COLEEN's PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

I've made these cookies (literally) a ba-jillion times over the past 50+ years. They are my families all-time favorite AND they are very easy to make. 

1/2 cup "Butter Flavored Crisco" (see note below)
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use Jiff)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/4 cups flour 

In a stand mixer, cream together the Butter Flavored Crisco + Peanut Butter + brown sugar + granulated sugar. Beat until it is light and fluffy (takes just a minute or so).

Add the egg and vanilla and beat till smooth...set aside.

To measure the flour, spoon it into a measuring cup and level off the top of the cup with the edge of a knife (do not dip the cup into the flour cannister...that will give you a false measurement). 

In a bowl stir together the measured flour + salt + baking soda. Add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture and beat until well mixed.  

Tip: If the cookie dough seems a little dry or crumbly, add a tablespoon of water and mix a few more seconds.

Roll the cookie dough into balls about the size of a small walnut and then roll the balls in granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet (about 3" apart) and flatten a little with a fork in a criss-cross pattern.

Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 10-11 minutes or until edges of the cookie are light golden. Let cookies cool (on the cookie sheet) for about a minute, then gently transfer them to a cooling rack (or waxed paper) to cool completely. The cookies will crisp up as they cool off.

NOTE: Cooking time depends on how large you make these cookies. Dough balls about the size of a small walnut, bake for 11 minutes in my electric oven.

NOTE: Do not be tempted to use butter in this recipe. The Butter Flavored Crisco makes a light and tender cookie. Butter will give you a very dense and heavy cookie.

ENJOY !!!

ORANGE JELLY

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This light and sunny orange jelly is not only great for your morning toast, but it is a good glaze for baked chicken.

I still remember the first time I bought marmalade for my family...they hated it. Well, they hated the "chunks" (and so did I), although the jam in between the chunks was tasty (does that make sense?). That is when I decided to create an orange jelly that had "no chunks"...this is it.

4 medium oranges
2 medium lemons
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
5 cups granulated sugar
1 pouch Sure Jell liquid fruit pectin

Wash and dry the oranges and lemons. Using a very fine zester, remove (just the colored part of the peeling) making sure you don't go deep into the skin or you will get the white pith, which is bitter. Set the zest aside.

After you zest the fruit, peel and cut up the peeled oranges and lemons, then pulse them in the food processor until they look like this, then set them aside.

Put the orange and lemon ZEST into a heavy bottomed saucepan and add 1 1/2 cups of water and the baking soda. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn it DOWN TO A SIMMER, cover and simmer (stirring occasionally) for 20 minutes.

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After 20 minutes, add the chopped oranges and lemons and simmer for another 10 minutes.

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Press the cooked fruit-zest mixture through a strainer and measure off 3 cups of the juice.

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Place exactly 3 cups of strained juice into a large heavy bottomed saucepan and add the sugar. Bring mixture to a full rolling boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in liquid pectin and return to a full rolling boil for exactly one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off any foam with a metal spoon.

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Immediately pour into prepared jars, filling to within 1/8" of the top. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with 2-piece lids and screw bands. Process jars in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.

NOTE: Because this is a citrus jam, it can take up to a week to full set, but it is SO worth the wait.

ENJOY !!!

ORANGE POUND CAKE

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Sweet and extremely moist, this

pound cake gets rave reviews from 

my "Picky-Picky Hubby" 

2 + 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/3 cup poppy seeds
2 1/2 cups white sugar
4 teaspoons fresh, finely grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, soft
8 ounce cream cheese, soft
6 large whole eggs + 2 large egg yolks (room temp)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
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Put the sugar and orange zest in the food processor and pulse it for 20 seconds, set aside.
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With a stand mixer (using paddle beater) beat the softened butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar and zest mixture and beat until light and fluffy (about another minute). Beat in the whole eggs, one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl after each egg. Beat in the 2 egg yolks and the vanilla.
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With your mixer on low, beat in the flour mixture, stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times. Beat until smooth.
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Spoon the batter into TWO greased and floured 9x5x3 loaf pans (or 8 mini loaf pans). Bake on center rack of a pre-heated 350F oven for 50 minutes (my oven takes 55 minutes) or 25-30 minutes for mini-loafs.
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Cool in pan (on a rack) for 20 minutes, then turn out. Glaze while still warm.
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ORANGE GLAZE FOR POUND CAKE
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
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Bring orange juice and sugar to a boil, over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens and reduces to 1/2 cup (3 or 4 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Keep brushing the tops and sides of the warm pound cake until all of the glaze is used up.
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NOTE: This pound cake has such a fresh clean taste and because it is just a little different, it would make a great gift for someone.

ENJOY !!!