Basic Cornbread

BASIC CORNBREAD

Southerners would scoff at sweet cornbread, but we Northerners like it this way. Please leave the sugar out of the tea, however.

1-1/4 c all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
¾ c cornmeal
¼ c sugar or Splenda
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 c milk
¼ c vegetable oil
1 egg or 2 egg whites

Spray an 8- or 9-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray or grease lightly. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 400° for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Variation: Add ½ cup chopped green chilies for a hotter version.

Perfect Amish Biscuits

PERFECT AMISH BISCUITS

This recipe may be halved, of course. But since these freeze so well, it makes sense to make to full batch and freeze what you can’t use presently.

6 cups flour 2 tsp cream of tartar
½ c instant nonfat dry milk 1 c cold butter, cut into pieces
¼ c baking powder 1 c butter-flavored Crisco
¼ c sugar 1-3/4 c buttermilk, approximately*
2 tsp salt

Preheat over to 400°. In very large bowl, combine all ingredients except shortenings and buttermilk. With pastry blender, cut in shortenings until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in buttermilk with a fork. Knead lightly 5-6 times to incorporate flour. Roll out about ¾-inch thick. Cut with 2-1/2 inch cutter into biscuits and prick tops with fork 2 or 3 times. At this point, either freeze or bake the biscuits on greased baking sheet for about 13-14 minutes or until browned. If freezing, place unbaked, shaped biscuits onto baking sheet and freeze until hard. Remove to plastic freezer bags. To serve, remove desired number and bake, without thawing, on greased cookie sheet in 400° oven for about 15-18 minutes.
*For the buttermilk, you may substitute milk soured with 1-1/2 TBS lemon juice and allowed to stand for 15 minutes. Stir before using.

Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

OATMEAL-PECAN COOKIES

1 c shortening 1-1/2 c flour
1 c packed brown sugar 1 tsp baking soda
1 c sugar 1 tsp salt
2 eggs 3 c old-fashioned oats
1 tsp vanilla 1 c chopped pecans

1n medium bowl, cream shortening and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and beat together. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats and nuts. Chill for 30 minutes. Shape into 1-1/2 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.
Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

Amish Oatmeal Crisp Cookies

AMISH OATMEAL CRISP COOKIES

2-1/2 c (5 sticks) butter, softened
5 c sugar
1/3 c molasses
4 eggs
1-1/3 TBS baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 TBS cinnamon
1 TBS vanilla
4-1/3 c flour
4-3/4 c old-fashioned rolled oats
2 c chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 375°. In very large bowl, cream butter with sugar; stir in molasses and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add baking powder, soda, salt, cinnamon and vanilla to batter all at once and then beat. Add flour and mix thoroughly. Stir in oats. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheets. Bake for 8-9 minutes until medium brown and slightly crinkled-looking. Allow to cool on sheets for about 1 minutes, then transfer to cool completely on wire racks. These freeze very well. Recipe may be halved. Full recipe makes about 200 cookies.