar mixture. 

Bake at 350 F for 18-22 minutes. Immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips and spread evenly. 

Cool completely before cutting.